Naming Facilities

NDT · November 15, 2006

If anyone deserves a field or stadium named after him (especially before Hayden Fry who was only here a few years) it is Odus Mitchell.

Years Coached 1946-1966

Record 122-85

Conference Championships 10

Bowls 1948 Salad Bowl and 1959 Sun Bowl

Recruited some of the greatest players in UNT history including Mean Joe Green

NT03 · November 15, 2006

Great Post!

But I think the most important thing Mitchell did for NT was to help intergate the football team.

Here is a good article on the man :

http://www.tribalgrounds.com/ualr/cgi-bin/...essage_id=41198

GoMeanGreen1999 · November 15, 2006

If anyone deserves a field or stadium named after him (especially before Hayden Fry who was only here a few years) it is Odus Mitchell.
Years Coached 1946-1966
Record 122-85
Conference Championships 10
Bowls 1948 Salad Bowl and 1959 Sun Bowl
Recruited some of the greatest players in UNT history including Mean Joe Green
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Good points. Send this to MM.

NDT · November 15, 2006

Good point 03. He integrated football at UNT long before the SWC even thought about it. Abner Haynes was another great recruit.

GrandGreen · November 15, 2006

Names are bought these days not earned.

VideoEagle · November 15, 2006

Names are bought these days not earned.
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Certainly not always true. And at the college level, not even true most of the time.

Yes, Tech has SBC Jones Stadium, but you can't tell me a corporation hasn't thrown far more money at UT or OU to get naming rights to their stadiums. How many Big 12 teams play in stadiums with corporate naming rights?

And some of the corporate names have reasons. Louisville has Pappa Johns, but the guy did go to school there. The same situation with Troy. In both cases, an alum can throw some corporate money toward a cause the personally believe in, but have to do it in a way that keeps the stockholders from revolt over waste.

Odus Mitchell is the most deserving of our coaches in this regard. Who are our two most famous former players and for whom did they play? Who was our longest tenured coach?

PlummMeanGreen · November 15, 2006

Many of us would think at some point in time when unclutterered and clear-thinking starts to prevail in Denton once again, that the only coach UNT had on its payroll who is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame could have something named after him. And BTW, he actually had an above .500 career W/L record and some impressive wins over a "somebody school" which might hurt his chances at "Low Expecations U."

Sorry about even more sarcasm, but we are hardly the the epitomy of a normal operating NCAA D1-A program for the last couple decades and I think we have paid the price for being that and...............you can find many area non-UNT'ers who will tell you that we do things a tad different in Denton, too. I sure as hell get those direct and pointed comments about UNT here in the Greater Fort Worth area when me and my confidants start talking DFW area college football.

Some of you young gun NT alums just starting out in the job market, just wait till you get a job in the DFW area and you will find out what many of us are talking about with all this.

Edited November 15, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

GrandGreen · November 15, 2006

Certainly not always true. And at the college level, not even true most of the time.
Yes, Tech has SBC Jones Stadium, but you can't tell me a corporation hasn't thrown far more money at UT or OU to get naming rights to their stadiums. How many Big 12 teams play in stadiums with corporate naming rights?
And some of the corporate names have reasons. Louisville has Pappa Johns, but the guy did go to school there. The same situation with Troy. In both cases, an alum can throw some corporate money toward a cause the personally believe in, but have to do it in a way that keeps the stockholders from revolt over waste.
Odus Mitchell is the most deserving of our coaches in this regard. Who are our two most famous former players and for whom did they play? Who was our longest tenured coach?
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Apparently you have not read NT's plan to sell naming rights to everything from the stadium to practice fields. I think you will find in the current era even the venues named for coaches etc. are supported by major donations by people who want to honor that person. There is also a major difference in building a stadium and selling the naming rights years after construction. How many Big 12 stadiums were erected in the last 10 years?

As far as honoring Mitchell, although deserving; he coached over forty years ago and because of that I can't see a lot of support being generated for your proposal.

UNTLifer · November 15, 2006

As far as honoring Mitchell, although deserving; he coached over forty years ago and because of that I can't see a lot of support being generated for your proposal.
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You may be surprised regarding the amount of support I think this would generate in Denton. Odus Mitchell was one of the nicest men I ever had the opportunity to meet. I went to school with his grandkids and lived somewhat close to his home on Scripture St. His family still supports North Texas.

There is not a more deserving man than Coach Mitchell for this honor, but knowing him, he would be honored but embarrassed.