Have we hit the MotherLoad of Media with this hire

[NT80]

From Message Boards, to Newspapers, Sports magazines, TV sports, even CNN tickers....could you have imagined more media and fan impact with any of the other coaches we were considering?

And I think UNT has already gained more respect from opponent's fans (and potential transfers and recruits) in 2 days with Dodge than in 9 years with Dickey.

[good_ken]

I you think about it, UNT football has been in the news almost constantly for the last 8 weeks (firing DD, Mac's publicity stunt, hiring TD).

That's a lot of free marketing.

[FirefightnRick]

From Message Boards, to Newspapers, Sports magazines, TV sports, even CNN tickers....could you have imagined more media and fan impact with any of the other coaches we were considering?

And I think UNT has already gained more respect from opponent's fans (and potential transfers and recruits) in 2 days with Dodge than in 9 years with Dickey. 

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It's just been simply amazing. I knew we would get some local press, but this has been off the charts. We didn't even get a photo in the Star Telegram after the ass kicking of Baylor back in '03, and we didn't get much more than a mention there after the bowl win in '02. VeryGreen called me this afternoon and said his son called him Wednesday morning from Boston to tell him it was being mentioned there as well. Probably USA Today? Not sure, but it's just been unbelievable.

Spring Dodge Ball can't get here soon enough.

Rick

[the real grad88]

From Message Boards, to Newspapers, Sports magazines, TV sports, even CNN tickers....could you have imagined more media and fan impact with any of the other coaches we were considering?

And I think UNT has already gained more respect from opponent's fans (and potential transfers and recruits) in 2 days with Dodge than in 9 years with Dickey. 

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I am amazed as well, but let's not forget the Dickey did give us something to build upon...something with which to attract a coach like Dodge. He did win 4 championships, which helped get the funds and support needed to upgrade the facilities around here. We wouldn't have Dodge if Dickey had not come first.

That said, I am sooooo glad to have Dodge take us to the next level. He is the one to do it. I don't think Dickey could.

[PlummMeanGreen]

I you think about it, UNT football has been in the news almost constantly for the last 8 weeks (firing DD, Mac's publicity stunt, hiring TD).

That's a lot of free marketing.

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Posted it on another similar thread, but its like SUMG told me and I very liberally paraphrase him: "Even Rick Neuheisel could not have created this much of a media frenzy as Todd Dodge has in Mean Green Country and to the uttermost parts of the earth!" Damn right, SUMG!

[MeanGreenBuzz]

I have friends that don't know anything and really don't care about UNT football come up to me (knowing that I'm addicted to UNT sports) wanting to talk about the TD hire. Heck my GF who doesn't know who Vince Young is knew who Todd Dodge was.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

--- We that wanted Dodge before he was hired kept saying this but several thought it was stupid to hire as HS coach and in fact some even refered to him as "an unknown". Obviously they don't really follow football.

---We could say "Told you so, but I won't". Time will tell but because of all the attention he/we are getting, I expect him to recruit well and in as couple years to be winning a lot.

--If nothing else, expect interest to increase and his games to be anything but dull.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

I you think about it, UNT football has been in the news almost constantly for the last 8 weeks (firing DD, Mac's publicity stunt, hiring TD).

That's a lot of free marketing.

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----As they say, "Don't care what you say just spell my name right".

----Most people had never heard of FIU either but since that Miami fight a lot of folks NOW know who they are and the fact that they tried to handle the situation properly.

--- North Texas has been seen in print and on TV a lot lately, not just in the Metroplex but statewide and nationally. I think attention given to other Sunbelt teams help us a little as well... we suddenly are not playing some total unknowns anymore.

[GrandGreen]

I am amazed as well, but let's not forget the Dickey did give us something to build upon...something with which to attract a coach like Dodge. He did win 4 championships, which helped get the funds and support needed to upgrade the facilities around here. We wouldn't have Dodge if Dickey had not come first.

That said, I am sooooo glad to have Dodge take us to the next level. He is the one to do it. I don't think Dickey could.

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I disagree, I think it is logical that another coach could have advanced NT's football much further than DD did in nine years. I think there is a direct correlation between DD's constant complaining and the negative view of NT expressed by many outsiders/sportwriters who seem to think that NT has little to offer and little chance of success.

DD's accomplishment of 4 conference championships and 26 straight conference wins is almost unparalleled, but overall DD's "poor me, us against the world" approach has nulified any advantages that should have been derived.

[MeanGreenBuzz]

DD's accomplishment of 4 conference championships and 26 straight conference wins is almost unparalleled, but overall DD's "poor me, us against the world"  approach has nulified any advantages that should have been derived.

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Yep, and if you don't believe him look at the number of 3, 4, and 5 star recruits those 4 conference championships got us vs the number of 3, 4, and 5 star recruits landed by other teams in the belt. If TD had won 4 conference championships and 26 straight belt games we would have easily had top 40 recruiting classes not bottom 40.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Yep, and if you don't believe him look at the number of 3, 4, and 5 star recruits those 4 conference championships got us vs the number of 3, 4, and 5 star recruits landed by other teams in the belt.  If TD had won 4 conference championships and 26 straight belt games we would have easily had top 40 recruiting classes not bottom 40.

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Well.......uh, some of us had been trying to get that point across while we were right in the middle of all that happening, MGB. Some even well beyond the last 2 years of DD Ball when my own light bulb finally turned on to what our situation had really evolved into.

Personally, I think Rick V knew this long before most but he seems to have had an NT BOR who had him ham-hocked and on a short leash (which only cost our alma mater some most valuable time and prevented us from getting what we now have in Todd Dodge).

I really and truly feel sorry for Darrell Dickey (and on my sainted mother's last resting place I mean that); but the man literally talked himself out of the North Texas job. I've never seen anything like what we had going in over 40 years of following NCAA D1 college football. We can make sure to defer to our past to insure that we never repeat it, but for DD I know we all wish him well once all the waters of bitterness runs under the bridge for all concerned.

Edited December 15, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

[SilverEagle]

I have friends that don't know anything and really don't care about UNT football come up to me (knowing that I'm addicted to UNT sports) wanting to talk about the TD hire.  Heck my GF who doesn't know who Vince Young is knew who Todd Dodge was.

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I'm glad that RV listened to those of us who kept saying "No crony hire".

Seriously, I haven't seen this much media coverage since we hired Hayden Fry.

The hiring and the timing of the announcement was perfect.

Now, we'll find out how good our promotions people are.

[Quoner]

I'm glad that RV listened to those of us who kept saying "No crony hire".

Seriously, I haven't seen this much media coverage since we hired Hayden Fry.

The hiring and the timing of the announcement was perfect.

Now, we'll find out how good our promotions people are.

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It will probably be nice for them to promote something besides steaming poop and the chance to drink.

[SilverEagle]

It will probably be nice for them to promote something besides steaming poop and the chance to drink.

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Geezzz, thanks for that image.

[sports88guy]

i cant wait to watch the bowl games with Troy and MTSU in them because i know the announcers will mention the TD hire, which will just give us more publicity

[gangrene]

Yes, it truly is amazing how much publicity we're getting out of this. Last night, I did a key word search on something like Todd + Dodge + recruiting + North + Texas because I was interested to see if there was any news on potential recruits citing TD's hire as a reason to reconsider UNT.

What I found simply astounded me. The AP story was picked up on newspaper websites in just about every city or town that has an online newspaper; Seattle, Miami, Kansas City, Spokane, WA, Orlando and tidesporst.com (Alabama)...you name it. I even found the story on a Casper, WY newspaper's site.

I also found many forums who mentioned the story. Some of the ones I recall are a Florida HS coaches site, the SC Gamecocks forum, tsn.com and various college team pages of scout.com and rivals.com. In each forum, almost the same scenario was repeated - the original poster would link the AP story and call UNT crazy, stupid or worse, for hiring a HIGH SCHOOL coach to coach a D-1A program. Each time that happened, the OP would get three or four responses stating that TD was no ordinary HS coach. Here's one such example from a Florida board: http://flavarsity.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?f...sid=957&style=2

The national recognition Dodge has is more than I would have guessed in my wildest dreams!!

[NT80]

From an ASU poster:

"UNT is definitely getting thier money's worth for this hire just in publicity in the DFW area. I even heard it discussed on XM Sports Nation yesterday."