Serious question.

TheReal_jayD · March 17, 2017

Has there ever been a time in UNT history that the momentum and expectations were higher in Football, MBB and WBB were higher

Wag Tag · March 17, 2017

I was expecting a lot from Mac along with having the new stadium. I thought that would put us at the top of the C-USA which also had Tulsa and Tulane.

TheTastyGreek · March 17, 2017

36 minutes ago, TheReal_jayD said:

Has there ever been a time in UNT history that the momentum and expectations were higher in Football, MBB and WBB were higher

Yes. Fall 2007.

Men's basketball had just made the tournament for the first time in 20 years and the second time in school history, and landed the class that included Josh White and Tristan Thompson (our first 3 star high school recruit in a long time).

Dodge had been hired, but hadn't yet proven himself worthless and incompetent on the field. Not only had he brought in an encouraging short-notice first recruiting class, but by fall, Riley Dodge had changed his commitment from Texas to North Texas, and we had our first 4 star high school recruit in a long time. And we were only two years removed from absolutely dominating our conference in a way only matched by Boise State, and a streak of four straight bowls, so people actually had tangible, immediate reason to believe we could be successful rather than just hope.

Basketball had just won, football seemed poised to explode, and women's basketball was also a sport that we sponsored.

Only men's basketball actually did anything for the next 5 years, but we were pretty much on top of the world in the summer and fall of 2007.

greenminer · March 17, 2017

Yes

NorthTexan95 · March 17, 2017

44 minutes ago, TheReal_jayD said:

Has there ever been a time in UNT history that the momentum and expectations were higher in Football, MBB and WBB were higher

Personally my expectations for the 2017-2018 season probably isn't as high as it's been at other times. All three teams are still rebuilding from some black pits they were in. However, my long term expectations are much higher than they have ever been. I believe we now have the leadersip in place to do things the right way and give our coaches and players every opportunity to succeed. Smatresk and Baker have my full confidence that they will keep making good decisions.

13 minutes ago, Wag Tag said:

I was expecting a lot from Mac along with having the new stadium. I thought that would put us at the top of the C-USA which also had Tulsa and Tulane.

I also had very high expectations when the new stadium opened with Mac at the helm. Unfortunately, Mac and the AD office couldn't measure up to the task.

Speaking of which ... normally as time passes you tend the think more fondly of those who have moved on and remember the good times. The exact opposite is happening to me when I think of RV. The longer he's away the more awful his tenure looks. That report which came out last year showed exactly how inept the AD office was. Then the more I see Baker at work the more awful RV performance appears in comparison. Thank goodness Smatresk came along to kick him out of this school.

97and03 · March 17, 2017

I think Tasty is probably right about the 2007 season, but personally I now have higher expectations for the programs than I did then.

SilverEagle · March 17, 2017

We just started having WBB (11-13 in their first year), but when Hayden Fry was hired and subsequently Bill Blakeley(75). There were pretty high expectations around. Especially when the football team had completed a 10 win season in 77 and the basketball team followed that up with a 22 win season in 77-78,

Of course with no bowl invites for the football team, and no invites to the BB team to either tournament, despite 22-21 & 22 win seasons, those high hopes got dashed pretty quickly.

VideoEagle · March 17, 2017

Remember, Blakeley actually tried to lower expectations that first season. His chair had "Don't expect miracles" written on it.

HoustonEagle · March 17, 2017

Anecdotally I see reason to believe the Mean Green are about to embark on a long streak of consistent success. Why? Because after 25 years of believing, I now have little optimism left in the tank. I am not someone that can abandon ship. Its not in my blood. Still I am as disconnected from the program as I have ever been. So if you like to buy low and sell high. Now is the time to go all in.

Edited March 17, 2017 by HoustonEagle

GrandGreen · March 17, 2017

10 hours ago, SilverEagle said:

We just started having WBB (11-13 in their first year), but when Hayden Fry was hired and subsequently Bill Blakeley(75). There were pretty high expectations around. Especially when the football team had completed a 10 win season in 77 and the basketball team followed that up with a 22 win season in 77-78,

Of course with no bowl invites for the football team, and no invites to the BB team to either tournament, despite 22-21 & 22 win seasons, those high hopes got dashed pretty quickly.

Yes, but expectations in general were a lot higher in those days. The fan base hadn't been beaten down by decades of losing.

MeanGreenMailbox aka TFLF · March 17, 2017

14 hours ago, TheReal_jayD said:

Has there ever been a time in UNT history that the momentum and expectations were higher in Football, MBB and WBB were higher

1977.

BillySee58 · March 17, 2017

Let's hear it, Mean Green fans! Let's hear it, Wren!

Stan R · March 17, 2017

55 minutes ago, BillySee58 said:

Let's hear it, Mean Green fans! Let's hear it, Wren!

Really miss the guitar solo with a zebra guitar and ski-sunglasses as a thing. We need more of that again.

THOR · March 17, 2017

25 minutes ago, Stan R said:

Really miss the guitar solo with a zebra guitar and ski-sunglasses as a thing. We need more of that again.

Check out some European powers metal groups and you just might get what ya need

letsgiveacheer · March 17, 2017

Not to be a smart aleck, but we get excited about every five years. Rooting for North Texas is like kicking a football with Lucy.

Still, we are all here, hoping for a turnaround. Maybe this time it will happen.

Edited March 18, 2017 by letsgiveacheer

GMG24 · March 17, 2017

19 hours ago, TheTastyGreek said:

Yes. Fall 2007.

Men's basketball had just made the tournament for the first time in 20 years and the second time in school history, and landed the class that included Josh White and Tristan Thompson (our first 3 star high school recruit in a long time).

Dodge had been hired, but hadn't yet proven himself worthless and incompetent on the field. Not only had he brought in an encouraging short-notice first recruiting class, but by fall, Riley Dodge had changed his commitment from Texas to North Texas, and we had our first 4 star high school recruit in a long time. And we were only two years removed from absolutely dominating our conference in a way only matched by Boise State, and a streak of four straight bowls, so people actually had tangible, immediate reason to believe we could be successful rather than just hope.

Basketball had just won, football seemed poised to explode, and women's basketball was also a sport that we sponsored.

Only men's basketball actually did anything for the next 5 years, but we were pretty much on top of the world in the summer and fall of 2007.

You know what is crazy about all of that. I lived in Denton my entire life growing up, went to LCS, and the only thing I remembered about UNT was as I got older the 20 win season and us making the tournament. Seems our marketing even in the city of Denton is pretty crappy. I believe that is going to change but still, after reading your post it is crazy to think how far we have fallen. With that said, I am really excited that we have made a renewed commitment to athletics.

Eppie96 · March 18, 2017

Agree with Wag- I was really expecting more from Mac and Apogee. I thought we would be dominating CUSA within 2-3 years, not being dominated by start up CUSA teams