MGB: Benford says he will be back, confident in future

Brett Vito · March 20, 2016

MGB: Coach does not rule out staff changes

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2016/03/benford-confirms-his-return.html/

eagle2014 · March 20, 2016

And the losing continues...

GrandGreen · March 20, 2016

This tells you all you want to know about NT's leadership.

97and03 · March 20, 2016

Ever notice how nice Vito is to the coaches that give him lots of access compared to those that don't?

GRN-WHT · March 20, 2016

So we're concerned about losing players from a team that went 12-20. Makes sense.

According to @flyonthewall the big donors said Benford had to win this season ... unless firing him will make their little buddy look bad, then winning can wait.

In case you didn't need anymore proof that there's no commitment to winning here, this athletic department operates and the big donors give just enough to build infrastructure to keep up the appearance of a healthy FBS program and to preserve their loser buddy his job.

Vote with your wallet, there are plenty of other ways to fund scholarships for students with limited opportunity without giving to the athletic department and giving RV a vote of confidence.

UNT90 · March 20, 2016

He'll be back and I most likely won't ever attend another UNT basketball game at the Pit.

And will encourage any alum I come into contact with not to bother, either, especially as long as Bedford is coach.

And RV doesn't comment because he s a freaking coward.

Edited March 20, 2016 by UNT90

UNT90 · March 20, 2016

47 minutes ago, GRN-WHT said:

So we're concerned about losing players from a team that went 12-20. Makes sense.

According to @flyonthewall the big donors said Benford had to win this season ... unless firing him will make their little buddy look bad, then winning can wait.

In case you didn't need anymore proof that there's no commitment to winning here, this athletic department operates and the big donors give just enough to build infrastructure to keep up the appearance of a healthy FBS program and to preserve their loser buddy his job.

Vote with your wallet, there are plenty of other ways to fund scholarships for students with limited opportunity without giving to the athletic department and giving RV a vote of confidence.

This is correct. Give to music, give to the business department, but please stop enabling the Rick Villarreal Mean Green.

@flyonthewall has been pretty open in telling us we are not needed. Fine. Do it without us and continue to protect someone that has manipulated you beyond belief. And open that wallet even more for the Rick Villarreal Private Welfare Program.

Hunter Green · March 20, 2016

I love this time of year with March Madness in full swing. I miss the days when we could look with at least some pride at our FB and BB programs and I miss going to games on campus. I'll give the women a chance next year because it looks like Jalie knows what she's doing. No reason the women should suffer attendance wise because the men's program sucks.

BillySee58 · March 20, 2016

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2016/03/benford-confirms-his-return.html/

Coming back, confirmed. Illuminati confirmed

Hunter Green · March 20, 2016

MGB: Coach does not rule out staff changes

Oh, that should help...

southsideguy · March 20, 2016

I will not waste my time or money going to MBB game next year. The guy can't coach, that will not change. RV needs to resign if we are keeping Bennie.

Cooley · March 20, 2016

I'm completely satisfied (not thrilled) with him coming back in 16-17. Wish he could tweak the roster and find a more dependable impact big man or two. No one is happy with the record(s) but this team was competitive in most games (especially at home) and could have a break out year with the right moves. Folks are still pissed about what happened (or didn't) 3 years ago that they can't move on.

In interviews with NBA officials, our top prospect admitted he didn't always give it his all. Additionally, our top point guard didn't take care of business in the class room and subsequently quit on the team. Yes, in most cases, a new coach should capitalize on what is inherited but it could also be a challenge.

Benford continues to improve, in my view, each year. There have been no scandals and this staff deals with disciplinary actions swiftly and fairly. The beloved JJ didn't really do much until his 6th year. Let this man finish his last contract year, stop the bashing and see what happens. This revolving door of coaches in and out every 4 years, in all major sports, has got to stop. It was clear to me that Mccarney had to go because the recruiting was getting worse. Regardless of how he got here, we have never signed a higher prospect than Keith Frazier. There are others in the wing. The irony is that UNT, under Benford, is probably in better shape than LSU is today under JJ. Not the end of the world

BillySee58 · March 20, 2016

6 minutes ago, Cooley said:

Folks are still pissed about what happened (or didn't) 3 years ago that they can't move on.

You would think with all the progress and conference tournament success since then that people would've forgotten about losing 20 games in a season.

Mean_Green09 · March 20, 2016

3 minutes ago, Cooley said:

I'm completely satisfied (not thrilled) with him coming back in 16-17. Wish he could tweak the roster and find a more dependable impact big man or two. No one is happy with the record(s) but this team was competitive in most games (especially at home) and could have a break out year with the right moves. Folks are still pissed about what happened (or didn't) 3 years ago that they can't move on.

In interviews with NBA officials, our top prospect admitted he didn't always give it his all. Additionally, our top point guard didn't take care of business in the class room and subsequently quit on the team. Yes, in most cases, a new coach should capitalize on what is inherited but it could also be a challenge.

Benford continues to improve, in my view, each year. There have been no scandals and this staff deals with disciplinary actions swiftly and fairly. The beloved JJ didn't really do much until his 6th year. Let this man finish his last contract year, stop the bashing and see what happens. This revolving door of coaches in and out every 4 years, in all major sports, has got to stop. It was clear to me that Mccarney had to go because the recruiting was getting worse. Regardless of how he got here, we have never signed a higher prospect than Keith Frazier. There are others in the wing. The irony is that UNT, under Benford, is probably in better shape than LSU is today under JJ. Not the end of the world

Off the court no issues, but on the court plenty of issues. He just lead his team to one of the worst defensive seasons in the history of this program when you are talking about defensive efficiency.

He has tried to build this program around quick fixes instead of the way most mid major teams have. Look if next year we had a bunch of seniors who have played together for 4 years Id be a little less harsh. Instead we have a bunch of guys playing with each other in their 2nd or 1st year.

Frazier is nice, but he isn't a savior. We don't know if he will even ever step foot on the floor.

He has not improved in one big area- getting the most out of his players. He has brought in some talented guys yet we still lose. He can't get a group of guys to play well together.

We are just wasting time next year. It's a dead program and everyone that covers basketball in this region and nationally will tell you that. They specifically talk about the administration too.

UNT90 · March 20, 2016

16 minutes ago, Cooley said:

I'm completely satisfied (not thrilled) with him coming back in 16-17. Wish he could tweak the roster and find a more dependable impact big man or two. No one is happy with the record(s) but this team was competitive in most games (especially at home) and could have a break out year with the right moves. Folks are still pissed about what happened (or didn't) 3 years ago that they can't move on.

In interviews with NBA officials, our top prospect admitted he didn't always give it his all. Additionally, our top point guard didn't take care of business in the class room and subsequently quit on the team. Yes, in most cases, a new coach should capitalize on what is inherited but it could also be a challenge.

Benford continues to improve, in my view, each year. There have been no scandals and this staff deals with disciplinary actions swiftly and fairly. The beloved JJ didn't really do much until his 6th year. Let this man finish his last contract year, stop the bashing and see what happens. This revolving door of coaches in and out every 4 years, in all major sports, has got to stop. It was clear to me that Mccarney had to go because the recruiting was getting worse. Regardless of how he got here, we have never signed a higher prospect than Keith Frazier. There are others in the wing. The irony is that UNT, under Benford, is probably in better shape than LSU is today under JJ. Not the end of the world

I have completely lost respect for your basketball opinions after this post. I don't know if you have a friendship through AAU connections with Benford or what, but you have long had a slanted view of his tenure here. Anyone who has watched this mess, particularly year one, can see that this cat simply can't coach at this level, and his record backs it up.

Being willing to blame his staff, which is most likely responsible for the extremely minimal "success" he has had here fits right in with the UNT way of doing things. Make someone else accountable for your failures to keep a paycheck.

Benford is 20 games under .500 in his 4 year tenure. JJ had LSU in the NCAA tournament last year, had 2 or 3 key players leave early for the NBA, recruited the top prospect in the country, and had an NIT invite this year. To say Benford has UNT in a "better place" than LSU is comical. And coming from someone that has some basketball knowledge, reeks of an agenda.

Mitchell was much higher rated than Frazier, which you also already knew. So much intentional misinformation in one post. I wonder why.

Edited March 20, 2016 by UNT90

Ben Gooding · March 20, 2016

27 minutes ago, Cooley said:

I'm completely satisfied (not thrilled) with him coming back in 16-17. Wish he could tweak the roster and find a more dependable impact big man or two. No one is happy with the record(s) but this team was competitive in most games (especially at home) and could have a break out year with the right moves. Folks are still pissed about what happened (or didn't) 3 years ago that they can't move on.

In interviews with NBA officials, our top prospect admitted he didn't always give it his all. Additionally, our top point guard didn't take care of business in the class room and subsequently quit on the team. Yes, in most cases, a new coach should capitalize on what is inherited but it could also be a challenge.

Benford continues to improve, in my view, each year. There have been no scandals and this staff deals with disciplinary actions swiftly and fairly. The beloved JJ didn't really do much until his 6th year. Let this man finish his last contract year, stop the bashing and see what happens. This revolving door of coaches in and out every 4 years, in all major sports, has got to stop. It was clear to me that Mccarney had to go because the recruiting was getting worse. Regardless of how he got here, we have never signed a higher prospect than Keith Frazier. There are others in the wing. The irony is that UNT, under Benford, is probably in better shape than LSU is today under JJ. Not the end of the world

We were skull drug in many of games.... losses by:

11, 24, 20, 21, 22, 19, 23, 12, 23, 32, 23, 11, 11.

13 of 20 losses by absolute annihilation. So, shut your narrative up. You're wrong. We were not a competitive basketball team by any stretch. We had these kinds of losses in our coaches 4th year. It's complete disgust.

Aldo · March 20, 2016

Prediction: Benford and RV ride off into the sunset next year, talks of RV being "best AD we ever done had cause he built all these things that anyone else would have built because they didn't exist yet" begin.

And how much impact will people quitting on the Mean Green Club is going to have? There's only a few hundred low level donors. RV completely depends on his big donors to keep the program, and his "legacy" afloat.

Ben Gooding · March 20, 2016

1 minute ago, Aldo said:

Prediction: Benford and RV ride off into the sunset next year, talks of RV being "best AD we ever done had cause he built all these things that anyone else would have built because they didn't exist yet" begin.

And how much impact will people quitting on the Mean Green Club is going to have? There's only a few hundred low level donors. RV completely depends on his big donors to keep the program, and his "legacy" afloat.

If they're both gone next March then I'm on board with whatever. Given the history of UNT, it's doubtful.

UNT90 · March 20, 2016

32 minutes ago, Ben Gooding said:

We were skull drug in many of games.... losses by:

11, 24, 20, 21, 22, 19, 23, 12, 23, 32, 23, 11, 11.

13 of 20 losses by absolute annihilation. So, shut your narrative up. You're wrong. We were not a competitive basketball team by any stretch. We had these kinds of losses in our coaches 4th year. It's complete disgust.

Competitive basketball teams can be close to .500 on the road. UNT won, what, one basketball game on the road?

To call this team competitive is just asinine, and coming from a guy that knows a thing or 2 about basketball, it makes one wonder what motivates him to make such an inaccurate statement, one which he knows full well is innacurate.

Edited March 20, 2016 by UNT90

FirefightnRick · March 20, 2016

What a huge dissapointment. But we'll still have a few morons show up and support regardless.

Oh well,......they can have it all to themselves.

Rick

CMJ · March 20, 2016

I don't know how anyone can say we're making progress when we had the same record as we did in Year One of the Benford era with an easier OOC schedule, including a tournament we hosted and took last place in!

GreenFlag · March 20, 2016

I will still go to all of the home football games and the Army game, because I love football, my alma matter that much and I've never visited NYC. I will go to couple of basketball games because it's an excuse to see my daughter in Denton.

But...I will never expect anything other than a poor product ever again.

I will only purchase one piece of Mean Green gear per year.

I will not purchase season tickets.

I will not contribute to the Mean Green Club (and I have given thousands).

I will never ever again try to be an ambassador of the program - it only makes me look silly.

I am embarrassed at how poorly this university is managed.

FirefightnRick · March 20, 2016

8 minutes ago, CMJ said:

I don't know how anyone can say we're making progress when we had the same record as we did in Year One of the Benford era with an easier OOC schedule, including a tournament we hosted and took last place in!

The same way people who regularly lie about things do. They've done it so often and gotten away with it so often they start to believe it and think everyone else around them believe it too.

Its pathological.

Rick

TheReal_jayD · March 20, 2016

I think if JJ woukd have been fired from LSU this year. Then RV would have pulled the plug on Benford and tried to bring JJ back. But when JJ stayed I believe they decided to keep from paying another buyout and let Benford ride one more year. Do I think this is right or the smart move? Absolutely not.

UNT90 · March 20, 2016

Just now, FirefightnRick said:

The same way people who regularly lie about things do. They've done it so often and gotten away with it so often they start to believe it and think everyone else around them believe it too.

Its pathological.

Rick

That is exactly what it is with Rick Villarreal, except pathological liars don't believe what they say. They know they are lying. So does Rick Villarreal. His reasons aren't the pure thrill of fooling people to provide a false sense of superiority, like most pathological liars. His reasons are self and lifestyle preservation.

But make no mistake, he knows when he is lying. He simply doesn't care.