Little Rock Trojan basketball

Coach Bill Lewis · March 18, 2016

If their coach isn't coach of the year, he got screwed. 30-4 now with some impressive wins. The comeback win over Purdue today was awesome. Love the underdog upsets.

FirefightnRick · March 18, 2016

4 hours ago, Coach Bill Lewis said:

If their coach isn't coach of the year, he got screwed. 30-4 now with some impressive wins. The comeback win over Purdue today was awesome. Love the underdog upsets.

And in his first season, hired away from D2 Angelo State after posting a two year record there of 45-14.

Division 2???? We wouldn't dare consider such a thing.

Rick

Edited March 18, 2016 by FirefightnRick

meangreenbob · March 18, 2016

After following UNT Athletics for over 45 years I am convinced that there is a well planned, well orchestrated conspiracy to derail UNT Athletics at all cost. Either that or someone has placed a major curse on UNT Athletics. Yes, I know I have said this before but it is literally incomprehensible to accept that this University, its Administration and BOR, would not only sanction incompetence and failure but actually promote it year after year.

Maybe RV came in here 15 years ago with great aspirations, high hopes of building a strong well respected major college athletic program. However, either he lacked the knowledge and experience, the business acumen to make it happen or maybe he succumbed to the establishment, the GINO's (green in name only). If he accepted the latter then he betrayed everyone who loves UNT for a safe, secure and well funded paycheck.

Edited March 18, 2016 by meangreenbob

Arkstfan · March 18, 2016

I don't like UALR but I'm very pleased. Last year Georgia State advancing to round of 32 made little impact on the AState fan base. None of the money people cared enough to pony up to send Brady packing (we tried and couldn't raise the money).

UALR advancing is going to set off a collective "hell no" among our boosters hopefully accompanied by the ceremonial opening of checkbooks.

untbowler · March 18, 2016

11 minutes ago, Arkstfan said:

I don't like UALR but I'm very pleased. Last year Georgia State advancing to round of 32 made little impact on the AState fan base. None of the money people cared enough to pony up to send Brady packing (we tried and couldn't raise the money).

UALR advancing is going to set off a collective "hell no" among our boosters hopefully accompanied by the ceremonial opening of checkbooks.

You guys made a excellent hire as well in Jonesboro

untjim1995 · March 18, 2016

1 hour ago, Arkstfan said:

I don't like UALR but I'm very pleased. Last year Georgia State advancing to round of 32 made little impact on the AState fan base. None of the money people cared enough to pony up to send Brady packing (we tried and couldn't raise the money).

UALR advancing is going to set off a collective "hell no" among our boosters hopefully accompanied by the ceremonial opening of checkbooks.

I will say this, when AState has been asked to fund a coaching change, you guys haven't messed around. If Steve Roberts or John Brady had been coaches here, I have zero doubt that they would still be employed and treated as if they were golden hires.

You guys don't work that way, institutionally or from the viewpoint of giving alumni. Here, we have institutional leadership that wants to focus on keeping costs as low as possible (admirable on many levels) to keep enrollment growing, so as to subsidize their careers. And our alumni, almost unanimously, leave Denton and never give one cent back or one second back to UNT Athletics. When all you care about is being a "value" and having a cattle call approach to gaining students of any kind to come to your school, its pretty hard to get anyone to feel connected to the university's teams, especially when the administration don't even make it a priority at all.

Arkstfan · March 18, 2016

1 hour ago, untjim1995 said:

I will say this, when AState has been asked to fund a coaching change, you guys haven't messed around. If Steve Roberts or John Brady had been coaches here, I have zero doubt that they would still be employed and treated as if they were golden hires.

You guys don't work that way, institutionally or from the viewpoint of giving alumni. Here, we have institutional leadership that wants to focus on keeping costs as low as possible (admirable on many levels) to keep enrollment growing, so as to subsidize their careers. And our alumni, almost unanimously, leave Denton and never give one cent back or one second back to UNT Athletics. When all you care about is being a "value" and having a cattle call approach to gaining students of any kind to come to your school, its pretty hard to get anyone to feel connected to the university's teams, especially when the administration don't even make it a priority at all.

Our AD played football at AState and our system president grew up in Jonesboro. There is a great deal of passion for the athletic program at the top.

A friend went on a football trip with the team and his wife told him he'd need to watch his mouth. Once the game started he was sitting near the Chancellor and AD and quickly realized he didn't need to worry about anything slipping out and having attended a football watch party at the President's house, I learned I didn't have to worry about anything slipping out there either.

Volleyball went 16-0 in conference, football 8-0, women's hoops 19-1 and honestly our women's hoops coach is on a flaming hot seat because he's never made the NCAA Tournament. The leadership expects NCAA not runner-up tournaments.

untbowler · March 18, 2016

1 hour ago, Arkstfan said:

Our AD played football at AState and our system president grew up in Jonesboro. There is a great deal of passion for the athletic program at the top.

Imagine that someone that is an alumni or at least tied to the City or University. UNT can not even get 50% of their BOR as alumni. Just pathetic situation in Denton. Good place for other schools alumni to come and make some nice $$$ with no accountability.

UNT90 · March 19, 2016

18 hours ago, meangreenbob said:

maybe he succumbed to the establishment, the GINO's (green in name only). If he accepted the latter then he betrayed everyone who loves UNT for a safe, secure and well funded paycheck.

This is exactly what happened. Just hanging around collecting a check.

GMG24 · March 19, 2016

Making a comeback. Got it to 12 with 5 minutes left... Got a chance

Ben Gooding · March 20, 2016

On 3/18/2016 at 1:20 PM, untbowler said:

Imagine that someone that is an alumni or at least tied to the City or University. UNT can not even get 50% of their BOR as alumni. Just pathetic situation in Denton. Good place for other schools alumni to come and make some nice $$$ with no accountability.

So, I say this with all seriousness...What can we do to change the trajectory? Because I'm open to just about anything.

UTAmaverick · March 20, 2016

LR doesn't do anything fancy, but they play solid defense and attack the basket for 40:00. And most of their jumpers in the 8-12 foot range usually go in. They beat us 3 times this year and they were very deep and well coached. I'm a little surprised they're a 29-win team but I'll give them credit for a great season. They earned it.

Quoner · March 20, 2016

9 hours ago, Ben Gooding said:

So, I say this with all seriousness...What can we do to change the trajectory? Because I'm open to just about anything.

Read Prometheus?

Become a multi-millionaire?

Get a Masters in sports administration and get 20 years related job experience for the next opening?

(Not trying to be flippant, but besides walk away, I'm out of other possible ideas.)

untbowler · March 21, 2016

On 3/20/2016 at 7:11 PM, Ben Gooding said:

So, I say this with all seriousness...What can we do to change the trajectory? Because I'm open to just about anything.

Change leadership culture of penny pinching and being average, set expectation of success

Jackson has been an embarrass as Chancellor, BOR holds no one accountable and are fine being the cheapest value in Texas

Quoner · March 21, 2016

12 minutes ago, untbowler said:

Change leadership culture of penny pinching and being average, set expectation of success

Jackson has been an embarrass as Chancellor, BOR holds no one accountable and are fine being the cheapest value in Texas

Seems like an actionable, fresh take. Im just gonna walk away, but good luck!

UNT90 · March 21, 2016

On March 18, 2016 at 11:10 PM, FirefightnRick said:

And in his first season, hired away from D2 Angelo State after posting a two year record there of 45-14.

Division 2???? We wouldn't dare consider such a thing.

Rick

You mean someone who has been s head coach at a place where winning wasn't easy, resources were slim, and that someone turned that program around?

Hmmmmm.

Edited March 21, 2016 by UNT90

untjim1995 · March 21, 2016

On ‎3‎/‎20‎/‎2016 at 5:11 AM, Quoner said:

Read Prometheus?

Become a multi-millionaire?

Get a Masters in sports administration and get 20 years related job experience for the next opening?

(Not trying to be flippant, but besides walk away, I'm out of other possible ideas.)

The last sentence is the reality of what the UNT leadership offers. Go along with it or go away. Either way, we don't care. we get easy money from an increasing number of students and we have 17 donors who pay for this and we aren't disturbing that apple cart.

Nothing changes here unless the leadership's view of athletics changes drastically or until the mega-donors decide access isn't more valuable than winning. I wouldn't expect either of those to change anytime soon, so the answer is to walk away and just follow UNT sports from the comfy confines of gmg.com. You'll feel better about saving your money and time...and even belly-laugh a few times.