The ultimate North Texas conversation

[PlummMeanGreen]

5 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

I used to be on the Mainord bandwagon as a replacement should SL leave, but I am not so sure now.

Don’t we need a home run hire when we do hire (instead of this “we po’ but proud” attitude)? 

One alum mentioned to me the former HFC at Boise/ UWashington?  Chris Peterson. Then his adding he was now of an age as one who wouldn’t want to keep freshing up his resume. 

If we do hire a new HFC, he needs to keep Phil Bennett around because he has the Texas HS ties & one more year on his contract.😲 (Some of us think he’s a pretty good Defense Coordinator  who will prove that even in 2021).

🦅

Edited September 21, 2021 by PlummMeanGreen

[MeanGreenTexan]

13 minutes ago, BillySee58 said:

Pressure is really on basketball. Doubt they look at it that way, but we absolutely need them to have a good season. It will go a long way towards by gaining the reputation of a legit program, and not just a fluke.

Kind of like how Butler was really good for 2 years with AJ Graves and some other seniors in 07 and 08, when they were able to still win and get a single digit NCAA tourney seed the next year without them that solidified their place as a good program not just a good team. 

If they hadn’t maintained that success they wouldn’t be in the Big East. For re-alignment attractiveness we need to be seen as a top basketball program, not just a one-hit wonder. Especially with the way football is going.

Sadly, the basketball team is getting secondary pressure from the boiler next door at Apogee.   They don't really deserve this, but you're right.  It's there.   For the good of the University, we need them to keep momentum up.   Contention for a C-USA championship without Javion Hamlet is going to be difficult, but it can be done.  Bassey's gone.  Jackson is gone at UTSA.  But Williams, Crawford and Lofton are all returning at LATech.

[UNTLifer]

To clarify my position, I think SL should be gone now, give Cobbs the Interim HC through the end of the year.  Reach out to any and all from coast to coast and include Cobbs for consideration.  I would like to see the following at least contacted.

Peterson

Carthel

Keeler

Herman

Curt Cignetti (James Madison)

Brian Bohannon (Kennesaw St)

Frank Scelfo (SELA)

[untjim1995]

I still think a lot of you are setting yourselves up to be even more disappointed that SL doesn't get fired. Its clear that he is not earning his salary, but he didn't offer the contract extension and raise, Wren Baker and Neal Smatresk did. You can clearly say its up to those same two to figure out where and how to raise the funds to pay all out ASAP, but Covid costing us so much last year (and probably some this year) couldn't have come at a worse time for a place like ours. Finally, I think this boils down to one person and one person only--Brint Ryan. If he wants SL out, he's gonna fund it. But right now, I just don't see this place firing SL until he can't mathematically equal what we did last year. And with games left against Rice, UTEP, USM, and FIU, they will wait to see if we can get to that amazingly low hurdle of beating three FBS dregs to get back to 4. 

I'll tell you this--it feels very Todd Dodge like in 2009, when he was half way thru a season where we had won 2 games, meaning we were up to an amazing 5 wins in his tenure of three seasons. Because he firing him would coast us an extra $300k to get rid of him after 2009, RV and crew brought him back for 2010...and he rewarded that loyalty by going 1-6 in the next season before getting fired, as it only required us to pay that last year his contract out to him. And Wren Baker did the exact thing when he got here and let Tony Benford coach his very last year of a contract, one of the dumbest decisions of all-time. One, he sucked donkey balls as a coach already for 4 years. Two, recruits had no reason to even consider coming here as they knew he was a lame duck. And third, most importantly, the team was gonna quit on him as soon as we hit a tough skid. But we saved money as we never paid a buyout of a dime for Benford!!

Everyone here wants to think we will buyout SL because we did that to Dan McCarney for $2.1 million. Maybe we will...but there's not a lot of history beyond that buyout to suggest we will ever do that again...

Edited September 21, 2021 by untjim1995

[untjim1995]

4 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

To clarify my position, I think SL should be gone now, give Cobbs the Interim HC through the end of the year.  Reach out to any and all from coast to coast and include Cobbs for consideration.  I would like to see the following at least contacted.

Peterson

Carthel

Keeler

Herman

Curt Cignetti (James Madison)

Brian Bohannon (Kennesaw St)

Frank Scelfo (SELA)

I like everyone on your list--except Tom Herman. That dude is not gonna make it here...I can promise you that his experience at Ohio State, Houston, and Texas are about 180 degrees from what he would get here. I think he'd be a terrible fit, similar to Kevin Sumlin, as well.

[UNTLifer]

3 minutes ago, untjim1995 said:

I like everyone on your list--except Tom Herman. That dude is not gonna make it here...I can promise you that his experience at Ohio State, Houston, and Texas are about 180 degrees from what he would get here. I think he'd be a terrible fit, similar to Kevin Sumlin, as well.

I was hesitant about Herman.  Not for the reasons you posted, but because he is a douchebag  

[untjim1995]

Just now, UNTLifer said:

I was hesitant about Herman.  Not for the reasons you posted, but because he is a douchebag  

That, too...dude is weird

[MeanGreenHoops]

The reason people come see the band is because they are good. Like Ohio State, Alabama in football good. And that has nothing to do with why we suck at football and people don't come to games.

[Withers940]

I honestly dont really care who is hired as long as the new head coach does the following:

-Hire's Great Assistants (Competent Coordinators)

-Recruits well

-Develops the players

-Acts like they give a shit

 

[MeanGreenTexan]

1 minute ago, untjim1995 said:

I still think a lot of you are setting yourselves up to be even more disappointed that SL doesn't get fired. Its clear that he is not earning his salary, but he didn't offer the contract extension and raise, Wren Baker and Neal Smatresk did. You can clearly say its up tot hose same two to figure out where and how to raise the funds to pay all out ASAP, but Covid costing us so much last year (and probably some this year) couldn't have come at a worse time for a place like ours. Finally, I think this boils down to one person and one person only--Brint Ryan. If he wants SL out, he's gonna fund it. But right now, I just don't see this place firing SL until he can't mathematically equal what we did last year. And with games left against Rice, UTEP, USM, and FIU, they will wait to see if we can get to that amazingly low hurdle of beating three FBS dregs to get back to 4. 

I'll tell you this--it feels very Todd Dodge like in 2009, when he was half way thru a season where we had won 2 games, meaning we were up to an amazing 5 wins in his tenure of three seasons. Because he firing him would coast us an extra $300k to get rid of him after 2009, RV and crew brought him back for 2010...and he rewarded that loyalty by going 1-6 in the next season before getting fired, as it only required us to pay that last year his contract out to him. And Wren Baker did the exact thing when he got here and let Tony Benford coach his very last year of a contract, one of the dumbest decisions of all-time. One, he sucked donkey balls as a coach already for 4 years. Two, recruits had no reason to even consider coming here as they knew he was a lame duck. And third, most importantly, the team was gonna quit on him as soon as we hit a tough skid. But we saved money as we never paid a buyout of a dime for Benford!!

Everyone here wants to think we will buyout SL because we did that to Dan McCarney for $2.1 million. Maybe we will...but there's not a lot of history beyond that buyout to suggest we will ever do that again...

GBR can certainly cut a check and rip the bandaid off, but he's not the only one with this kind of means.   Things have changed a lot financially since those Dodge/McCarney/even Benford days.  Much of that, thanks to Baker.
Baker has watched this unfold for over 2 years now.  I choose to believe he's not caught off-guard by this, and has prepared for it.   Surely he did not sit on his hands all offseason & enter into this season crossing his fingers and hoping Littrell was going to do well. That cannot be true.

[NorthTexasSportsNetwork]

4 minutes ago, Withers940 said:

I honestly dont really care who is hired as long as the new head coach does the following:

-Hire's Great Assistants (Competent Coordinators)

-Recruits well

-Develops the players

-Acts like they give a shit

 

Seth has never had any sort of emotion on the sidelines, and last week it was clear. Only thing Seth has done is recruit well

[Withers940]

1 minute ago, NorthTexasSportsNetwork said:

Seth has never had any sort of emotion on the sidelines, and last week it was clear. Only thing Seth has done is recruit well

Thats the one thing that I have always had an issue with is his lack of emotion. Your team feeds off of that. I love seeing coaches getting hyped on the sidelines and seeing that transfer into the players. There is ZERO enthusiasm on that sideline and it comes straight from the top. 

 

I want to see Littrell head bud someone or rip his shirt off like a wrestler for God sakes   

[NorthTexasSportsNetwork]

Just now, Withers940 said:

Thats the one thing that I have always had an issue with is his lack of emotion. Your team feeds off of that. I love seeing coaches getting hyped on the sidelines and seeing that transfer into the players. There is ZERO enthusiasm on that sideline and it comes straight from the top. 

 

I want to see Littrell head bud someone or rip his shirt off like a wrestler for God sakes   

The fact that multiple players shook him off and walked right by him says a LOT. Losing control, and apparently players aren’t happy. I don’t blame them because it’s a shit show

[Cr1028]

2 hours ago, Big Z said:

Vince Young days stole a lot of fans, even my friends who I went to school with. Also didn’t help that Fouts Field was a dump. 

Vince Young didn’t have all that much to do with it. When I showed up in the fall of 1999, tons of OU, UT, Aggie, and Tech apparel running around. Lots of my classmates struggled at their initial school but transferred to UNT and kept their original affiliation. Most didn’t know we had a football team. Others just didn’t get into their school of choice but kept their rooting interest with that other school. There was a time when RV would trade brand-new UNT apparel for student apparel of other schools. During the beginnings of Dodge, I saw a big increase in excitement from the end of Dickey. The problem was, even that excitement wasn’t enough to turn the T-shirt fans but it did help get us a new stadium.

[keith]

42 minutes ago, MeanGreenHoops said:

The reason people come see the band is because they are good. Like Ohio State, Alabama in football good. And that has nothing to do with why we suck at football and people don't come to games.

I have never gone to a college football game to see the band.  I like the band and the band can add incredibly to the experience, but they play a supporting role, not a lead role.  That is all.

[Big Z]

4 minutes ago, Cr1028 said:

Vince Young didn’t have all that much to do with it. When I showed up in the fall of 1999, tons of OU, UT, Aggie, and Tech apparel running around. Lots of my classmates struggled at their initial school but transferred to UNT and kept their original affiliation. Most didn’t know we had a football team. Others just didn’t get into their school of choice but kept their rooting interest with that other school. There was a time when RV would trade brand-new UNT apparel for student apparel of other schools. During the beginnings of Dodge, I saw a big increase in excitement from the end of Dickey. The problem was, even that excitement wasn’t enough to turn the T-shirt fans but it did help get us a new stadium.

Im talking about 2005-2006 when UT won the Rose Bowl, I saw so many people on campus wearing UT merchandise that year. 

[Cr1028]

1 hour ago, UNTLifer said:

I had a conversation with another alum regarding the coaching.  He used Sam Pittman at Arkansas as an example of what we needed. Here is a quote from Pittman regarding the Razorbacks.  Tell me if you have ever heard anything close to this from Littrell:

"We have an obligation to put a product on the field that people want to see"

As the other alum noted, Pittman wasn't a glamorous hire, but he was a guy that wanted badly to be the coach at Arkansas.  He loves Arkansas and wants to be there, he cares.

Pittman had zero head coaching experience, having been a career assistant all over the place, but he has a passion about being in Fayetteville.  Dabo Swinney is another example.  Career assistant that has a passion about being at Clemson and surrounded himself with great coaches. I would prefer a new coach that has built a program, but I would take someone that has a passion about being in Denton and someone that will surround himself with assistants that can get the job done.  

If I were Baker, I will let Littrell go and put Patrick Cobbs in as an interim HC and see what he can do.

I know someone with head coaching experience that would be passionate about our job.

 

[Cr1028]

4 minutes ago, Big Z said:

Im talking about 2005-2006 when UT won the Rose Bowl, I saw so many people on campus wearing UT merchandise that year. 

I watched that game projected on a sheet on an apartment balcony in Denton with several fellow students. We were all rooting for Texas to beat the USC machine. The ones that would wear Texas shirts to campus had their rooting interest before VY. Admittedly, I got a free Longhorn shirt from 1310 the Ticket that I may have worn on campus but I don’t recall. I did wear UNT gear 90% of the time though and always had 50yard line seats in the student section because I always arrived early.. Also, at that time we were stuck with a pathetic excuse for an offense which likely drive our former NO Bowl fans away.

[RBP79]

1. Wren looked a little POed on the big screen when giving the service awards at half time I believe it was.

2. Phil shows emotion. Looks like he's always yelling and walking on to the field. Seth looks way to calm as the ship is sinking...

 

 

 

 

[Philip Ferguson]

7 hours ago, untjim1995 said:

So, I’m in Frisco at an establishment that serves adult beverages last night. 
 

Bunch of guys talking about football and the NFL is the main topic. Of course, I begin to cringe, as I know CFB talk is coming and the company I’m with include a Baylor fan and a guy who doesn’t care about football at all, so the other guys around us include Aggie fans, Sooner fans, a Longhorn fan, and a Tech fan. At any rate, I found out out, as I mention I’m a UNT grad and fan, that the Longhorn fan is a UNT alum (of course). I ask him why he follows UT and his answer was so perfect that I just laughed and shrugged my shoulders. 
 

This guy’s buddies went to UT from high school, so he went down to see them a lot in college, because they were playing for national titles (his words) while we had a HS coach (assuming Todd Dodge) here. He said he would go to UNT games to—and here it is—to “watch the Green Brigade March at halftime” and then leave. I asked him if he ever goes to games now, since we play at Apogee. He looks at me and says, without a hint of remorse, “No, I just only follow UT religiously…but I do miss watching ‘our band’…”

I shook my head and finished my beer and went to the bathroom, realizing that I just spoke with the quintessential UNT alum. Didn’t care a lick about our program, but had pride in our band, which he won’t pay a dime to ever go see because a power team has his allegiance. This is a guy who graduated in 2006…