Hayden Fry to North Texas?

[UNT_playmaker]

Mr. Fry has in recent years shopped himself around to being a head coach once again, such as in Baylor in recent years...

Also Mr. Fry has always had a special place in his heart for NT, where is children have gone to school at and prospered...

Mr. Fry always wanted to be a coach at NT where they were eligible for a bowl game tie-in which was never available for him before

A bigger and more modern stadium on the way to being built (Fouts is over 55 years old yuck!!!!!)

Also Mr. Fry always wanted to step NT into a better and brighter reginal conference for NT to battle reginal foes (CUSA)

It sounds all to go for Mr. Hayden Fry to return to UNT now if Mr. Rick Villareal was to knock on his door and asked him

"Coach Fry would you like to coach the Mean Green on Saturdays again"

[ADLER]

An ideal situation in my opinion would be that IF a coaching change were to be made, that Hayden would coach the team for two years to right the ship and rebuild the lost following. Bring Todd Dodge in as Offensive Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach contracted to be the heir apparent upon Fry's retirement in 2008.

Can we afford to do it? Can we afford not to do it? I think those two coaches could put together an excellent staff, and the interest generated by the hirings would almost certainly bring recruits and donations into the program.

Wouldn't this be a great opportunity for both coaches as well as an outstanding investment for the university?

[TeachinTodd]

I love that idea, and I think the right administration could do something like that. however, I haven't seen proof that this administration is that forward thinking. I'm all for it!

[stebo]

I keep hearing Todd Dodge's name being tossed around. From what I undestand; he is very big on his offensive "system" and that he is such a micro manager about it that he has it listed in his contract that the kids from Pee Wee all the way up through High School JV will be taught the system. That way he can have them growing up learning his system (and playbook) so that by the time they get to High School Varsity; they are ready to be just plugged into the system.

This whole system is one of the major reasons why Todd Dodge has had so much success (without any "rebuilding years"... "gaps"... or "learning curve years").

In his system, he has of 100% complete control, not only for his team but all the teams leading up to Varsity ball. I think that he must even have a say on new coach hirings; because obviously, they have to be able to succesfully run his playbook.

[DeepGreen]

I keep hearing Todd Dodge's name being tossed around.  From what I undestand; he is very big on his offensive "system" and that he is such a micro manager about it that he has it listed in his contract that the kids from Pee Wee all the way up through High School JV will be taught the system.  That way he can have them growing up learning his system (and playbook) so that by the time they get to High School Varsity; they are ready to be just plugged into the system. 

This whole system is one of the major reasons why Todd Dodge has had so much success (without any "rebuilding years"... "gaps"... or "learning curve years"). 

In his system, he has of 100% complete control, not only for his team but all the teams leading up to Varsity ball.  I think that he must even have a say on new coach hirings; because obviously, they have to be able to succesfully run his playbook.

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Cult football?

[NTEdgex2]

You better believe it! EVERY school in the Carroll ISD has the Dragon mascot.

GMG!

[PlummMeanGreen]

Come on, folks, maybe 5 or so years ago, but I think Coach Fry is approaching his 80's? But I've always thought that Coach Fry putting in a good word on UNT's behalf to a "would be" very high profile hire would work wonders in giving us a chance to interview such and maybe even hire said higher profile head football coach.

Also still think Coach Fry should have been hired as an athletic fund-raising consultant but (unfortunately) I think we have way too many egos at UNT for this to have ever happened.

Still kinda' funny how we didn't mind hiring Gene Stallings and pay him a small fortune to consult for us just to tell us (among other positive things that he did tell us) to wait almost another full generation before we built a new football stadium on our campus? At UNT, we just don't always seem to function as those we would truly like to emulate do most times it seems.

Edited October 3, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

[ADLER]

I keep hearing Todd Dodge's name being tossed around.  From what I undestand; he is very big on his offensive "system" and that he is such a micro manager about it that he has it listed in his contract that the kids from Pee Wee all the way up through High School JV will be taught the system.  That way he can have them growing up learning his system (and playbook) so that by the time they get to High School Varsity; they are ready to be just plugged into the system. 

This whole system is one of the major reasons why Todd Dodge has had so much success (without any "rebuilding years"... "gaps"... or "learning curve years"). 

In his system, he has of 100% complete control, not only for his team but all the teams leading up to Varsity ball.  I think that he must even have a say on new coach hirings; because obviously, they have to be able to succesfully run his playbook.

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I am not denying that Stebo, but Dodge was able run his system effectively immediately when he took over the reigns at Southlake. It's not like he had to wait for the kids at the junior highs where it was implemented to mature.

Two seasons as Offensive Coordinator would give him the opportunity to concentrate on setting his system, and would allow him to readjust to the rigors of college coaching and recruiting, and as OC, he could still take off Friday nights next season to watch his son. Hayden Fry has proven to have expertise in finding outstanding assistant coaches, and could work together with Dodge on building an incredible staff.

The way I look at it is that we are in a unique situation;

In Hayden Fry we have a legendary former coach that has entertained the thought of getting back into coaching. He had volunteered to help his alma mater Baylor before they hired Morris, and would likely extend the same offer to North Texas. Since he's retired, he is not a long term solution, but he would bring instant credibility to our floundering program.

In Todd Dodge, we have a well known former college quarterback (UT) that has some college coaching experience (at North Texas). He has been incredibly successful at the high school level because of the offensive system that he has devised. He could either work his way up slowly through a BCS program by being a position coach, or could fast-track his career by going to North Texas and inheriting the head coaching position. We may have almost no chance of retaining him at North Texas if he is anywhere near as successful as he has been at the high school level, but will have benefitted immensly during his tenure before he departs.

[gangrene]

Come on, folks, maybe 5 or so years ago, but I think Coach Fry is approaching his 80's?    

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Ding, ding, ding...our beloved Coach Fry already has one foot in the grave. Just one season of coaching UNT could push him over the edge and I'd hate for that to happen.

Maybe we should go after Hayden Fox? He won a national championship and had 16-game winning streak for Minnesota State.

[CaribbeanGreen]

Ding, ding, ding...our beloved Coach Fry already has one foot in the grave.  Just one season of coaching UNT could push him over the edge and I'd hate for that to happen.

Maybe we should go after Hayden Fox?  He won a national championship and had 16-game winning streak for Minnesota State.

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Agreed. He had great success with the Screaming Eagles, and we all know that stint in the pros in Orlando was never a good fit....

[EagleToo]

Maybe the best thing Hayden Fry could do for this or any program is come in and coach the coaches, and build a staff that could carry on. Look at the staff he put together at Iowa and how many of them are now successful head coaches across the country.

[ADLER]

There is no denying that he is old, but he has established a history of turning perenially bad programs into winners, and his hiring could be a quick solution to our current ailments.

********************************************************************

Fry, "Hayden" (John Hayden Jr.)

b. Feb. 28, 1929, Eastland, TX

After playing football at Baylor University, Fry spent four years in Marine Corps, coach high school football for four years, and served as an assistant college coach for three seasons before becoming head coach at Southern Methodist University in 1962.

Fry took SMU to three bowl games, but those were his only three winning seasons and he had a 50-68-1 record before being fired. He then had a 40-23-1 mark at North Texas State University from 1973 through 1978 and moved on to the University of Iowa.

Iowa went to the Rose Bowl three times under Fry's guidance, in 1982, 1986, and 1991, losing all three, but his teams have a 5-4-1 record in other bowl appearances.

Fry retired after the 1998 season with a record of 140-81-6 at Iowa and 229-170-10 overall. He ranks 10th all-time in NCAA Division I victories and has been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Coach Record

Year School W L T Pct.

1962 SMU 2 8 0 .200

1963 SMU 4 7 0 .364

1964 SMU 1 9 0 .100

1965 SMU 4 5 1 .450

1966 SMU 8 3 0 .727

1967 SMU 3 7 0 .300

1968 SMU 8 3 0 .727

1969 SMU 3 7 0 .300

1970 SMU 5 6 0 .455

1971 SMU 4 7 0 .364

1972 SMU 4 7 0 .364

1973 N. Texas St. 5 5 1 .500

1974 N. Texas St. 2 7 2 .300

1974 N. Texas St. 2 7 2 .300

1975 N. Texas St. 7 4 0 .636

1976 N. Texas St. 7 4 0 .636

1977 N. Texas St. 10 1 0 .909

1978 N. Texas St. 9 2 0 .818

1979 Iowa 5 6 0 .455

1980 Iowa 4 7 0 .364

1981 Iowa 8 4 0 .667

1982 Iowa 8 4 0 .667

1983 Iowa 9 3 0 .750

1984 Iowa 8 4 1 .654

1985 Iowa 10 2 0 .833

1986 Iowa 9 3 0 .750

1987 Iowa 10 3 0 .750

1988 Iowa 6 4 3 .577

1989 Iowa 5 6 0 .455

1990 Iowa 8 4 0 .667

1991 Iowa 10 1 1 .875

1992 Iowa 5 7 0 .417

1993 Iowa 6 6 0 .500

1994 Iowa 5 5 1 .500

1995 Iowa 8 4 0 .667

1996 Iowa 9 3 0 .727

1997 Iowa 7 5 0 .583

36 yrs 229 170 10 .571

Hayden Fry Biography in Wikpedia (read the North Texas part)

Hayden Fry quotes

[ADLER]

Maybe the best thing Hayden Fry could do for this or any program is come in and coach the coaches, and build a staff that could carry on.  Look at the staff he put together at Iowa and how many of them are now successful head coaches across the country.

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DING! DING! DING! We Have A Winner!

[SilverEagle]

DING! DING! DING! We Have A Winner!

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He could also teach people a thing or two about fund raising, and meeting and greeting the public.

[DeepGreen]

I would agree with hiring Fry but only as a fund raiser, not a coach. He's up there in age and I don't want a "Pappa Joe" walking the sidelines like Penn State.

Now, in Todd Dodge, you have a someone, like Fry, who certainly has the H.S. coaching experience, and has coached at the college level as an assistant. He's familiar with North Texas, the good and the bad. Dodge would be my choice. He may have made enemies with other HS coaches in the DFW area, but not the entire state. Hell, down in SE Texas he's still seen as a god, judging from all of the newspaper articles I've read on him. I think you would see better recruiting throughout the state of Texas. Kids know all about Todd Dodge and his explosive offense. Did anyone see Southlake on TV a couple of weeks ago? They looked like a freakin machine.

Let's do it!