Coaches assigned new recruiting areas

MeanGreen61 · April 29, 2006

Football: UNT football staff assigned new recruiting areas

Evans takes over as coordinator for departed Bell

09:01 AM CDT on Saturday, April 29, 2006

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

The North Texas football staff is back on the road for the spring recruiting season with new assignments and a slightly different approach.

UNT changed recruiting coordinators following last season after longtime UNT running backs coach/recruiting coordinator Bruce Bell retired. Assistant head coach Kenny Evans took over for Bell and has reassigned territories to each assistant.

The biggest change in philosophy was giving each coach a small group of area schools to recruit in addition to a larger area of the state that will serve as their primary assignment. College coaches spend a few weeks each spring visiting high schools, watching spring practices and film of last season’s top juniors.

“Everyone will have between five and 10 local schools, which will give us a chance to cover them better,” Evans said. “The local area is too much for one person to cover.”

UNT has signed a few key players from the greater DFW area the last few years, including second team All-Sun Belt Conference wide receiver Johnny Quinn of McKinney and quarterback Daniel Meager of Richardson. The Mean Green had five other players from the area start in its 2005 finale.

UNT’s kicker and punter were also local products last season.

The Mean Green signed seven players from the immediate area in its last recruiting class, but didn’t land a player in The Dallas Morning News’ list of the area’s top 100 recruits.

Several of the Mean Green’s top players the last few seasons have come from the Houston area, including offensive lineman Dylan Lineberry, who was a first-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection last season.

The Houston Chronicle ranked linebacker Eddrick Gilmore among the top 100 players in the state when he signed with the Mean Green in 2005.

UNT is looking to bolster its success in the Dallas area while maintaining its connections across the state.

“We want all seven of the coaches we can have out recruiting on the road, but sometimes they can’t get to a place like Houston on one of the days we are allowed to be out because of their schedules,” UNT head coach Darrell Dickey said. “This way they will have a local area to work.

“We want our coaches to have a feel for the local schools. We have done well recruiting locally, but we want to get everyone involved with a local area.”

One factor that could help the Mean Green is the addition of former Ryan assistant coach Ramone Archie to the staff. Archie will coach UNT’s running backs and recruit Ryan, Denton, Keller, Southlake and Grapevine in addition to South Houston and Beaumont.

Archie’s local area contains high schools that were part of Ryan’s district last season, giving Archie added knowledge of those schools’ players and connections with their coaches.

Ryan head coach Joey Florence said that Archie would be an asset to UNT in recruiting no matter what territory he is assigned.

Archie is just one of three new UNT assistants who are out on the road, although one is returning to the staff after an extended absence. Fred Bleil is in his second stint as UNT’s defensive coordinator and will recruit schools in Flower Mound, Haltom and Richland.

Thomas Dunson is on the road for the first time after being promoted from graduate assistant coach to a fulltime position as tight ends coach. He will recruit West Texas and North Fort Worth.

The addition of Dunson, 27, and Archie will give UNT a younger group of coaches on the road this season than in past. Both are working as college coaches for the first time at UNT.

“I don’t think age matters in recruiting,” Evans said. “It comes down to how much you want to work.”

All of UNT’s coaches will be doing at least a little of that work closer to home this spring.

UNT RECRUITING TERRITORIES

The North Texas football staff is in the middle of the spring recruiting season. The following is a list of the areas each coach will cover.

Kenny Evans — Oklahoma high schools, junior colleges and high schools located from Aubrey through Denison

Eric Russell – High schools in a territory starting in Carrollton and extending through East Texas

Harold Etheridge – High schools in North Houston, San Antonio and Austin, plus a local area including Irving and Coppell

Thomas Dunson – High schools in West Texas and North Fort Worth

Fred Bleil – High schools in Flower Mound, Haltom and Richland

Ramon Flanigan – High schools in the Dallas Independent School District and a territory that extends from Dallas through Gainesville to Wichita Falls

Ramone Archie – High schools in a territory including South Houston and Beaumont and a local area including Denton, Keller, Southlake and Grapevine

Mike Bugar – High schools in a territory including South Fort Worth, Arlington and Central Texas

LongJim · April 29, 2006

This, to me, is great news.

LoveMG · April 29, 2006

Ramon Flanigan – High schools in the Dallas Independent School District and a territory that extends from Dallas through Gainesville to Wichita Falls
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have we signed anyone from disd in 8 years?

VideoEagle · April 29, 2006

All of UNT’s coaches will be doing at least a little of that work closer to home this spring.
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This sounds like a very good idea!

meangreen11 · April 29, 2006

This is a very good move. Most schools have 1 or 2 coaches covering DFW. Now we have 7! You better take care of your backyard and it appears we've done this now.

green_goblin · April 30, 2006

Great News!!

Hopefully we can land some Area Top 100. I know it means jack but it would be nice.

TIgreen01 · May 1, 2006

Ok...put me down for $5 that Ramone Archie out-recruits everyone else on the staff. Any takers?

May 2, 2006

have we signed anyone from disd in 8 years?
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I can remember two that actually played....Michael Hickmon from Maceo Smith and Kevin Howard from Carter. There were a couple from Skyline that signed but, unless Roy Covington got a few plays, didn't get in a game.

Even though Carter, Kimball and Skyline are about the only DISD schools that make much of a splash, there are some pretty good individuals. What's also worrisome is the lack of (top) players from the suburbs.