You're the A.D....What Does It Take to Keep SL?

[Mean Green 93-98]

Assume you're in the position of A.D., and you are making the decision whether or not to keep SL after this season.  At this point, what does he have to do to keep his job?

[MeanGreenTexan]

Bowl win would mean the team finishes out the season at least 7-2 (these 5/4-win squads getting to bowl games doesn't count). That would show me the players still believe in him.

We're either shocking Mizzou, Liberty, or UTSA (maybe multiple?) to get there:

 

[MGNation92]

Unless there's an insane turnaround after the bye week, I don't think it gets any better. The kids are fighting and playing hard. It's become very clear that their head coach is not preparing them to win.

[Mean Green 93-98]

25 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

We're either shocking Mizzou, Liberty, or UTSA (maybe multiple?) to get there

I imagine we're going to be underdogs in every remaining game.  Some surprising things will have to to happen to achieve any scenario calling for more wins (any option other than the first and last).

[TheColonyEagle]

The on-field product has gone stale. If we have visions of moving on to another conference, we need a shot in the arm with a new coach.

 

Barring arguably the greatest turnaround in college football history (he wins out....which is beyond miraculous), it's time to move on.

 

[Mean Green Matt]

4 hours ago, MGNation92 said:

Unless there's an insane turnaround after the bye week, I don't think it gets any better. The kids are fighting and playing hard. It's become very clear that their head coach is not preparing them to win.

Well we do have a great history coming off bye weeks. 

[Cr1028]

I put 1-4 more wins. I only saw 4 more “winnable” games on our schedule because of some pretty stiff competition the rest of the way. For me, we need to win 3 of those 4 and look like a college football team against everyone. The way we looked against UAB and the way we played on offense against SMU cannot happen again.

[NorthTexasWeLove]

2 minutes ago, Cr1028 said:

I put 1-4 more wins. I only saw 4 more “winnable” games on our schedule because of some pretty stiff competition the rest of the way. For me, we need to win 3 of those 4 and look like a college football team against everyone. The way we looked against UAB and the way we played on offense against SMU cannot happen again.

So, in your opinion, 3 straight 4-8 years warrants another year? 

[Wag Tag]

I believe after the meltdown of UAB he has to get to 500 and even at that point we have to be competitive with the loses. Another G5 blow out and I would let him go at the end of the season.

[Cr1028]

18 minutes ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

So, in your opinion, 3 straight 4-8 years warrants another year? 

In my opinion, I am looking at the remainder of this season in a vacuum. You couldn’t expect Tom Herman, Kendal Briles, Mike Norvell, or anybody else being thrown around to win more than 4 or 5 of the remaining games on our schedule. Let’s be realistic here. We have a tough schedule this season. You can already pencil in Ls for Mizzou, Liberty, and nUTSAck; probably the same for Marshall. UTEP and Rice are likely a tossup. I expect us to handle USM and FIU. Best case scenario is we win both tossup games and finish 5-7.

I know the above is extremely unpopular opinion as will be this last note. I felt we fired Todd Dodge a season too early. I wasn’t necessarily opposed to it because it was better to open the new stadium with a new coach but he got dealt a real bad hand in his final season that Bear Bryant couldn’t have managed. He was learning and improving each year even if it didn’t always show on the scoreboard. The injury bug in 2010 was brutal, even worse than what we are currently dealing with.

[WanderingEagle]

Any coach that is 1-5 (we are not winning Saturday) in year six should be gone. It doesn't matter what the circumstances are. It doesn't matter if it's at North Texas, North Texas School for the Blind, or Alabama. 1-5 in year six is unacceptable.

 

I want SL the person to succeed. SL the coach has not and we need to move elsewhere, quickly.

[Jonnyeagle]

He’s done.  Nothing he can do to chang it.

[cogido]

Right now I’m more concerned about Wren and the AD position at NT.

Its a given that the football program needs a management fix after six years and being in the tank again.  AND ... with conference realignments being so strategic  at this point the AD position is critical .

[GrandGreen]

Most of you are just assuming that NT can come up with buyout money.  I am not so sure that is the case.   Even if NT could come up with the funds, is that how they want to spend it. 

NT needs to hit the lottery on the next football hc hire.  Does that happen if NT is forced to lower their football staff salary budget just to payoff Littrell?

Easy decision if some benefactor agrees to fund the buyout, but what are the odds of that happening?

A fact is that NT's record right now is exactly what it is predicted to be.  Others and I have guessed that Seph will survive if he finishing strong against the weakest part of the schedule.  I think that is still the case. 

This is an exceptionally young team with almost everyone back next year.  A capable QB must be found whether from development or recruiting.  

As an aside, Baker is not going anywhere unless he wants to.  

 

[denton_days]

5 minutes ago, GrandGreen said:

Most of you are just assuming that NT can come up with buyout money.  I am not so sure that is the case.   Even if NT could come up with the funds, is that how they want to spend it. 

NT needs to hit the lottery on the next football hc hire.  Does that happen if NT is forced to lower their football staff salary budget just to payoff Littrell?

Easy decision if some benefactor agrees to fund the buyout, but what are the odds of that happening?

A fact is that NT's record right now is exactly what it is predicted to be.  Others and I have guessed that Seph will survive if he finishing strong against the weakest part of the schedule.  I think that is still the case. 

This is an exceptionally young team with almost everyone back next year.  A capable QB must be found whether from development or recruiting.  

As an aside, Baker is not going anywhere unless he wants to.  

 

Between the C-USA exit fees and a coach buyout, we're looking at a very expensive next couple years. 

[MeanGreenTexan]

7 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

Most of you are just assuming that NT can come up with buyout money.  I am not so sure that is the case.   Even if NT could come up with the funds, is that how they want to spend it. 

NT needs to hit the lottery on the next football hc hire.  Does that happen if NT is forced to lower their football staff salary budget just to payoff Littrell?

Easy decision if some benefactor agrees to fund the buyout, but what are the odds of that happening?

A fact is that NT's record right now is exactly what it is predicted to be.  Others and I have guessed that Seph will survive if he finishing strong against the weakest part of the schedule.  I think that is still the case. 

This is an exceptionally young team with almost everyone back next year.  A capable QB must be found whether from development or recruiting.  

As an aside, Baker is not going anywhere unless he wants to.  

 

You're thinking as if Baker is being caught off-guard with this season's results so far and is having to scramble to find money.  Baker has had almost 2 years to get those funds lined up.   
When your football team goes 4-8 in the Greatest-QB-NT-has-ever-seen's Senior year, if you're worth anything as an AD, you start lining up contingency funds ASAP.  I think WB is worth something as an AD.

If Baker's not prepared for this, and I'm Smatresk, I'm bailing him out with University slush funds, and zeroing in on Baker next.   Unacceptable to be caught napping like that (again, I don't believe he will be). 
Baker showed it's been on his mind by re-negotiating Littrell's deal over the offseason to only cover the difference between his next job's salary VS what he's making now, which should drop the buyout amount considerably.  Littrell is still considered a young, bright, offensive mind.  He'll get a job somewhere.  He's not going to torpedo his career just to spite NT.  He's going to get the best available (re: best paid) position.   Sexton will see to that. 

Again, if NT cannot meet this obligation financially, we shouldn't be playing FBS football.

[Cr1028]

31 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

When your football team goes 4-8 in the Greatest-QB-NT-has-ever-seen's Senior year, if you're worth anything as an AD, you start lining up contingency funds ASAP.  I think WB is worth something as an AD.

Well now maybe take a step back buddy. Mason Fine wasn’t the only player on the team. At the conclusion of the 2018 season, we lost 2 NFL cornerbacks, a NFL-level linebacker, a starting NFL receiver. We lost, to the P5, our OC/QB coach, LB coach, WR coach, and RB coach plus an offensive QC that went with the OC. The second game of the season we lost another NFL receiver. It wasn’t like he had the 201i8 team and went 4-8. Harrell has been difficult to replace, so has Mason Fine, but the receivers and corners have been really hard to replace the last 2 seasons. 

[MeanGreenHoops]

Unfortunately it seems he isn't a good fit as a head coach. It seems obvious that the success he had early was about his assistant coaches. Once he lost most of that first staff things have gone the wrong direction. He should have been either able to get good replacements or make up the difference himself, but has not been able to.

Some other program will get the benefits of the lessons he's learned, but a new direction is needed.

 

[MeanGreenTexan]

32 minutes ago, Cr1028 said:

Well now maybe take a step back buddy. Mason Fine wasn’t the only player on the team. At the conclusion of the 2018 season, we lost 2 NFL cornerbacks, a NFL-level linebacker, a starting NFL receiver. We lost, to the P5, our OC/QB coach, LB coach, WR coach, and RB coach plus an offensive QC that went with the OC. The second game of the season we lost another NFL receiver. It wasn’t like he had the 201i8 team and went 4-8. Harrell has been difficult to replace, so has Mason Fine, but the receivers and corners have been really hard to replace the last 2 seasons. 

Not sure if this strengthens my argument or strengthens it.  Are these supposed to be good excuses for the drop from 9-3 to 4-8 that year?   More importantly, are these excuses that you believe WB accepts for this drop at the time & refuses to start getting his contingencies together?  I mean, you're right, Fine wasn't the only guy... we also still had the most productive WR NT has ever seen, and 2 pretty nice RBs as well!

Who's job is it to identify excellent coaches/players to replace the outgoing coaches/players?   That's a huge strike against Littrell.  One he hasn't been able to recover from.

[MrAlien]

I expected this to be a 3 win team long before the season started...

I am not happy with the coach, but what are the realistic options?  Will the school actually do what it takes to go out and get a good coach?  how does this effect recruiting?   How will this effect current players?

If (and its a big IF) is willing to do their due diligence, research, interviews, maybe even reach outside for some help in finding and hiring a coach, then I would be for it.  There is a right way to do this, then there is the Old Denton way of doing this.   

[MeanGreenTexan]

30 minutes ago, MrAlien said:

...

If (and its a big IF) is willing to do their due diligence, research, interviews, maybe even reach outside for some help in finding and hiring a coach, then I would be for it.  There is a right way to do this, then there is the Old Denton way of doing this.   

"Old Denton" departed in the summer of 2016.   Baker knows how to do this: see the McCasland & DeLong hires.  He'll find the right guy.

[MGNation92]

13 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

"Old Denton" departed in the summer of 2016.   Baker knows how to do this: see the McCasland & DeLong hires.  He'll find the right guy.

Very true. So far all of Baker's actual hires have been homeruns. I trust his judgement in finding the best coach possible.

[untjim1995]

13 hours ago, Cr1028 said:

I know the above is extremely unpopular opinion as will be this last note. I felt we fired Todd Dodge a season too early. I wasn’t necessarily opposed to it because it was better to open the new stadium with a new coach but he got dealt a real bad hand in his final season that Bear Bryant couldn’t have managed. He was learning and improving each year even if it didn’t always show on the scoreboard. The injury bug in 2010 was brutal, even worse than what we are currently dealing with.

Man, I have to give you credit here. That's not a limb I've ever seen anyone stand on before...he went 6-37 before getting fired. 

Bold strategy, Cotton...

[Jonnyeagle]

34 minutes ago, MGNation92 said:

Very true. So far all of Baker's actual hires have been homeruns. I trust his judgement in finding the best coach possible.

That’s one way to look at it but another way is he may be due for a stinker.

[Cr1028]

1 hour ago, untjim1995 said:

Man, I have to give you credit here. That's not a limb I've ever seen anyone stand on before...he went 6-37 before getting fired. 

Bold strategy, Cotton...

Haha thanks Jim.