Round 2 of Facilities Improvement Started

BTG_Fan1 · February 17, 2017

4 minutes ago, Wag Tag said:

Build a IPF!!! Then a 7500 BB like SMU.. their 5,000 season tickets have been sold out!

Weren't they already supposed to release information about the IPF already(?) I thought they had wanted to start it early this year with it done in the summer/fall?? I know it had been brought up(or discussed) for a Vote back in Sept/ Oct or atleast was nearing the point for the school to vote on it, but nothing since but I may have missed it

UNTFan23 · February 17, 2017

1 minute ago, BTG_Fan1 said:

Weren't they already supposed to release information about the IPF already(?) I thought they had wanted to start it early this year with it done in the summer/fall?? I know it had been brought up(or discussed) for a Vote back in Sept/ Oct or atleast was nearing the point for the school to vote on it, but nothing since but I may have missed it

An IPF is being worked on. They (Wren and ???) have been researching what other schools have and putting together what NT wants and needs in a facility. I never heard a timeline from him but it sounded like they had an architect (firm?) penciling some initial sketches.

MeanGreenTexan · February 17, 2017

3 minutes ago, UNTFan23 said:

An IPF is being worked on. They (Wren and ???) have been researching what other schools have and putting together what NT wants and needs in a facility. I never heard a timeline from him but it sounded like they had an architect (firm?) penciling some initial sketches.

Did we ever find out where they plan on building the IPF? Are they going to put it where the current DD Practice Fields are?

UNTFan23 · February 17, 2017

Just now, MeanGreenTexan said:

Did we ever find out where they plan on building the IPF? Are they going to put it where the current DD Practice Fields are?

I don't know if a precise location was mentioned when I talked with him at the signing day event but it'll be somewhere in the Mean Green village. Maybe next to the Tennis complex? I think they wanted to keep the outdoor fields intact so they have a grass surface to practice on.

I think it was said football offices would be a part of the IPF. They were trying to determine how tall the building might be in order to possible allowing some kicking drills. It wasn't determined whether it be a full 100-yd field or not.

BTG_Fan1 · February 17, 2017

47 minutes ago, UNTFan23 said:

I don't know if a precise location was mentioned when I talked with him at the signing day event but it'll be somewhere in the Mean Green village. Maybe next to the Tennis complex? I think they wanted to keep the outdoor fields intact so they have a grass surface to practice on.

I think it was said football offices would be a part of the IPF. They were trying to determine how tall the building might be in order to possible allowing some kicking drills. It wasn't determined whether it be a full 100-yd field or not.

Aren't the current football offices right next/over looking Apogee?

I'd like to see them add/ include a gym to the IDF that is state of the art! or do this next to apogee

TreeFiddy · February 18, 2017

WB has mentioned via Twitter that he hopes to have some designs available by the Spring. Based on his response, it does not sound like they have the requirements completely nailed down and they are still spitballing ideas. The thing he mentioned was that the scope had grown from the original idea, whatever that means.

UNTFan23 · February 18, 2017

2 hours ago, TreeFiddy said:

WB has mentioned via Twitter that he hopes to have some designs available by the Spring. Based on his response, it does not sound like they have the requirements completely nailed down and they are still spitballing ideas. The thing he mentioned was that the scope had grown from the original idea, whatever that means.

I think they want to go multi-sport rather than this be just for football.

UNTLifer · February 18, 2017

22 hours ago, Ryan Munthe said:

UNT has never made the second round of the tournament. UNT's first invite was 86. It wasn't my era. Statistically, the mid-2000s was our most successful era. Yes, we were ranked under Blakely, but the reality is we had sustained success under Johnny unlike any other.

Sorry, wrong. Blakeley's teams were our most successful and he filled the SP. I was there for both eras.

Edited February 18, 2017 by UNTLifer

Ryan Munthe · February 18, 2017

13 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

Sorry, wrong. Blakeley's teams were ojr mkst successful and he filled the SP. I was there for both eras.

Statistically, they weren't, and we have no way to prove attendance. The few things I can find says he didn't, but okay.

BTG_Fan1 · February 18, 2017

We need to stop talking about 20-30 years ago when the SP was being filled... The team has not been anything great, outside of a few seasons Both the SP and the team on the court needs to be upgraded.

As of now, they are developing an idea for the new SP with is ideally sitting 4-5k with it most likely able to expand as well. Along with the AD most likely already looking for a new coach.

Ryan Munthe · February 18, 2017

1 hour ago, BTG_Fan1 said:

We need to stop talking about 20-30 years ago when the SP was being filled... The team has not been anything great, outside of a few seasons Both the SP and the team on the court needs to be upgraded.

As of now, they are developing an idea for the new SP with is ideally sitting 4-5k with it most likely able to expand as well. Along with the AD most likely already looking for a new coach.

Exactly!!

GrandGreen · February 18, 2017

23 hours ago, BTG_Fan1 said:

We need to stop talking about 20-30 years ago when the SP was being filled... The team has not been anything great, outside of a few seasons Both the SP and the team on the court needs to be upgraded.

As of now, they are developing an idea for the new SP with is ideally sitting 4-5k with it most likely able to expand as well. Along with the AD most likely already looking for a new coach.

The SP has only been filled once for NT basketball, so there has never been an era where getting seats was a problem.

As far as not talking about teams older than most of the posters. Why should we limit any discussion? The reference was made back to the mid-sixties into seventies to educate those that think Coach Jones success has never been matched by any NT teams.

On 2/17/2017 at 9:54 PM, Ryan Munthe said:

Statistically, they weren't, and we have no way to prove attendance. The few things I can find says he didn't, but okay.

Well quite a few of us were there in both eras, something obviously something you can't said. Blakeley had a slightly higher winning percentage than Jones, against much better competition, so I don't see how you can really argue that point. As for as attendance, even in the best days, the average in the SP was about half full. But frankly that was a lot more than Jones ever averaged because the counts were much more accurate than they were in the Jones days.

Spika's overall winning average was probably about .500, but there was so much difference in the MVC and the Sun Belt that those records are not comparable. The best conference in the land to the twenty-something.

Edited February 19, 2017 by GrandGreen

UNTFan23 · February 18, 2017

Rk	Coach	From	To	Yrs	G	W	L	W-L%	CREG	CTRN	NCAA	FF	NC
1	Johnny Jones	2002	2012	11	336	190	146	.565	1	2	2	0	0
2	Bill Blakeley	1976	1983	8	219	134	85	.612	0	0	0	0	0
3	Jimmy Gales	1987	1993	7	202	84	118	.416	2	1	1	0	0
4	Tony Benford	2013	2017	5	152	61	91	.401	0	0	0	0	0
5	Dan Spika	1966	1970	5	127	58	69	.457	0	0	0	0	0
6	Tim Jankovich	1994	1997	4	110	53	57	.482	0	0	0	0	0
7	Gene Robbins	1972	1975	4	103	36	67	.350	0	0	0	0	0
8	Charles Johnson	1960	1965	6	150	36	114	.240	0	0	0	0	0
9	James St. Clair	1922	1923	2	26	24	2	.923	0	0
10	Tommy Newman	1984	1986	3	84	24	60	.286	0	0	0	0	0
11	Vic Trilli	1998	2001	4	107	20	87	.187	0	0	0	0	0
12	Harry Miller	1971	1971	1	25	10	15	.400	0	0	0	0	0
13	Pete Shands	1958	1959	2	45	9	36	.200	0	0	0	0	0

Johnny Jones has more wins but Blakely has a better win percent. Tough to say who is/was a better coach.

hickoryhouse · February 18, 2017

It is sad that Benford is the 4th most tenured coach on that list...

Ryan Munthe · February 18, 2017

1 hour ago, UNTFan23 said:

Rk Coach From To Yrs G W L W-L% CREG CTRN NCAA FF NC
1 Johnny Jones 2002 2012 11 336 190 146 .565 1 2 2 0 0
2 Bill Blakeley 1976 1983 8 219 134 85 .612 0 0 0 0 0
3 Jimmy Gales 1987 1993 7 202 84 118 .416 2 1 1 0 0
4 Tony Benford 2013 2017 5 152 61 91 .401 0 0 0 0 0
5 Dan Spika 1966 1970 5 127 58 69 .457 0 0 0 0 0
6 Tim Jankovich 1994 1997 4 110 53 57 .482 0 0 0 0 0
7 Gene Robbins 1972 1975 4 103 36 67 .350 0 0 0 0 0
8 Charles Johnson 1960 1965 6 150 36 114 .240 0 0 0 0 0
9 James St. Clair 1922 1923 2 26 24 2 .923 0 0
10 Tommy Newman 1984 1986 3 84 24 60 .286 0 0 0 0 0
11 Vic Trilli 1998 2001 4 107 20 87 .187 0 0 0 0 0
12 Harry Miller 1971 1971 1 25 10 15 .400 0 0 0 0 0
13 Pete Shands 1958 1959 2 45 9 36 .200 0 0 0 0 0
Johnny Jones has more wins but Blakely has a better win percent. Tough to say who is/was a better coach.

.401 winning percentage, by god. Most of those are probably D2 wins too. *vomit*

UNTFan23 · February 18, 2017

Just now, Ryan Munthe said:

.401 winning percentage, by god. Most of those are probably D2 wins too. *vomit*

NAIA is more likely, which is not the same as D2. It's a little between the two divisions, D1 and D2, but not much better than D2.

UNTLifer · February 18, 2017

On 2/17/2017 at 9:54 PM, Ryan Munthe said:

Statistically, they weren't, and we have no way to prove attendance. The few things I can find says he didn't, but okay.

Blakeley's winning percentage = .612

Jones' winning percentage = .569

Blakeley also dropped all non-Div 1 teams for the 76-77 season after not getting an invite to the NCAA tourney. Went 21-6 with that schedule. There isn't really a way to determine who was best objectively, but I watched both teams and would give the nod to Blakeley. I would also be comfortable in stating that attendance was better back then. We had our only sellout during that period and also hosted #1 Depaul to a very near capacity. JJ never got close to filling it up. You favorite memories are of JJ and mine of BB. The only true lesson to come from this is that we need a coach with the same initials.

Edited February 19, 2017 by UNTLifer

greenminer · February 18, 2017

Who is Charles Johnson and who let him have 6 years?

UNTLifer · February 18, 2017

Just now, greenminer said:

Who is Charles Johnson and who let him have 6 years?

Personal friend who passed away years ago. Nice man who taught at North Texas for years. Not sure why he was so unsuccessful coaching.

GrayEagle · February 18, 2017

You'd better go back and check your figures on Pete Shands. He coached here what seems like forever. I believe that he was at North Texas part of the 30s. all of the 40s and part of the 50s. If I remember correctly (doubtful anymore) he won more than 400 games but he also lost around 600.

The only Super Pit sellout that I remember was SMU but there were a number of near sellouts, especially in Bill Blakeley's first three years.

GrandGreen · February 18, 2017

20 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

Personal friend who passed away years ago. Nice man who taught at North Texas for years. Not sure why he was so unsuccessful coaching.

Maybe you answered the question. A coach who in addition to or after teaching is trying to be successful in the MVC.

GreenGonzo · February 18, 2017

Charles Johnson has not passed away, He taught physical education for many years after coaching.

MeanGreenTexan · February 18, 2017

Anyone know what 'ol James St. Clair is up to these days? Guy's a winner. Maybe he'd be up for a return to the sidelines?

TreeFiddy · February 18, 2017

Man, our history is not so great.

greenminer · February 18, 2017

2 hours ago, GrayEagle said:

You'd better go back and check your figures on Pete Shands. He coached here what seems like forever. I believe that he was at North Texas part of the 30s. all of the 40s and part of the 50s. If I remember correctly (doubtful anymore) he won more than 400 games but he also lost around 600.

Found a tid bit on him via Wiki's article on Blakeley: