SC’s Nix withdraws name for coaching position

mgsteve · December 1, 2006

USC defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix said Thursday that he has withdrawn his name from consideration for the North Texas coaching vacancy. Nix, who joined the Gamecocks’ staff in 2005 after 10 seasons at his alma mater of Southern Miss, did not interview for the North Texas position.

The 34-year-old Nix was contacted this month after the Sun Belt school announced it was firing Darrell Dickey at the end of the season. The Mean Green finished 3-9 in Dickey’s final season.

— Joseph Person

jperg2 · December 1, 2006

One down... er, um... I mean "out".

PlummMeanGreen · December 1, 2006

Honest to goodness I think many on this board would have thought Nix an excellent choice, but not with the current climate among the MG Nation or ticket-buying public or this time in the history of MG football. Gol' darn it, Craig Helwig, with your crony hire! My have we all in MG Country in past decades had to pay for the sins of others (so to speak).

Todd Dodge is still The Man for the UNT HFC's job IMHO: I think what some of you call a risk with T.D. would turn into eventual rewards with the hiring of Dodge who does have one advantage of having already been a UNT assistant coach albeit only 2 years.

I think his DFW recruiting ties with the kind of assistant coaches he would hire to take advantage of those and also his being a former U of Texas QB along with his present TX HS FB success at the highest level would be to UNT's advantage now.

Any other of the usual or typical hires we've had at UNT the last 2 1/2 decades have been as much project hires as some of you have said T.D. would be; but wouldn't T.D still have more advantages and plusses over most or all of that group who we've seen come and go thru Denton and not leave much behind as a legacy at a higher profile?

Would you have picked Todd Dodge (with his current successes and Lone Star State name ID) over Darrell Dickey whose resume showed he'd basically been a journeyman assistant football coach when he was hired at UNT by Helwig)?

Edited December 1, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

AnotherEagleFan · December 1, 2006

New to the board but a longtime lurker.

We will hear about Nix getting his HC job within 2-3 years. AND it will not be a CUSA, Sunbelt or MAC program, it will be a SEC or ACC school who is looking for an up and coming headcoach.

We would have done well to have him as the HC of UNT. I doubt he would have taken it.

Eagle1855 · December 1, 2006

New to the board but a longtime lurker.
We will hear about Nix getting his HC job within 2-3 years. AND it will not be a CUSA, Sunbelt or MAC program, it will be a SEC or ACC school who is looking for an up and coming headcoach.
We would have done well to have him as the HC of UNT. I doubt he would have taken it.
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agreed. this was one of my favorite candidates. too bad!

SilverEagle · December 1, 2006

New to the board but a longtime lurker.
We will hear about Nix getting his HC job within 2-3 years. AND it will not be a CUSA, Sunbelt or MAC program, it will be a SEC or ACC school who is looking for an up and coming headcoach.
We would have done well to have him as the HC of UNT. I doubt he would have taken it.
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Welcome aboard.

medpilot21 · December 1, 2006

I am still holding out for Dodge. Nix was a defensive guy and that is not necessarily a bad thing, but I still believe that an offensive-minded coach will bring in fans and sell tickets. (Especially one who runs a spread offense and scores points) Exciting football games and highlights on the evening news will generate interest. Todd Dodge would likely bring both to North Texas.

That's not a bad starting point for a program looking to rebound from two losing seasons and having the worst ranked offense in Division-1A.

Just my two-cents...

GMG!!!

AnotherEagleFan · December 1, 2006

I understand. And those are valid points. But it is a gamble going from HS to College. There is a whole post that we have all read concerning the jump from HS to College. And I dont disagree that Dodge is a good candidate. (Just so you know my stance)

But my point is that this board seems to attack very good candidates because they associated in some way with RV. I just think that in 4-5 years Nix will be winning in a BCS conference as a HC coach. And we should remember that we did not even want to talk to him because he knows RV.

UNTflyer · December 1, 2006

I understand. And those are valid points. But it is a gamble going from HS to College.
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To me, this is a plus. If we want to put this program on the map and become a force in the mid-majors, we have to take a gamble. Todd Dodge's star is on the rise.

medpilot21 · December 1, 2006

I understand. And those are valid points. But it is a gamble going from HS to College. There is a whole post that we have all read concerning the jump from HS to College. And I dont disagree that Dodge is a good candidate. (Just so you know my stance)
But my point is that this board seems to attack very good candidates because they associated in some way with RV. I just think that in 4-5 years Nix will be winning in a BCS conference as a HC coach. And we should remember that we did not even want to talk to him because he knows RV.
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Good points, AEF... You seem to look at the positives with all potential coaches. I guess my views are a bit more offensive minded. As for the RV links to SO. Miss? I have only seen a couple of posts where the attack was affiliated with RV and his past aquaintances, and I disagree with them. I trust Rick Villareal to do what is best for us... he always has. I also agree with you that Nix will eventually be a high profile head coach. Lots of defensive minded coordinators (Ray Rhodes, Buddy Ryan. Romeo Cronell, etc..) have been good head coaches. Nix certainly has the background now. I just dont think he is the right guy for the issues we have at North Texas at this moment in time. I didnt attribute that to whether or not he knew RV in the past. Even if we dont get Todd Dodge, we need someone who can run an electrical current through this program and jump start the offense. Granted there are few who can just come in and do that, but we have to look for coaches who have that reputation. Maybe Nix would have done well here, but fixing the defensive schemes while your offense is last in Division-1A seems futile? (Why put really great frosting on an awful cake? Sure, you disguise the problem for now, but eventually someone will discover how bad it is?)

RV will pick the right guy. Most on the board know and trust him... no matter who he talks to.

GMG!!!

NT80 · December 1, 2006

I understand. And those are valid points. But it is a gamble going from HS to College. There is a whole post that we have all read concerning the jump from HS to College. And I dont disagree that Dodge is a good candidate. (Just so you know my stance)
But my point is that this board seems to attack very good candidates because they associated in some way with RV. I just think that in 4-5 years Nix will be winning in a BCS conference as a HC coach. And we should remember that we did not even want to talk to him because he knows RV.
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If you can predict 4-5 years in the future then you should have told RV to fire DD after 2004! Nix may turn into a very good HC someday, or not, nobody knows. An assistant's job performance vs. someone already doing a HC job is the main perk I saw of Dodge over Nix. And it was RV's decision to pursue or not, not ours.

VideoEagle · December 1, 2006

To me, this is a plus. If we want to put this program on the map and become a force in the mid-majors, we have to take a gamble. Todd Dodge's star is on the rise.
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You bet your house and try to draw to an inside straight? Or bet your retirement on winning the Lotto?

AnotherEagleFan · December 1, 2006

If you can predict 4-5 years in the future then you should have told RV to fire DD after 2004! Nix may turn into a very good HC someday, or not, nobody knows. An assistant's job performance vs. someone already doing a HC job is the main perk I saw of Dodge over Nix. And it was RV's decision to pursue or not, not ours.
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Again this is the problem with many of the people on this board. I tell you what I "Think" and am told that "If you can predict...". Thanks for making it personal.

And my comment about RV is that many people on this board keep expressing their grief concerning ties of some of the candidates to RV. If Rick did not want to talk to Nix fine (I trust RV). But for people on this site to say that he should not talk to someone for the HC job because of a former tie is pathetic.

In my book there are positives and negatives about Dodge. As I understand it he is not even going to talk to UNT until after the HS season is over (I'm not in the loop so I dont know this for a fact.) If it is true then why not look.

And he (RV) does not have to keep us informed of his every move. It is his job to find a winning coach and it is our job to support his decision until proven a bad one. And with the look of things could take a couple of years. And from reading this board if it is not Dodge then most people will be unhappy.

Eagle1855 · December 1, 2006

And from reading this board if it is not Dodge then most people will be unhappy.
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oh you are definitely right about that.

Everyone will be crushed, which is absurd because some of the names metioned already HAVE good track records at much larger programs than Southlake Carroll HIGH SCHOOL (which Im not sure if everyone knows this or not, but outside the Metroplex, nobody cares about that higschool program, its records, or championships).

Everyone has been locked in to this Todd Dodge thing since day one.

Im not completely opposed to Dodge- Ive said many times that I think he could become a great head coach- but I think there have been plenty of names mentioned that have a good track record AT THE DIVISION 1A level and will make decent head coaches somewhere before its all said and done.

Personally, I think Dodge has a good chance of coming to North Texas. I think the quotes in papers and to the media indicate there has been contact, and that there may be talks. Dodge or no Dodge, I think there has already been a coach found, which is why you see all these names being withdrawn. Thats just my opinion. I guess we'll all know soon enough. Either way, I trust RV!

Edited December 1, 2006 by Eagle1855

NT80 · December 1, 2006

Again this is the problem with many of the people on this board. I tell you what I "Think" and am told that "If you can predict...". Thanks for making it personal.
And my comment about RV is that many people on this board keep expressing their grief concerning ties of some of the candidates to RV. If Rick did not want to talk to Nix fine (I trust RV). But for people on this site to say that he should not talk to someone for the HC job because of a former tie is pathetic.
In my book there are positives and negatives about Dodge. As I understand it he is not even going to talk to UNT until after the HS season is over (I'm not in the loop so I dont know this for a fact.) If it is true then why not look.
And he (RV) does not have to keep us informed of his every move. It is his job to find a winning coach and it is our job to support his decision until proven a bad one. And with the look of things could take a couple of years. And from reading this board if it is not Dodge then most people will be unhappy.
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It was not intended to make it personal..sorry. But what you think and what I think and what others think on the board is what makes the speculation interesting...and if we only both knew DD would tank after 2004....

The point is most 1-A head coaches last only 3-5 years in their current jobs, so who's next?

Edited December 1, 2006 by NT80