fired up coach

untwillrise · September 17, 2006

who was the fired up coach on the sideline at the game. this was the first time i ever sat on the UNT team side and i saw that DD does not want to be there. after that heartbreaking score as time expired at the half i saw the staff give up and i new it was over. but there was always one coach who was ready to take the feild himself and always talked to the defense. while DD stood with his legs crossed, hands on hips, head down, and next to his cabbana boy.

I thought after the SMU game that DD was a coach again but now,

FIRE DD

foutsrouts · September 18, 2006

I've been pretty quiet about firing DD in the past, but I'm really starting to agree that it may be time for some new blood regardless of this season's outcome. The SBC titles certainly were great accomplishments, and I have seen many positive things out of our athletic department over the past few years, but I've seen very little progress out of our coaching staff other than those SBC titles. Recruitment, assistant coaching hires (other than possibly Bleil), personnel decisions, offensive creativity, PLAY CALLING, and overall enthusiasm from the staff seem to be stagnant at best.

I don't care if we have to go into the high school ranks, I want a coach with a positive "can do" attitude who exudes enthusiasm and believes that we can beat anybody and get to the next level. I'm tired of the "little old North Texas" defeatest attitude which I believe still permeates our coaching staff. Positive thinking often leads to positive results and I just don't think we have that here.

I'm not trying to trash Dickey because I believe that he has some positives and definitely helped us win those SBC titles, but I just don't think he's the guy to take us to the promised land of Division 1A football. Just my opinion and maybe he'll prove me wrong, but he's had 8.25 years to turn this thing around 180 degrees and he hasn't gotten us there yet. Hopefully Akron will somehow prove to be a turning point.

MeanGreenBuzz · September 18, 2006

DDs biggest problem is his own "play not to lose" attitude. I'm sorry but 5 passes is a quick way to lose. He may have been trying to losen up the pass with the run, but you cant losen it up for 2 whole quarters and then start throwing once you have already lost. IMO that was the worst coached offense ever to play a game. I really think DD went in there thinking we couldn't compete so he just tried to chew up as much clock as possible and hope the score wasn't that bad. That is not he kind of coach we need here. We easily had a team capable of winning that game, but with the exception of the first quarter we failed to call plays to WW strengths. Hell we failed to call any plays that got him involved at all.

the green rokemi · September 18, 2006

I only wish DD had said the same things that Mike Leach said after the TCU-TTech game...

SilverEagle · September 18, 2006

I only wish DD had said the same things that Mike Leach said after the TCU-TTech game...
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Well, actually he did.

UNT offense stalls in Tulsa

12:11 AM CDT on Sunday, September 17, 2006

By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle

TULSA, Okla. – All the momentum North Texas built last week with a win over area rival SMU all but vanished into a hot and steamy Saturday night at Tulsa's Skelly Stadium.

UNT struggled to get going offensively and squandered a solid first-half performance by its defense as Tulsa raced away for a 28-3 win.

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Tulsa 28, North Texas 3

UNT offense stalls in Tulsa

Summary

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The outcome was somewhat of a surprise for UNT, which came into the game with a load of momentum after beating SMU last week.

"Anytime you lose, it's disappointing," UNT coach Darrell Dickey said. "We expected to play much better. ... They played better than we did tonight. They coached better than we did."

Perhaps the most frustrating thing was the way UNT (1-2) played offensively after scoring 24 points against SMU. The Mean Green expected to build on that performance against Tulsa (2-1) behind quarterback Woody Wilson, who came off the bench to lead UNT to its win over the Mustangs.

Wilson made his first career start against Tulsa, while senior wide receiver Johnny Quinn played for the first time this season without a cast on his broken left hand.

Neither player provided UNT the spark it needed against Tulsa, which limited the Mean Green to 89 yards of offense.

Wilson completed 4-of-5 passes for 37 yards. Running back Jamario Thomas, who had 90 yards against SMU, had just 33 against the Golden Hurricane. Quinn had one catch for 5 yards.

"I can't say too much about what happened tonight other than we just have to get better as a team offensively, including myself," Wilson said.

UNT's defense provided the offense ample opportunity to take control in the first half. UNT defensive linemen Blake Burruss and Jeremiah Chapman intercepted passes, and the Mean Green held Tulsa scoreless until the final play before halftime.

UNT failed to take advantage when it only came away with a 23-yard field goal from Denis Hopovac in the second quarter that gave the Mean Green an early 3-0 lead.

"That was the difference," Thomas said. "Anytime our defense gives us chances like that, we expect to put the ball in the end zone."

Tulsa took the lead for good with a 13-play, 96-yard drive at the end of the first half that the Golden Hurricane capped with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Paul Smith to tight end Ted Curtis on fourth down on the last play of the half. Tulsa converted three fourth downs on the drive, including one on a penalty after UNT appeared to come up with a drive-killing play.

Redshirt freshman defensive back Korey Washington tipped the ball away from tight end Kyle Grooms, but sophomore linebacker Germaine Dawson was flagged for being offside, giving Tulsa a first down at UNT's 9-yard line.

DAVID CRENSHAW/AP

Tulsa running back pulls away from UNT defensive end Jeremiah Chapman. Chapman had an interception, and UNT held Tulsa to seven points in the first half. The Golden Hurricane took control from there, rattling off 28 unanswered points. Smith threw for 266 yards and two touchdowns.

The Mean Green never found a way to answer, despite several opportunities early.

"It was a very frustrating night for us, especially offensively," Dickey said. "We came out early, created some opportunities, took advantage of one of them and squandered a few others. ... From then on we couldn't get anything going."

Briefly: Sophomore quarterback Daniel Meager saw his first action of the season when he replaced Wilson. He threw for 25 yards on 2-of-6 passing with an interception. ... Freshman tight end Draylen Ross and sophomore linebacker Colt Mahan made the first starts of their careers. Mahan finished with a game-high 10 tackles. ... UNT has not scored an offensive touchdown in the first quarter of 15 straight games.

E-mail bvito@dentonrc.com

September 18, 2006

The last sentence of Vito's article is the most telling (and damning) of all that has been written. "....UNT has not scored an offensive touchdown in the first quarter of 15 straight games."

It seems to me that as an OC my job would be to find the weakest point of my spponent's defense and attack it. Something's wrong here if I've done this 15 straight times and still can't come up with a solution on how to score on them. I realize that might not happen every game due to poor field position, turnovers, etc. but 15 straight games?

foutsrouts · September 18, 2006

The last sentence of Vito's article is the most telling (and damning) of all that has been written. "....UNT has not scored an offensive touchdown in the first quarter of 15 straight games."
It seems to me that as an OC my job would be to find the weakest point of my spponent's defense and attack it. Something's wrong here if I've done this 15 straight times and still can't come up with a solution on how to score on them. I realize that might not happen every game due to poor field position, turnovers, etc. but 15 straight games?
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Incredible statistic. Flannigan has got to go based on that stat alone, and since DD/Flannigan are apparently attached at the hip, I guess that means DD has to go too. Let them work their magic elsewhere.

gksmith · September 19, 2006

I am not normally one to follow the "fire Dickey" crowd, but I can see this season being a Make or Break for Dickey.

With the outcry for the OOC record, the failures of last season, and the high expectations of this season, I can see North Texas looking for another coach next year if this team falls short.

I like DD, but I am not sure he has control of this team now. Hard to tell. He isn’t one to rant and rave on the sideline. That look works for poker, but fails for football. Some times you need to get in a player’s face and let him know he is not playing to expectations. A coach needs to scream at his team when they play poorly. DD doesn’t do that…at least not in public.

This isn’t “corporate America” where you “praise in public and chastise in private.”

the green rokemi · September 19, 2006

Well, actually he did.
"Anytime you lose, it's disappointing," UNT coach Darrell Dickey said. "We expected to play much better. ... They played better than we did tonight. They coached better than we did."
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I don't consider Leach's comments to Dickey's fluff the same thing. Leach sounded pissed off and DD comes across as Eeyore

mad dog · September 19, 2006

I like DD, but I am not sure he has control of this team now. Hard to tell. He isn’t one to rant and rave on the sideline. That look works for poker, but fails for football. Some times you need to get in a player’s face and let him know he is not playing to expectations. A coach needs to scream at his team when they play poorly. DD doesn’t do that…at least not in public.
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Seemed to work alright for Tom Landry.

Travis · September 19, 2006

Seemed to work alright for Tom Landry.
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Yes, and DD carries the same weight and respect as Landry too.

"What may be right for you, may not be right for some, it takes different strokes to rule the world."

mad dog · September 19, 2006

Yes, and DD carries the same weight and respect as Landry too.
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Somehow, I knew that comment was coming.

Obviously, I am not talking about prestige or respect, or that Coach Dickey is anything approaching Tom Landry. That'd be beyond stupid. I am just saying that a coach need not scream, berate, and rant to be effective.