Darrell Dickey's Contract - REALITY

Talon90 · September 23, 2006

Like him or not, Coach Dickey is here through December 31, 1999 (description correction from post title). If you want him gone you better pony up some serious cash because the university isn't going to do it.

Like it or not, lack of alumni donations to the athletic department will stall the direction of this program and it's facilities. This is why I do not scream for Coach Dickey to be fired. I am a die-hard alum/fan who can only afford season tickets. If I cannot donate a significant amount of money then I am part of the problem. Unfortunately this is where most of the diehard fan base lies financially when it comes to supporting the program. This needs to change or we will be stuck for a long time in a place we currently reside, not respected in D1 except in the Sun Belt.

Dickey's Contract

Why Coach Dickey is still here

For those of you who have not been a UNT fan for long, here is a little history of Darrell Dickey and why he has this contract:

Denver Post

Kansas State derby

Here's a list of candidates to replace Bill Snyder at Kansas State, in order of probability:

Brent Venables, 34, Oklahoma defensive coordinator. Former Kansas State player and assistant is a Salina, Kan., native and comes from the Bob Stoops stable that has produced Mike Stoops at Arizona, Mike Leach at Texas Tech and Mark Mangino at Kansas.

Jim Leavitt, 48, South Florida head coach. Former K-State assistant (1990-95) boasts 60-36 record as Bulls' lone coach in the school's nine years of existence. His $542,000 salary is fourth lowest among BCS schools and he has only a $50,000 buyout.

Gary Patterson, 45, TCU head coach. Former Kansas State walk-on from Rozel, Kan., and Dodge City (Kan.) CC, he has turned TCU into one of the top three non-BCS schools in the country.

Darrell Dickey, 45, North Texas head coach. Has four consecutive Sun Belt titles and four consecutive Sun Belt coach of year awards. Was K-State quarterback from 1979-82.

Dana Dimel, 43, Kansas State graduate assistant. Former Kansas State guard (1985-86) and offensive coordinator (1989-96) coached Wyoming to a 23-12 record (1997-99) and Houston to an 8-26 mark (2000-02).

From Vegas Insider.com August 2004

NORTH TEXAS

Question: what do Navy, North Texas and Tulsa all have in common? Answer: aside form being bowl teams last year, they are the only three Division 1-A teams who have not been involved in an overtime game since 1990. The Eagles haven’t needed an extra session lately, disposing of 17 of their last 21 victims with the only losses coming against fellow bowl teams. They have also won 18 conference games in a row, making Darrell Dickey the latest ‘hot property’ within the coaching ranks. This year they return two quarterbacks with starting experience – Andrew Smith, who guided the team to seven straight wins to end the season last year, and Scott Hall, whose 9-1 record as a starter earned all-conference honors in 2002. Just what others in the Sun Belt wanted to hear.

From ConsumerBet.com 2003

Projected Champion: North Texas

North Texas may be following in the mold of a Central Florida or South Florida, building a moderately successful low-budget program with the leftovers in a talent-laden state. Former Kansas State quarterback Darrell Dickey is doing a great job with the Mean Green. North Texas went 6-0 in conference last season and has an 11 game league winning streak. The season culminated in a surprising bowl win over Cincinnati. The Mean Green return 13 starters, none of last year’s seniors were considered NFL prospects, and their conference opponents regularly lose to Division 1-AA teams. They should be able to get the job done again this year.

Scott Hall, who was injured last year, will likely reclaim the starting QB job from Andrew Smith. Hall to Ja’Mel Branch should prove to be a potent combination that adds some needed aerial punch to an offense that failed to reach 100 yards passing on seven different occasions last season. The running game notched 200 yards or more on seven different occasions last season and despite some personnel losses the running game should work in conference again, but probably not out of conference against stronger programs.

The clear star of this defense is Brandon Kennedy, a monstrous defensive tackle who could be a first round choice in the NFL draft. The D will be the strength of this club, and shows promise after holding Texas to 214 total yards last year and limiting TCU to 178 yards. The Mean Green held their first four conference opponents to a total of 14 points and the punchless offenses in their conference should have similar trouble this season.

Though saddled with a brutal early schedule at Oklahoma, at Air Force, and at Arkansas, North Texas should roll through the shoddy Sun Belt. The title may come down to the final game at New Mexico State on November 25th. With an air of confidence based on recent success and more talent and depth than the rest of the conference, we’ll call for the Mean Green to continue their winning ways. Look for the last two seasons’ Sun Belt Coach of the Year Darrell Dickey to start to attract attention from some more prestigious schools.

I applauded, supported and defended Coach Dickey for a long time. My patience has worn thin this year, more than any other. The reality is that he is here at least until his contract runs out. Frustrating as it may be, I accept it and hope for the best but am slowly expecting the worse each week after the Tulsa game.

Mean and Green until I die!

Edited September 23, 2006 by Talon90

NT80 · September 23, 2006

Fine, keep him on the payroll until the contract ends, but does it have to be as head football coach? Why can't he be "reassigned to other duties" within the Athletic Department like Matt Simon was? Make him head of alumni relations or stadium greeter or something else.

UNT_playmaker · September 23, 2006

great post

PlummMeanGreen · September 23, 2006

"...and other terms and conditions" is an interesting part of DD's contract. Just wonder what those might be?

Talon 90, thanks for the research and find on this Public Records Act state of Texas employee contract find of yours.

Someone posted a thread the other day from Scottie's Voy Board from a thread posted by SUMG and his suggestion and recommendation for a "Big Time" fundraiser for our entire school (not just athletics). I believe that fundraiser had done wonders at an Ivy League, ie, Harvard? Wonder what experience level of successful fundraisers UNT even interviews when they are looking to fill that position? We seldom hire fund-rasiers at UNT who ever seem to know the real heavy hitter$ out there in the North Texas Metroplex and beyond.

Many of you remember when Texas Tech hired a president who just happened to know the right people over at SBC Communications? Many of you probably also remember what SBC Communications did for Texas Tech, right? How about a $20 million cash gift from that San Antonio-based corporation which would be earmarked for use in the "remodeling and expansion" of Jones Stadium? Also.......................often wondered how many UNT alums are SBC Communiations customers as compared to Texas Tech's alumnus group?

SURELY NOT THE GOOD OL' BOY SYSTEM AT WORK AGAIN @ UNT? With only $40 million in the entire UNT System endowment, I think that totoal suggests we have been very weak in the area of fundraising in Denton and because of that, has kept many of our programs (specifically athletics) barefoot and pregnant (so to speak).

So just who do we hire as fundraisers at UNT, ie, those who have a prior reputation of success and have done some signifcant fundraising for a school our size, scope and alumnus count? OR................ we hire some Texas good ol' boys for such an important position at our main campus? Or do we hire friends of friends with UNT connections who need a job because they tell the best jokes at a Denton Courthouse Square eatery? Do we hire nephews/nieces of UNT administrators who having work experience as a college fundraiser will help them in future endeavors (not even related to college fund-raising)? So I suppose you get my drift?

UNT athletic officials can come to the same people on this board soliciting for money till the cows come home, but most likely they will get the same results or (total$) from most on this board who have given for the last few decades, but those who now might be reluctant to do so because of Extended Contract U's most unique style of athletic management and the rewarding of those contracts to varsity coaches who it would (literally) take several more years on the UNT payroll to even reach .500. Why in Jumpin' Jehosophats name do they even have such a luxury given to them on a silver platter as they do at UNT and with none of us having never noticed such generosity from any other NCAA D1-A school who means bu$ine$$ with their athletic program?

But (still) the missing ingrediant at UNT is our being able to hire fundraising talent even if it just happens to be a key UNT administrator (such as the former TTech president who just happened to know the all right people at SBC Communications) which became that $20 millioin cash cow for the Lubbock school.

At UNT, don't we still have a need for our fundraisers to be able to get their feet inside the doors of downtown Dallas-Fort Worth (and beyond) corporation's board rooms to show a viable/realistic plan for athletic success at UNT and then................. to get in one check from such a corporation what it would take 10 years of total donations from our school's all time cumulative MG Club/MG Eagle Club lists of years past to raise a 1/4'th of such a Big Donation?

ONCE AGAIN..........IT JUST AMAZES ME HOW $ANTA CLAU$E ONLY LOOKS AT HIS REAR VIEW MIRROR AT DENTON BUT HEADS $TRAIGHT TO LUBBOCK INSTEAD? : $20 million from a Texas-based corporation for our fellow Texas university just to merely remodel and expand their foootball stadium? What would that same amount do for UNT in helping to get our new stadium jump-started and off those (forever) UNT new stadium blueprints?

DO D.D. AND NT's FOOTBALL FUTURE IN NCAA D1-A' A BIG FAVOR....RE-ASSIGN HIM LIKE UT ONCE DID WITH COACH DAVID MCWILLIAMS....

Edited September 23, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

eulesseagle · September 23, 2006

Talon90 is correct as some of us have started to realize.

Until the BOR changes its attitude toward UNT athletics we have Darrell "Keep 8 In The Box" Dickey until his contract expires.

The BOR, ONLY, has two options toward athletics:

1. Use it for ENTERTAINMENT purposes only .... then who in majority cares what happens to our program.

2. Use it to gain NATIONAL exposure .... then make appropriate financial outlays to get a coach that will turn the program around.

Until the BOR makes a "majority decision" we will have to enjoy.....what Clayton Williams once said about the fog......"if you can not do anything about it you just might as well sit back and enjoy it."

Enjoy the fog until it lifts.......or as a couple 'ol 60's hippies (S.E. & PMG) once said in their tie dye t-shirts, long beards/hair and Uncle Ho Chi Mihn sandals once said, "Onward Thru the Fog."

Edited September 23, 2006 by eulesseagle

KingDL1 · September 23, 2006

Why Dickey Should Go Soon

That was a quite lovely look, but if you read the summary, which is not much to go by, it reads that the buyout is likely prorated. I expect from reading this the buyout is much much less by now. Plus Talon90 you make the choice to keep Dickey very simplistic when it is not, much like a balance sheet of a kind the lost revenue needs to projected. DD ball is costing us fans each year, the inability to win what is perceived to be quality match-ups. Most importantly the overall perception that DD has given our Football team from the general public which is not close to good, and that has a recruiting price big time. Finally thanks to RV for vigilantly increasing our athletic budget each year, even at $250,000 it is less than 2% of our current budget.

At this point Dickey is hurting UNT more than helping helping especially in the revenue department.

DD needs to go at the end of the season if not sooner.

Don't get short sighted there are tons of candidates for DD position. Just post the job and they will come. You would see offensive and defensive coordinators come out of the woodwork. We are in one of the "best situations" in D1A football, it only takes a winning record against many of the worst teams in the division to go to a bowl game and if you knock off a couple of OOC wins you are a super hero. What better place to make a name for yourself. Plus you have RV helping every bit he can.

I doubt that DD would ever coach in 1a again

chrisfisher · September 23, 2006

Talon90 - excellent work here. I love your post.

I have posted some harsh words for D "K8ITB" D and Ramon "I keep all the offensive plays on my ten digits" Flannigan. To tell you the truth, I could support them (don't hit me). I am somewhat indifferent to who coaches our team. My only criteria for my support is, well, to win football games. DD pulled us out of the rubble with his Sunbelt streak run of wins and bowl games. However, the time has come to move past SBC wins only. I don't see how this will happen now b/c we couldn't do it when we peaked in 2004. Will we be able to put together better teams with better OOC game plans that will win? I don't know, but can only hope. Hopefully, DD will dig DEEP in his bag of tricks. I am ready to support him if he does. But he better do it quick, the troops are getting restless.

Edited September 23, 2006 by chrisfisher

SilverEagle · September 23, 2006

Talon90 - excellent work here. I love your post.
I have posted some harsh words for D "K8ITB" D and Ramon "I keep all the offensive plays on my ten digits" Flannigan. To tell you the truth, I could support them (don't hit me). I am somewhat indifferent to who coaches our team. My only criteria for my support is, well, to win football games. DD pulled us out of the rubble with his Sunbelt streak run of wins and bowl games. However, the time has come to move past SBC wins only. I don't see how this will happen now b/c we couldn't do it when we peaked in 2004. Will we be able to put together better teams with better OOC game plans that will win? I don't know, but can only hope. Hopefully, DD will dig DEEP in his bag of tricks. I ready to support him if he does. But he better do it quick, the troops are getting restless.
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Actually the team pulled us (and DD) out of his rubble.

chrisfisher · September 23, 2006

Actually the team pulled us (and DD) out of his rubble.
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hehe... maybe you are correct. I wasn't around so I cannot judge this comment.

CMJ · September 23, 2006

Actually the team pulled us (and DD) out of his rubble.
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Considering we didn't exactly have many winning seasons before Dickey(the last one was in 1-AA in '94) it's hard to say it was all his rubble.

Talon90 · September 23, 2006

Why Dickey Should Go Soon
That was a quite lovely look, but if you read the summary, which is not much to go by, it reads that the buyout is likely prorated. I expect from reading this the buyout is much much less by now. Plus Talon90 you make the choice to keep Dickey very simplistic when it is not, much like a balance sheet of a kind the lost revenue needs to projected. DD ball is costing us fans each year, the inability to win what is perceived to be quality match-ups. Most importantly the overall perception that DD has given our Football team from the general public which is not close to good, and that has a recruiting price big time. Finally thanks to RV for vigilantly increasing our athletic budget each year, even at $250,000 it is less than 2% of our current budget.
At this point Dickey is hurting UNT more than helping helping especially in the revenue department.
DD needs to go at the end of the season if not sooner.
Don't get short sighted there are tons of candidates for DD position. Just post the job and they will come. You would see offensive and defensive coordinators come out of the woodwork. We are in one of the "best situations" in D1A football, it only takes a winning record against many of the worst teams in the division to go to a bowl game and if you knock off a couple of OOC wins you are a super hero. What better place to make a name for yourself. Plus you have RV helping every bit he can.
I doubt that DD would ever coach in 1a again
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KingDL,

I hear what you are saying but all I can go on is what I have seen in the past when it comes to money spent. Even with a pro-rated buyout, could we still afford to pay that AND then, if you want a coach to take us to the next level, you are going to have to pay that coach more than you are paying Dickey and his staff. You have to spend money to make money (or in this case, winning results).

GMG!

BEAT the Zips!

untbowler · September 23, 2006

KingDL,
I hear what you are saying but all I can go on is what I have seen in the past when it comes to money spent. Even with a pro-rated buyout, could we still afford to pay that AND then, if you want a coach to take us to the next level, you are going to have to pay that coach more than you are paying Dickey and his staff. You have to spend money to make money (or in this case, winning results).
GMG!
BEAT the Zips!
←

see UCF after hiring of O'Leary, UTEP after hiring Price, Idaho after hiring Erickson. All noticed significant increases in their athletic sales after the hirings.

People are shallow enough that we will pay more and others will come in and donate more with a name coach and it is shown that the AD and BOR actually give a damn about athletics, UNT has yet to show that at this time except for a few new facilities and nice video that nobody can find right now.

e-bone ver2.awesome · September 23, 2006

DD was extended through 2009.

If I was a betting man I would bet that if we finish with a winning record this season, DD will get another contract extension. Then I would bet on another losing season after that.

BTW, anyone notice the dates on all those articles in the original post? Thought that was interesting.

Talon90 · September 23, 2006

DD was extended through 2009.
If I was a betting man I would bet that if we finish with a winning record this season, DD will get another contract extension. Then I would bet on another losing season after that.
BTW, anyone notice the dates on all those articles in the original post? Thought that was interesting.
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ebone - It says they were considering it but has it happened yet?

e-bone ver2.awesome · September 23, 2006

ebone - It says they were considering it but has it happened yet?
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http://www.gomeangreen.com/forums/index.ph...topic=22983&hl=

I just linked to the other one because it had a discussion.

Talon90 · September 23, 2006

http://www.gomeangreen.com/forums/index.ph...topic=22983&hl=
I just linked to the other one because it had a discussion.
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I missed this thread. Thanks for posting!

GoMeanGreen1999 · September 23, 2006

DD was extended through 2009.
If I was a betting man I would bet that if we finish with a winning record this season, DD will get another contract extension. Then I would bet on another losing season after that.
BTW, anyone notice the dates on all those articles in the original post? Thought that was interesting.
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Doubt this team finishes with a winning record. If we want to get rid of D "keep 8 men in the box" D, they can and will find a way.

PlummMeanGreen · September 23, 2006

At which point does someone in the UNT administration (or moreso), the UNT Board of Regents (after they grow the necessary gonads) will gently and mildly suggest to NT athletic officials if they are going to just keep on padding their little nest egg in Denton with extended years, that the NT community really needs to have more than just one varsity coach (with a number of years on the UNT payroll) that needs to be (at least) at .500 in wins and losses?

Fellow grUNT's and troops, it just appears to me that a hardy handful of non-UNTer's on the UNT payroll are having one helluva' mild-mannered career at our expense.

Could it be that they just keep on the UNT payroll because (perhaps) they've told all the higher profile programs who regularly call on them that they'd be crazy to be interested in their higher profile job offers because they have such a sweet deal in Denton, Texas, America, and really don't have to answer to anyone to boot?

FWIW, we're getting tattoo'ed fellow Mean Greeners and which one of you after you have taken another long look at your latest NT football media guide to see just who we have beaten the last 8 (going on 9) years could disagree?

If you like all this so be it and don't let anyone wake you from your sleep; also, to those of you who feel exclusive, just keep drinking those free beers on behalf of DD, but get ready to start saying this: "Hey, we really did have a pretty darn good crowd of around 10,000 today now didn't we?" NOTE: Notice how the attendance criteria (as far as rewards for increasing it dramatically) never seems to be part of any NT varsity coaches' contracts (unless I missed it in all the fine print).

For those of us who have been on this roller coaster ride for a few decades, all this is just really the icing on the cake that someone left out in the rain.

Only at NORTH TEXAS, folks, only at NORTH TEXAS.............

Popular Norm Hitzghes drop on KTCK: "Someone, please..........just kill me!"

Edited September 23, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen