Pigskin Press On The Sun Belt

[MeanGreen61]

http://pigskinpress.com/sunbelt_conference.html

EXERPTS

D-Dodge, Todd-Well, this is it. If Dodge can muster five wins, he’ll probably keep his job. Anything less and it’s curtains. The good news is he has some talent, and lots of returning starters. The bad news is he’s out of excuses

K-Kick Returners-FIU’s T.Y. Hilton(28.8), and UNT’s Jamaal Jackson(27.2) are two of the best kick returners in the country!!

L-Lance Dunbar-Watching the North Texas RB last season brought back images of Patrick Cobbs hey-day! With four returning starters on the line and more weapons to keep the secondary honest, Dunbar will easily eclipse 1500 yards and 20 td's.

S-September 18th-This is the day the SBC has a chance to steal three out of conference games (MTSU vs. Memphis, North Texas vs. Army, Troy vs. UAB). In the case of North Texas, it could be their second straight as they Host Rice the week before!

Edited July 7, 2010 by MeanGreen61

[Travis]

I sure hope the 7 game win standard that was set after last season remains.

I keep hearing the idea of lowering it and that doesn't sit well with me.

[houstonmeangreen]

I sure hope the 7 game win standard that was set after last season remains.

I keep hearing the idea of lowering it and that doesn't sit well with me.

If TD can't win 7 games this far into his job...he needs to go and we can get someone worth a %*hit.

[Harry]

http://pigskinpress....conference.html

EXERPTS

D-Dodge, Todd-Well, this is it. If Dodge can muster five wins, he'll probably keep his job. Anything less and it's curtains. The good news is he has some talent, and lots of returning starters. The bad news is he's out of excuses

K-Kick Returners-FIU's T.Y. Hilton(28.8), and UNT's Jamaal Jackson(27.2) are two of the best kick returners in the country!!

L-Lance Dunbar-Watching the North Texas RB last season brought back images of Patrick Cobbs hey-day! With four returning starters on the line and more weapons to keep the secondary honest, Dunbar will easily eclipse 1500 yards and 20 td's.

S-September 18th-This is the day the SBC has a chance to steal three out of conference games (MTSU vs. Memphis, North Texas vs. Army, Troy vs. UAB). In the case of North Texas, it could be their second straight as they Host Rice the week before!

Not to be negative Ned here, but I worry about Lance's production without Rodge and his running threat at the QB spot. I know that some will say a stronger arm will help compensate for this but it remains a concern for me. Hope I am wrong.

[TheTastyGreek]

Not to be negative Ned here, but I worry about Lance's production without Rodge and his running threat at the QB spot. I know that some will say a stronger arm will help compensate for this but it remains a concern for me. Hope I am wrong.

Not to jinx anything, but...

I hope that someone on the training staff has been stretching and massaging Lance Dunbar's hamstrings non-stop since last season ended. The last time I was anywhere near this level of expectations for what an RB was capable of doing, it didn't end very well for the guy.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

I sure hope the 7 game win standard that was set after last season remains.

I keep hearing the idea of lowering it and that doesn't sit well with me.

I know I am the minority with this thought, but I still doubt very seriously that if this team wins 5 games this season, that Dodge won't be brought back for a fifth year.

Edited July 7, 2010 by GoMeanGreen1999

[MeanGreenHoops]

I know I am the minority with this thought, but I still doubt very seriously that if this team wins 5 games this season, that Dodge won't be brought back for a fifth year.

I'd normally agree with you except for one thing - New Stadium. That opportunity comes around once in a lifetime, and you need to capitalize with either a 7 win coach who turned it around, or a new coach buzz.

[EagleMBA]

With this talent, with this experience, with this offensive depth, with an average defense...this is the year. If not this year, when?

I admire and respect TD the man. TD the coach HAS to put up 7 Ws or stand aside and give someone else a shot. Another season like last fall will extinguish the flame for a chunk of the supporters IMO.

[ColoradoEagle]

I know I am the minority with this thought, but I still doubt very seriously that if this team wins 5 games this season, that Dodge won't be brought back for a fifth year.

My feeling is that this is more "show us why we shouldn't fire you" than it is "show some improvement". We're spending almost $80 million on a new stadium, and we need the coach that's going to make us a top 25 team; a coach that will build a legacy here.

If Dodge can show marked improvement with a 7+ win season, he'll stay. If he goes 6-6, it depends. I can't imagine he'd have a chance in hell if he were 5-7 this year. It's just not good enough to be 10-38.

Edited July 7, 2010 by ColoradoEagle

[Green Lantern]

I know I am the minority with this thought, but I still doubt very seriously that if this team wins 5 games this season, that Dodge won't be brought back for a fifth year.

See, I'm on the opposite side of this thought. I'm fairly certain that if we're not bowl eligible at season's end that it will be curtains for this regime. As MeanGreenHoops pointed out, the opening of a new stadium is a truly unique opportunity to energize the fan base like never before. If it's not a winning season, you'll see NT pumping "new stadium, new regime" like nobodys business.

The changing nature of the college football landscape will also play into this decision heavily.

[Got5onIt]

I know I am the minority with this thought, but I still doubt very seriously that if this team wins 5 games this season, that Dodge won't be brought back for a fifth year.

I'm praying to baby football Jesus that you are right. With the new stadium coming, RV can build up a ton of good pub with a new coach to go along with it.

[emmitt01]

I'm praying to baby football Jesus that you are right. With the new stadium coming, RV can build up a ton of good pub with a new coach to go along with it.

I think you misunderstood him. He thinks Dodge will be back with 5 wins.

[UNT90]

I know I am the minority with this thought, but I still doubt very seriously that if this team wins 5 games this season, that Dodge won't be brought back for a fifth year.

I don't know if you are in the minority, but I think you are completely wrong. RV came on a podcast on this site, the site of the most ardent fans in a very small fan base (relatively speaking), and stated it was 7 wins or the door in 2010.

Even if Dodge win 6, he can't stay. If RV allows this to happen, he has broken the trust of everyone on this site. I hope he realizes this. I think he is smart enough not to put a number on wins if he didn't mean it.

Would you really be excited with six conference wins, blowouts losses to Clemson, Rice and K-State, and Coach Dodge coming back to open the new stadium? I don't think anyone would.

You are not saying you are in favor of this, right?

Edited July 8, 2010 by UNT90

[MeanGreen61]

I don't know if you are in the minority, but I think you are completely wrong. RV came on a podcast on this site, the site of the most ardent fans in a very small fan base (relatively speaking), and stated it was 7 wins or the door in 2010.

Even if Dodge win 6, he can't stay. If RV allows this to happen, he has broken the trust of everyone on this site. I hope he realizes this. I think he is smart enough not to put a number on wins if he didn't mean it.

Would you really be excited with six conference wins, blowouts losses to Clemson, Rice and K-State, and Coach Dodge coming back to open the new stadium? I don't think anyone would.

You are not saying you are in favor of this, right?

We need a WINNING TEAM or a fresh start to open our new stadium. Go in with a winner or..................

[Mean Green 93-98]

RV came on a podcast on this site, the site of the most ardent fans in a very small fan base (relatively speaking), and stated it was 7 wins or the door in 2010.

I really do not remember RV's statement being nearly that definitive. Yes, I got the impression that it would take a winning season for Coach Dodge to keep his job. However, I heard nothing that resembled a promise to the fans to show him the door if it didn't happen.

If you do have something definitive, I would welcome a link.

[untjim1995]

This is the year that Dodge's fate will get determined. Either he gets fired or he gets an extension. There is no way he will go into the last year of his current contract wihtout any assurances of an extra year or two. That would kill recruiting. Imagine going into a home this fall and spring telling recruits that you can come to UTEP, SMU or Ark State where we have stability at the top or you can go to UNT where their coach is in his last year. Who knows if he will get to stay and for how long, plus who is going to come in and coach and what kind of offense/defense will they introduce? Now, the bigger question is what will the requirement be to get that extension? My guess is that 6 wins will get him an extra year, even though RV said it would at least be 7 to keep his job. I think 7 years will get him 2 extra years, 8 wins would get him 3 years, etc..

[UNT90]

This is the year that Dodge's fate will get determined. Either he gets fired or he gets an extension. There is no way he will go into the last year of his current contract wihtout any assurances of an extra year or two. That would kill recruiting. Imagine going into a home this fall and spring telling recruits that you can come to UTEP, SMU or Ark State where we have stability at the top or you can go to UNT where their coach is in his last year. Who knows if he will get to stay and for how long, plus who is going to come in and coach and what kind of offense/defense will they introduce? Now, the bigger question is what will the requirement be to get that extension? My guess is that 6 wins will get him an extra year, even though RV said it would at least be 7 to keep his job. I think 7 years will get him 2 extra years, 8 wins would get him 3 years, etc..

Very much against this. Let's say UNT somehow finds a way to win 6 games this year. According to your line of thinking, that gives Dodge 3 more years at the helm. What happens if UNT immediately returns to a 3-9 season in 2011? If you are going to do this, you better be prepared to eat the final year of that contract.

6 wins gets Dodge nothing. RV has stated that it is 7 or the door. If he breaks his word, how can you ever trust anything he tells a fan base again? I think he knew this when he made the statement and will hold Dodge to the 7 win threshold.

[UNTLifer]

Very much against this. Let's say UNT somehow finds a way to win 6 games this year. According to your line of thinking, that gives Dodge 3 more years at the helm. What happens if UNT immediately returns to a 3-9 season in 2011? If you are going to do this, you better be prepared to eat the final year of that contract.

6 wins gets Dodge nothing. RV has stated that it is 7 or the door. If he breaks his word, how can you ever trust anything he tells a fan base again? I think he knew this when he made the statement and will hold Dodge to the 7 win threshold.

He promised quarterly meetings years ago, yet I still trust RV, but I also understand that circumstances change.

[KingDL1]

He promised quarterly meetings years ago, yet I still trust RV, but I also understand that circumstances change.

I not sure there is as much pressure for the quarterly meetings, but dealing with a Head Coach is a bit more high profile. I expect 7 wins or Dodge's head, I think that is simply where we are. I hope TD gets it done, and what a great story it will make if he does. Further I do think he has positioned himself to have a real shot at pulling it off this year. But if TD doesn't get his 7 wins it is time to move on.

[houstonmeangreen]

Very much against this. Let's say UNT somehow finds a way to win 6 games this year. According to your line of thinking, that gives Dodge 3 more years at the helm. What happens if UNT immediately returns to a 3-9 season in 2011? If you are going to do this, you better be prepared to eat the final year of that contract.

6 wins gets Dodge nothing. RV has stated that it is 7 or the door. If he breaks his word, how can you ever trust anything he tells a fan base again? I think he knew this when he made the statement and will hold Dodge to the 7 win threshold.

agree...if this far into the TD coaching tryouts you can't get 7 wins in the Sunbelt, its time to say bye-bye !

[NT80]

I not sure there is as much pressure for the quarterly meetings, but dealing with a Head Coach is a bit more high profile. I expect 7 wins or Dodge's head, I think that is simply where we are. I hope TD gets it done, and what a great story it will make if he does. Further I do think he has positioned himself to have a real shot at pulling it off this year. But if TD doesn't get his 7 wins it is time to move on.

I think we'll get a feel for how this thing is going by midseason. No blowouts are required and all SBC games should be competitive. It's hard to put an exact number of wins required because we could do well in the big games, slip up in moderate games, etc. I know 2-3-4 wins will not cut it. Otherwise, it will depend on the coaching decisions, injuries, adjustments made, and overall fight in the team. There must be definitive improvement over the past 3 seasons shown.

[Shof]

This is the year that Dodge's fate will get determined. Either he gets fired or he gets an extension. There is no way he will go into the last year of his current contract wihtout any assurances of an extra year or two. That would kill recruiting.

That is pretty much what happened in Lafayette for this season. They gave Bustle an extension rather playing out the final year of his contract; however the buy-out clause was reduced for the added year. I'm hoping we give him another extension, or new contract because that would mean he succeeded and we are not starting over again! Suspect most of you want Dodge to succeed for similar reasons. No guarentee either of us get a "better" coach the next time around.

Now I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm ready for some football! This off-season stuff is killing me.

[MeanGreenTexan]

That is pretty much what happened in Lafayette for this season. They gave Bustle an extension rather playing out the final year of his contract; however the buy-out clause was reduced for the added year. I'm hoping we give him another extension, or new contract because that would mean he succeeded and we are not starting over again! Suspect most of you want Dodge to succeed for similar reasons. No guarentee either of us get a "better" coach the next time around.

Now I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm ready for some football! This off-season stuff is killing me.

Do you like the phrase "I'm not saying... I'm just saying"?

[Arkstfan]

Want to know the REAL difference between the SEC/Big XII and the Sun Belt?

They can afford to fire a coach after one year.

Sometimes I think we are nuts for not taking a more MAC-like approach in coaching salaries because last time I checked we were paying better than the MAC. Yeah you miss on some top assistants but we are already getting priced out of the top assistant market as it is.

I just don't understand why so many Sun Belt schools (mine is among the worst offenders), give a "vote of confidence" extension that doesn't feature a nominal buyout of the extended seasons. Instead you see coaches either getting an extension that the school then can't afford to buy-out or they let the coach's contract wind down and the fact they have only a year or two left on the contract comes up in recruiting.

Why not do the extended term at a nominal amount?

Another beef (and big schools do it all the time). A dollar for dollar offset of what is owed when a coach is let go and takes another job. What happens is the coach will take a super low salary leaving the old school mostly on the hook. Why not do a 50% offset? If you owe $300,000 and they take an assistant job that would normally pay $150,000 they end up taking the job for only $80,000 leaving the school on the hook for $220,00. He still gets his $300,000.

It would be better to only offset two-thirds. Then he might take that job at market value of $150,000 you cut what is owed to him by $100,000. He's making $350,000 instead of $300,000 and you pay $200,000 instead of $220,000.

[untjim1995]

Very much against this. Let's say UNT somehow finds a way to win 6 games this year. According to your line of thinking, that gives Dodge 3 more years at the helm. What happens if UNT immediately returns to a 3-9 season in 2011? If you are going to do this, you better be prepared to eat the final year of that contract.

6 wins gets Dodge nothing. RV has stated that it is 7 or the door. If he breaks his word, how can you ever trust anything he tells a fan base again? I think he knew this when he made the statement and will hold Dodge to the 7 win threshold.

If we win 6 games and that includes a season-ending win over K-State in the last game at Fouts, I will bet you anything that Dodge keeps his job. Do I think that is right--no, I don't. I thought he should have been fired after last season, but the AD told a local reporter that the "funds" just weren't there for us to buy him out for two years and that we have to raise funds to pay toward the stadium. As ArkStfan plainly said, going into the last year of a contract extension is most definitely brought up during recruiting--as it should. That would just be a killer for our program in recruiting to go into the the new stadium with a coach that could be let go of at the end of the season. The hope here is that this upcoming year just makes it obvious on which direction we need to go. I really hope it is that Dodge does get an extension because we will have had a break-through season. Its just that when you are the #117 team out of 120, most people realize that the chances of even 6 wins aren't probably too high, so in the end, you will probably see him get the ax. I hope not, but to go from 5 wins in three seasons to 6+ in the next season doesn't seem too realistic.