Results of offseason critical to UNT in '06

MeanGreen61 · July 23, 2006

Brett Vito:

Results of offseason critical to UNT in ’06

08:40 AM CDT on Sunday, July 23, 2006

Every once in a while, in the midst of all the routine interviews and day-to-day conversations that go along with writing about sports, someone says something that sticks with you.

It doesn’t have to be shocking or outrageous. Sometimes it’s how a statement is made as much as the statement itself.

That was the case last winter at the tail end of one of the toughest seasons in Darrell Dickey’s tenure at North Texas.

The Mean Green had just lost their last game of the season to Arkansas State and fell to 2-9, last in the Sun Belt Conference. Dickey was at the post game news conference, and he had something entirely unexpected to say.

He didn’t talk much about how hard his team played or how his players didn’t give up.

Dickey had what amounted to a promise to make.

He said what happened in 2005 wouldn’t be repeated in 2006.

UNT would be more dedicated on and off the field, tougher physically and mentally, too. An evaluation would be made of the entire program from top to bottom.

In the next few days, we will begin to see what results that evaluation process and offseason dedication have yielded. Practice is still a few days off, but Monday essentially marks the beginning of a new season.

Dickey will be in New Orleans along with the rest of the coaches in the Sun Belt Conference to meet with the press at the league’s media days in what amounts to the kickoff of a new season.

We will find out soon enough if it will also kick off a return to glory for the UNT football program.

Every living, breathing sports fan in Denton knows the story of what went wrong last season all too well by now.

UNT had two back-to-back national rushing champions in Jamario Thomas and Patrick Cobbs, four straight conference titles and an expectation that No. 5 was on its way heading into the season, only to see it all fall apart in dramatic fashion.

The Mean Green were in every game in conference play but failed to convert on enough of their opportunities while finishing 2-5 in league play.

It was a shocking result considering the Mean Green were picked to win it all in the preseason coaches poll.

No one expected it, least of all the players, many of whom hadn’t experienced anything but a season that ended in the New Orleans Bowl.

The implication after the season was that maybe the Mean Green became a little too complacent.

Linebacker Maurice Holman said the Mean Green know now that a berth in the New Orleans Bowl isn’t a birthright.

Wide receiver Johnny Quinn flat out said that a 2-9 finish was unacceptable and that breaking every receiving mark in UNT’s record book this fall wouldn’t amount to much if it didn’t help the Mean Green. Quinn established himself as one of the top receivers in UNT history while helping lead the Mean Green to the New Orleans Bowl in 2003 and 2004 and wants to go out on top.

The changes that are supposed to help make that happen have been coming quickly in the offseason.

Dickey shook up his coaching staff and brought in a new defensive coordinator in Fred Bleil, who installed a new 3-4 base defense.

The zone-read option that Texas used to win a national title and Louisiana-Lafayette used to torment the Mean Green’s defense last season appeared in spring practice.

More changes will happen in fall practice when seniors like Quinn will join Dickey in trying to foster a new attitude and a physical and mental toughness that was missing at times last season.

Will those changes make a difference?

UNT will find out soon enough.

mad dog · July 23, 2006

Good article, Brett.

NCMeanGreen · July 23, 2006

GREAT article!!! Now, let's get 'r done!

BIG DAWG · July 23, 2006

He said what happened in 2005 wouldn’t be repeated in 2006.
UNT would be more dedicated on and off the field, tougher physically and mentally, too. An evaluation would be made of the entire program from top to bottom.

Lets hope this isn't just lip service!

buff64 · July 23, 2006

Lets hope this isn't just lip service!
←

Thanks Brett, bout time we had some football in the news.

H-towngreen · July 23, 2006

The zone-read option that Texas used to win a national title and Louisiana-Lafayette used to torment the Mean Green’s defense last season appeared in spring practice.
←

This would only work if Meageror Wilson is in at QB.

Let's hope that the players have taken this attitude to heart and are really busting ass this off-season. The younger players must feed of the veterans attitude.

SilverEagle · July 23, 2006

Brett Vito:
Results of offseason critical to UNT in ’06
08:40 AM CDT on Sunday, July 23, 2006
Every once in a while, in the midst of all the routine interviews and day-to-day conversations that go along with writing about sports, someone says something that sticks with you.
It doesn’t have to be shocking or outrageous. Sometimes it’s how a statement is made as much as the statement itself.
That was the case last winter at the tail end of one of the toughest seasons in Darrell Dickey’s tenure at North Texas.
The Mean Green had just lost their last game of the season to Arkansas State and fell to 2-9, last in the Sun Belt Conference. Dickey was at the post game news conference, and he had something entirely unexpected to say.
He didn’t talk much about how hard his team played or how his players didn’t give up.
Dickey had what amounted to a promise to make.
He said what happened in 2005 wouldn’t be repeated in 2006.
UNT would be more dedicated on and off the field, tougher physically and mentally, too. An evaluation would be made of the entire program from top to bottom.
In the next few days, we will begin to see what results that evaluation process and offseason dedication have yielded. Practice is still a few days off, but Monday essentially marks the beginning of a new season.
Dickey will be in New Orleans along with the rest of the coaches in the Sun Belt Conference to meet with the press at the league’s media days in what amounts to the kickoff of a new season.
We will find out soon enough if it will also kick off a return to glory for the UNT football program.
Every living, breathing sports fan in Denton knows the story of what went wrong last season all too well by now.
UNT had two back-to-back national rushing champions in Jamario Thomas and Patrick Cobbs, four straight conference titles and an expectation that No. 5 was on its way heading into the season, only to see it all fall apart in dramatic fashion.
The Mean Green were in every game in conference play but failed to convert on enough of their opportunities while finishing 2-5 in league play.
It was a shocking result considering the Mean Green were picked to win it all in the preseason coaches poll.
No one expected it, least of all the players, many of whom hadn’t experienced anything but a season that ended in the New Orleans Bowl.
The implication after the season was that maybe the Mean Green became a little too complacent.
Linebacker Maurice Holman said the Mean Green know now that a berth in the New Orleans Bowl isn’t a birthright.
Wide receiver Johnny Quinn flat out said that a 2-9 finish was unacceptable and that breaking every receiving mark in UNT’s record book this fall wouldn’t amount to much if it didn’t help the Mean Green. Quinn established himself as one of the top receivers in UNT history while helping lead the Mean Green to the New Orleans Bowl in 2003 and 2004 and wants to go out on top.
The changes that are supposed to help make that happen have been coming quickly in the offseason.
Dickey shook up his coaching staff and brought in a new defensive coordinator in Fred Bleil, who installed a new 3-4 base defense.
The zone-read option that Texas used to win a national title and Louisiana-Lafayette used to torment the Mean Green’s defense last season appeared in spring practice.
More changes will happen in fall practice when seniors like Quinn will join Dickey in trying to foster a new attitude and a physical and mental toughness that was missing at times last season.
Will those changes make a difference?
UNT will find out soon enough.
←

To me, all this means is that we will go back to winning SBC games, and not worry about the OCC games. This is unacceptable to me.

NT80 · July 23, 2006

To me, all this means is that we will go back to winning SBC games, and not worry about the OCC games. This is unacceptable to me.
←

More fluff and no substance. What else do you expect them to say after 2-9? I'll believe DD has changed everything when I see it in the final scores, ALL the final scores, especially in OOC games.

BIG DAWG · July 23, 2006

QUOTE(BIG DAWG @ Jul 23 2006, 09:49 AM)
Lets hope this isn't just lip service!
Thanks Brett, bout time we had some football in the news.

I wasn't talking about Vito, I was talking about Dickey.

Coach · July 23, 2006

Dickey had what amounted to a promise to make.
He said what happened in 2005 wouldn’t be repeated in 2006.

Linebacker Maurice Holman said the Mean Green know now that a berth in the New Orleans Bowl isn’t a birthright.
Wide receiver Johnny Quinn flat out said that a 2-9 finish was unacceptable and that breaking every receiving mark in UNT’s record book this fall wouldn’t amount to much if it didn’t help the Mean Green.

A lot of "they saids", and not one quote. It would have added a lot to see what these guys actually said.

I hope that the changes mentioned do make a difference.