DRC BB article on Foy, Brown leaves team,

OldTimer · May 4, 2006

UNT adds assistant basketball coach

Backup guard Brown leaves Mean Green

08:13 AM CDT on Thursday, May 4, 2006

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

Johnny Jones has had a perfect opportunity during his tenure at North Texas to watch Bill Foy develop a winner just a few miles to the east at Paris Junior College.

In 11 years, Foy’s teams advanced to the finals of the Region XIV tournament five times and won the NJCAA national title at the end of the 2004-05 season.

That level of success was one reason Jones decided to add Foy to his staff as an assistant coach on Wednesday.

“Bill has done an excellent job through the years,” Jones said. “I have had a chance to see his teams at Paris and the caliber of players he has had there. When I talked to other coaches in the state, they all had good things to say about him.”

Foy took the spot that was previously filled by associate head coach Fred Rike, who left UNT earlier this year to take over as the head coach at Angelo State.

UNT will not have an associate head coach on its staff next season. Foy and returning staff members Charlie Leonard and Jai Steadman will all carry the title of assistant coach.

“I’m excited about this opportunity to join coach Jones and his staff at North Texas,” Foy said in a prepared statement. “I feel it is a great opportunity to work under a person of coach Jones’ stature. Coach Jones definitely has the program heading in the right direction.”

The addition of Foy could help the Mean Green bolster its recruiting connections in the junior college ranks that have proven fruitful over the last several seasons.

Jeffrey Simpson finished as the Mean Green’s all-time leader in blocked shots in just two seasons after transferring from Eastern Oklahoma State College. Isaac Hines was equally important to the Mean Green after transferring from Collin County Community College.

Hines started every game of his two-year career at UNT and became the only player in school history to post more than 50 steals in two seasons.

Both Simpson and Hines graduated after last season.

“Bill has contacts with high school coaches because of his time recruiting at Paris, but also has a relationship with a lot of junior college coaches,” Jones said. “I think it’s important to be well-rounded when it comes to recruiting.”

Foy also gained experience at the Division I level while serving as an assistant coach at SMU from 1986-87.

UNT is hoping Foy can help the Mean Green build on a 14-14 finish last season.

UNT lost to Arkansas-Little Rock in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference tournament last season and finished within two games of the .500 mark for the fourth time in five seasons under Jones.

Brown will not return next season

Lionel Brown will not return for his senior season at UNT.

The former Eastern Oklahoma State College standout has withdrawn from school and returned home to Ardmore, Okla.

Brown said that he enjoyed his one season with the Mean Green, but had personal issues to attend to that would prevent him from continuing his college basketball career.

Brown averaged 6.8 points per game last season and started eight straight games in January and early February. He was expected to compete with junior college transfer Ben Bell for the starting spot at point guard next season.

“Anytime you have a player leave your program, you are disappointed,” Jones said. “Unfortunately, there are some circumstances beyond his control that forced him to return home.”

Brown backed up senior Isaac Hines at point guard last season and also spent time at shooting guard.

The departure of Brown leaves the Mean Green without much depth at point guard heading into next season. Bell was an honorable mention All-Region XIV selection last season after leading the league with an average of 7.9 assists per game to go along with 8.4 points an outing.

“Ben was projected to be a key figure for us next year any way,” Jones said. “But losing Lionel will help us in terms of our depth.”

Jones said the Mean Green could look for an additional walk-on to help provide depth at the point guard spot.

Brown is the second member of last season’s team who has left the squad since the middle of last season.

Sophomore guard Michael Sturns of North Crowley was dismissed from the team in early February for not conforming to team standards. Sturns was the team’s third-leading scorer with an average of 9.7 points per game when he was dismissed.

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com .