Kragthorpe article

[Marty]

Return to old stomping grounds

Ex-UNT assistant is back in Denton as Tulsa's head coach.

Bill Spinks

Herald Democrat

DENTON — Darrell Dickey and Steve Kragthorpe never crossed paths while at North Texas, but for Kragthorpe and two of his Tulsa assistants, Saturday will be a homecoming of sorts.

Kragthorpe was an assistant coach at UNT for two seasons (1994-95) before leaving and eventually taking the head coach position at Tulsa in 2003.

Also on the current Golden Hurricane staff are a pair of former Mean Green assistants, wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator Bob Schultz and offensive line coach Spencer Leftwich.

Now in his third year at the school, Kragthorpe will lead the Hurricane into Saturday's non-conference contest at Fouts Field.

"That was a great experience," Kragthorpe said Monday from Tulsa of his time with the Mean Green. "Our youngest son, Nick, who turns 11 on Wednesday, was born while we lived in Denton. So we have a lot of fond memories there. Denton is one of my wife's favorite places that we have lived. There are a lot of great people there and I look back on those times as fun times in my coaching career."

The Mean Green won the Southland Conference championship in 1994, UNT's final season in Division I-AA. The team was 2-9 the following season against an independent I-A schedule, but did upset Oregon State at Fouts Field that year, 30-27.

Leftwich, who left UNT in 2003 to rejoin Kragthorpe, spent nine seasons in Denton and helped produce Ja'Quay Wilburn, who (for now) is UNT's all-time leading rusher. He also recruited Patrick Cobbs, the 2003 national rushing champion, who is threatening Wilburn's school mark.

Dickey, who arrived in Denton in 1998, has kept up with Kragthorpe's success.

"Steve's an excellent head coach," Dickey said. "They recruit heavily down here, and we run into them a lot. There's always some good-natured kidding. Some of our assistants are still close with Spencer. There are a lot of friendships, but for three and a half to four hours, we're going to try to whip each other. There is a football game, and this is a business."

For the first time in a while — in fact, since the Mean Green rejoined Division I-A in 1995 — North Texas has two relatively high-profile opponents on its home schedule.

The Mean Green will play their home opener against Tulsa, and then will entertain fellow Sun Belt Conference foe Troy in a Tuesday night special that will be televised live nationally by ESPN2.

"We want to start getting bigger crowds at Fouts Field, and attract more opponents that might be favorable to watch," Dickey said. "But it's also important to play well and try to get as many wins as you can."

Seven players from the state of Oklahoma are on UNT's roster, including Cobbs, a native of Tecumseh.

"Me being from Oklahoma, I'm looking forward for them coming here and playing," Cobbs said.

The good news for UNT is on the injury front. Most years, the Mean Green lineup has been decimated by a brutal money-game schedule. But, with the Louisiana State contest rescheduled for Oct. 29 and with the players emerging none the worse for wear after last week's 14-7 victory over Middle Tennessee, all hands will be available to take on Tulsa.

Junior defensive lineman Sky Pruitt, who has been battling a shoulder injury, played last week. Defensive back Gary Oubre, who did not travel to Murfreesboro last week, will play Saturday.

"We just didn't get anything major in Game 1," Dickey said. "That's more luck than anything. There were some serious collisions and obviously our guys are beat up and sore, but that's what happens in football. There's nothing serious I know of that will keep anyone out Saturday."

[NT80]

For the first time in a while — in fact, since the Mean Green rejoined Division I-A in 1995 — North Texas has two relatively high-profile opponents on its home schedule.

The Mean Green will play their home opener against Tulsa, and then will entertain fellow Sun Belt Conference foe Troy in a Tuesday night special that will be televised live nationally by ESPN2.

"We want to start getting bigger crowds at Fouts Field, and attract more opponents that might be favorable to watch," Dickey said.

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I'm all for that! A new stadium might help too, ay Plumm?