Coaches Show & Chat

GoMeanGreen1999 · October 18, 2005

Great post SilverEagle! Couldn't have summed it up better.

mad dog · October 18, 2005

We ONLY put up 13 points after 8 turnovers against a team that has yet to win a D-1 game and has only been around for four years and you call the win a MARVEL? That would seem to imply that (talent wise) we are a pretty crappy team.
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Yes, I do call that a marvel. How many teams do you think win scoring 13 points off 8 turnovers? As I said, I don't think we're a very good team right now. And, yes, you can have talent on your team but still be really really bad. There are a ton of factors that play into this, talent and coaching, true enough, but also intangibles such as maturity, awareness, and, most importantly, execution. Neither talent nor coaching are an end-all for success, though both indirectly affect those intangibles. You can coach and yell and beg and plead and praise and reward and punish and humiliate all you like, but, at the end of the day, it is up to the player to execute. A coach can point you in the right direction, but it is the player's path to walk.

Ask anyone who's ever played the game, they'll tell you that.

You then comment that we have a talented group of players that have yet to gel. When you're five games into the season, and you've yet to gel (with the aforementioned talented group of players), then (IMHO) that has to do with coaching.
So which is it? Are we (talent wise) a crappy team because we can't beat a FIU by anymore than 3 points with 8 TURNOVERS......or is it coaching.

You're probably right that it has something to do with coaching, but I have faith that Coach Dickey is trying. Sometimes jobs are simply really really tough, and the BEST of coaches can't hammer things to fit. Does something need to change? Absolutely. But I haven't seen nearly enough to start calling it one way or another.

Which is it? Probably a little of both, but, as I said before, you can have a crappy team with talent. That is what we are. Individually, on the offensive line, every guy is solid. But, as a unit, they are looking a little overwhelmed. There's not one particular guy that is sucking the wind out of the entire line. One guy might miss a block here or there. Hey, a linebacker might squirt between two guys already holding their blocks, hit Daniel Meager for a loss, and then both look bad. Does that mean they aren't talented? I don't think so. And even if they weren't, those five guys are the best we have. Whether or not to blame the coaches for not having four and five star talent is another issue altogether.

IMHO the fans are starting to do their part. So far this year we are averaging bigger crowds for much lower profile games (Tulsa and Troy).
As I said in another thread, I'm very glad that our ULM game was moved to Nov. 19th. Because right now, we wouldn't stand a chance against them.

Agreed on both counts. The crowd has definitely surprised me, and I'm really happy with it so far this season.

And, right now, you're totally right. ULM might win by three touchdowns if we don't play them a month later.

gangrene · October 18, 2005

Well, I missed the coach's show last night and the posting of the feed on the 100.7 website looks to be lagging a few weeks.

However, I did watch the feed for the media day following the Troy game and a few things DD said struck a nerve with me. He repeatedly mentioned that Meager is young and has only played 4 college games and is slowly learning the offense!!! My question is - what the Hell did he do last year?? I know he didn't play in any games, but why isn't he further along in our system?? Then DD compared this season to the 2002 season when Hall went down in the first game against UT. He talked about how Andrew Smith played as poorly as Meager is playing now, and pointed out that Smith improved dramatically in the last few games...suggesting that Meager would do the same. He defended Meager for throwing the interception on the attempt to JQ...basically saying JQ screwed up...so I'll have to forgive Meager for that pick...but I'll blame the coaching staff for a stupid play.

He seemed very defensive and brash saying things like fans and media don't notice many of the improvements because they don't translate into statistical categories or show up on the scoreboard. Correct me if I'm wrong...but isn't the object of the game to score points...more points than the opponent and win the game?? Sure, I saw a few dropped passes where the receiver was wide open. I saw a perfectly-executed screen pass to the wide receiver in which the ball hit the turf five yards short. I saw a few good blocking schemes in which our bigger O-line got dominated and failed to net the desired results. I saw all these "improvements" but those don't translate into a good performance and I have to disagree with DD that the Troy game was best offensive gameplan of the year. Well, on second thought....maybe it was, but it still was far too inadequate.

He also bragged about how we went 1-5 in our first SBC season, but then came back to win the conference and go to the NO Bowl...Darrell...that was acceptable THEN....it's NOT acceptable NOW!!!

Why can't he understand that we expect better recruiting and better coaching so that we don't go through these same scenario every 4 years?? We will never be able to link UNT to that old cliche "reload, not rebuild" but we shouldn't have to start from scratch either. I don't want to bash the talent of our current roster but it certainly doesn't seem to be a drastic improvement from what were able to recruit at the D-II level. If it is, then stating that our coaching staff is inept is the understatement of the year. Our offensive schemes aren't rocket science. Why, after five games, are they still missing blocking assignments, running incorrect routes and committing so many penalties??? A first and goal from the 3-yard line...against FIU...and not scoring a TD??? That is UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!

GoMeanGreen1999 · October 18, 2005

It is unacceptable to you and many of us here on the board, but not to DD, and until we go through more than one season of us not winning the conference, he is here to stay, and frankly, will not ever have to answer any of the tough questions, because no one ever asks them.

Was there a live mic at the coaches show?

SilverEagle · October 18, 2005

You can coach and yell and beg and plead and praise and reward and punish and humiliate all you like, but, at the end of the day, it is up to the player to execute. A coach can point you in the right direction, but it is the player's path to walk.
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.....or sit on the bench.

mad dog · October 18, 2005

.....or sit on the bench.
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So who sits in favor of who?

PHSCoach · October 18, 2005

.....or sit on the bench.
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OK this week JQ and Nwigne are benched along with Lineberry and Harmon now what do you want

SilverEagle · October 18, 2005

So who sits in favor of who?
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I don't know. Who is it that doesn't seem to "get it"?

meangreanmick · October 18, 2005

Complain if you like, but good gosh have some thicker skin. Lets get facts straight, DD did not take a jab at fans. He clearly said he was saying that tongue in cheek. The point was, the season is not over and we still at least have a shot at winning the Sunbelt.

untbowler · October 18, 2005

So basically you guys are saying it is fine for the coaching staff to shove their play system down the throats of the players when either the players are not capable of running the system (blocking etc...). This should lead one to wonder whether we are actually recruiting the right players. We have had 5 games and nothing on the offensive side of the ball has improved.

Time for leadership to step up and instill some confidence and discipline in this team, that obviously is lacking when you look at all the mental errors. If a team has not gelled by the 6th game of the season and 4 weeks of practices then there are some major issues with talent and/or coaching.

BIG DAWG · October 18, 2005

I don't think the shots at the fans is warranted. After we laid an egg against Tulsa (in front of 23,000), we had still 17,000 come back, on a Tuesday night with a 6.30 kickoff. With that said, after 2 games, we have an average of 20,000.

Watch out 23,000, and then we drew a mind numbing 17,000.

After the last 4 years, 23,000 should be a bad night.

23,000 and 17,000 are not what coaches salivate over.

You will never get any coach, fan friendly, or Dickey, to say, "I am so HAPPY that we got a whopping freakin' 23,000 out to out season opener!"

Attendence numbers are not on our side of any argument, unless you are talking about the lack of support. Real fan support would have us a stadium built.

HSO

SilverEagle · October 18, 2005

If a team has not gelled by the 6th game of the season and 4 weeks of practices then there are some major issues with talent and/or coaching.
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Don't forget that they were together during spring as well. Which included at least one scrimmage of 100+ plays.

UNTLifer · October 18, 2005

Watch out 23,000, and then we drew a mind numbing 17,000.
After the last 4 years, 23,000 should be a bad night.
23,000 and 17,000 are not what coaches salivate over.
You will never get any coach, fan friendly, or Dickey, to say, "I am so HAPPY that we got a whopping freakin' 23,000 out to out season opener!"
Attendence numbers are not on our side of any argument, unless you are talking about the lack of support. Real fan support would have us a stadium built.
HSO
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Considering how the administration, not the fans, decided to move NT to 1AA after Fry left, and how the administration made no effort to publicize the team through the 1AA years until the decision was made to move back to 1A, and how the administration never included anything about athletics or supporting your team/university during the freshman orientation process, then I would consider 23,000 for the opener against Tulsa a success and 17,000 returning on a week night after watching the Tulsa debacle to be very good considering we had 12,000 for a Thursday night Troy game 2 years ago.

Look at the majority of non-BcS schools and tell me that this isn't pretty respectable. Should it be better? Sure, but it isn't half as bad as it used to be, and DD's constant criticism, poor game plans and boring style of play isn't helping the situation either.

UNTFan23 · October 18, 2005

Well, I missed the coach's show last night and the posting of the feed on the 100.7 website looks to be lagging a few weeks.
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Oct 17th Coaches Show

FYI, we only post the coaches shows to the KNTU website.

UNTFan23 · October 18, 2005

Yes, I do call that a marvel. How many teams do you think win scoring 13 points off 8 turnovers?

You'll be lucky to find a team that loses to someone that gives up 8 turnovers. If you do, it's 'cause they let the other team stay in the game, something we tried to do. A good part of that is the coaching staff not being aggressive enough to "go for the throat" when they have the chance. If the players are told to run the ball between the tackles with the ball on the 2 using a run play that starts 4 yards deep and they execute the play correctly when there are 9 people in the box ... who does the blame lie on?

I find it a marvel that we only managed to score 13 points when given the ball 8 freakin' times.

El Paso Eagle · October 18, 2005

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32's Quote - Yes, I do call that a marvel. How many teams do you think win scoring 13 points off 8 turnovers?

Could it be that ....

FIU, despite what DD said, is a really bad team?

That FIU has NEVER won a game against a D1 team?

The rest of the Belt is not catching the Mean Green, we have sunk to their levels?

Edited October 18, 2005 by El Paso Eagle

UNTSIG · October 18, 2005

If DD would take less time making shots at the fans and actually take a shot down field, maybe we would have a better season.

mad dog · October 19, 2005

32's Quote - Yes, I do call that a marvel. How many teams do you think win scoring 13 points off 8 turnovers?
Could it be that ....
FIU, despite what DD said, is a really bad team?
That FIU has NEVER won a game against a D1 team?
The rest of the Belt is not catching the Mean Green, we have sunk to their levels?
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Oh yeah, when DD says the other team is good, that generally seems to be gentlemanly coaching protocol, not a candid evaluation of the other team. How many coaches would say that the other team sucks on a live program?

Yes... FIU isn't very good at all, but neither are we. That should be fairly clear, given our records. I'd say that this year's team has probably sunk to the level of the rest of the belt.

But you're right on. FIU is a very good team, and that we only managed to win in a squeaker tells you loads about where how far we have fallen.