DRC/DMN post game article

PlummMeanGreen · November 26, 2006

No, it's NOT pretty clear. Please, everybody, take a real deep breath.
A lot of very good coaches are in the middle of bowl preparation or high school playoffs, and they don't have time to talk about possible jobs. And even if they are in very casual talks about possible jobs, they're not going to say anything publicly for fear of distracting their players from the job at hand. And if that means lying publicly to help his team win a bowl or a playoff game, just about any coach is going to tell that lie.
As to Nix, I know nothing about him, but a coach with SEC experience is going to be qualified to coach in the Sun Belt. His name being mentioned is not a guarantee he'll get the job. Names will be mentioned, names will be floated, and names will be conjectured for a variety of reasons. Don't jump off a cliff everytime a name comes up or we'll have a huge stack of booster corpses on the rocks below.
Fact is, there are no absolutes in a coaching hunt. UNT's next coach does not necessarily have to have Texas ties, or be an offensive-minded coach, or be a defensive-minded coach, or have head-coach experience. The best coach out there may be relatively inexperienced and a Texas outsider, but possesses that special something that can build and lead a team. It's an incredibly subjective process, and entering it with blinders on can lead you to miss the best coach for the job.
I believe that UNT's athletic program is better for having RV here, and I trust him to make the right selection. Remember, RV's own job is at risk with filling the head-coaching job, so we can all expect that he's going to hire the best coach he can find. And if that's Nix, then we need to give him a fair chance to prove himself.
So everyone relax, and let RV do his job.
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Some good points, Smitty...

I guess the one thing many of us (including myself) always tend to forget is that whoever gets our HFC's job will most likely still need to hire assistants who would know that Houston is in south Texas near the Gulf Coast and that UNT is still in Denton, Texas (and not Denison, Texas). in other words, wouldn't hurt to have a few Texans who actually even know some Texas HS football coaches to be our new assistants AND HINT! HINT! HINT!.................for our new HFC to hire assistant coaches who have a track record of the kind of successful recruiting that will get UNT inside the Top 25 and not just SBC wins and a few bowl appearances (which hasn't yet gotten us inside the Top 25).

The trend at UNT seems to be wherever our A.D. is from (or their common college alma mater is most likely the state from which our future HFC will most likely come. I don't know if that is good or bad to be honest, but I guess time will tell, but for gol' darn sure lets not take all but a decade this time around to tell us if we have a keeper and a public relations sorta' guy.

Quite frankly, I'm kinda' like another NT Ex who said if we keep someone in Denton over 10 years (with our being a non BCS school and all) that they better be part of one helluva' 'got it goin' on" athletic program or.................their work has not been recognized outside Denton and are not in demand to be hired at a higher profile.

RUN, FOREST, RUN! (AND MR. GUMP, YOUR MOTHER WAS RIGHT ALL THE TIME ABOUT THAT BOX OF CANDY). One thing about all this, it's any alum's choice to support or not to support who UNT picks this time from our box of chocolates. I know we all hope we get the best one, you know, the one with the caramel inside (although, I know, I'm sure some of you would still opt for the one with the cherry in the middle).

Edited November 26, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

Cr1028 · November 26, 2006

Nix is one fiery SOB. I've watched 4 or 5 SC games this year (I swear, they're always on TV), and you can't miss the guy... barking into his headset, at players, running up and down the sidelines, nearly jumping into piles. Though this would surely be toned down as HC, he's about as passionate as passionate gets.
Not saying he's my first choice, but don't let a USM connection give you an instant negative impression on this guy -- a young, visible, energetic SEC coordinator is not a bad way to go. And having a couple years working with coaches who run Spurrier's Fun n' Gun offense under his belt, the guy has to know some decent offensive minds.
I know he's no 65+ year old retread with a "big name" for something he did at a major BCS school 20 years ago, but as far as making a splash nationally goes, hiring a well thought of SEC coordinator ain't half bad. Plus, if i'm not mistaken, he'd be the only African-American D1 head coach in Texas -- and I know, I know, it doesn't matter when hiring the best guy -- but for PR sakes, it sure as hell doesn't hurt either.
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Wow, I like the idea of a coach that doesn't just lay down.

Bryan316 · November 26, 2006

What if Todd Dodge and RV were the best of friends? Would everyone still be clammoring for him to come here? Would it be seen as another buddy-hire, or would you ignore it because of what's he's done in Southlake? If the new coach has what we need and can get it done, who cares who he knew beforehand?

PlummMeanGreen · November 26, 2006

Nix is one fiery SOB. I've watched 4 or 5 SC games this year (I swear, they're always on TV), and you can't miss the guy... barking into his headset, at players, running up and down the sidelines, nearly jumping into piles. Though this would surely be toned down as HC, he's about as passionate as passionate gets.
Not saying he's my first choice, but don't let a USM connection give you an instant negative impression on this guy -- a young, visible, energetic SEC coordinator is not a bad way to go. And having a couple years working with coaches who run Spurrier's Fun n' Gun offense under his belt, the guy has to know some decent offensive minds.
I know he's no 65+ year old retread with a "big name" for something he did at a major BCS school 20 years ago, but as far as making a splash nationally goes, hiring a well thought of SEC coordinator ain't half bad. Plus, if i'm not mistaken, he'd be the only African-American D1 head coach in Texas -- and I know, I know, it doesn't matter when hiring the best guy -- but for PR sakes, it sure as hell doesn't hurt either.
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CaribbeanGreen, if Methuselah were our coach and if he could get some high profile OOC wins (not counting Tulsa, LaTech or Akron among that group) and can get us in (here I go again) the very illusive Top 25, I'd buy the Geritol and the prune juice to keep such a coach as that truckin' right along.

I think what excites me most about all this as much as anything is that our present Mean Green football players will all have a new lease on life with what most of us feel will be a brighter future for them as a team come this Spring.

BTW, wonder if we will now have a Green/White Spring Football game during actual Spring months AND ON A SATURDAY WHERE THOSE WHO LIVE 1 OR MORE HOURS AWAY FROM DENTON CAN COME UP FOR A CHANGE?!?!?!? :

Edited November 26, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

SilverEagle · November 26, 2006

What if Todd Dodge and RV were the best of friends? Would everyone still be clammoring for him to come here? Would it be seen as another buddy-hire, or would you ignore it because of what's he's done in Southlake? If the new coach has what we need and can get it done, who cares who he knew beforehand?
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I know what Todd Dodge can do. Also, Todd Dodge has actually worked at North Texas, so he knows first hand what the challenges are. If he takes the job, he has a much better idea about what he needs to do to turn things around, than someone who has spent his career around S. Miss.

Don Carthel took over a similar situation to North Texas and has worked his ass off to turn things around out there. Those are tangible things that I know.

I'm glad that Nix is a fiery coach. There are LOTS of fiery coaches out there.....they aren't all successful.

And as to relaxing and letting RV do his job. Since I haven't been crazy about all of his hiring decisions thus far, I'll remain somewhat skeptical about this process. We don't have too much margin for error on this decision, and we can't afford a crony hire just for the sake of RV's comfort.

Edited November 26, 2006 by SilverEagle

good_ken · November 26, 2006

I'm glad that Nix is a fiery coach. There are LOTS of fiery coaches out there.....they aren't all successful.

Your right, some of the fieriest coaches can only manage to start altercations with fans.

Smitty · November 27, 2006

We don't have too much margin for error on this decision, and we can't afford a crony hire just for the sake of RV's comfort.
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Completely agree. But RV cannot afford a crony hire, either. A failed crony hire gets him fired, and I would think he knows tjat. This is the biggest hire of his tenure, and I'm sure that he knows he needs to get it right.

All I'm saying is to relax as names pop up in the media. Those names get floated for all kinds of reasons by all kinds of people, and unfortunately too many media members print rumors as much as verified facts.

Green Grenade II · November 27, 2006

Some good points, Smitty...
I guess the one thing many of us (including myself) always tend to forget is that whoever gets our HFC's job will most likely still need to hire assistants who would know that Houston is in south Texas near the Gulf Coast and that UNT is still in Denton, Texas (and not Denison, Texas). in other words, wouldn't hurt to have a few Texans who actually even know some Texas HS football coaches to be our new assistants AND HINT! HINT! HINT!.................for our new HFC to hire assistant coaches who have a track record of the kind of successful recruiting that will get UNT inside the Top 25 and not just SBC wins and a few bowl appearances (which hasn't yet gotten us inside the Top 25).
The trend at UNT seems to be wherever our A.D. is from (or their common college alma mater is most likely the state from which our future HFC will most likely come. I don't know if that is good or bad to be honest, but I guess time will tell, but for gol' darn sure lets not take all but a decade this time around to tell us if we have a keeper and a public relations sorta' guy.
PlumMeanGreen: You must do all your posts in "Landscape." Takes me lots of time to read because my computer likes regular sized posts...but that said, you always come up with interesting perspectives. The full color posts are great and "refreshing." Keep 'em coming, Elvis.
Quite frankly, I'm kinda' like another NT Ex who said if we keep someone in Denton over 10 years (with our being a non BCS school and all) that they better be part of one helluva' 'got it goin' on" athletic program or.................their work has not been recognized outside Denton and are not in demand to be hired at a higher profile.
RUN, FOREST, RUN! (AND MR. GUMP, YOUR MOTHER WAS RIGHT ALL THE TIME ABOUT THAT BOX OF CANDY). One thing about all this, it's any alum's choice to support or not to support who UNT picks this time from our box of chocolates. I know we all hope we get the best one, you know, the one with the caramel inside (although, I know, I'm sure some of you would still opt for the one with the cherry in the middle).
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Smitty · November 27, 2006

I guess the one thing many of us (including myself) always tend to forget is that whoever gets our HFC's job will most likely still need to hire assistants who would know that Houston is in south Texas near the Gulf Coast and that UNT is still in Denton, Texas (and not Denison, Texas). in other words, wouldn't hurt to have a few Texans who actually even know some Texas HS football coaches to be our new assistants

That's very true. But considering the huge number of athletes recruited from Texas by schools across the nation, there's a lot of coaches out there without "Texas ties" who have experience recruiting in Texas and have excellent relationships with Texas high school coaches.

Think of it this way: would you rather have a guy who has never been to Texas, or Ramon Flanagan?

PlummMeanGreen · November 27, 2006

I know what Todd Dodge can do. Also, Todd Dodge has actually worked at North Texas, so he knows first hand what the challenges are. If he takes the job, he has a much better idea about what he needs to do to turn things around, than someone who has spent his career around S. Miss.
Don Carthel took over a similar situation to North Texas and has worked his ass off to turn things around out there. Those are tangible things that I know.
I'm glad that Nix is a fiery coach. There are LOTS of fiery coaches out there.....they aren't all successful.
And as to relaxing and letting RV do his job. Since I haven't been crazy about all of his hiring decisions thus far, I'll remain somewhat skeptical about this process. We don't have too much margin for error on this decision, and we can't afford a crony hire just for the sake of RV's comfort.
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I do think this time around with this hire we have more in the area of checks and balances working for us in the person of our new prez' Dr. "B." Helwig seemed to have been a "one man show or committee" when he very quickly seemed to have hired DD before Matt Simon could even pack his boxes.

I still think our UNT AD will have the most leverage with all this as he should, but Rick V knows how many of the MG Nation felt about the last A.D's "buddy hire" that did not completely thrill most the way it came down and for darn sure the way it came to an end.

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Silver Eagle, my #1 choice is also Todd Dodge because he brings so many positives to our most unique table up in Denton. First of all, most anyone across the entire Lone Star State who follows HS football will know who he is and that is an invaluable commodity for a school like UNT. Many will still remember him from his days as the Texas Longhorn's quarterback, too. (A main concern now is that S M U may fire Phil Bennett and be on Todd Dodge's front doorsteps before we can say "He who hesitates, uh, loses."

SOME THINGS WILL JUST ALWAYS BE FOR NON-BCS SCHOOLS: There will always be those "Well, Dodge can coach at UNT 2 or 3 years then move on up to Big Time U." (Probably such comments being said by those we really recruit against annually truth be known).

BUT in Todd Dodges case we might actually get more than 3 or 4 years because of this as just one possibility: In Dodges' 2'nd year at UNT (assuming he had our job, of course) one only has to think he will be able to recruit his own Texas blue chip QB son to a UNT letter of intent and (unless Dodge were an immediate astounding success) that would immediately give Todd Dodge at least 5 years at UNT. NOTE: FWIW, Hayden Fry delivered very much in only 6 years at UNT; in fact, he got a Big 10 job out of what he did in 6 years in Denton. QUESTION: Anyone want 6 years from a UNT coach who shakes and bakes in Denton and then gets hired away from us or almost a decade from one who gets fired while leaving our football program in a down cycle?

Although Dickey with his radio/newspaper comments seems to think he has left behind a future national championship team in Denton most realists think he only left the same kind of talent that would only (once again) might only be competive in the Sun Belt Conference with Top 25 or Top 50 rankings only being a pipe dream.

But some feel Todd Dodge could recruit the kind of Texas HS recruits who would complement some fine (but not national championship caliber talent and I use that term tongue in cheek, of course) that DD did leave behind and with Todd Dodge in charge and being able to do all that take this Mean Green football program to the next level had Dickey reached after 4 bowl games we would not be looking for a new UNT HFC today.

Now is the time for UNT to re-connect Mean Green football with Texas high schools and specifically, Texas HS football coaches in the DFW Metroplex and well beyond for that matter and many of us feel Todd Dodge would do that at a much higher profile in the area of the Lone Star State we need this to take place more than any other coach I've seen on any list of a potential UNT coach to date.

'Twill be interesting to observe all this the next few weeks to say the least.

Edited November 27, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen