DMN Bruce Bell rehired, Spencer Leftwich leaves

OldTimer · December 28, 2002

UNT loses football assistant, gains one

12/28/2002

From Staff Reports

DENTON – North Texas football coach Darrell Dickey said offensive line coach Spencer Leftwich, who spent nine seasons at UNT, is leaving to take the same position at Tulsa.

Dickey also said he is rehiring assistant coach Bruce Bell, who served as UNT's running backs coach from 1998 to 2000.

MootPoint · December 28, 2002

Mean Green rehires Bell

OL coach Leftwich leaves for similar job at Tulsa

12/28/2002

By TIM MACMAHON / Denton Record-Chronicle

North Texas head coach Darrell Dickey is welcoming back one assistant while waving goodbye to another.

Bruce Bell, who was UNT's running backs coach from 1998-2000, will rejoin the staff. He will probably coach the receivers, but Dickey said that could change depending on other movement in the staff.

Offensive line coach Spencer Leftwich, who spent the last nine seasons at UNT, has resigned to accept the same position at Tulsa.

Leftwich will work under new Tulsa head coach Steve Kragthorpe, who was the offensive coordinator at UNT in 1994-'95. Though he will receive a significant pay raise, Leftwich said the decision to leave Denton was difficult.

"I have nothing but great things to say about North Texas," said Leftwich, who had at least one lineman named to the all-conference team in eight of nine seasons with the Mean Green.

"Coach Dickey treated me and my family with the greatest respect and care. This move is hard because I've been here so long and been treated so well, but sometimes in coaching you have a chance to move on. Sometimes those opportunities don't come back around, and I made a decision to go work with a friend and financially better myself."

Said Dickey: "We appreciate the great work he's done at North Texas. We're certainly going to miss him."

Dickey has already begun the interviewing process to find Leftwich's replacement. However, Dickey said there is not a specific timetable to make a hire.

The addition of Bell eliminates any concerns about the effect Leftwich's departure may have had on recruiting, Dickey said. Bell was responsible for signing several players who played key roles on UNT's Sun Belt title teams the last two seasons, including defensive end Adrian Awasom, cornerback Walter Priestley, receivers George Marshall and Ja'Mel Branch and safeties Jonas Buckles and Craig Jones.

"He was the first person from outside the staff that I hired when I originally got here, and he did a great job in every aspect," Dickey said. "The only area of concern because he was coming from high schools was recruiting, and that's the area he most excelled in."

Bell, a letterman as a defensive back at UNT in 1975 and '76, left in the summer of 2001 for an administrative position in the Houston Independent School District. He spent a year in that position before returning to coaching as offensive coordinator at The Colony High School.

Bell, who was a head coach at Houston Forest Brook and Sugar Land Willowridge for seven seasons prior to his first stint as a UNT assistant, said he is willing and able to coach any position. His immediate focus, however, is on recruiting.

"The big thing is I know every coach within the Houston ISD, because they all worked for me for a year and I coached in the district," Bell said. "I have a great working relationship with those guys, and they have a lot of talented athletes down there. I'm somewhat behind right now, so I have to really hustle."

MootPoint · December 28, 2002

"The big thing is I know every coach within the Houston ISD, because they all worked for me for a year and I coached in the district," Bell said. "I have a great working relationship with those guys, and they have a lot of talented athletes down there. I'm somewhat behind right now, so I have to really hustle."

Hopefully, he can make a real impact on Houston recruiting. That's a great area to get into for talent and UNT needs to be able to scoop into all areas of the state for players.

UNT92 · December 28, 2002

I like the Bell move. Sounds like he has some recruiting ties in Houston area. Noted that Spence had the opportunity to finanacially "better" himself. I can't blame him but Tulsa is a one of the 5 worst D1 programs in the country.

OldTimer · December 28, 2002

To Moot point...sorry I posted the DRC article when you already had posted it.. I had not checked the responses to the DMN blurb when I did so .

MeanGreenNation · December 28, 2002

I know coach Bells son! He always talks about how good of a Coach his dad is. Hopefully his words ring true and he helps our team out a lot. From the sounds of it though he is a great coach.

GrayEagle · December 28, 2002

I have talked to Coach Bell much more than to any of our current coaches and I find him to be a fine man, as well as a fine coach. I'm glad that he's back. He has ties to the Houston area but to this area as well. In many ways it's good to have a former player as a coach and recruiter.

Speaking of that, former UNT defensive lineman Nelson Barnes, late of the Nebraska staff, is now available (at least I haven't heard of a recent job offer). I think that he'd be a good offensive line coach.

As for Tulsa being one of the bottom five 1-A football programs, that's true. I will predict that they will be above that at the end of 2003 and rise much higher after a couple of recruiting seasons.

NT80 · December 28, 2002

I'd like to see Tulsa in the SBC someday. That would make an easy road trip and they used to be pretty good rivals in the old MVC.

NT75 · December 28, 2002

Jack, I share your sentiments about Bruce Bell and I'm glad that he's back. I didn't know that he recruited Jamel Branch. That has turned out to be a very big pickup for us.

It does bother me somewhat that a school like Tulsa can outpay us for one of our assistants. I hope that someday our athletic budget is large enough that we can meet any pay raises offered to our coaches by other schools.

I think we will have some excellent candidates apply for the position because we are viewed as a much better program than we were just three years ago.

Harry · December 28, 2002

I have nothing but respect for the job that Coach Leftwich has done, however lets lay all of the cards out on the table here. Coach Dickey inherited Coach Leftwich when he got here back in 98. Coach Leftwich is very close to Steve Kraigthorpe from his days back in the Simon regime. I am of the belief that if UNT wanted to retain Leftwich they could have. They - for whatever reason - chose not to. Leftwich had been at UNT for 9 seasons...that's a long time to be at one place. Perhaps this was a good chance for him to move on and take on a new challenge under a close friend. Perhaps this was a way for UNT to move on in another direction as well. I am of the belief that UNT could improve itself at this coaching position, possibly with a line coach that has more recruiting abilities than does Leftwich. My take is that this decision was in the best interests for both sides and not just about money. I guess only time will tell. I wish Coach Leftwich and his family nothing but the very best in the future.

GMG!

UNT96 · December 29, 2002

That is exactly what I was thinking harry, I think there is only one other coach that was here from the Simon days.. and he might even be gone now. Dickey has HIS staff in place now and that is very important in my opinion. During the second half of the season, the O-Line gave our QB all the time on the world; but the first half Andrew was running around way too much from the penetration. Dickey called them out on it after the TCU game. Now they did get it together and had a great second half of the season but I think UNT could have kept him if they really wanted to. RV and DD would have found a way, just time for a change, nothing more, nothing less.

ddv1996 · December 29, 2002

"During the second half of the season, the O-Line gave our QB all the time on the world; but the first half Andrew was running around way too much from the penetration. Dickey called them out on it after the TCU game. Now they did get it together and had a great second half of the season but I think UNT could have kept him if they really wanted to. "

You mean during the first half of the season against the likes of Arizona, Alabama, Texas and TCU our line had a problem and because Dickey called out the OL the line did a better job against the next set of teams. Do you think playing weak opponents in the second half had something to do with it?

As long as UNT refuses to pay the assitant coaches more than many high school coaches, we will not get the best coaches. I know for a fact the move to Tulsa was 90% about money. Leftwich's kids have never known anywhere else but Denton and they would have preferred to stay here. Bad move by Dickey and UNT to not take care of a well respected assitant coach.

LoveMG · December 29, 2002

As long as UNT refuses to pay the assitant coaches more than many high school coaches, we will not get the best coaches. I know for a fact the move to Tulsa was 90% about money. Leftwich's kids have never known anywhere else but Denton and they would have preferred to stay here. Bad move by Dickey and UNT to not take care of a well respected assitant coach.

"According to Villarreal, the pool of money for the assistant coaches would also be increased. UNT's nine assistant coaches were paid a total of $442,000 in 2002. "We have people on our staff that are among the best in the business at what they do," Villarreal said. "I think the salary structure has to reflect that. We can't compromise the other things we're planning, but we must put our head coach in a position to keep his assistants."

I would bet that UNT pays assistants what is comparable for the SBC. If fans want the assistants to get more, the fans will have to buy more tickets and contribute more to the Mean Green Club. Are you fan enough to help out?

Harry · December 29, 2002

"I have nothing but great things to say about North Texas," said Leftwich, who had at least one lineman named to the all-conference team in eight of nine seasons with the Mean Green.
"Coach Dickey treated me and my family with the greatest respect and care. This move is hard because I've been here so long and been treated so well, but sometimes in coaching you have a chance to move on. Sometimes those opportunities don't come back around, and I made a decision to go work with a friend and financially better myself."
Said Dickey: "We appreciate the great work he's done at North Texas. We're certainly going to miss him."

Looks like the man you feel has been wronged by Dickey only has great things to say about the man (Dickey). Like I said before I wish him well. Sometimes, in life, you take less money for better long term opportunity or even a better lifestyle. I hope that this move works out for Leftwich I really do but I am concerned that he has taken a job with a program that has some major challenges ahead. Hope he made the right decision for his family cause in my opinion Tulsa is on pretty shaky ground.

ddv1996 · December 30, 2002

I guess you are right, Leftwich should have cursed at Dickey and burned the bridge completely. Class hasn't nothing to do with being a professional.

As a full-time student, with a family of 5, and the sole income bread earner, we made every home game and the TCU and UT game....Were you fan enough. Stupid question