We've wanted this to happen

[GMG_Dallas]

I know we're all upset about losing Hodge. Baring any unexpected promotions, it's effectively the end of the gritty defensive era we've grown to love over almost a decade.

A few years ago, I'd read posts on the football forum saying that if we could become P5 launch pad for up and coming headcoaches, we'd be in a great position for continued success. If only we could have a couple head coaches be very successful and get plucked away, we could become known as a place coaches come to make a name for themselves and North Texas would become a desirable job as a place to jumpstart careers instead of burying them.

With the news that Hodge is leaving to WVU, we've now had back-to-back head coaches hired away by Big 12 schools in the span of 3 years. When's the last time that's happened here? I can promise you, agents of coaches at various low and mid-majors are contacting their clients and pointing to the school in Denton, America as the place to be. The same goes for assistant coaches at high-majors/P5 who want to become a head coach. Want that big-time job? Come to UNT. The portal helps us even more now that most coaches know they're mostly starting over next season. Might as well start over at the BIG 12 head coach mill.

We all know coaches come and go. We all prefer they be hired away rather than fired. Today is bittersweet but the future still looks bright. There will be no shortage of qualified applicants looking to wear green in the AAC as the leader of the Mean Green next season.

[MeanGreenTexan]

You’re absolutely right.

We need to hope a good up-&-coming coach sees that (McCasland & Hodge both to Big12 opportunities), and decide they would also like to pursue the Mean Green Fast Track™️ to a High-Major job.

[BigWillie]

2 minutes ago, GMG_Dallas said:

I know we're all upset about losing Hodge. Baring any unexpected promotions, it's effectively the end of the gritty defensive era we've grown to love over almost a decade.

A few years ago, I'd read posts on the football forum saying that if we could become P5 launch pad for up and coming headcoaches, we'd be in a great position for continued success. If only we could have a couple head coaches be very successful and get plucked away, we could become known as a place coaches come to make a name for themselves and North Texas would become a desirable job as a place to jumpstart careers instead of burying them.

With the news that Hodge is leaving to WVU, we've now had back-to-back head coaches hired away by Big 12 schools in the span of 3 years. When's the last time that's happened here? I can promise you, agents of coaches at various low and mid-majors are contacting their clients and pointing to the school in Denton, America as the place to be. The same goes for assistant coaches at high-majors/P5 who want to become a head coach. Want that big-time job? Come to UNT. The portal helps us even more now that most coaches know they're mostly starting over next season. Might as well start over at the BIG 12 head coach mill.

We all know coaches come and go. We all prefer they be hired away rather than fired. Today is bittersweet but the future still looks bright. There will be no shortage of qualified applicants looking to wear green in the AAC as the leader of the Mean Green next season.

I am glad you feel so positive about it, but you are forgetting one factor and his name is Jared.

IMO, he has not shown he can make the right decisions when it is really needed. 

Also, do you really think these up and coming coaches won't see the reasons for our success were 2 men that are gone. 

I would happily eat crow, just doesnt look that way to me.

[NorthTexasWeLove]

8 minutes ago, GMG_Dallas said:

I know we're all upset about losing Hodge. Baring any unexpected promotions, it's effectively the end of the gritty defensive era we've grown to love over almost a decade.

A few years ago, I'd read posts on the football forum saying that if we could become P5 launch pad for up and coming headcoaches, we'd be in a great position for continued success. If only we could have a couple head coaches be very successful and get plucked away, we could become known as a place coaches come to make a name for themselves and North Texas would become a desirable job as a place to jumpstart careers instead of burying them.

With the news that Hodge is leaving to WVU, we've now had back-to-back head coaches hired away by Big 12 schools in the span of 3 years. When's the last time that's happened here? I can promise you, agents of coaches at various low and mid-majors are contacting their clients and pointing to the school in Denton, America as the place to be. The same goes for assistant coaches at high-majors/P5 who want to become a head coach. Want that big-time job? Come to UNT. The portal helps us even more now that most coaches know they're mostly starting over next season. Might as well start over at the BIG 12 head coach mill.

We all know coaches come and go. We all prefer they be hired away rather than fired. Today is bittersweet but the future still looks bright. There will be no shortage of qualified applicants looking to wear green in the AAC as the leader of the Mean Green next season.

I'll pass. There are coaches all over the country that stayed the course for the better part of a decade or more in some instances. I'd rather not play Russian roulette every couple years with our basketball program. Give me success then give me continuity. The football program whores itself out to its players as you suggest. The Jayd dude even has it pinned on his X account, "come play QB at UNT and then go get that bag" or something thereabouts. If he's doing it then the entire staff is doing that in football. Hard pass. 

Edited Wednesday at 10:44 PM by NorthTexasWeLove

[BigWillie]

5 minutes ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

I'll pass. There are coaches all over the country that stayed the course for the better part of a decade or more in some instances. I'd rather not play Russian roulette every couple years with our basketball program. Give me success then give me continuity. The football program whores itself out to its players as you suggest. The Jayd dude even has it pinned on his X account, "come play QB at UNT and then go get that bag" or something thereabouts. If he's doing it then the entire staff is doing that in football. Hard pass. 

Exactly my feelings too. We just can't afford the continuity. The root of the problem always comes down to $$$.

[NorthTexasWeLove]

Just now, BigWillie said:

Exactly my feelings too. We just can't afford the continuity. The root of the problem always comes down to $$$.

Other places figure it out. Js

[BigWillie]

1 minute ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

Other places figure it out. Js

What other places have the success at our level who can match P5 pay?

Memphis might be the only one I can think of.

Edited Wednesday at 10:52 PM by BigWillie

[Green Lantern]

4 minutes ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

Other places figure it out. Js

I mean to be fair to UNT in this situation - Grant makes 4 mil a year at Tech and Ross will be making 3 mil a year at WVU. We simply can’t pay that much at this point. 

NOW - supposedly there was a significant package for extensions on the table for both guys from our side before they each left. We need to decide that now is time to take those increased salary assets intended for Grant & Ross, and apply them to another proven, young up and coming coach where it represents a big step up in comp for them. Don’t budget the next hire at what Ross was making before.

[GMG_Dallas]

15 minutes ago, BigWillie said:

I am glad you feel so positive about it, but you are forgetting one factor and his name is Jared.

IMO, he has not shown he can make the right decisions when it is really needed. 

Also, do you really think these up and coming coaches won't see the reasons for our success were 2 men that are gone. 

I would happily eat crow, just doesnt look that way to me.

I'm not going to fight anybody who's worried about Jared's ability to find the right guy. That said, he could have come in 2 years ago, said I'm doing things my way now, and not promoted Hodge. Even though Hodge was molded and given to him, Jared still could have gone in a different direction.

"Also, do you really think these up and coming coaches won't see the reasons for our success were 2 men that are gone."

This is a really weird statement to me. Coaches, especially head coaches, believe in their system and their abilities to lead men and that they're capable of doing better than the previous coach. I don't think a single coach will look at UNT and think to themselves they can't accomplish was Grant and Hodge did. Quite the opposite, I think they'll look at UNT and see they could do the same or better and that if they do, the next high-major opening is theirs for the taking.

[GMG_Dallas]

18 minutes ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

I'll pass. There are coaches all over the country that stayed the course for the better part of a decade or more in some instances.

Name them and post their salaries. Other than Mark Few and Hardaway, I don't know of any at the mid-major level. Drake lost their second HC in 2 years, Colorado State lost theirs, Utah State lost theirs a year ago, Arkansas State lost theirs, I could go on.

[BigWillie]

3 minutes ago, GMG_Dallas said:

I'm not going to fight anybody who's worried about Jared's ability to find the right guy. That said, he could have come in 2 years ago, said I'm doing things my way now, and not promoted Hodge. Even though Hodge was molded and given to him, Jared still could have gone in a different direction.

"Also, do you really think these up and coming coaches won't see the reasons for our success were 2 men that are gone."

This is a really weird statement to me. Coaches, especially head coaches, believe in their system and their abilities to lead men and that they're capable of doing better than the previous coach. I don't think a single coach will look at UNT and think to themselves they can't accomplish was Grant and Hodge did. Quite the opposite, I think they'll look at UNT and see they could do the same or better and that if they do, the next high-major opening is theirs for the taking.

What I was trying to say is that the new coach coming in would have to look at all the factors of us. Not just the last 2 coaches' success. Pay, fan support, administration support, etc. 

I don't think this position is as coveted as you think it is because those 2 coaches had success. I think the only way we can continue success is possibly another JUCO coach that is coming up and used to all of these factors. 

And to reiterate, I don't see Jared being able to find that like his predecessor did.

[GMG_Dallas]

6 minutes ago, BigWillie said:

What I was trying to say is that the new coach coming in would have to look at all the factors of us. Not just the last 2 coaches' success. Pay, fan support, administration support, etc. 

I don't think this position is as coveted as you think it is because those 2 coaches had success. I think the only way we can continue success is possibly another JUCO coach that is coming up and used to all of these factors. 

And to reiterate, I don't see Jared being able to find that like his predecessor did.

Understood. I think coaches want the best opportunity to keep promoting upwards. Pay and overall support didn't stop Hodge and Grant from being successful. I can promise you there's not a single head coach out there who doesn't think they could do the same. 

Edited Wednesday at 11:14 PM by GMG_Dallas

[NorthTexasWeLove]

52 minutes ago, GMG_Dallas said:

Name them and post their salaries. Other than Mark Few and Hardaway, I don't know of any at the mid-major level. Drake lost their second HC in 2 years, Colorado State lost theirs, Utah State lost theirs a year ago, Arkansas State lost theirs, I could go on.

Just the dude coaching for Bradley on TV leading into our game...  he's been there the better part of a decade. And that's literally off the top of my head via recency bias. 

Edited Wednesday at 11:57 PM by NorthTexasWeLove

[emmitt01]

48 minutes ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

Just the dude coaching for Bradley on TV leading into our game...  he's been there the better part of a decade. And that's literally off the top of my head via recency bias. 

 

Sooo…if he’s been there the better part of a decade, and 2022-2023 was their first conference title in 27 years, he’s been NOT winning at the level Mac and Hodge have for the large majority of his tenure.  Is this the kind of loyalty we’re clamoring for?  

[NorthTexasWeLove]

2 minutes ago, emmitt01 said:

 

Sooo…if he’s been there the better part of a decade, and 2022-2023 was their first conference title in 27 years, he’s been NOT winning at the level Mac and Hodge have for the large majority of his tenure.  Is this the kind of loyalty we’re clamoring for?  

He's won 20+ 6 of 9 years with win totals the last 3 years being 28, 23, and 25..has made the NCAA Tournament by winning the conference tournament and has now won a regular season title. By the way, he inherited a dumpster fire. Yeah, I'd call this a good hire for Bradley and great continuity. 

[GMG_Dallas]

52 minutes ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

He's won 20+ 6 of 9 years with win totals the last 3 years being 28, 23, and 25..has made the NCAA Tournament by winning the conference tournament and has now won a regular season title. By the way, he inherited a dumpster fire. Yeah, I'd call this a good hire for Bradley and great continuity. 

Looking at his yearly results, he really just started having success at the level Grant had. Bradley won 28, 23, and 25 the past 3 years but won 12 and 17 the years prior. I'm sure he's being looked at but let's not act like he's led Bradley to 8 years of winning basketball.

[UNTLifer]

How does UAB hold on to Kennedy?  I know he is an alum, but seriously. He recruits great talent and wins consistently yet is never mentioned as a candidate for positions where he could move up. 

[BigWillie]

2 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

How does UAB hold on to Kennedy?  I know he is an alum, but seriously. He recruits great talent and wins consistently yet is never mentioned as a candidate for positions where he could move up. 

I thought about this earlier. You are right. Heck, they beat us twice. 

[GoMeanGreen1999]

2 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

How does UAB hold on to Kennedy?  I know he is an alum, but seriously. He recruits great talent and wins consistently yet is never mentioned as a candidate for positions where he could move up. 

I think some of it is he tried the big time school ole miss, I believe and was let go from there.  He has his niche now at UAB and has a lot of success.  Probably a lot less stress than a bigger school.

[BigWillie]

1 minute ago, GoMeanGreen1999 said:

I think some of it is he tried the big time school ole miss, I believe and was let go from there.  He has his niche now at UAB and has a lot of success.  Probably a lot less stress than a bigger school.

Maybe this happens with Ross and he makes a return in a couple of years and becomes our decade long plus coach.

[FirefightnRick]

29 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

How does UAB hold on to Kennedy?  I know he is an alum, but seriously. He recruits great talent and wins consistently yet is never mentioned as a candidate for positions where he could move up. 

Maybe he knows that today, their school is more than willing to move Heavan and Earth to accomodate their any need, like for a  home tournament game against P4’s on national tv?

 

Rick

[Rudy]

The problem is counting on the AD to make the right hire to keep the upward trajectory.

[BigWillie]

1 minute ago, Rudy said:

The problem is counting on the AD to make the right hire to keep the upward trajectory.

[Midwest Mean Green]

4 hours ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

Just the dude coaching for Bradley on TV leading into our game...  he's been there the better part of a decade. And that's literally off the top of my head via recency bias. 

Bradley's a different world -- no football, basketball is the top dog (and Illinois is hoops country every bit as much as Indiana is), and they play in a really nice, city-owned arena. Granted, it's nowhere near the campus, but Bradley gets good support in town because it's such a basketball region.

Wardle's also from the Chicago area, so maybe that's a factor -- he's not far from home.

And, as someone else pointed out, he took over a disaster and has built it up (he also weirdly went to war a few years ago with the local paper over very little and in the process ticked off Bradley's most well-known alum, Charley Steiner, the former ESPN anchor and current Dodgers PBP guy).

Wardle's a Horizon League Product, which makes me wonder if this guy's worth a look. He's had a solid 3 years at a program that was in bad, bad shape and has done a good job of recruiting Milwaukee-Chicago, which isn't always an easy place to work. https://mkepanthers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/bart-lundy/6851

 

[drex]

Any future coaching candidate who entertains thoughts of going to NT will sober up when he sees the home game attendance figures.