Houston Mean Green- Coaches Caravan June 12th

ipd054 · May 18, 2018

Saint Arnold's Brewing Company - 2000 Lyons Ave, Houston, Texas 77020

Stix · May 18, 2018

Yes! This is from the email I received from Claudia Taylor of the Alumni Association:

We *finally* have a date for Houston Coaches Caravan! TUESDAY, JUNE 12, from 6-8 p.m. Unfortunately Karbach didn't have that date available (boo), so we are going with Saint Arnold Brewing Co, 2000 Lyons Ave.

Registration should be up soon; when it is, I'll share the link in our Facebook group so you can share it with your friends there if you want to! Our marketing director will also send out an email invite to Houston-area alums.

I'd love to get at least 50 people there, so if you know any alums or UNT fans who might like to come, please invite them to join us! It's a pretty good deal - for 5 bucks you get food, drinks and all the UNT tchotchkes you can handle. 🙂 You can also walk up and buy a ticket at the event.

Stix · May 25, 2018

The UNT Coaches Caravan is on its way!

Tuesday, June 12 . 6-8 p.m. . Saint Arnold Brewing Co.

`The UNT Coaches Caravan is rolling into Houston soon!`

Join the UNT Alumni Association and UNT Athletics for a Q&A with coaches and an insider update from Wren Baker, vice president and director of athletics. Coaches and players will mix and mingle with the crowd and sign autographs. Food, drink and plenty of family-friendly Mean Green fun is included with entry. Houston Coaches Caravan

Tuesday, June 12 6-8 p.m. Saint Arnold Brewing Co. 2000 Lyons Ave, Houston, TX 77020

$5 - UNT Alumni Association and Mean Green Scholarship Fund members $10 - Non-members REGISTER HERE BY JUNE 8 Not a member? Join at untalumni.com/join to get your event discount and show your Mean Green pride.

University of North Texas Alumni Association

1155 Union Circle #311220 Denton, Texas 76203-5017 Phone: 940-565-2834

Edited May 25, 2018 by Stix

Stix · May 30, 2018

https://www.untalumni.com/coachescaravan

@Harry, please pin this thread. Thanks!

UNTLifer · May 30, 2018

Awesome venue. Almost makes me wish I still lived in Houston.

Stix · May 30, 2018

1 hour ago, UNTLifer said:

Awesome venue. Almost makes me wish I still lived in Houston.

Well, what does a round-trip ticket cost from Midland on SWA these days? 🍺

UNTLifer · May 30, 2018

$400+ on that day.

Stix · May 30, 2018

55 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

$400+ on that day.

Ouch.

UNTLifer · May 30, 2018

26 minutes ago, Stix said:

Ouch.

Yep. There isn't much inexpensive about this area at this time, nor getting to or from here.

Stix · June 12, 2018

Less than 24 hours away now! Who's coming?

ipd054 · June 12, 2018

I will be there plus 2 I do have one extra ticket if anyone wants to make a last minute trip out.

UNTLifer · June 13, 2018

So, how was it? Any pictures? How was the attendance?

ipd054 · June 13, 2018

I did a visual count and came up with about 87 in attendance minus the coaches and UNT employees. I thought is was a good event. I was able to personally talk to 4 coaches (Littrell, McCasland, Hedlund, and Palileo) as well as Wren Baker. All were down to earth and willing to take time with each group that they visited.

Summary of my personal conversations:

AD Baker - Talked about being home. Loving the town he lives in and being close to family.
Coach Littrell went further to say that not only does he love his job he loves being close to his family. We talked about his hometown and how much he loved being close enough that his kid can have a relationship with their grandparents instead of only seeing them 2-3 times a year. He said "I hope y'all keep me!" I replied "I think we are more concerned about you getting lured away." He squared up to me looked me in the eye and said "anyone who thinks I would leave does not know me very well!"
Coach McCasland - talked about the support from the President down to ensure he had what he needed to be successful. He really enjoyed the atmosphere of the Super Pit at the end of the season and through the CBI. Really a nice person who is excited about his team next year.
Coach Hedlund - Can not wait for the soccer and track complex to start. Talked about having a home since he has played on 7 different fields in his 25 years at North Texas. He is happy with winning the C-USA but is ready to make a run in the NCAA and is setting that expectation with his players.
Coach Palileo - is happy Volleyball won the C-USA so Coach Hedlund will stop busting his chops about not having a championship. Is looking forward to next season and is ready to repeat.

I asked each one the same group of questions:

"Do you have everything you need to be successful?" - everyone of them said YES emphatically. They said that from the board, president, and AD that they have amazing support and love the direction the university as a whole is going.

"Are you still enjoying what you do?" - All said yes!

"What do you need from us?" - All said butts in seats in one way shape or form, that it makes a big impact on the team and more importantly recruiting.

Overall I was very impressed with the AD Baker and all of the coaches (I was not able to get to talk to the track coach who was there as well). My wife and daughter went as well and my 17 year old daughter (who wants to be an athletic trainer) was even invited up to visit by Coach Littrell and Coach McCasland and said that they would talk to the head of Sports Medicine to ensure that she was able to watch a practice during her visit. All of the coaches talked directly to her and made her feel like she was being recruited by them.

At the end of the event she looked at me and said, with the way things are going at UNT why would I go anywhere else? I asked her what she meant and she quoted the fact that this past year was the best athletic year since 1975 as a whole for the university (something AD Baker said earlier in the event). New fields, IPF, and a commitment to the student athletes. She said that it felt like she would be getting in on the start of something great and that she could be proud of going forward.

I liked it and thought is was a successful event and even if no one else liked the event, I think they made a decision for at least one future student last night!

ipd054 · June 13, 2018

Screenshot_20180613-123128_Twitter.jpg.827a9b1a3429c32b0ef244af0783c11a.jpg Screenshot_20180613-123019_Instagram.jpg.d389329640ed0e6912479ac030fbf854.jpg

HoustonEagle · June 13, 2018

side question. Has Saint Arnolds finished their outdoor beer garden and restaurant yet? Everything else sounds great!

ipd054 · June 13, 2018

Just now, HoustonEagle said:

side question. Has Saint Arnolds finished their outdoor beer garden and restaurant yet? Everything else sounds great!

Not yet. It is getting close.

HoustonEagle · June 13, 2018

Just now, ipd054 said:

Not yet. It is getting close.

Thanks! I love the Karbach beer garden but prefer Saint Arnolds beers.

Wag Tag · June 13, 2018

2 hours ago, Prettylittleeagle said:

Coach Littrell went further to say that not only does he love his job he loves being close to his family. We talked about his hometown and how much he loved being close enough that his kid can have a relationship with their grandparents instead of only seeing them 2-3 times a year. He said "I hope y'all keep me!" I replied "I think we are more concerned about you getting lured away." He squared up to me looked me in the eye and said "anyone who thinks I would leave does not know me very well!"

I know it's just coach speak, but that last quote there makes me love Littrell even more.

Kansas or Tech don’t know if he leaves. OU or OSU he is gone. Good news is they are set for a few years. Would like to see him with Fine through his Sr year. Fine maybe an all- American?

UNTLifer · June 14, 2018

12 hours ago, ipd054 said:

I did a visual count and came up with about 87 in attendance minus the coaches and UNT employees. I thought is was a good event. I was able to personally talk to 4 coaches (Littrell, McCasland, Hedlund, and Palileo) as well as Wren Baker. All were down to earth and willing to take time with each group that they visited.

Summary of my personal conversations:

AD Baker - Talked about being home. Loving the town he lives in and being close to family.

Coach Littrell went further to say that not only does he love his job he loves being close to his family. We talked about his hometown and how much he loved being close enough that his kid can have a relationship with their grandparents instead of only seeing them 2-3 times a year. He said "I hope y'all keep me!" I replied "I think we are more concerned about you getting lured away." He squared up to me looked me in the eye and said "anyone who thinks I would leave does not know me very well!"

Coach McCasland - talked about the support from the President down to ensure he had what he needed to be successful. He really enjoyed the atmosphere of the Super Pit at the end of the season and through the CBI. Really a nice person who is excited about his team next year.

Coach Hedlund - Can not wait for the soccer and track complex to start. Talked about having a home since he has played on 7 different fields in his 25 years at North Texas. He is happy with winning the C-USA but is ready to make a run in the NCAA and is setting that expectation with his players.

Coach Palileo - is happy Volleyball won the C-USA so Coach Hedlund will stop busting his chops about not having a championship. Is looking forward to next season and is ready to repeat.

I asked each one the same group of questions:

"Do you have everything you need to be successful?" - everyone of them said YES emphatically. They said that from the board, president, and AD that they have amazing support and love the direction the university as a whole is going.

"Are you still enjoying what you do?" - All said yes!

"What do you need from us?" - All said butts in seats in one way shape or form, that it makes a big impact on the team and more importantly recruiting.

Overall I was very impressed with the AD Baker and all of the coaches (I was not able to get to talk to the track coach who was there as well). My wife and daughter went as well and my 17 year old daughter (who wants to be an athletic trainer) was even invited up to visit by Coach Littrell and Coach McCasland and said that they would talk to the head of Sports Medicine to ensure that she was able to watch a practice during her visit. All of the coaches talked directly to her and made her feel like she was being recruited by them.

At the end of the event she looked at me and said, with the way things are going at UNT why would I go anywhere else? I asked her what she meant and she quoted the fact that this past year was the best athletic year since 1975 as a whole for the university (something AD Baker said earlier in the event). New fields, IPF, and a commitment to the student athletes. She said that it felt like she would be getting in on the start of something great and that she could be proud of going forward.

I liked it and thought is was a successful event and even if no one else liked the event, I think they made a decision for at least one future student last night!

Thank you

drycreek · June 14, 2018

good stuff here--i like what was said

Wag Tag · June 14, 2018

2 hours ago, Prettylittleeagle said:

If he truly means what he says, I agree with you. I don't think a job like Kansas will pull him away, its a lower end P-5 might as well be G5 football program. Tech has shined at points in the past, and I think that might pull him away, but I don't feel confident about that statement. However, we could debate what programs are worthy of him leaving and what aren't all day 😄

With the family location being so important that will kind of limit options. I can see Kansas making a run after this season but why not stay at UNT and make $1.5m a year? I sure hope so! GMG

drex · June 14, 2018

No real pressure to coach at KU...they gave up football a few years ago.

DeepGreen · June 15, 2018

C’mon people! It’s all about the benjamins. Period. If Kansas wants him and makes him an offer of $3 or $4 million plus, he’s gone.

UNTLifer · June 15, 2018

Is it? Kansas is a coaching burial ground.

meangreenJW · June 15, 2018

2 hours ago, DeepGreen said:

C’mon people! It’s all about the benjamins. Period. If Kansas wants him and makes him an offer of $3 or $4 million plus, he’s gone.

I disagree but here's why. If it was take Kansas or stay at UNT, perhaps he leaves. But if it's take Kansas or stay at UNT with Mason Fine as your QB and wait for good job that pays as much or more than KU and you can actually win, he waits. I'm confident the latter is the case. SL is about 40. So probably at least 15 more years to coach. Every coach that has gone to KU has been fired. He knows that.