Someone Else Who Should Be In The Nt

SUMG · August 27, 2009

I agree with Grand Green....that Walter Chapman should be in the NT HOF. Sadly, in his case....it would be a posthumous induction.

But, after reading the thread on the comparisons of Dickey to Fry......it reminded me of another coach at NT. A guy who did a lot with very little.

Clark "Corky" Nelson should be in the North Texas Hall of Fame. He took us to the NCAA playoffs 3 times. We were nationally ranked #1 in -1-AA for several weeks under Corky.

Our first two sellouts of Fouts (the 20,000 seat version).....were under Coach Nelson (SFA in '89 and SMU in '90).

He was here for 9 years.....and was successful.

One more point----I also think Coach Dickey should go into the Hall......in time. I'd say right now......would be a little too soon for him.

UNT_playmaker · August 27, 2009

Coach Dickey deserves to be in the NT HOF, no doubt.

drex · August 27, 2009

No one did more with less than Corky Nelson.

houstonmeangreen · August 27, 2009

No one did more with less than Corky Nelson.

Agree....I say if things don't work out this season....bring him back.

houstonmeangreen · August 27, 2009

Coach Dickey deserves to be in the NT HOF, no doubt.

I agree....even more so after last season and my visit to Rice stadium.

GrandGreen · August 27, 2009

No one did more with less than Corky Nelson.

I was generally a Corky fan, but lets get real. Nelson coached in a 1-aa league and never dominated. He did his best coaching against 1-a schools and I think those are the games that most remember. He won the Southland conference once in NT's first year were NT had a big advantage of having basically a 1-a recruited team playing in a lower league. Corky did a great job playing the "big boys" but against the Southland he was just a little better than a .500 coach.

I liked Corky's attitude and NT was at a big disadvantage in the Southland that is rarely talked about. With the exception of UTA, most of the teams in Texas and Louisiana were composed of players that could not get admitted to NT. This continued until minimun standards were enacted by the NCAA, long after Nelson's tenure at NT.

GrandGreen · August 27, 2009

Coach Dickey deserves to be in the NT HOF, no doubt.

I have a big doubt, and on the surface it contradicts comments I made concerning athletes being admitting to the HOF. I stated that off the field activities should not be held against players when NT chose to let those players continue to participate. I differ with Dickey. I think that his four straight conference championships are certainly HOF worthy. However, I hope that NT does not honor a coach that continually publicly criticized a program that he was working for. He should definitely get credit for building up NT football, but on the other hand, he should get the blame for basically letting the program slide as he looked for greener pastures. A coach's primary responsibly is always going to be winning, however he also has a responsibly to be a good representative of his school. Dickey failed miserably at being that representative.

Quoner · August 27, 2009

This thread does a good job of proving the only point that you can poke holes in any coaching staff in the history of this school fairly easily. Why not just take a Kram pill and focus on the positive stuff from the past?

Besides, unlike blind optimism for the future, the past cannot let you down.

greendog · August 27, 2009

A few more names that should be considered in the NT HOF:

along with Walter Chapman are:

Not in priority:

1. Frank Luke. One of the top golfers in NT history.

2. Dick Smith. Possibly would have been the best golfer in NT

history but was killed his JR year. Still was a 3 X All American.

3. Bobby Iverson. (BB) Don't know if he is in but he was one of

the 5 best players ever at NT.

4. The former NT golfer who was an all american and went on to

coach UT and won NCAA a time or two.

I gave up on the HOF since many of the people selected were

friends of the selection committee. When a coach wins 6 games

a year is in, the credibility is not there. Hope the criteria changes

so we can be prouder of what it stands for. There are many

in it that were deserving such as Kenny Washington, Hayden Fry,

Joe Green, Abner Haynes, Bobby Greenwood, etc. but many

were "cronies" of the selection committee.

Hope it changes so it means more.

FirefightnRick · August 28, 2009

Good post SUMG. To me, Coach Nelson made it possible for the university to begin the process of considering our return to 1-A. After that amazing 1988 non conference season the debate as for our return was never better. And I also agree that Coach Dickey will be in as well some time down the road.

Rick