Football: Leftwich To Return To Unt As Assistant

Harry · January 11, 2007

Football: Leftwich to return to UNT as assistant

Dodge fills out remaining two spots on staff

10:20 PM CST on Wednesday, January 10, 2007

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

Spencer Leftwich is coming back to North Texas.

Leftwich spent nine seasons as the Mean Green's offensive line coach before joining the staff at Tulsa after the 2002 season.

Former Louisiana Tech assistant Shelton Gandy filled the last open spot on Todd Dodge's first staff at UNT when he agreed to become the Mean Green's running backs coach.

UNT officials confirmed both coaches were added to the Mean Green's staff on Wednesday.

Dodge took over as the Mean Green's new head coach late last year after leading Southlake Carroll to the Class 5A Division I state title.

Gandy spent the last two seasons as the running backs coach at Tech.

Patrick Jackson rushed for 854 yards and seven touchdowns while playing for Gandy last season. In his first year at Tech, Gandy rotated Jackson, Mark Dillard and Freddie Franklin, who combined to rush for 1,487 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Gandy will have a chance to coach former national rushing champion Jamario Thomas during his senior season at UNT. Thomas rushed for 1,801 yards as a freshman, but has struggled through injury-plagued seasons the last two years.

Leftwich will inherit an offensive line that lost two key cogs in All-Sun Belt Conference guard Dylan Lineberry and tackle Joel Foster, but returns several other key players, including center Chad Rose and tackle Jeremy Brown.

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

NT80 · January 11, 2007

That adds a nice mix of College-experienced coaches to the HS hires. It's now time to start making the playbooks!

Shelton Gandy photo and bio:

http://www.latechsports.com/staff_detail.p...Running%20Backs

Edited January 11, 2007 by NT80

Harry · January 11, 2007

Gandy was an outstanding running back at Southern Miss. In fact I think he played with Brett Farve there. A Mean Green wWelcome to both coaches! Now go forth and recruit! :thumbsup:

MeanGreen61 · January 11, 2007

Leftwich thread from the Tulsa board. Gets some good props there.

http://tulsa.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=17...115&style=2

UNTFan23 · January 11, 2007

Gandy was an outstanding running back at Southern Miss. In fact I think he played with Brett Farve there. A Mean Green wWelcome to both coaches! Now go forth and recruit!

Yes, keep working on those all-state players. We need an army of them.

Edited January 11, 2007 by UNTFan23

PlummMeanGreen · January 11, 2007

Seems Leftwich could have very well been the difference for some players going to Tulsa rather than UNT, especially in his first year of recruiting at Tulsa. Hope he can now turn the tables on all that. I've always heard nothing but good about this former UNT coach (as well as his parents who were regulars at Mean Green football games).

Welcome Back To Mean Green Country To The Entire Leftwich Clan As Well As Coach Gandy and His Family, Too!

Edited January 11, 2007 by PlummMeanGreen

Eagle1855 · January 11, 2007

Seems Leftwich could have very well been the difference for some players going to Tulsa rather than UNT , especially in his first year of recruiting at Tulsa.

just curious why you think that. I don't know a whole lot about the guy.

PlummMeanGreen · January 11, 2007

just curious why you think that. I don't know a whole lot about the guy.

Merely from reading the recruiting chatter on the Mean Green Report back in that day when he left us for Tulsa, Eagle1855. Leftwich was at UNT for several years as I recall. I'm glad this one did come back to Denton. He seemed to be a good fit in Denton when we know not all always are.

UNTLifer · January 11, 2007

Gandy was an outstanding running back at Southern Miss. In fact I think he played with Brett Farve there. A Mean Green wWelcome to both coaches! Now go forth and recruit!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Not Southern Miss! I hope he sings bass so he'll fit in with the other "Croonyism" hires. :ph34r: