Unt Hires Neinas

Harry · July 15, 2010

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/sports/college/stories/DRC_neinasathletics_0715.13d8db462.html

NT80 · July 15, 2010

“We want to make sure that we take advantage of the new stadium and increase our visibility,” Rawlins said. “We are concerned about marketing, how competitive we are and with our budget. We are spending less than some schools are on their athletic program."

I like this Lane Rawlins. We need to take the "interim" tag off him and stop the search, he would make a very pro-athletics Prez.

MeanGreen61 · July 15, 2010

Neinas is already familiar with UNT and Rawlins, who decided to hire a consultant to look at the schools athletics program after taking over as its president in May

Edited July 15, 2010 by MeanGreen61

UNT90 · July 15, 2010

"He asked me to bring in a set of outside eyes and look at the new stadium. I will give an outside look at what is going on with football, basketball and all sports.”

Kind of a strange quote. It may be out of context, but why would he need to take a look at the new stadium? Marketing is mentioned later in the article, but this quote by itself?

Mean Green 93-98 · July 15, 2010

"He asked me to bring in a set of outside eyes and look at the new stadium. I will give an outside look at what is going on with football, basketball and all sports.”

Kind of a strange quote. It may be out of context, but why would he need to take a look at the new stadium? Marketing is mentioned later in the article, but this quote by itself?

It probably has to do with what Lane said earlier in the article:

“We want to make sure that we take advantage of the new stadium and increase our visibility,” Rawlins said.

NT80 · July 15, 2010

It probably has to do with what Lane said earlier in the article:

“We want to make sure that we take advantage of the new stadium and increase our visibility,” Rawlins said.

That and add the fact that Rawlins helped to create CUSA with Neinas when he was at Memphis.

Rawlins + Neinas + New Stadium = CUSA?

I think Rawlins wants Neinas to look at UNT's expanded potential with the new facilities and stadium. A good grade from Neinas is valued by conferences. Neinas was hired in June to consult with CUSA on expansion options per this Orlando article...

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_college_ucf/2010/06/conference-usa-hires-chuck-neinas-as-a-consultant-to-assist-with-potential-conference-expansion.html

Quoner · July 15, 2010

"He asked me to bring in a set of outside eyes and look at the new stadium. I will give an outside look at what is going on with football, basketball and all sports.”

Kind of a strange quote. It may be out of context, but why would he need to take a look at the new stadium? Marketing is mentioned later in the article, but this quote by itself?

Google him a bit more and look at the full range of his services. This could mean a number of things -- all intriguing, but some too early to be discussing.

GrayEagle · July 15, 2010

I totally agree that they hired the best consulting firm that they possibly could have. My only misgiving, if I have one, is that someone could cry 'foul' since he is also the consulting firm to recommend additions to CUSA should one or more occur. Chuck Neinas has an outstanding reputation and I'm sure that he cleared it with the Conference USA office regarding conflict of interest. It never hurts to have the best on your side.

MeanGreen61 · July 15, 2010

I totally agree that they hired the best consulting firm that they possibly could have. My only misgiving, if I have one, is that someone could cry 'foul' since he is also the consulting firm to recommend additions to CUSA should one or more occur. Chuck Neinas has an outstanding reputation and I'm sure that he cleared it with the Conference USA office regarding conflict of interest. It never hurts to have the best on your side.

Doubt there is any reason for concern. I'm sure Rawlins knows what he's doing & Nienas is probably visiting the CUSA office while he's in the area.

TheTastyGreek · July 15, 2010

Google him a bit more and look at the full range of his services. This could mean a number of things -- all intriguing, but some too early to be discussing.

His background and accolades in conference consulting are FAR overshadowed by his experience in guiding schools though the search and hire for football coaches.

We brought him in after the big hubbub over conference realignment ended, but just before the start of a big ultimatum year for our coach, and in our final season before we move to a new facility.

Ninjaface?

Harry · July 15, 2010

Very solid point by ttg.

TheTastyGreek · July 15, 2010

Very solid point by ttg.

Well, thank you, sir.

Fun fact about Neinas as a consultant for a Texas school: His was the search firm that got Franchione to A&M.

Edited July 15, 2010 by TheTastyGreek

MeanMag · July 15, 2010

Well, thank you, sir.

Fun fact about Neinas as a consultant for a Texas school: His was the search firm that got Franchione to A&M.

I'm not sayin, I'm just sayin...

UNT90 · July 15, 2010

Well, thank you, sir.

Fun fact about Neinas as a consultant for a Texas school: His was the search firm that got Franchione to A&M.

Damaged Leach >Damaged Franchione.

Eagle1855 · July 15, 2010

I'm not sayin, I'm just sayin...

It is what it is.

TheTastyGreek · July 15, 2010

Damaged Leach >Damaged Franchione.

Agree. I just think Leach might still be able to land himself at a lower level BCS conference school, whereas we probably could have landed Fran last fall. Neinas has been involved in hiring a lot of people, that was just the first name that jumped out at me as potentially relevant to our situation.

It's all just speculation. Not quite freakin' transient kitsch, but somewhere about as valuable.

Edited July 15, 2010 by TheTastyGreek

UNTLifer · July 15, 2010

Being familiar with the Tech program, friend's stepson is a current member of the team, he stated his son didn't like playing for Leach and much prefers Tuberville. He said Leach ran an undisciplined program and everything was always a mess. He said the first day the team walked in to the locker room, the change was evident. Everything was organized, Tuberville met with the players and laid out his expectations, etc... Stated it was a welcome change.

Now I know this in one player in 85, but I will be curious to see how this plays out. Leach is kind of an oddball, and I'm not sure he is what I would want running our program for the long haul. Just my two cents.

UNT90 · July 15, 2010

Being familiar with the Tech program, friend's stepson is a current member of the team, he stated his son didn't like playing for Leach and much prefers Tuberville. He said Leach ran an undisciplined program and everything was always a mess. He said the first day the team walked in to the locker room, the change was evident. Everything was organized, Tuberville met with the players and laid out his expectations, etc... Stated it was a welcome change.

Now I know this in one player in 85, but I will be curious to see how this plays out. Leach is kind of an oddball, and I'm not sure he is what I would want running our program for the long haul. Just my two cents.

Take the product over the process, don't you think? I know a guy that spends 2 hours a day organizing his office. Funny thing is, he gets no work done during those hours.

I would much rather have a messy Leach than a tidey Franchione. Now that Tuberville is at TT, I can't wait to play them.

A guy known for losing to lesser opponents, at a school that has had historical struggles with UNT? Good things.

Edited July 15, 2010 by UNT90

PlummMeanGreen · July 16, 2010

I think on Chuck Neinas' short list of recommendations to get done ASAP (if at possible) could be for UNT to remove itself from a very large consortium of schools (many on GMG.com want separation from as it is) that all have 30,000 seat stadium capacities with his probable suggestion to try to start out a bit larger with our new stadium if possible. He will use our continually staggering growth demographics for campus, Denton and Denton County as the reason to start out with a larger stadium IMHO.

If this is on his list, perhaps his reason to start out with a larger stadium might be there will be more upper level schools that would be interested in coming to Denton to play in our new palace when we know many who did not want to play at Fouts Field. Such schools that would bring remarkably more fans than we're used to seeing in Denton that would only make UNT wish they had more tickets available to sell for such games if we only had a 30,000 seater.

Neinas might suggests the difference of a 30K stadium compared to 35K-40K would be worth it all; that is, the extra seating would provide extra revenue coming in from schools that traditionally travel large numbers of fans (OK St., Kansas St. Baylor, a Top 25 TCU program, etc, that could increase our athletic budget across the board dramatically--for both men and womens varsity sports.

The other part of the equation is that (hopefully) the Mean Green will be much more competitive but a a higher level (a la Boise State, TCU, Utah, etc) whereas our own fans will come out in record numbers. When I was a student at NT, we had 17,000 students with many more commuters, far less dorms than now and 99,000 pop. in Denton County in the mid 1970's (as I recall seeing those figures on Denton County in a Texas Almanac).

And then............ Neinas might not suggest any of the aforementioned at all. :blink: .........but won't it be interesting to know what he will have on his suggestion list for UNT to try to do rather quickly?

GMG!

TIgreen01 · July 16, 2010

Take the product over the process, don't you think? I know a guy that spends 2 hours a day organizing his office. Funny thing is, he gets no work done during those hours.

I would much rather have a messy Leach than a tidey Franchione. Now that Tuberville is at TT, I can't wait to play them.

A guy known for losing to lesser opponents, at a school that has had historical struggles with UNT? Good things.

Agreed. I don't think Tuberville lasts long at Ttech. He is already setting up his out by coming out against the new Big12-2 revenue distribution. Doing such has setup a built-in excuse for losing to UT/OU/Tamu now...