It Starts And Ends With The Head Coach!

[Green Nightmare]

It appears that was true only in 2008 (Vizza's sophomore jinx). Here are the average points and first downs for the past five years:

2005 12.6 FD 14.3 PPG 1.13 points per 1st down

2006 12.8 FD 12.8 PPG 1.00 points per 1st down

2007 21.5 FD 24.8 PPG 1.15 points per 1st down

2008 20.6 FD 20.0 PPG .97 points per 1st down

2009 20.6 FD 28.0 PPG 1.36 points per 1st down

Both Dodge's first year and this year exceeded either of Dickey's last two years. However, as I was typing this I decided to go back and look at 2004. It was a bowl year and the last year that I had data. I found that the 2004 team averaged 1.68 points per first down...quite a bit higher than any of these shown but remember that may have been our best team since our return to Division 1-A.

That is what is disheartening about this year. Even with our best offensive year since 2004 we still are not winning games. The mistakes have been consistent with Dodge; this year is no better or worse. So where can we go from here? Riley has improved the offense but how or when can be believe that will translate to wins?

Here is a diff way to slice that with about the same results.

CHFF

Yards Per Point Scored (YPPS). The lower the number, the more efficiently a team scores points. Scoreability is not merely an offensive indicator. It is a team-wide measurement of ability to turn yards into points. It takes into account a variety of factors (including proficiency of defense and special teams, red zone offense, and turnover differential) and then spits it all out in an easy-to-understand number. Other measures of offense, and offensive efficiency, look at the offensive unit in a vacuum.

• 2009 UNT Points 280 Total Yards 4,189 YPP 14.96 Conf Rank 5
• 2008 UNT Points 240 Total Yards 4,356 YPP 18.15 Conf Rank 8
• 2007 UNT Points 298 Total Yards 4,901 YPP 16.45 Conf Rank 6
• 2006 UNT Points 154 Total Yards 2,786 YPP 18.09 Conf Rank 5
• 2005 UNT Points 157 Total Yards 2,991 YPP 19.05 Conf Rank 7
• 2004 UNT Points 309 Total Yards 4,128 YPP 13.36 Conf Rank 2

Kind of jumping the gun here, I am trying to put together a total comparison of all those quality stats amongst the belt teams and across the Dodge/Dickey eras. Mainly to see if that D was as good as w e thought and is this one as bad. Also to compare the offenses and the teams in conference

[DallasGreen]

You guys want Dodge gone, how much are you going to give to the program to get a better coach??? June Jones is being paid mostly with private donations. I bet most of you bitching on this board gives less than $1K a year to the program.

Also, who will be our QB??

Anybody but Riley "Pick Six" Dodge.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

Anyone know what the lowest winning percentage is out of all of the coaches, all of the sports here at UNT is? Another words has there been a coach with a worse winning percentage at UNT, worse than Dodge?

[Aquila_Viridis]

I have come to believe that Dickey was a miracle worker. When he said he was up against it every day we poopooed him. We should have listened. I think what happened is somehow against relentless opposition from other parts of the university he managed to let us have some fun but then it caught up with him. The university won't stomach what is needed to compete today. The stadium is a token or distraction. It won't change things. It could help, but a lot more is necessary. I do believe it has gotten so insane to be competitive in Division 1 that maybe it's not even worth it all. It's ironic that places like TCU and SMU don't even need to do this yet they are having success at it. I don't even know what North Texas is trying to accomplish and I'm going a lot futher back to not caring about it. I always said this football thing could be like a lightning rod for North Texas but it is pretty clear they don't know what to do with lightning. I guess they think we alumni are supposed to get all excited about this other stuff they put in the 'North Texan' but that is very unrealistic. Maybe they are focused on becoming a Tier 1 Research University but I'd really like to see the plan for garnering a $400 million endowment. My plan was for them to raise $10 million over a few years for coach salaries, give themselves a shot at respectability and then use that to promote the kind of image that had a prayer of raising that kind of endowment. That is not the plan that it is being carried out. Maybe there isn't a plan. If there's not then all this football foolishness doesn't make much difference. I feel bad for the players and their families caught in it. I am not proud of North Texas right now because the university has refused to address the fundamentals of the situation head on. It is an ongoing sickening and I don't even want to mention any connection. You can call me a bandwagon fan or whatever. I don't like where that bandwagon is going. I can't believe I came to a game after last year and the year before and the year before etc...... I'm not even going to say that people necessarily should be fired. We just need people running the place who know what to do and aren't sort of waiting around for something to happen. I'm not seeing much evidence of knowing what to do from the current group, but they are welcome to present such evidence at any time. Otherwise, who can fire these people?

Edited November 18, 2009 by Aquila_Viridis

[LoveMG]

I bet most of you bitching on this board gives less than $1K a year to the program.

if fans are not complaining about their program being 5-28 then we have a far greater problem of apathy.

[perryfrog]

from the mid 70's to mid 80's tcu averaged 2 wins per season. it just takes time and money to turn a program around. we have the time, smu has the money.

In 1997 TCU had one win. That was against rival SMU. The next year, we played in

the Sun Bowl and beat USC.

That was the difference between Coach Sullivan and Dennis Francione and crew.

It doesn't necessarily take three or four years to turn a team around.

GO FROGS!!!!

GO MEAN GREEN!!!!

[KRAM1]

I agree that all this discussion about our head coach is very interesting. However, it does seem to me that there are many factors, some beyond the realm of the head coach and his staff and their "experience" at the college level that come into play. I give you Mike Sherman at Texas A&M as an example. here's a guy with college and NFL experience that seems to be having a bit of a "Challenge" getting Texas A & M turned around. Like UT, I see absolutely NO reason why TX A&M (like the Aggies or not) should not have a very good team each and every year. The student body and alumni support are always great (win, lose or draw...which is something the UNT fan base should look at as the way to really support a program), A&M has great traditions, has had some great coaches including Bear Bryant, facilities are excellent, etc., etc.

So, could it be that the level of college and/or NFL experience may or may not be as critical a factor as one might think? Important? Very...but does it relate and transfer directly to success at the college head coach level????

Just wondering...

GO MEAN GREEN!

[KingDL1]

I agree that all this discussion about our head coach is very interesting. However, it does seem to me that there are many factors, some beyond the realm of the head coach and his staff and their "experience" at the college level that come into play. I give you Mike Sherman at Texas A&M as an example. here's a guy with college and NFL experience that seems to be having a bit of a "Challenge" getting Texas A & M turned around. Like UT, I see absolutely NO reason why TX A&M (like the Aggies or not) should not have a very good team each and every year. The student body and alumni support are always great (win, lose or draw...which is something the UNT fan base should look at as the way to really support a program), A&M has great traditions, has had some great coaches including Bear Bryant, facilities are excellent, etc., etc.

So, could it be that the level of college and/or NFL experience may or may not be as critical a factor as one might think? Important? Very...but does it relate and transfer directly to success at the college head coach level????

Just wondering...

GO MEAN GREEN!

Kram1, I think the moral of the story is "Risk Management". The more high level experience a candidate has the better the chances they will be successful, but there are no guarantees.

Edited November 19, 2009 by KingDL1

[KRAM1]

Kram1, I think the moral of the story is "Risk Management". The more high level experience a candidate has the better the chances they will be successful, but there are no guarantees.

Agrre with you...but, it's still pretty much a "crap shoot" it seems even with "experienced" coaches.

[Quoner]

Agrre with you...but, it's still pretty much a "crap shoot" it seems even with "experienced" coaches.

The lesson I took from Sherman is don't let personal attachments and history get in the way of getting the best candidate available today.

[untjim1995]

The lesson I took from Sherman is don't let personal attachments and history get in the way of getting the best candidate available today.

Or the better lesson might be to not let the governor and his buddy that he placed as the university president pick the new head coach without interviewing anyone else just becasue he coached his kids when they were in school as OLinemen

[Charlie NT 73]

Memphis offered their HFC job to MTSU's HFC Stockstill this week.

Salary range $1.5 to 1.7 MILLION, per year!

Stock told Memphis, Thanks but no thanks! Not interested anymore.

[AnotherEagleFan]

Memphis offered their HFC job to MTSU's HFC Stockstill this week.

Salary range $1.5 to 1.7 MILLION, per year!

Stock told Memphis, Thanks but no thanks! Not interested anymore.

Source???

[Charlie NT 73]

Regarding my source for the salary offer and HFC's job at Memphis, was from a posting by

KAjunRaider, on the NCAABBS.com board. I made a mistake on the $$$ offered. The corrected amount was $1.2 to 1.5 million dollars per year.

KAjunRaider is very knowledgeable about what is going on at MTSU.

http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?&tid=400838

Read KAjun's posting # 1, then posting # 7.

KAjun's posting # 13 is very interesting. KAjun reports that Stockstill found out that Memphis would stay in CUSA,

because when the Big East expansion happens, Memphis will be left out.

I believe when the next football conference changes come, CUSA will be CDOA.

The Sunbelt teams should stay together. CUSA will expect SBC teams to join CUSA. I would rather the SBC

expect the CUSA teams to join the SBC!

Edited November 20, 2009 by charlie nt73

[NT80]

Regarding my source for the salary offer and HFC's job at Memphis, was from a posting by

KAjunRaider, on the NCAABBS.com board. I made a mistake on the $$$ offered. The corrected amount was $1.2 to 1.5 million dollars per year.

First, there is no way Memphis would offer that kind of money to an unproven Stockstill.

Second, there is no way Stockstill turns it down to stay at MTSU for $250K.

Edited November 20, 2009 by NT80