Examining The Legacy Of Rick Villarreal

[greengal]

May 23 was one of those sleepy Mondays when nothing particularly interesting was expected. The last games of 2015-16 had been played, classes were out, the parking lots were deserted, graduation was done, and a quiet emptiness had settled over the campus.

The only thing out of the ordinary was an email telling everyone in the athletic department to report to the team meeting room at 9:40 a.m.

That Monday morning's revelation that Rick Villarreal was stepping down as North Texas' athletic director came as shock to everyone in the room. I knew retirement was on his mind, and had spoken with him briefly on the subject. It was something he was clearly planning for his near future.

Nevertheless, Villarreal's emotional announcement turned the day upside down, and left the staff in stunned silence.

Monday, June 20, was Rick's last day as the Mean Green's AD. But before North Texas turns the page and president Neal Smatresk embarks in earnest on the task of finding a successor, it seems appropriate to address a question:

What is the legacy of Rick Villarreal?
 

read more:  https://meangreensports.com/news/2016/6/20/Examining_The_Legacy_Of_Rick_Villarreal.aspx

[jtm0097]

Helped get Apogee built. Failed with sushi rolls. 

We got a plane flying around to fire him. That is all.

[NorthTexan95]

Rick accomplished some good things.  He also made multiple program-destroying hires.  Rick would have been fine at smaller school but was completely out of place running a major athletic program.  

[greenjoe]

He was by far the best AD we had to that point.  

[MGNation92]

Jimmy John's and Rock n Roll Sushi

[untbowler]

11 minutes ago, greenjoe said:

He was by far the best AD we had to that point.  

To be honest the bar was extremely low. Helwig was a disaster, so RV came in and did some good things, but then reached his ceiling and everything stagnated. The decision to not let Dodge retain college coaches hurt and then the hiring of Stephens, Benford, and McCarney sealed his fate

[97and03]

1 hour ago, NorthTexan95 said:

Rick accomplished some good things.  He also made multiple program-destroying hires.  Rick would have been fine at smaller school but was completely out of place running a major athletic program.  

We were a major athletic program? 
 

No idea why someone decided to pull up a five year old article…

[bstnsportsfan3]

1 minute ago, 97and03 said:

We were a major athletic program? 
 

No idea why someone decided to pull up a five year old article…

Off-season? 🤣

[greengal]

25 minutes ago, 97and03 said:

We were a major athletic program? 

I think so.  We did go to four bowl games in consecutive years.

Edited June 25, 2021 by greengal

[97and03]

1 hour ago, greengal said:

I think so.  We did go to four bowl games in consecutive years.

Yes they were real program changers…

Dont get me wrong, glad we made those bowls, but that minor bowl game didn’t mean our facilities were not sub par and department desperately underfunded. 

Edited June 25, 2021 by 97and03

[untjim1995]

2 hours ago, greengal said:

I think so.  We did go to four bowl games in consecutive years.

Good grief, anybody with a pulse can go to a bowl game...

[97and03]

23 minutes ago, untjim1995 said:

Good grief, anybody with a pulse can go to a bowl game...

As we have proven with 3 losing season bowl losses. 

[untjim1995]

19 minutes ago, 97and03 said:

As we have proven with 3 losing season bowl losses. 

It’s so perfectly North Texas that our Hayden Fry ranked teams couldn’t go to a bowl while 3 of our losing teams got bowl berths for winning 5 games…

[97and03]

 

(OMG gifs are back!!!!)

[PlummMeanGreen]

RV=Apogee Stadium.  Really, a modern day miracle if you think about our entire school’s culture back then.  

Yet it happened under his watch & leadership.  Wren Baker recognized RV & said as much at Mean Joe Greene’s statue  unveiling ceremony. It was a great day for the Mean Green Nation.

❇️🦅❇️

Edited June 25, 2021 by PlummMeanGreen

[Wag Tag]

I would like to see a larger and improved weight room now! Also a separate weight room for basketball. To have all sports in an improved 5,000 sq ft is tough and not impressive enough. Build these facilities now and take them out of the master plan. Can’t wait! GMG 

[Mo Green]

47 minutes ago, PlummMeanGreen said:

RV=Apogee Stadium.  Really, a modern day miracle if you think about our entire school’s culture back then.  

Yet it happened under his watch & leadership.  Wren Baker recognized RV & said as much at Mean Joe Greene’s statue  unveiling. It was a good day for the MG Nation. 

❇️🦅❇️

President Gretchen Bataille {2004-2010) told a donors meeting in her conference room that the face for the new stadium for the student vote was the College of Arts and Sciences  Dean Mike M. They reason she said is that if RV got involved the students would vote down the additional funding needed for the stadium! I guess we forget easily

[emmitt01]

He was better than Helwig. 

I'll just leave it at that. 

[untbowler]

10 minutes ago, emmitt01 said:

He was better than Helwig. 

I'll just leave it at that. 

🙂

[emmitt01]

1 minute ago, untbowler said:

🙂

I never said I was setting the bar high. 

[meanrob]

I’ll just assume they left the part out about sending a ponzi-scheme email out to donors that was meant for his family. You know, the “forward this to twenty people and win a gift card” scheme that a ten year old knows is BS. That was a eye-opening email to get from the AD. 
 

But hey, we only kept him around for twelve more years after that. 
 

Edit- Voting this post with a “RV” is the second goddamn funniest thing this week. 

Edited June 25, 2021 by meanrob

[Mo Green]

31 minutes ago, Mo Green said:

President Gretchen Bataille {2004-2010) told a donors meeting in her conference room that the face for the new stadium for the student vote was the College of Arts and Sciences  Dean Mike M. The reason she said is that if RV got involved the students would vote down the additional funding needed for the stadium! I guess we forget easily

 

[TheColonyEagle]

I think if I had a memory that best brings back the RV legacy it had to be at a road game when I as a Mean Green Club Donor was asked to help break down the tent after the Mean Green tailgate. I happily obliged.....being a team player and all.

But that always stuck with me. We had quite the program back then...

LMAO

 

[UNTLifer]

Don't forget this lovely addition to the staff.

http://newscenter.sdsu.edu/sdsuniverse/images/stories/str-020210-mckinley.jpg

The latest news I could find on her was that she was hired by San Diego St. in 2010.  Her bio said this:

Experienced fundraiser

McKinley comes to Montezuma Mesa from the University of North Texas, where she served as the associate athletic director for annual and major gifts.

In seven years at North Texas, McKinley enabled the Mean Green Club to increase membership nearly 600 percent, while raising $6.4 million for its capital campaign.

[emmitt01]

4 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

Don't forget this lovely addition to the staff.

http://newscenter.sdsu.edu/sdsuniverse/images/stories/str-020210-mckinley.jpg

The latest news I could find on her was that she was hired by San Diego St. in 2010.  Her bio said this:

Experienced fundraiser

McKinley comes to Montezuma Mesa from the University of North Texas, where she served as the associate athletic director for annual and major gifts.

In seven years at North Texas, McKinley enabled the Mean Green Club to increase membership nearly 600 percent, while raising $6.4 million for its capital campaign.

Now, now, be fair.  If you didn't join the Mean Green Club back then it was "You haven't called me...or I haven't called you."