Baseball Coaches For North Texas

[Charlie NT 73]

I saw my cousin Jeff Darwin yesterday. Jeff asked me if North Texas

was going to have college baseball any time soon. I told Jeff the

plans are in the works, but I did not know when baseball at NT

was to start up. I asked Jeff,"Are ya'll (meaning Danny, Kevin and Jeff)

interested in coaching at North Texas?".

Jeff said," Heck yeah, all of us would be interested!"

Danny is a pitching coach in the Los Angeles Dodger's oraganization,

and a minor leauge team manager. Danny is in charge of several

key pitching prospects. Danny will be leaving soon for the Dodger's

minor leauge team in East Lansing, MI. All of the Dodger's pitching

prospects start here, under Danny's tutoring.

[TheTastyGreek]

Before any of the "We need Men's Soccer first!" people chime in and start complaining that we're not giving equal consideration...

I've got a Sam's Club membership to buy Capri Sun juice packs and I've been working on my orance slice cutting skills. Soccer fans can rest assured that we now have a viable coaching candidate for them, too- and one with North Texas ties: Me.

In all seriousness, thanks for this post, Charlie. Good to know that once the financials make sense, the interest is there for potential coaches.

[UNTflyer]

So that his identity will not be revealed, I will tell this tale of another GMG.com poster:

GMG Dude (to Dr. B last week): I'd love to be able to give to a baseball program, when do you think we'll have one?

Dr. B: Well, what men's program do you want me to cut???

[KRAM1]

Of course, Dr. B (if a true quote) would look to cut a men's program...what part of that idea do you not understand about "She who must be obeyed"????? Money is tight...I wonder about adding ANY sports to the budget at this time...including soccer...and I have already talked to several excellent coaches for a men's team...yes, UNT ties and all...interest is definitely there...but, again, this is probably not the time....

[UNT Mean Green]

I saw my cousin Jeff Darwin yesterday. Jeff asked me if North Texas

was going to have college baseball any time soon. I told Jeff the

plans are in the works, but I did not know when baseball at NT

was to start up. I asked Jeff,"Are ya'll (meaning Danny, Kevin and Jeff)

interested in coaching at North Texas?".

Jeff said," Heck yeah, all of us would be interested!"

Danny is a pitching coach in the Los Angeles Dodger's oraganization,

and a minor leauge team manager. Danny is in charge of several

key pitching prospects. Danny will be leaving soon for the Dodger's

minor leauge team in East Lansing, MI. All of the Dodger's pitching

prospects start here, under Danny's tutoring.

Interesting note Charlie. That's good news. You'd be shocked at some of the names who have interest in UNT Baseball. It's unlike any sport at NT right now, I'll put it that way. Despite not having a program, you'd be shocked at the interest 'once they decide to start a program'. Try hundreds of different coaches ranging from front offices in Professional Baseball to High School coaches. Can't say much more than that, but whoever gets that job when the program starts will be someone at a high level.

Edited January 24, 2009 by UNT Mean Green

[bstnsportsfan3]

i have had almost a hundred students on campus ask me when were getting a basebal program. i think it would be a Huge success if we got one in place!

[oldguystudent]

With all due respect to men's soccer, it's a fall sport. In addition to the fact that baseball is my true love, it would give us a marquee sport from the starting bell in August through commencement ceremonies in June.

ETA -- I guess commencement at UNT is in May, but you get the idea.

Edited January 25, 2009 by oldguystudent

[LoveMG]

So that his identity will not be revealed, I will tell this tale of another GMG.com poster:

GMG Dude (to Dr. B last week): I'd love to be able to give to a baseball program, when do you think we'll have one?

Dr. B: Well, what men's program do you want me to cut???

not a tough choice. cut a non-revenue sport to gain a revenue sport that fans can watch and will support. start with men's golf, then move to cross country. sorry to those sports but we only need 13 ships for baseball. a great tradeoff if you ask most fans. lets do it.

Edited January 25, 2009 by LoveMG

[C&S]

not a tough choice. cut a non-revenue sport to gain a revenue sport that fans can watch and will support. start with men's golf, then move to cross country. sorry to those sports but we only need 13 ships for baseball. a great tradeoff if you ask most fans. lets do it.

It's not just revenue. It also has to do with Title IX, federal law. So, in order to have baseball, what sport(s) for females are you going to add to balance it out?

[GreenMachine]

It's not just revenue. It also has to do with Title IX, federal law. So, in order to have baseball, what sport(s) for females are you going to add to balance it out?

you don't have to add a female sport, you can cut a males sport to make room for baseball under Title IX.

[Mean Green 93-98]

not a tough choice. cut a non-revenue sport to gain a revenue sport that fans can watch and will support. start with men's golf, then move to cross country. sorry to those sports but we only need 13 ships for baseball. a great tradeoff if you ask most fans. lets do it.

I don't see men's golf going anywhere. It's a sport UNT actually has a history of success with, although not so much in recent years. Why don't we just get Title IX overturned instead?

[GrandGreen]

not a tough choice. cut a non-revenue sport to gain a revenue sport that fans can watch and will support. start with men's golf, then move to cross country. sorry to those sports but we only need 13 ships for baseball. a great tradeoff if you ask most fans. lets do it.

Tougher choice than you might think. Men's golf as pointed out, is the only sport that NT actually has a national championship in. Cross country is part of the track program which actually counts as 3 different sports (outdoor track, cross country, indoor track) with the cross country runners generally filling the long distance positions of the track teams. The NCAA does not divide the track program ships between the 3 segments.

Title nine is also based on total scholarship numbers not sports sponsored. Thus to offset baseball with a ship limit of 11.7, you would have to cancel the whole men's track program which only has 12.6 ships allowed. This would also put NT below the minimum number of sports necessary to be in the FB division.

Cancellation of the Golf team would only offset 4.5 ships needed to get to the maximum for baseball.

Title IX, in my opinion should be challenged. No matter how noble its intentions it has put a great burden on the "have-nots" of college sports. Funding sports with not even a remote chance of breaking even or for that fact provide very little in any type of recognition for the school in the same category as football is certainly questionable. There needs to be some type of financial reality added to the equation.

Edited January 26, 2009 by GrandGreen

[KRAM1]

Yep, all the women's sports sure generate a bunch of revenue....and, if you think baseball will come anywhere near even paying for itself...you have another think coming. While there will be a few...very few ticket sales...students will continue to get in with their athletic fee, etc....travel, field upkeep, scholarships, equipment, etc. will eat up much more than any small...very small bit of ticket revenue that would come as a result of adding baseball.

To eliminate golf or CC or any other men's sport to add baseball is not a smart move. If baseball can be added while keeping all the existing men's sports...so be it. But, for me, I do not want to lose any sport to add another...especially one that will be so much more expense to maintain than the ones "cut".

GO MEAN GREEN!

[Quoner]

Yep, all the women's sports sure generate a bunch of revenue....and, if you think baseball will come anywhere near even paying for itself...you have another think coming. While there will be a few...very few ticket sales...students will continue to get in with their athletic fee, etc....travel, field upkeep, scholarships, equipment, etc. will eat up much more than any small...very small bit of ticket revenue that would come as a result of adding baseball.

To eliminate golf or CC or any other men's sport to add baseball is not a smart move. If baseball can be added while keeping all the existing men's sports...so be it. But, for me, I do not want to lose any sport to add another...especially one that will be so much more expense to maintain than the ones "cut".

GO MEAN GREEN!

Baseball will be expensive and costly? Why has no one ever brought this up?

We should debate this!

[oldguystudent]

I contacted Boyd Nation, owner of boydsworld.com a few months ago, and we did a little research into baseball revenues (nothing on the level of what Tasty does). We couldn't find a single example of a profitable baseball program. I was surprised that some of the bigger SEC programs didn't even make money.

[KRAM1]

And, this surprises how many people? The same can probably said for the vast majority of all sports on all college campuses. However, we must all remember, the sports program at many colleges and universities is "responsible" for keeping alums "connected" to their colleges and universities, in getting the name of the school "out there" for PR purposes, for creating a "buzz" about the school with potential students and for developing a great deal of donation $$$$ for the school, both on the athletic and academic side of things. Just maybe, the baseball folks would "come out of the woodwork" with their support dollars for UNT once the program was "up and operating". I pretty much have to think "not so much" if the trend continued for UNT, but in "staying positive" I would say there is certainly a chance.

Believe it or not, I would definitely go see the baseball team play, and while sitting there through extended periods of non-action I can dream of the reinstatement of men's soccer. Hey, the US got it's first black president in my lifetime, maybe I will live long enough to see the return of men's soccer. There...had to work that in (along with at least one set of "...'s" just for Quoner).

GO MEAN GREEN

[greenjoe]

What are some women's sports that we could afford, that would offset the addition of baseball ?

I've heard rowing, but where does one go to row ? And who do we compete with ?

[Mean Green 93-98]

What are some women's sports that we could afford, that would offset the addition of baseball ?

I've heard rowing, but where does one go to row ? And who do we compete with ?

The Charles River, of course. And we compete with Harvard, Northeastern, Tufts, Wellesley, BC, BU, and MIT.

[oldguystudent]

What are some women's sports that we could afford, that would offset the addition of baseball ?

I've heard rowing, but where does one go to row ? And who do we compete with ?

UNT has representation in all Sun Belt women's sports. We would then have to add something outside the conference. You can see a listing of sponsoring schools for each sport recognized by the NCAA here. It sounds silly, but the sport with the most regional competition is women's bowling. I high doubt that sport would offer the necessary scholarships to offset baseball or soccer.

As for rowing, SMU and several Big 12 schools sponsor women's rowing with meets in Austin, Tennessee and Oklahoma. I suppose it might be viable as an independent sport. Other than that, I suggest we join Eastern Illinois as the only other school to sponsor women's rugby. We would be guaranteed to play for the national championship each and every year!

[drex]

I'm anxiously awaiting the addition of women's beach volleyball. That just goes to show you what a big fan I am of most any sports.

[oldguystudent]

I'm anxiously awaiting the addition of women's beach volleyball. That just goes to show you what a big fan I am of most any sports.

Properly managed and marketed, that could be a revenue sport!

[GreenBat]

Properly managed and marketed, that could be a revenue sport!

AMEN to that brutha. I'll avoid any details, so the admins won't get upset.

[NT03]

I GUESS GREAT THINGS AREN'T HAPPENING FOR THE BASEBALL COACHES @ UNT

[Quoner]

I GUESS GREAT THINGS AREN'T HAPPENING FOR THE BASEBALL COACHES @ UNT

Not with that attitude. You're killing baseball with your attitude problem.

[NTEX1990]

IS THERE A SITE I CAN GO TO AND FIND OUT MORE SPECIFICS ON THE UNT BASEBALL PROGRAM AND WHEN IT IS EXPECTED TO REALLY START UP?