Proven Coaches

[GrayEagle]

I know that the MGR has said that Chuck Neinas will likely be the catalyst for generating new coach possibilities. However, here are the FBS records of nine coaches mentioned by various posters:

Jeff Bower

18 Years in the FBS; all at Southern Miss

FBS Record 119-83 (.589)

Number of Losing Seasons: 2

Terry Bowden

6 Years in the FBS; all at Auburn

FBS Record 47-17 (.734)

Number of Losing Seasons: 1

Tommy Bowden

12 Years in the FBS; Tulane and Clemson

FBS Record 90-49 (.647)

Number of Losing Seasons: 0

Dennis Franchione

15 Years in the FBS; New Mexico, TCU, Alabama, Texas A&M

FBS Record 104-74 (.584)

Number of Losing Seasons: 4

Glen Mason

21 Years in the FBS; Kent State, Kansas and Minnesota

FBS Record 123-121-1 (.504)

Number of Losing Seasons: 10

Jim Leavitt

13 Years in the FBS; all at South Florida

FBS Record 95-57 (.625)

Number of Losing Seasons: 1

Mike Leach

10 Years in the FBS; all at Texas Tech

FBS Record 84-43 (.661)

Number of Losing Seasons: 0

John L. Smith

18 Years in the FBS; Idaho, Utah State. Louisville, Michigan St.

FBS Record 132-86 (.606)

Number of Losing Seasons: 4

Steve Kragthorpe

7 Years in the FBS; Tulsa and Louisville

FBS Record 44-43 (.506)

Number of Losing Seasons: 3

Based on the above statistics Mason and Kragthorpe would be marginal, barely above .500. The others appear to be possibly good hires.

The best record (percentage wise) belongs to Terry Bowden, currently coaching at North Alabama. The drawback could be that he has never coached outside of the state of Alabama.

Next would be Mike Leach. Mike has not had a losing season in 10 years of coaching. However, he currently has a lawsuit against Tech and may not be available until that suit is settled. Currently a TV analyst (and according to one, a bad one).

The next highest percentage belongs to Tommy Bowden, who hasn't had a losing season in 12 years of FBS coaching. When he left Clemson he indicated that he might be open to another coaching job. I just don't know if we are the right coaching job for him.

Fourth would be Jim Leavitt. He would seem to be a good fit for us because he built the USF program from scratch. Successfully, I might add, since he had only one losing season. Would he keep Canales?

John L. Smith has the next best record. He was a hot coach until he went to Michigan State where he sort of fizzled. He was great at Louisville and maybe he could recover some of his original magic at a less high-profiled university.

Jeff Bower only had two losing seasons among his 18 at USM. Not spectacular but solid year in and year out. Knows many of our staff from their associations with Southern Mississippi. From what I hear though both he and his wife are reluctant to leave Hattiesburg. Can money be a motivating factor?

The other high-rated coach is Dennis Franchione. He is the only one on the list who has coached and recruited in Texas. Coach Fran put TCU back on the football map and might relish the chance to prove that he can do it again at North Texas. I don't know what kind of severance, if any, that he received from A&M. Maybe he needs the money and maybe he just wants to prove himself.

These are the ones most available today. The exception is Terry Bowden. There may be others who have contracts that might be added at season's end. There is usually a surprise or two when a coach search is started.

There are also a half-dozen or more outstanding coaches at a lower level as well as FBS coordinators but I don't think that we should gamble with this hire; there is simply too much at stake.

[nana21]

Dennis Franchione? Come now.

[NT91]

Most of these men would not want to come to NT.

[Eastwood Eagle]

I would take either of the Bowdens.

[Cr1028]

I like Bower if we could get him. He knows how to win without BCS resources. Kragthorpe would be good if we got Tulsa Kragthorpe and not Louisville Kragthorpe. The others I just don't see coming to NT.

Edited September 19, 2010 by Cr1028

[SilverEagle]

If a new coaching search is underway I feel compelled to make a statement. Mr. Neinas may have great abilities in assessing coaches, but for what Universities? I have said this before, and I will repeat it now.....North Texas is different from most Universities! You cannot bring a coach in who has had success at big time programs and expect them to be successful here. We are a different culture. Don't waste big money on a coaching hire for someone who has only coached in big time programs and who has never experienced our unique culture.

The coaches who have been successful here since Mitchell left, Hayden Fry and Corkey Nelson, were good here for different reasons. Hayden had re-built SMU, and Corkey new what he was getting into when he got here. Plus Corkey was a very successful assistant coach wherever he had been. He also worked under a coach who had brought Baylor back to life when they were essentially the walking dead of the old SWC.

We need a coach with college experience who has either built a program from nothing, or re-built a program back from almost extinction.

Another example is Howard S. at FIU. Did FIU pay big money to get him?

Did I mention that we are a different and unique culture?

[NorthTexan95]

We need a coach with college experience who has either built a program from nothing, or re-built a program back from almost extinction.

I wouldn't say so much we're unique as other schools have/need to be rebuilt. However, I agree that experience rebuilding would be a big plus when looking for a head coach.

[SUMG]

One reason that I like Leavitt...is that he knows what it is like to go through lean times, and deal with a small budget. As I recall, the USF coaches' offices were in trailers for many years.

It also should be noted that Tommy Bowden took Tulane to a 12-0 record in 1998...which helped get him the Clemson job. 12-0....at Tulane.

As to those who think we can't get any of those guys....how do you know? For one thing...the thought is that the next coach will be paid much more ($500,000 +). That's not bad money. I've seen big name guys rebound at lot smaller places than UNT.

Edited September 19, 2010 by SUMG

[UNT 90 Grad]

Respectably corrected...

Another example is Howard S. at FAU. Did FAU pay big money to get him?

[Side Show Joe]

I don't know who the next coach could be. But when a new head coach is hired, he needs to be a big time name who has won at every level. A guy that will get recruits excited to play for North Texas despite the facts that we play in a bad conference and have not won much in recent history.

Only a big time name can do that.

No FBS coordinators.

No FCS coaches.

No marginal FBS coaches.

We have to steal a highly regarded head coach away from another program. Like SMU stole Jones. Any ideas?

Temple maybe?

[BeatNavy]

Temple maybe?

No way. If he's going anywhere, it Penn State whenever JoePa decides to drop the "Head Coach" title.

[MeanGreenTeeth]

I don't know who the next coach could be. But when a new head coach is hired, he needs to be a big time name who has won at every level. A guy that will get recruits excited to play for North Texas despite the facts that we play in a bad conference and have not won much in recent history.

Only a big time name can do that.

No FBS coordinators.

No FCS coaches.

No marginal FBS coaches.

We have to steal a highly regarded head coach away from another program. Like SMU stole Jones. Any ideas?

Temple maybe?

You realize we're going to have a hard time even getting a highly rated coordinator or FCS HC don't you? I'd be thrilled to get either. Part of the reason Dodge got another year is because there simply aren't any slam dunk coaches we are in a position to get.

[Side Show Joe]

No way. If he's going anywhere, it Penn State whenever JoePa decides to drop the "Head Coach" title.

Any idea what his current contract pays? I've heard everyone has a price.

[MeanGreenTeeth]

Any idea what his current contract pays? I've heard everyone has a price.

Oh.. I didn't realize you were flipping the bill for this one. Cool. Change my response to 'Nick Saban'. I hear he is pretty good.

Edited September 19, 2010 by MeanGreenTeeth

[BeatNavy]

Any idea what his current contract pays? I've heard everyone has a price.

officially "undisclosed" but reportedly $1.2M (through 2014) with a $2M buyout

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/388753-a-golden-parachute-for-both-al-and-owls

[Side Show Joe]

officially "undisclosed" but reportedly $1.2M (through 2014) with a $2M buyout

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/388753-a-golden-parachute-for-both-al-and-owls

Thanks. Now I know about where we need to be spending. Don't think we have those kind of funds, but maybe we can get Leavitt.

[rcade]

Most of these men would not want to come to NT.

We only need one.

[Cr1028]

As to those who think we can't get any of those guys....how do you know? For one thing...the thought is that the next coach will be paid much more ($500,000 +). That's not bad money.

That is bad money for a FBS head coach. It would rank around 90th out of 120. I would be good money for a Sun Belt coach though. Mario Cristobal at FIU is the highest paid right now and makes $390k.

It is not good for a DFW FBS head coach either as June Jones ($2M) and Gary Patterson ($1.3M) are the highest 2 paid coaches in non-BCS conferences.

To get in the middle of the pack you need to be paying about $1 million a year.

Top 100 coaches salaries

[GreenMachine]

If a new coaching search is underway I feel compelled to make a statement. Mr. Neinas may have great abilities in assessing coaches, but for what Universities? I have said this before, and I will repeat it now.....North Texas is different from most Universities! You cannot bring a coach in who has had success at big time programs and expect them to be successful here. We are a different culture. Don't waste big money on a coaching hire for someone who has only coached in big time programs and who has never experienced our unique culture.

The coaches who have been successful here since Mitchell left, Hayden Fry and Corkey Nelson, were good here for different reasons. Hayden had re-built SMU, and Corkey new what he was getting into when he got here. Plus Corkey was a very successful assistant coach wherever he had been. He also worked under a coach who had brought Baylor back to life when they were essentially the walking dead of the old SWC.

We need a coach with college experience who has either built a program from nothing, or re-built a program back from almost extinction.

Another example is Howard S. at FIU. Did FIU pay big money to get him?

Did I mention that we are a different and unique culture?

why are we different and unique? We are a large state university just like a lot of other large public universities. By different and unique do you mean apathetic?

[VideoEagle]

why are we different and unique? We are a large state university just like a lot of other large public universities. By different and unique do you mean apathetic?

Not apathetic, but football is not the primary focus of the university and probably never will be. It has become a significant focus unlike in the 90s when some - but certainly not all - of the faculty tried to kill the program altogether.

[GreenMachine]

Not apathetic, but football is not the primary focus of the university and probably never will be. It has become a significant focus unlike in the 90s when some - but certainly not all - of the faculty tried to kill the program altogether.

so how is it unique and different. Football isn't the primary focus of a lot of large public university's. In fact, no university official at UT, OU, USC will say that football is their primary focus either.

What make NT unique is that we still have professors that hate everything about NT not just football and are allowed to cut down football players in class, poke fun at NT athletics in general and even send out emails through university email system with "Go Whorns" in the signature line. That is unique because that crap wouldn't be tolerated at most universities whether they focused on football or not. Our apathetic (a some are just plain pathetic) administration is what makes us unique.

[rcade]

One of the things people overlook, when discussing the possibility a name coach would come here, is that some of them need an opportunity more than they need money. Terry Bowden went 11 years after losing the Auburn job before taking over Northern Alabama last year.

[BeatNavy]

Top 100 coaches salaries

Let's hear it for seriously out of date lists! Without looking things up, I count at least 13 names on that list who are either no longer head coaches or who are at different schools.

There are also repeats (Richt is 7th and 10th, Tedford is 12th and tied for 26th). I wish I could collect two paychecks for doing one job.

( No, I do not have one that is more up-to-date. )

[Green to the Bone]

On UNT faculty vs other faculty: Anti-football sentiment rages within every university. UNT is not different. And there's no university at which faculty members are prohibited from expressing their opinions in class, even about football. Some wider experience at more universities might cure lots of this UNT-is-unique sentiment.

[untStein]

I would take either of the Bowdens.

I don't think they'd ever come but I like it too on name recognition alone and the fact that they have legit D-I experience.