Oc To Hire!

jdennis82 · January 15, 2010

quick question: if riley's not hired, are we going to have people all over here claiming they could've done a better job filling this position than those who make their living based on these decisions? can we agree to trust that the hiring process was thorough?

emmitt01 · January 15, 2010

quick question: if riley's not hired, are we going to have people all over here claiming they could've done a better job filling this position than those who make their living based on these decisions? can we agree to trust that the hiring process was thorough?

Some will be forgiven if they're skeptical of the handling of this decision based on the retention of Dodge and what it says about "cheapest" versus "best".

gangrene · January 15, 2010

I'm not feeling very optimistic that Lincoln Riley is even being considered at this point, and that's a shame.

Take it how you want, but Vito's recent blog seems to indicate as much. I'm not sure a Texas Tech official is keeping up with all of the fired coaches affairs, but it doesn't look very promising to me. Dodge will probably hire the SHSU guy, without interviewing anyone else or go back to the high school ranks for an OC. :rolleyes: Given how long it took to hire Dodge, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it's been 4 days and we haven't even identified a leading candidate. It's not like the OC is an important position anyway.

Ole Green Guts · January 15, 2010

If he is not contacted or interview it will be a shame because I know he is intrested........

Charlie NT 73 · January 15, 2010

Do not forget that Troy is looking for a OC also.

Neal Brown, Troy's OC for the past 2 years, was hired by Tuberville to

become Tech's OC.

Brown made his first hire, taking Troy's RB coach, Chan Scott, to

become Tech's RB coach.

I have seen Lincoln Riley's name mentioned on GoTroyTrojan's fan board.

January 15, 2010

I'm sure that the vast majority of the Mean Green Nation that follow college football would be for the hiring of OGG's Mule buddy Lincoln Riley but it's a little more complicated than just picking the favorite.

If we could match Southern Miss, or whereever else he's interviewing, the salary would be out of line with DC Gary DeLoach. It might be an awkward to have that disparity in salary between a coordinator with 20+ years of experience (including several at UNT) and the other with about three years Division 1A experience. But, I believe that DeLo needs to reprove himself to command a larger salary while Riley should be a hot commodity based on his success at Tech and demand a larger salary (which would still be a cut from last year).

A second factor is control. Would Dodge be willing to turn over the reins to someone not experienced in his system? Since he didn't appear to do that with Ford, who had a half-dozen years under him, that would come grudgingly. Still, if Todd knows what's best for the staff, I think that he should do that as soon as he can feel comfortable with his new OC.

Failure would be self-explanatory but success would present a larger problem. What if North Texas won eight games this coming year? Would Riley, who would play a large part in that success, be content to sit for another year at virtually the same salary? I don't know. He had a loyalty to Tech because he played there but would he have any loyalty to us? A successful turnaround might make him a tremendously hot prospect for a BCS AQ college. Todd Whitten, or probably any other choice, would not be a candidate for immediate advancement.

I do agree with Turney that if we don't at least interview him for the job it would be a shame.

Edited January 15, 2010 by GrayEagleOne

gangrene · January 15, 2010

I'm sure that the vast majority of the Mean Green Nation that follow college football would be for the hiring of OGG's Mule buddy Lincoln Riley but it's a little more complicated than just picking the favorite.
If we could at least match Southern Miss, or whereever else he's interviewing the salary would be out of line with DC Gary DeLoach. It might be an awkward to have that disparity in salary between a coordinator with 20+ years of experience (including several at UNT) and the other with about three years Division 1A experience. But, I believe that DeLo needs to reprove himself to command a larger salary while Riley should be a hot commodity based on his success at Tech and demand a larger salary (which would still be a cut from last year).
A second factor is control. Would Dodge be willing to turn over the reins to someone not experienced in his system? Since he didn't appear to do that with Ford, who had a half-dozen years under him, that would come grudgingly. Still, if Todd knows what's best for the staff, I think that he should do that as soon as he can feel comfortable with his new OC.
Failure would be self-explanatory but success would present a larger problem. What if North Texas won eight games this coming year? Would Riley, who would play a large part in that success, be content to sit for another year at virtually the same salary? I don't know. He had a loyalty to Tech because he played there but would he have any loyalty to us? A successful turnaround might make him a tremendously hot prospect for a BCS AQ college. Todd Whitten, or probably any other choice, would not be a candidate for immediate advancement.
I do agree with Turney that if we don't at least interview him for the job it would be a shame.

Well, I think of Riley as much more than Matt's Muleshoe buddy, but it may be Matt's relationship with Riley that has him interested in the first place. Other than the Alamo bowl, we really don't have much other experience to cite that would qualify Lincoln for the OC position. However, he was the closest thing TTech had to an OC and I think that, by itself, should address your second factor. He's already proven that he can work with, arguably, one of the most stubborn, controlling head coaches in college football. I'm not sure Dodge would have to immediately turn over the entire offense to Lincoln Riley but, rather, utilize his knowledge of Leach's system to mesh the two ideologies and bring a different perspective to Dodge's offense. I think that has been a big problem over the last three years because Ford's only knowledge of the spread came from Dodge. Additionally, Riley has proven to be an effective recruiter - no reason why we shouldn't expect him to bring to element to UNT.

First, I don't believe LR would bolt after just one season, but that's just an opinion I have, based on my knowledge of his character. Secondly, I really don't care if he bolts after one very successful season. Practically, every one on this board has had the assumption that Dodge would leave for a bigger program if he found success at UNT. I don't really see that as a problem because UNT is no more than a stepping stone on the path of college football coaches. But, I'd much rather take a chance on hiring a young assistant with a LOT of potential than going after an FCS coach that got fired because his record sucked or, even worse, trying to find another HS coach to make the jump to college. I think that's been thoroughly proven to be a disaster.

As a fan, I'm really tired and irritated by the constant reminder that we don't pay jack for our coaches. As an alumnus, I am embarrassed by that same fact and #1 I'm not convinced that we don't have a larger budget for coaching salaries (it's highly suspicious based on what other universities, with similar circumstances, are paying their staff). #2 I'd certainly be willing to contribute to a coaching fund similar to what SMU did for June Jones (20 pledges for $100,000 each). Now, I'm not going to fork over $100K but we have a much larger alumni base than SMU and we could certainly develop a plan that would work. $1,000 each x 2,000 pledges = $2MM, $2,500 each x 800 and $5,000 each x 400 get you to that same $2 million mark. Now, I could be coaxed into one of those if the administration is willing to show a big commitment to the continuing success of Mean Green football by bringing in a top-notch head COLLEGE football coach and his highly qualified and college-experienced football staff. These last three years have been the biggest embarrassment I've ever experienced as a UNT alumnus. It has also eliminated any and all relevance to FBS college football we may have gained during our SBC Championship years and made us a laughing stock for those who still know who we are. I do not blame the entirety of this embarrassment on Coach Dodge. I've always had confidence in the fact that he has the passion for the job and knows how to coach, win and gives 100% effort each week. I think he's just out of his element in the college ranks and he's either too stubborn or too proud to admit it. But, it's happened to many great coaches over the years - Lou Holtz, Steve Spurrier and Pete Carroll are just a few of the college coaches who failed at the next level. It's taken Carroll 9 years to build up the confidence to try it again, while Holtz and Spurrier just accepted their places in college. Now, Dodge has been given a far longer leach than any of the aforementioned coaches were ever given, so it's entirely possible he may yet find success at the next level - for the sake of our program, I sure hope he gets it figured out soon.

Sorry for the tangent, I'm just really frustrated and disgusted by the current state of our program and our apparent lack of involvement in the current coaching carousel just sent me over the edge. Ford's sudden departure left us in an ideal situation to go after one of the quality college coaches who has recently found himself unemployed. Being content with a coaching staff that has compiled a 5-31 record over the last three years is just absurd.

gangrene · January 15, 2010

Thanks BV for following up with Riley. Mean Green blog

As for the apparent lack of interest by UNT, I have nothing further to say.

Charlie NT 73 · January 15, 2010

Yeah- I saw Vito's afternoon blog too, which does not mean a return call will not be made,

and does not rule out Lincoln Riley as a candidate. I would bet the list of candidate names

has grown alot more than we as fans, even know about.

Coach Dodge said the position will be filled within 3 weeks, which means he will be reviewing

all the candidates, picking out the candidates he wants to interview, then setting up

the interview date. Riley may be a fan favorite, but who are the other candidates for the

OC's job at North Texas?

Interesting note about Eric Russell interviewing at Cal.

wardly · January 16, 2010

"what do you want, what do you need, what are you willing to pay for? "bottom line: we can't afford $200,000 for an o.c. we all have budgets, both in our personal and professional lives, and he is just not affordable. our alumni continue to have champaign tastes and a beer pocketbook.

jdennis82 · January 16, 2010

"what do you want, what do you need, what are you willing to pay for? "bottom line: we can't afford $200,000 for an o.c. we all have budgets, both in our personal and professional lives, and he is just not affordable. our alumni continue to have champaign tastes and a beer pocketbook.

thank you! smu saw what they wanted and opened their pocketbooks to make it happen. i don't know about you, but i don't have the means to hand the department $100k to prompt the call.

jdennis82 · January 16, 2010

oh, and if i did have the extra cash to donate, wouldn't we all rather see that put towards the new stadium rather than an OC who would be working under a HC who controls the offense?

Tramp96 · January 16, 2010

I have had the fortunate opportunity of meeting Lincoln and getting to sit in a film session with him at the Leach Fantasy Camp a couple of years ago. He is extremely smart and, like Leach, has a very good appreciation for the little nuances in executing plays that most people do not even notice. It is those little things that make all the difference.

Todd Dodge would be crazy not to hire him and hand over the reigns. Lincoln is one of the best young offensive minds in the country right now, and one helluva recruiter. He's one of those people that you can't help but like the moment you meet him. I think Tuberville made a huge mistake not retaining him on the Tech staff.

SilverEagle · January 16, 2010

I have had the fortunate opportunity of meeting Lincoln and getting to sit in a film session with him at the Leach Fantasy Camp a couple of years ago. He is extremely smart and, like Leach, has a very good appreciation for the little nuances in executing plays that most people do not even notice. It is those little things that make all the difference.
Todd Dodge would be crazy not to hire him and hand over the reigns. Lincoln is one of the best young offensive minds in the country right now, and one helluva recruiter. He's one of those people that you can't help but like the moment you meet him. I think Tuberville made a huge mistake not retaining him on the Tech staff.

The "why-the-hell-not" pile just gets bigger and bigger.

NT03 · January 16, 2010

Would TD be willing to hire a new OC who might want Tune or Thompson to be his starter and want Riley moved to WR ??

eulessismore · January 16, 2010

oh, and if i did have the extra cash to donate, wouldn't we all rather see that put towards the new stadium rather than an OC who would be working under a HC who controls the offense?

Those arguments about not paying him almost $200k sound reasonable; however, why is it assumed that we would have to pay him that? Does anyone know whether: 1.) his contract is like that of most assistants, therefore not guarantee and he only gets what is remaining of a 1 year contract, or 2.)whether it is like most head coaches contracts, where he gets paid the remainder of a multiple year contract, minus whatever salary he gets by taking another position (assuming that salary pays less). Either way, taking a position at North Texas would not reduce his current income, which is either "0", or his previous salary minus anything he would receive from North Texas. This is all assuming he doesn't already have a higher paying offer available. Anyone know any different?

gangrene · January 16, 2010

thank you! smu saw what they wanted and opened their pocketbooks to make it happen. i don't know about you, but i don't have the means to hand the department $100k to prompt the call.

I would say most people don't have the means to give $100K per year. However, we have one thing SMU doesn't have and that's an alumni base that is much larger than that of SMU. Every single person on this board could manage to contribute somewhere between $750-2,000K per year - $750 per year equals about $62.50 per month, which is probably less than most of us spend on beer. But we have too many people that just want to complain and complain about what's wrong without wanting to do anything to solve the problem i.e. give more money. I don't think we need to come up with $2 million - I just used SMU as an example because we are all familiar with it. But, when one of the newest teams in the FBS, Western Kentucky, is able to lure away 4 coaches from the Stanford staff (their salaries aren't reported) I get a bit upset when I hear we can't afford $150-200K for an OC. Come on people, wake up!! Where are your priorities?? Beer or Mean Green football?

Mean Green 93-98 · January 16, 2010

Those arguments about not paying him almost $200k sound reasonable; however, why is it assumed that we would have to pay him that? Does anyone know whether: 1.) his contract is like that of most assistants, therefore not guarantee and he only gets what is remaining of a 1 year contract, or 2.)whether it is like most head coaches contracts, where he gets paid the remainder of a multiple year contract, minus whatever salary he gets by taking another position (assuming that salary pays less). Either way, taking a position at North Texas would not reduce his current income, which is either "0", or his previous salary minus anything he would receive from North Texas. This is all assuming he doesn't already have a higher paying offer available. Anyone know any different?

My thinking exactly. Offer him in the $90k range, and if he says no, so be it.

wardly · January 17, 2010

I have had the fortunate opportunity of meeting Lincoln and getting to sit in a film session with him at the Leach Fantasy Camp a couple of years ago. He is extremely smart and, like Leach, has a very good appreciation for the little nuances in executing plays that most people do not even notice. It is those little things that make all the difference.
Todd Dodge would be crazy not to hire him and hand over the reigns. Lincoln is one of the best young offensive minds in the country right now, and one helluva recruiter. He's one of those people that you can't help but like the moment you meet him. I think Tuberville made a huge mistake not retaining him on the Tech staff. ------------------------------------- what qualifies lincoln to be our oc? if he is in such great demand, [a] why did tech not keep him why has his name not popped up for oc consideration at other schools? [c] before tech beat a 6&6 m.state team in alamo bowl, had any of you ever heard of him?
[m.state won 4 big 10 games, split 2 games with the mac, and beat a 1aa team for their 6 wins}

FirefightnRick · January 17, 2010

"what do you want, what do you need, what are you willing to pay for? "bottom line: we can't afford $200,000 for an o.c. we all have budgets, both in our personal and professional lives, and he is just not affordable. our alumni continue to have champaign tastes and a beer pocketbook.

When your wanting to work, plus wanting to stay in Texas I don't see that money would be much of a concern.

We certianly can afford Lincoln. We need someone with current, successful experience at the major D-I level and he wants to be here. That in and of itself deserves an interview in my oppinion.

Rick

Edited January 17, 2010 by FirefightnRick

gangrene · January 17, 2010

what qualifies lincoln to be our oc? if he is in such great demand, [a] why did tech not keep him why has his name not popped up for oc consideration at other schools? [c] before tech beat a 6&6 m.state team in alamo bowl, had any of you ever heard of him?
[m.state won 4 big 10 games, split 2 games with the mac, and beat a 1aa team for their 6 wins}

Please feel free to do your own research since you're not buying anything we're saying anyway.

Yes, I had definitely heard of Lincoln Riley prior to the bowl. Leach didn't have an OC so LR was the closest thing to an OC that Tech had under Leach. My brother and several of my friends went to Tech and all were big supporters of LR. The majority of the Tech fan base was livid when Riley was released because they know how instrumental he's been to Tech's recent success. But, again, don't take my word for it, visit Tech's forum and see what they have to say. Read a few articles on what the four-star players he was recruiting thought about him. The guy's only been "available" for less than a week now. Yet, he's already had a couple of interviews (I believe one was with Southern Miss). I'm not sure what position he's interviewed for but I wouldn't be surprised if he lands an OC job. But that's ok, let's just be typical North Texas and make excuses like we always do...