Failure to retain players has North Texas softball stuck in a rut of mediocrity

Skipper · April 19, 2017

Reece Waddell Reece

Sports Editor

When head coach Tracey Kee was hired as the fourth softball coach in program history in August 2013, many expected the program to experience a swift turnaround. In 16 seasons as head coach at East Carolina University, Kee sported a 684-362 record and led the Pirates to four NCAA tournament appearances.

So when the Mean Green finished with their best record in program history at 31-22 in Kee’s first year, it seemed like things were trending upward.

Until they weren’t.

Since their record-setting campaign in 2014, North Texas has gone 63-85 for a .468 win percentage. Last year, the Mean Green went on a 14-game losing streak during the last month of the season that ultimately cost them a berth in the Conference USA tournament – which was being hosted right in their own backyard.

Part of the struggles can be attributed to poor conference play. Including this season, the Mean Green are 25-40 in C-USA dating back to 2015. In 2014, North Texas’ only winning season under Kee, the Mean Green went 14-9 in conference.

So what has changed since their 31-win season almost three years ago?

Most of it is player inexperience.

Of the 15 players on their roster, 10 of them are either freshmen or sophomores. The nine underclassman hitters currently combine for a .239 average, while the lone underclassman pitcher in sophomore Lauren Craine has an inflated ERA of 6.60. Opponents are also hitting .318 against her.

With so many young players, it’s hard to reasonably expect this team to be good in clutch situations. When the game is on the line in the late innings, the Mean Green only have a few players to turn to for a big strikeout or hit with runners in scoring position.

Over the last three seasons, inconsistency has plagued this program.

And look no further than the turnover of players.

This past offseason, the Mean Green lost six players. Two of them were to graduation. The other four – Lauren Miller, Casady Webb, Mackenzie Dawson and Kay Kay Hayter – all left the program at various points throughout the summer and did not return to the team.But the exits don’t stop there.

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Mean Green 93-98 · April 19, 2017

This article stops just short of calling for where the evidence obviously leads.

UNTLifer · April 20, 2017

I just never understood why RV went with a coach from way outside our region that left her previous place of employment under odd circumstances. The last couple of years have been a cluster.

97and03 · April 21, 2017

Barring a miracle run, I can't imagine this failed experiment to continue.

Quoner · April 21, 2017

25 minutes ago, 97and03 said:

Barring a miracle run, I can't imagine this failed experiment to continue.

Have you really given up on your call for the statue? What a sad day.

GrandGreen · April 21, 2017

33 minutes ago, 97and03 said:

Barring a miracle run, I can't imagine this failed experiment to continue.

Yet, to my knowledge Baker has not terminated anyone. Maybe her contract is about to run out. Baker just elevated the interim swimming coach to permanent status. Not exactly a bold stroke to revitalize an average at best program.

Baker has shown he can spend a ton of money by NT standards, but at this point has not demonstrated he can either raise money or make difficult personnel decisions.

97and03 · April 21, 2017

2 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

Yet, to my knowledge Baker has not terminated anyone. Maybe her contract is about to run out. Baker just elevated the interim swimming coach to permanent status. Not exactly a bold stroke to revitalize an average at best program.

Baker has shown he can spend a ton of money by NT standards, but at this point has not demonstrated he can either raise money or make difficult personnel decisions.

I can't believe Baker didn't try to make more of a splash with his swim coach hire.

2 hours ago, Quoner said:

Have you really given up on your call for the statue? What a sad day.

Not my mission, was just trying to support FFR. It has been so tough on him since Karen left.

Edited April 21, 2017 by 97and03

outoftown · April 22, 2017

I think this is a bit too early to call. I agree with pretty much everything the article says, and can see that there are quite a few bad signs, but this season so far is slight progress over last season. And yes the coach might need more than that due to her own problems keeping players, but if they make the second round there is at least a solid argument for things trending in the right direction with a young team.

And yes like a few of the other posters I am also still wondering if the AD is only playing nice or if he also has a mean streak to him when necessary. Then again, spending big on softball doesn't seem like a big priority right now, when we already invested so heavily on mens basketball and football.

Mean Green 93-98 · April 22, 2017

Did we sign her to a 5-year contract? Under the circumstances, that was plain dumb.

DeepGreen · April 22, 2017

12 hours ago, outoftown said:

I think this is a bit too early to call. I agree with pretty much everything the article says, and can see that there are quite a few bad signs, but this season so far is slight progress over last season. And yes the coach might need more than that due to her own problems keeping players, but if they make the second round there is at least a solid argument for things trending in the right direction with a young team.

And yes like a few of the other posters I am also still wondering if the AD is only playing nice or if he also has a mean streak to him when necessary. Then again, spending big on softball doesn't seem like a big priority right now, when we already invested so heavily on mens basketball and football.

Without any knowledge of the softball coach's buyout, I would like to think UNT could move in a different direction. Softball is probably not a money maker. But North Texas has to win in something. I mean, what do we win at? What sports are we strong in? Men or Womens golf? No way! Just look at some of the tournaments we've played in and see who came in ahead of us. Ridiculous!

To me it seems that Kee has major problems with her coaching method, or her interaction with her players. She has run off too many players. I hope Wren makes a change.

outoftown · April 23, 2017

9 hours ago, DeepGreen said:

Without any knowledge of the softball coach's buyout, I would like to think UNT could move in a different direction. Softball is probably not a money maker. But North Texas has to win in something. I mean, what do we win at? What sports are we strong in? Men or Womens golf? No way! Just look at some of the tournaments we've played in and see who came in ahead of us. Ridiculous!

To me it seems that Kee has major problems with her coaching method, or her interaction with her players. She has run off too many players. I hope Wren makes a change.

oh, don't get me wrong I am definitelly not a big defender of Kee. She has responsibility for being in this situation. But if the team has a good run now, then the narrative changes, given that the team is young. If the narrative remains that this team is a barely a .500 team if that, then I too hope WB finally shows he can also be tough.

Edited April 23, 2017 by outoftown

97and03 · April 23, 2017

On 4/22/2017 at 7:21 AM, outoftown said:

I think this is a bit too early to call. I agree with pretty much everything the article says, and can see that there are quite a few bad signs, but this season so far is slight progress over last season. And yes the coach might need more than that due to her own problems keeping players, but if they make the second round there is at least a solid argument for things trending in the right direction with a young team.

And yes like a few of the other posters I am also still wondering if the AD is only playing nice or if he also has a mean streak to him when necessary. Then again, spending big on softball doesn't seem like a big priority right now, when we already invested so heavily on mens basketball and football.

Pretty sure this is season four...

Wait, RV, is that you??

outoftown · April 30, 2017

Got swept by LaTech this weekend. Getting closer to the point where this team looks like a barely .500 team (probably not even that)

DeepGreen · April 30, 2017

Sort of related, but UNT participated in the Bobcat Relays recently and I was amazed(not really) that we did not win the whole track meet. Powerhouses such as TSU, SFA, Incarnate Word, and many other FCS or below programs seemed to do much better than dear old UNT. Track use to be really good at North Texas. What happened over the past 25+ years? Do we not recruit good track athletes? Coaching? What is it?

GrandGreen · May 1, 2017

2 hours ago, DeepGreen said:

Sort of related, but UNT participated in the Bobcat Relays recently and I was amazed(not really) that we did not win the whole track meet. Powerhouses such as TSU, SFA, Incarnate Word, and many other FCS or below programs seemed to do much better than dear old UNT. Track use to be really good at North Texas. What happened over the past 25+ years? Do we not recruit good track athletes? Coaching? What is it?

I have called NT track program embarrassing, it just seems very poorly ran. It maybe the use of Fouts and now no facility that may be the major problem. NT has a handful of better than average athletes, but for years has not been competitive.

It has been over 15 years since the men have won a championship and have not been above fourth place since 2004. The women actually won the belt in 2012, 2013 but have disappeared since with a sixth place finish the best that they have had in CUSA.

I would guess that nothing is going to be done until a new facility is built. It seems to me because track is an equivalency scholarship sport (partial ships most often given), that large state schools would have a big advantage. Ones like NT in heavily populated areas should have an added edge.