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I think even if one of the seasons with Mason Fine had been an 11-1 or 12-0 season, it wouldn't have made a long term difference. We would not have enough alumni support to continue building off that.

IMO, the main issue is fan support. We have a very loyal core group with lots of fun things such as the canon, the Model T car, the "North Texas" chant ... but that core group is too small. Previous administrations spent decades tamping down any enthusiasm for sports at UNT, leaving it an after thought for many alumni. It would be much easier to recruit and high great coaches if we had 25k at each game and a community that really backed the teams. Suppose we had beat Navy, went on the beat Army, and finished the year with 10 wins. I don't think that would move the needle much for next year. It would be very difficult to have enough winning seasons to slowly build a winning tradition. Long story, short ... winning at football just isn't important to enough students and alumni. I will agree with others that having our own Boone Pickens would be a great benefit if they could give a lot and have patience. I just don't see that person walking through the door anytime soon.

Bumping because his name keeps getting thrown into the hat. Can someone please explain the appeal of Carthel for DC and exclude any “coach in waiting” argument?

Not nearly as accurately as he was before the Tulane hit.

Simple. UNT has never won the conference and doesn't have a signature win that captured the nation attention. No 2-10 Arkansas doesn't count. UNT also needs a Heisman Candidate to be the face of the team. It was ALMOST there with Mason Fine but it was squandered, opportunity after opportunity keep being missed. Until UNT has a marketable face of the team, actually take down P4 opponents and win the conference, the same story will keep repeating itself. UCF had Blake Bortles take them to the Fiesta Bowl and a big run followed by Milton McKenzie beating Auburn. Boise had Kellen Moore, Jared Zanbranski and others followed with wins over Oregon, Georgia, Oklahoma, etc. Cincinatti had a 14-0 run to the Sugar Bowl followed by back to back undefeated runs with Desmond Ridder. Houston had a great 2011 run with Case Keenum where we beat UCLA and Penn State in a January Bowl Game. In 2009 we beat #5 Oklahoma State and Texas Tech back to back. In 2015 with Greg Ward Jr, we went 13-1, beat Louisville, Vanderbilt, ranked Navy, ranked Memphis, ranked Temple in the AAC Championship and Florida State in the Peach Bowl 2016, we had Ward back and Ed Oliver and beat Top 5 Oklahoma and Top 5 Louisville on National TV.