Jank

Marty · February 24, 2017

Heard Tim Jankovich on with Dunham & Miller this morning, seems like a great guy and he has the Phonies at 24-4 and ranked #17. Overall record at NT was 53-57, much better than Benford. He's was pretty successful at Illinois State going 104-64 during his tenure there. I didn't pay too much attention to NT basketball when he coached here. Just curious as to why was he fired.

meanrob · February 24, 2017

He did ok in the SLC but his team struggled in the Big West. His teams weren't awful but that one year in the Big West it looked like things weren't going to get any better. He told his recruits he'd play uptempo but they played a vanilla style of basketball. A few weren't too happy.

I guess compared to Benford he did okay but nothing about his teams or coaching showed any future success.

Plus, he also had some off the court issues. Let's just say he need to mature a little bit.

CMJ · February 24, 2017

See, I thought he showed a lot of promise as a young coach while he was here. I was actually a bit surprised when he was canned.

GrandGreen · February 24, 2017

I think he was the youngest hc in division one when at NT. He like most any coach was much better than Trilli and Benford even than. He was a victim as he claimed when NT went from the Southland to the Big West, a great leap in competition. He is one of the few coaches that survived being fired as HC and worked his way back up to that level by working as an assistant.

untjim1995 · February 24, 2017

He quit. Helwig told him that he was going to have to start playing whore games to bring in cash and Jank refused. He told him that he wasn't going to coach under those circumstances. Plus, he could go get an assistant job and get paid almost as much as he was here as the head coach.

So we let him go and hired Vic Trilli, from Texas. He openly loved the approach of playing the bodybag games because, as he said, "That's how we did it at Texas..." Well, we played a schedule that was just grueling and we got crushed often. It didn't help that Trilli couldn't outcoach a below-average YMCA coach in x's and o's. Basically, he was the original Benford. If Benford played the schedule Helwig made Trilli play, he wouldn't have won 25 games in these 5 seasons.

ttunt1970 · February 24, 2017

Also Jank was the son-in-law of the K-State when they had some good runs with Ro Blackmon(I believe he played for K-State) was another one of Helwlg connections

Harry · February 24, 2017

6 minutes ago, untjim1995 said:

He quit. Helwig told him that he was going to have to start playing whore games to bring in cash and Jank refused. He told him that he wasn't going to coach under those circumstances. Plus, he could go get an assistant job and get paid almost as much as he was here as the head coach.

So we let him go and hired Vic Trilli, from Texas. He openly loved the approach of playing the bodybag games because, as he said, "That's how we did it at Texas..." Well, we played a schedule that was just grueling and we got crushed often. It didn't help that Trilli couldn't outcoach a below-average YMCA coach in x's and o's. Basically, he was the original Benford. If Benford played the schedule Helwig made Trilli play, he wouldn't have won 25 games in these 5 seasons.

That may very well be the case but I seem to recall that Jank was not a very good recruiter and that played a part as well.

FirefightnRick · February 24, 2017

2 hours ago, Harry said:

That may very well be the case but I seem to recall that Jank was not a very good recruiter and that played a part as well.

You might want to re-read his bio before claiming that. If he wasn't known for as a solid recruiter Bill Self and Larry Brown wouldnt have hired him.

http://www.smumustangs.com/coaches.aspx?rc=798&path=mbball

Rick

meanrob · February 24, 2017

2 hours ago, Harry said:

That may very well be the case but I seem to recall that Jank was not a very good recruiter and that played a part as well.

He recruited a highly rated kid out of Dallas (Robert ?) that raised some eyes but if I remember right that kid did pan out too well. It seemed like Jank had a mish-mash of athletes and more shooter/slow tempo types. I looked up his record his last year and he lost some close games. The BW was pretty good that year too. I don't remember thinking he should be fired but I wasn't all gung ho about the future either.

He did beat Rice and A$M his last year.

Edited February 24, 2017 by meanrob

Harry · February 24, 2017

38 minutes ago, FirefightnRick said:

You might want to re-read his bio before claiming that. If he wasn't known for as a solid recruiter Bill Self and Larry Brown wouldnt have hired him.

http://www.smumustangs.com/coaches.aspx?rc=798&path=mbball

Rick

Speaking of his reputation at the time Rick.

also having his ship tied to Uncle Craig probably didn't help.

FirefightnRick · February 25, 2017

3 hours ago, Harry said:

Speaking of his reputation at the time Rick.

He was young and inexperienced as a head coach but I never recalled him being considered as not a good recruiter before he got here. And look at the men he coached for prior to getting to Denton..

Eddie Sutton

Jack Hartman

Lon Kruger

Boyd Grant

Gene Iba

Bob Weltlich

And two years later after leaving Denton he's hired by one of the top coaches in the game, Bill Self. He didn't just suddenly garner that level of reputation to be on Self's staff at Illinois as a recruiter only after two years coaching at Hutchison CC.

But yes, Helwig and him didn't jive and that schedule was rediculous. Helwig did the same to the football team. Fill the schedule with money games, pay the bills and hit the links.

Rick

GMG24 · February 25, 2017

2 hours ago, FirefightnRick said:

He was young and inexperienced as a head coach but I never recalled him being considered as not a good recruiter before he got here. And look at the men he coached for prior to getting to Denton..

Eddie Sutton

Jack Hartman

Lon Kruger

Boyd Grant

Gene Iba

Bob Weltlich

And two years later after leaving Denton he's hired by one of the top coaches in the game, Bill Self. He didn't just suddenly garner that level of reputation to be on Self's staff at Illinois as a recruiter only after two years coaching at Hutchison CC.

But yes, Helwig and him didn't jive and that schedule was rediculous. Helwig did the same to the football team. Fill the schedule with money games, pay the bills and hit the links.

Rick

He seems to be doing just fine at SMU.

GrandGreen · February 25, 2017

6 hours ago, meanrob said:

He recruited a highly rated kid out of Dallas (Robert ?) that raised some eyes but if I remember right that kid did pan out too well. It seemed like Jank had a mish-mash of athletes and more shooter/slow tempo types. I looked up his record his last year and he lost some close games. The BW was pretty good that year too. I don't remember thinking he should be fired but I wasn't all gung ho about the future either.

He did beat Rice and A$M his last year.

Robert Washington who was a top 100 national under-classmen player by Smith & Street ( one of the best bb magazines at the time). He really didn't have that great of a hs senior year, but was for Jankovich and NT a big get. Washington was actually a promising player, but was one of the many Trilli didn't renew their scholarship. He signed with UTA, but never played because he didn't meet the academic standards for a transfer.

8 hours ago, untjim1995 said:

He quit. Helwig told him that he was going to have to start playing whore games to bring in cash and Jank refused. He told him that he wasn't going to coach under those circumstances. Plus, he could go get an assistant job and get paid almost as much as he was here as the head coach.

So we let him go and hired Vic Trilli, from Texas. He openly loved the approach of playing the bodybag games because, as he said, "That's how we did it at Texas..." Well, we played a schedule that was just grueling and we got crushed often. It didn't help that Trilli couldn't outcoach a below-average YMCA coach in x's and o's. Basically, he was the original Benford. If Benford played the schedule Helwig made Trilli play, he wouldn't have won 25 games in these 5 seasons.

You are right, Jank openly complained about Helwig's scheduling for paydays and was fired. He also stated many times what a giant leap of competition that NT faced when they went from the Southland to the Big West. IMO, he was just a little young for the job although he was definitely proven right about Helwig's scheduling.

Again, I think Trilli was a much better coach than Benford. He was a very successful juco hc. That might have been because of his recruiting ability, but I think just by observation that he was much better prepared to coach a division 1 program than Benford. If Benford played the Trilli first two seasons schedule, I doubt he would average a win a year.

FirefightnRick · February 26, 2017

On 2/24/2017 at 10:38 PM, GMG24 said:

He seems to be doing just fine at SMU.

Yessir

Rick

wardly · February 26, 2017

UNTJIM1995's account is accurate. Jank and I were cart partners at the Don January a few weeks before he left, and he expressed displeasure at being forced to play so many road games for money, which is how Helwig funded both men's basketball and the football program.

untjim1995 · February 26, 2017

14 hours ago, wardly said:

UNTJIM1995's account is accurate. Jank and I were cart partners at the Don January a few weeks before he left, and he expressed displeasure at being forced to play so many road games for money, which is how Helwig funded both men's basketball and the football program.

I'm sure Helwig knew that the only way to get funds back then was to whore out our revenue sports. The administration and the BOR weren't gonna do it.

Got5onIt · February 26, 2017

I've read so many bad things about Helwig. What the hell ever happened to that guy? Did he do anything positive for NT?

Army of Dad · February 26, 2017

43 minutes ago, Got5onIt said:

I've read so many bad things about Helwig. What the hell ever happened to that guy? Did he do anything positive for NT?

He left?

*disclaimer*

He's before my time so all I've got is a smart alec response.

drex · February 27, 2017

He was fired by Pohl and left having done nothing for North Texas. He now courts big money donors for TCU athletics. That's how life works...the under achievers just keep rocking along from job to job.

wardly · February 27, 2017

He got us in the Big West Conference. That's it to the best of my memory, which is fading fast.

untjim1995 · February 27, 2017

18 hours ago, Got5onIt said:

I've read so many bad things about Helwig. What the hell ever happened to that guy? Did he do anything positive for NT?

Helwig did a few good things here--he fired Dennis Parker, who was obviously in waaaayyyy over his head after coming here from Marshall High School. He also scheduled some really nice OOC teams for us to see here or in Irving--Oregon State, Vanderbilt, Houston, Baylor, TCU, and UNLV played at Fouts from 1995 thru 2001. We also played Kansas, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M at Texas Stadium, which got really nice media coverage from the DFW outlets each time we played there. He also scheduled Baylor for 2003 at Fouts, which was our best win ever in Denton.

Compare that OOC schedule with what RV pulled together for us at brand new Apogee from 2011 thru 2016--UH, Indiana, Texas Southern, Idaho, Ball State, SMU, NIcholls State, Portland State, SMU, and Bethune-Cookman. Our future opponents in the next 5 years in Denton include Army, SMU (hopefully), Lamar, Incarnate Word, Abilene Christian, Houston Baptist, and Rhode Island.

RV was better at Helwig as our AD--that is basically the difference between standing on the street and jumping all the way up to the curb...

MJavierSMU · February 27, 2017

I had a nice trip to Denton to see the La Tech game. You have a couple of nice young players. Your new coach will have something to work with.

When it comes to recruiting, college coaches are only as good as their staff. LB hired snipers on the trail and he only got involved to close the deal. As for Jank, he kept KT Turner and promoted Jay Duncan. Both are two of the best recruiters in the country. KT is arguably the best recruiter SMU has had in any sport in decades. He was the biggest reason for our 2017 class which could be the best in the LB/Jank era. When you add our four 2017 recruits with transfers Whitt (Arkansas) and McMurray (USF) we should have a better, deeper team next season.

Edited February 27, 2017 by MJavierSMU

FirefightnRick · February 28, 2017

On 2/25/2017 at 11:59 PM, wardly said:

UNTJIM1995's account is accurate.

Only he didn't quit, he was fired.

Rick

wardly · March 2, 2017

Jank told Helwig he would quit if he had to continue to play so many road games for money. Whether Helwig fired him or not is a mute point. In my opinion, Jank quit before he was fired, but who cares?

GrandGreen · March 2, 2017

10 minutes ago, wardly said:

Jank told Helwig he would quit if he had to continue to play so many road games for money. Whether Helwig fired him or not is a mute point. In my opinion, Jank quit before he was fired, but who cares?

He was fired, and I expect Jankovich cared a lot.