Hot seat

eulesseagle · July 3, 2011

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/15260232

BIG DAWG · July 4, 2011

I think if Dan the Man doesn't win 7 games this season, he should be on the hottest of hot seats...maybe one and done. We are paying him too much money to have anything less than 7 wins

Edited July 4, 2011 by BIG DAWG

BIG DAWG · July 4, 2011

Just kidding...but you know someone is going to be clamoring something like this at some point this season...craziness!!!

Edited July 4, 2011 by BIG DAWG

UNT 90 Grad · July 4, 2011

Just kidding...but you know someone is going to be clamoring something like this at some point this season...craziness!!!

I'll admit...you drew me offsides.

Side Show Joe · July 4, 2011

I think Howard Schnellenberger is sitting on a hotter seat then these guys think. He did some really bad coaching at times last season.

eulessismore · July 6, 2011

I hate to be one to look back and think "if only", but dang, it would have helped us to have New Mexico or NM State on our schedule during recent years, they're in a neighboring state. Of course, Washington State has been terrible, but how many of our fans would ever make it out to the Palouse?

I don't think Locksley is on such a hot seat at New Mexico as the article claims. It's amazing, for the fiasco over which he has presided there, that he's only coming into the third year of a SIX YEAR contract (hey, one win per year). I believe what has been written, that New Mexico simply couldn't afford to fire him. However bad some of our contracts seem to have been written, for this guy to stay after what he's done is just amazing.

NM State seems slightly better off under Dewayne Walker, but remember, they get to play New Mexico once a year.

UNTLifer · July 6, 2011

I think if Dan the Man doesn't win 7 games this season, he should be on the hottest of hot seats...maybe one and done. We are paying him too much money to have anything less than 7 wins

7 wins? I'm thinking if we aren't up on FIU by 50 at the half then he should be drawn and quartered on the sideline right then and there!

The Fake Lonnie Finch · July 6, 2011

All kidding aside, because Dan McCarney is much more experienced than either Darrell Dickey or Todd Dodge were, I don't think he should be given the same latitude those two were to lose.

Again, if we claim coaching makes a difference, we can't also give excuses. This is a very experienced staff McCarney has put together, and they've been given the keys to a great new facilities in one of the three top football recruiting hotbed states in the country.

I'm not saying the man should take us to a league title in year one (or, wait, I did predict that already :-D ), but if we have three wins or less this year, that isn't a good sign. The Sun Belt just isn't that strong.

We picked up three Belt wins with an injury-depleted team in a season with its coach fired mid-season in 2010. The experience of McCarney and his coaches alone should be enough for one or two more Belt wins...and possibly the upset of Tulsa.

oldguystudent · July 6, 2011

A bowl victory AND the national men's basketball championship in his first year, or he's OUT!

PHSCoach · July 7, 2011

This team will win more games this year than they have won in the past. The coaching they are receiving is going to win at least 3 games

Edited July 7, 2011 by PHSCoach

UNT90 · July 7, 2011

All kidding aside, because Dan McCarney is much more experienced than either Darrell Dickey or Todd Dodge were, I don't think he should be given the same latitude those two were to lose.

Again, if we claim coaching makes a difference, we can't also give excuses. This is a very experienced staff McCarney has put together, and they've been given the keys to a great new facilities in one of the three top football recruiting hotbed states in the country.

I'm not saying the man should take us to a league title in year one (or, wait, I did predict that already :-D ), but if we have three wins or less this year, that isn't a good sign. The Sun Belt just isn't that strong.

We picked up three Belt wins with an injury-depleted team in a season with its coach fired mid-season in 2010. The experience of McCarney and his coaches alone should be enough for one or two more Belt wins...and possibly the upset of Tulsa.

+1 sir.

Now, if you could just convince Mr. Vito to apply these same standards

GrandGreen · July 7, 2011

All kidding aside, because Dan McCarney is much more experienced than either Darrell Dickey or Todd Dodge were, I don't think he should be given the same latitude those two were to lose.

Again, if we claim coaching makes a difference, we can't also give excuses. This is a very experienced staff McCarney has put together, and they've been given the keys to a great new facilities in one of the three top football recruiting hotbed states in the country.

I'm not saying the man should take us to a league title in year one (or, wait, I did predict that already :-D ), but if we have three wins or less this year, that isn't a good sign. The Sun Belt just isn't that strong.

We picked up three Belt wins with an injury-depleted team in a season with its coach fired mid-season in 2010. The experience of McCarney and his coaches alone should be enough for one or two more Belt wins...and possibly the upset of Tulsa.

He is going to get a lot of latitude although I don't think he will need it. NT is not about to buy out his contract anytime soon. NT would not have hired McCarney if they didn't expect a lot more of him than the previous three coaches.

I agree that anything less than 5 wins would be a big disappointment and frankly I expect more. It is true you cannot quickly upgrade the overall talent level, but this team plays in the Belt and NT was not that far off last year. Those bemoaning lost players from last year and thinking that NT will be doing good just to match last year are overly pessimistic. Yes, there are holes in the lineup but if you really look at the roster; this is a team that is build for success this year. There are a relatively large number of seniors particularly at rb, wr and db.

QB is a question, but based on very limited play; Thompson maybe as good a QB has NT has had since Hall. There are questions about the offensive line, but again this is not a depleted position. Freeley, Fortenberry, Leppo, Johnson, Tomlinson, and Adedipe have all started at one time or another. Add in a couple of good looking redshirts: Johnson and Y'barbo and I think the OL will be fine. The lost of Carey at wr was a blow but again former starters Outlaw, Stradford, and Bynes return. Olawale, Johnson and Taylor add depth and I am predicting that Chancellor will emerge as a big threat.

On the defensive side, the dbs should be the best at least since the championship years. LB, I think will have more depth and I look for big things out of Orr, Phillips and Wright. None will be as good as Robertson, but overall I think the linebacker corp will be better. All the defensive ends return so there is little doubt, there will be significant improvement.

The big issue with most is defensive tackle, but I don't think that will be as dire as many think. First, Atkinson and Jackson were good solid tackles but neither were really stars. They did a good job of clogging up the middle and certainly were an improvement over the past few years; but they are not irreplaceable. Cantly to this point has been a lot more promise than progress. However, he has the tools and could be very good. McCoy although smaller is also quicker than last year's dts. No doubt, defensive tackle is a question and is going to take someone improving a lot to be even adequate.

I do believe until proven wrong; that this coaching staff is such an upgrade that they will be quickly successful in the Belt. NT's defensive staff was not awful last year but I believe that this year's group including the HC is going to rapidly and substantially improve the defense even before big talent infusions. This year's team reminds a lot of the team Dodge inherited. An experienced veteran team that despite little success was primed for significant improvement but with questions at QB. Dodge failed and squandered a potentially good especially defensive team and plunged the program in a downward spiral. My bet is that McCarney is going to do just the opposite.

Edited July 7, 2011 by GrandGreen

oldguystudent · July 7, 2011

Lots of mention of coaching winning games here, and UNT being close the past year or two. From what I've observed, I saw coaching LOSE games that were otherwise in hand. Even a small upgrade there, finding a way not to piss away the victory handed to you on a platter, and the 5-win mark is achieved. I just can't envision the 1-11, 2-12 debacles of past seasons. I'm not seeing 9-3 either, but progress. Definite progress.

The Fake Lonnie Finch · July 7, 2011

I agree, GrandGreen. Look, we have a BCS AQ quality coaching staff in the Sun Belt now. Who else in the Belt has this kind of coaching staff?

McCarney

12 years HC Iowa State (Big 8/Big 12)

13 years assistant under Hayden Fry at Iowa (Big Ten)

5 as an assistant at Wisconsin (Big Ten)

3 at Florida (SEC)

1 at South Florida (Big East)

That's coaching in every BCS AQ conference except the ACC and Pac-10

Bowen

12 years at Kansas (Big 12)

1 at Minnesota (Big Ten)

Riddle

6 years at Colorado (Big 12)

4 at Oregon State (Pac-10)

(5 at Boise State, who are bucking to get into a BCS AQ league)

Canales

3 years at Arizona (Pac-10)

3 at South Florida (Big East)

2 at North Carolina State (ACC)

Grant

9 years at Iowa State (Big 12)

4 at Nebraska (Big 12)

Nelson

10 years at Iowa State (Big 12)

5 at Wisconsin (Big Ten)

3 at Stanford (Pac-10)

3 at Missouri (Big 8)

2 at Virginia (ACC)

2 at Rutgers (Big East)

1 at Kansas State (Big 8)

1 at Oregon State (Pac-10)

Quartaro

5 years at Kansas (Big 12)

5 at Kansas State (Big 8)

4 at Iowa State (Big 12)

5 at Northwestern (Big Ten)

Simmonds

4 seasons at South Florida (Big East)

4 seasons with Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a player (1987-1990)

Weaver

1 season at Florida (SEC)

7 seasons with Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans as a player (2002-2008)

Justin Gaines is the odd man out with all of his coaching experience coming at the FCS level or lower. But, he was getting kids from Texas to go to Montana State!

Look, we have an unreal amount of experience. When you look at where we've been since we emerged from I-AA, you can't help but be excited. Player and their experience, yes it means something. But, having the right guys in place who have been to dozens on bowl games and played the best of the best for decades...we just haven't had that here since Hayden Fry. We haven't.

I don't think many of us understand what a value it will be for our coaches to not be confused by the opposing coaching staff. These guys have learned from and coached against the best in the business. And, they are going to be on our sideline!

Fellas, it's going to be good. With this much experience - the very things for which we've clamored for the better part of a decade - there can be no good excuses. Not in the Belt.

Our coaching staff has 119 years total experience at schools now in BCS AQ conferences. That's freaking unreal.

Stan R · July 7, 2011

Just remembered we kept coach canales. Yay.

FloMoGrad · July 7, 2011

I've been preaching the 2-5 in games decided by one posession sermon all offseason. We lost 5 games by one score and were leading at some point in 4 of those. 4 wins is minimum in my mind, Dunbar with a solid defense behind him is scary. We've got more experience than any other staff in the belt. That will directly translate to how these young men are prepared during the week and execute on Saturdays.

Schellenberger is on the hot seat for sure.

The Fake Lonnie Finch · July 7, 2011

I've been preaching the 2-5 in games decided by one posession sermon all offseason. We lost 5 games by one score and were leading at some point in 4 of those. 4 wins is minimum in my mind, Dunbar with a solid defense behind him is scary. We've got more experience than any other staff in the belt. That will directly translate to how these young men are prepared during the week and execute on Saturdays.

Schellenberger is on the hot seat for sure.

Agreed, barring another injury wagon in 2011, four is the minimum. I don't see how we don't break even or better in the Sun Belt this year as well.

And, again, Tulsa could be 1-3 or 0-4 when we show up there on October 1. In my mind, that is the game that will show if we've grown in a month - can we take down/bury a reeling program on it's turf?

UNT90 · July 8, 2011

Agreed, barring another injury wagon in 2011,

I'd be shocked if this happened. The injuries were a product of half ass practices run by the coaching staff.

At least that is what I choose to believe.

TIgreen01 · July 8, 2011

I want to believe all this optimism that our coaching staff alone can turn this team around. At the very least, I won't be heading into the stadium this year expecting to see the Mean Green find yet another way to lose a game. I'll defnitely be watching for improvement, game on game.

That said, we've got a brand new QB and a gaping hole at DT. Football usually comes down to stopping the run on defense, and getting decent play out of your QB....and those are our 2 biggest question marks!

I'm not making any season predictions until after game 1.

McCarney isn't going to have to worry about being on any kind of hot seat until his 3rd or 4th year (if we're not showing improvement by there). Really, unless it is immediately obvious that your coach has no idea what they are doing (cough*Dodge*cough*remember the 79-10 loss to OU in his very first game?! Eveyn Roman being made to man up on Malcolm Kelly ALL GAME without any help!?!?) they are going to be able to make it a few years without landing on this list. Our fanbase is coming off watching one of the 20 worst coaching records ever. Even mediocre football will look great to us.