Tennessee should fire Phillip Fullmer!

CMJ · November 21, 2005

We should never lose a game to a sun belt team. just my opinion
This isnt the SEC folks, its a half step above 1AA
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I'm sure there are folks at the other SBC schools that say the same thing.

I don't care what conference you are in, 26 in a row is a big deal. When Coach Dickey first arrived on campus, I'll be honest, I was a hater. I was ready to run him out of town on a rail after his 2nd and 3rd seasons.

However, winning 4 conference titles buys alot of slack from me. Are we having a dreadful season? Hell yes we are. We might tie the worst record we had under DD(that epic 2-9 1999 campaign). However, I don't have the sense of hopelessness that many around here seem to have. Even more I don't have the despair I did back then.

Dickey does not deserve to be canned for having a down season. If we have this kind of year in '06 then yes - we need to seriously look for someone new. But not yet.

untbowler · November 21, 2005

"We should never lose a game to a sun belt team. just my opinion
This isnt the SEC folks, its a half step above 1AA"
I am sorry but the last time I checked we werent UT, we were U-N-T. Also I dont get the argument of "we are the 4th largest university in Texas " what does that have to do with anything ?
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Again what is so bad about being UNT???

You keep making it sound like we should be content with being the bastard step child of Texas and just keep taking our licks without seeking improvement for our situation.

calvin · November 21, 2005

No i love UNT, but I guess some people forget the history of the program.

eulesseagle · November 21, 2005

Lifer--

I do not like being in the SBC as much as anyone else. I agree that until something better comes along we have got to win.....and put butts in the stands.

I agree that we need a new stadium.

I would say this year's attendance beat last year's numbers!! just a guess-I don't know. That counts when other conferences come-a-callin'.

I do not like losing to SBC teams and yes my ego was deflated losing to, what was called, "a relatively easy schedule." Happens. I call it an "off-year."

I do not like a coach degrading the fan base ... etc..

I do not think it is time to give DD his walking papers.

I think we should give DD until the end of his contract to see what happens--that is my humble opinion, which goes against all those who want him gone now for one reason or another........He only has, what, 2 years remaining??

Eagle1855 · November 21, 2005

I am sorry but the last time I checked we werent UT, we were U-N-T. Also I dont get the argument of "we are the 4th largest university in Texas " what does that have to do with anything ?
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We also aren't Houston, UTEP, A&M, Tech, TCU, SMU, Texas State, or Baylor.

Who cares about UT. There are probably only 10 teams in the nation that compare as an athletic department, as a football team, prestige, etc to UT. UT is not representative of the norm.

The SunBelt sucks. There are at least 8 teams in the state of Texas alone that would beat us this year and all of those teams would be dissappointed/embarrassed to lose to a SBC team. Yeah winning 26 conference games in a row is impressive. Nobody discounts that, but you have to take into account the level of competition. I could go to the YMCA and beat the hell out of a 10 year old in a pick up game of basketball... and I bet I could do it 26 times in a row. So what?

NT is not a small school. Its a big state school that appears to be trying to get rid of its small-time mentality. Why should that bother you? Why is it not OK to expect more?

I should also tell you that Fresno State isnt USC... im sure you knew that already (since you knew UNT wasnt UT), but they gave them all they could. I dont think its too much to ask for similar showings against anyone else in our state. Fresno is in the WAC... not exactly the SEC either.

Michael Scott · November 21, 2005

Here's some stats that might be of interest.
2005 SBC Stats
Pay particular attention to the team defensive stats. Totally supports early-season projections that the UNT defense was going to be a work in progress this year.
This year hasn't only been about the offensive struggles.
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Agreed - did not mean to imply the problem is offense only - although when an offense cannot hold on to the ball for more than 3 plays everything is magnified on the other side. I think our non-adjusting gameplan puts so much pressure on a defense that is still learning what it is doing (this does not absolve them for not having a good year however - just helps underscore it.) Its like being the crappy kid on a volleyball team and having the other team keep serving right at you time after time. I also think many of the nations top defenses can also hold on to the ball and pound it out (or pass) when needed. Seems like this holds everywhere but the SEC for some reason.

Defensive rank

1 Miami (Fla.)

2 Virginia Tech (#23 rushing)

3 Alabama (#65 rushing)

4 West Virginia (#8 rushing)

5 Ohio St. (#28 rushing)

6 Texas (#2 rushing)

7 LSU (#53 rushing)

8 Connecticut (#31 rushing)

9 Florida (#51 rushing)

10 Auburn (#19 rushing)

Thanks for the stats Jim.

UNTLifer · November 21, 2005

No i love UNT, but I guess some people forget the history of the program.
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I know we aren't UT, don't want us to be.

What does being the 4th largest university in Texas have to do with it? It means we have numbers. These numbers should translate into donations, but the small-time mentality of the past administrations has led to a current small-time mentality from most alumni and faculty.

Let's say we have 100,000 alumni in the DFW market. If they would each just give $10.00 to North Texas, then we've got a million dollars. The problem is that this was never culitvated by the administration. You think TAMU graduates walk out the door and never give another dime? No, because by the time they graduate they want to give back. Our alumni act like it is a big deal to invest $100 in season tickets and a couple hundred in the Mean Green Club. How many give back to the department they graduated from?

I know the history of this program. Guess what, you keep doing what you been doing and you'll keep getting what you've been getting. If you are happy with the direction of the program, so be it. I'm not and believe NT can and should acheive much more.

My main problem is our down year equals going 2-4, to date, in a conference that ranks below many D1AA conferences. That is unacceptable to me.

catman12 · November 21, 2005

We should never lose a game to a sun belt team. just my opinion
This isnt the SEC folks, its a half step above 1AA

I've seen nothing from UNT over the past 10 years that would suggest we are anything more than a half step above 1AA.

UNTSIG · November 21, 2005

"You can't solve a problem with the same mind that created it"

-Albert Einstein

MeanGreenEngineer · November 21, 2005

"You can't solve a problem with the same mind that created it"
-Albert Einstein
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"Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please."

-Mark Twain

UNTSIG · November 21, 2005

We could have a battle of quotes, this could go on for days, but honestly i don't understand yours in relation to this discussion.

SouthernMustang · November 21, 2005

Fulmer is going nowhere... he won the National Title 6 years ago, just won his Division and went to the championship game last year, and blew out Texas A&M 38-7 in the Cotton Bowl... He has SEC titles to boot as well.

Yeah, they're having a down year. But Auburn had a down year (considering their pre-season Top-5 ranking) of about 6-5 the year before they went 13-0. UT will get a new OC, and they'll see how it goes from there. If they don't bowl next year, then pressure will be put on Fulmer.

Firing Fulmer (first of all, it's not happening ...) would be stupid. How many teams fire a very winning coach only to have a just-as-bad or worse season the following year? Texas A&M, Syracuse, Ole Miss, Nebraska... and that's just off the top of my head. Don't look for UT to make the same mistake.

GreenFlag · November 22, 2005

When I came here 2-8, 2-9 was the norm and we were playing the same teams, basically.

And guess what, that was totally unacceptable then and totally unacceptable now. Continuing that B.S. could have killed the program. I suggest we are further behind now than we were then in terms of on field performance.

I have been concerned about recruiting since that great class we had in 2000. Status Quo won't do. We MUST improve and do better. That is how it works in the competitively charged world of college athletics.

Just because we "improved" the last few years does not mean we are even close to being "healthy".

Just curious, what are your expectations of our football program?

FirefightnRick · November 22, 2005

In comparing Tennessee to North Texas

....why is it not different ? They have had sucessful years, we have had sucessful years, they are going through a down year, so are we, whats the difference ?
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Tennessee beat #3 LSU in Death Valley on national TV.

Rick

PlummMeanGreen · November 22, 2005

Gimmee' a freakin' break...Comparing Fulmer to Dickey is like comparing a Highland Park mansion to a double-wide.

DD will (probably) get an additional swan song year because he has the NT BOR chairman (who has committed the greatest sin of an employer by getting too close to an employee) in his back pocket and he knows NT Exes apathy will give him that extra year to continue to show to all that he is still an imposter as a NCAA D1-A head football coach.

DD has to depend on one NT Board of Regent, NT Exes lack of power to do anything and lousy SBC football teams to hang around Denton for 8 years when most NCAA D1-A coach's would have been terminated after such a poor showing at ULM 5 years ago. But enter the 7'th Calvary, ie, a poor SBC conference of teams who stay under .500 and in the Bottom 10 to buy DD even more time even though he is not any closer to .500 in W/L's now than he was post ULM loss 5 years ago. HELLO?!?!?!?

This is not the North Texas mode of athletic operation that I started (proudly) supporting as a student back in 1973--sorry it has become acceptable to many now.

The North Texas community allowed the KSU connection to pull a bloodless head football coach's hiring coup on us back when DD was hired in the first place (after his 1 year as SMU's OC), that head football coach now kicks NT Exes and Mean Green fan's asses anytime he gets a chance to (and on radio to boot) and the KSU connction boys are laughing their heads off at a whole bunch of North Texans who are powerless to do anything about this (for now) as we have to continue to accept mediocrity for another year or 2 as our football program's trend will continue to point south. One man on campus is allowing all of this to happen according to some of you on this board. One man should not have that much power at a Texas public university who has tax-payers watching.

Our recruiting next February will be called "the best in our history" but the last 4 have been called that, too (in some cases) but with those recruiting hauls we still couldn't stay on the football field with Tulsa or La Tech this year (who we at one time thought we were actually ahead of in most of the last 4 years)? Oh I forgot, we lost to SBC "not yet D1-A" FAU for the 2'nd year in a row, too. Truly, what am I missing in all this that has so many of our best fans in a catatonic trance of acceptance of this?

SO YOU WANT DD (and an extra crucial year of a detour of this football program)? WELL....HE'S ALL YOURS! (so enjoy all of our alma mater & fan bashing for another year) ***My investment into all this and a DD-led program ceases as soon as I fulfill my pledge. It's not much, but its something and I know others who give much more who will do the same and that is no smack board empty promise, either.

GOD BLESS TEXAS!

Edited November 22, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen

untbowler · November 22, 2005

In comparing Tennessee to North Texas
Tennessee beat #3 LSU in Death Valley on national TV.
Rick
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We got blown out by LSU, a bad KSU team, an average La. Tech, and Average Tulsa team.

TN even in a down year does not get their a$$es handed to them by Top 5 teams or other teams every game like we have in OOC games even in our 8 and 9 win seasons.

Got5onIt · November 22, 2005

What in the hell were you smokin' when you wrote this topic????

A Fulmer vs Dickey comparison is ridiculous.

calvin · November 22, 2005

It was never a Dickey vs Fullmer comparison or a Tennessee vs UNT or a Sun Belt vs SEC comparison. I was just stirring the pot..........If Tennessee has fans like us then they will want Fullmer out of there after a terrible year. A sarcastic post.................