nice write up on

eulesseagle · July 13, 2011

http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/07/dan-mccarney-north-texas-has-the-pieces.html

MDH · July 13, 2011

Nice publicity, but damn that was a short article...am I missing another page or something?

MeanGreenGlory · July 13, 2011

"When I first got here I didn't know if I was at a funeral parlor or coaching a bunch of mannequins," McCarney said. "It was the quietest bunch. I had just left one of the most boisterous, vocal teams in the country at Florida. It was shocking to me."

Interesting insight. I'm glad McCarney makes public criticisms about the programs in this manner. It's not detrimental or degrading, it's just what he sees and what he thinks needs to be fixed. I believe it shows that he's not afraid to make corrections. If there is a problem, he'll take note of it, keep the fan base engaged if they need to know about it, and then figure out a way to fix it. I'm excited to where his corrections will take this program!

GMG!

Green2012 · July 13, 2011

"When I first got here I didn't know if I was at a funeral parlor or coaching a bunch of mannequins," McCarney said. "It was the quietest bunch. I had just left one of the most boisterous, vocal teams in the country at Florida. It was shocking to me."

Interesting insight. I'm glad McCarney makes public criticisms about the programs in this manner. It's not detrimental or degrading, it's just what he sees and what he thinks needs to be fixed. I believe it shows that he's not afraid to make corrections. If there is a problem, he'll take note of it, keep the fan base engaged if they need to know about it, and then figure out a way to fix it. I'm excited to where his corrections will take this program!

GMG!

Couldn't agree more. He's not trying to play the blame game he is just openly stating how things are going to be different. It would be different if he came off as blaming Dodge or somehow Dickey lol for an inherited mess. If only our politicians could take notice on how to seek solutions rather than the blame game.... Oh yeah. GMG!

eppy4life · July 13, 2011

If only our politicians could take notice on how to seek solutions rather than the blame game.... Oh yeah. GMG!

Coach Mac for President!

UNT90 · July 13, 2011

Interesting insight. I'm glad McCarney makes public criticisms about the programs in this manner. It's not detrimental or degrading, it's just what he sees and what he thinks needs to be fixed. I believe it shows that he's not afraid to make corrections. If there is a problem, he'll take note of it, keep the fan base engaged if they need to know about it, and then figure out a way to fix it. I'm excited to where his corrections will take this program!

GMG!

Also serves as a "I told you at the beginning of the season what a challenge this would be" out if this is another 3-9 or worse.

The amount of times he has said it, I'm beginning to think it may just be spin.

5 wins. No excuses.

MeanGreenGlory · July 13, 2011

Also serves as a "I told you at the beginning of the season what a challenge this would be" out if this is another 3-9 or worse.

The amount of times he has said it, I'm beginning to think it may just be spin.

5 wins. No excuses.

Wait...you can't be serious.

The man is being honest.

He's not making these criticisms to make a scapegoat for himself later down the road. They're real issues that need to be addressed and fixed!

Turning this program around IS going to be challenging. If we hired a coach who was saying it is going to be a breeze I would be EXTREMELY concerned because that coach probably doesn't know what he's dealing with and what he's up against.

I agree with the 5 wins. That would be great progress. But McCarney isn't making these statements as an escape door for the end of the season.

UNT90 · July 14, 2011

Wait...you can't be serious.

The man is being honest.

He's not making these criticisms to make a scapegoat for himself later down the road. They're real issues that need to be addressed and fixed!

Turning this program around IS going to be challenging. If we hired a coach who was saying it is going to be a breeze I would be EXTREMELY concerned because that coach probably doesn't know what he's dealing with and what he's up against.

I agree with the 5 wins. That would be great progress. But McCarney isn't making these statements as an escape door for the end of the season.

Look, the whole woe is me is just getting a little old. We get it.

Every new coach that is replacing a fired coach faces it. Playing it up can make it easier on you down the line. The new coach at LaLa is facing the same thing with far fewer resources.

It's just very convienent to blame the previous coach. Tired of hearing it.

Fix it.

Edited July 14, 2011 by UNT90

GrayEagle · July 14, 2011

Why I think that we'll have a much better team/record this season:

Coach Dan McCarney

Retention of Coach Canales, who put a lot of life in the team for its last five games

Coach Clint Bowen, improved WKU in one season; bowl seasons under Mangino

We can't possibly have as many injuries this year

Coach Kent Riddle, who built the special teams at Boise State that made the Broncos special

Higher morale and enthusiasm because more will get to play

Coach Mike Simmonds, another builder of South Florida

Better conditioned and won't have to play until their tongues hang out

A new stadium!

Lance Dunbar, Zach Olen and Brelan Chancellor

Although we've had a few key losses the emergence of Zach Orr, Will Wright, Brad Graham, and D'Leon McCord and the return of J.J. Johnson, Steven Ford, Dewaylon Cook, James Hamilton, and Will Atterberry.

In spite of the loss of a likely Hall of Fame linebacker I think that you will really like the 2011 defense.

UNTLifer · July 14, 2011

How in the world is this an excuse to have a bad season?

Green P1 · July 14, 2011

We've been here longer than him, we know how much things sucked when he arrived. If things hadn't sucked he wouldn't have been hired. Continuing to play it up is an early defense stratedgy just as 90 said.

untjim1995 · July 14, 2011

Also serves as a "I told you at the beginning of the season what a challenge this would be" out if this is another 3-9 or worse.

The amount of times he has said it, I'm beginning to think it may just be spin.

5 wins. No excuses.

Sure, because having no experience at QB, thin lines on both sides of the ball, and losing your best receiver, all while bringing in a new system under a new head coach usually means at least 5-6 wins in the first year of the new coach. Since ULL and Arkansas State should also get to 5 wins (without any excuses) since they are also breaking in a new coach with teams that actually won significantly more than here at UNT for the last 6 years, the SBC is going to be STOUT!!

UNT90 · July 14, 2011

Sure, because having no experience at QB, thin lines on both sides of the ball, and losing your best receiver, all while bringing in a new system under a new head coach usually means at least 5-6 wins in the first year of the new coach. Since ULL and Arkansas State should also get to 5 wins (without any excuses) since they are also breaking in a new coach with teams that actually won significantly more than here at UNT for the last 6 years, the SBC is going to be STOUT!!

What experience did FIU have returning at QB last year? A red shirt freshman started. We have a redshirt sophmore (barely).

All we here is how great the new coaching staff is going to be. So much more experience than LaLa and Ark St. Well, coach em up and earn that money, boys.

Funny how those that gripe about how terrible of a coach Dodge was are the same people who want to pre-defend the same type of records generated by Dodge.

You just keep on being happy with 3 wins. I choose to expect just a little more (and, yes, 2 more wins IS just a little more).

And this is the Sun Belt, not the SEC

Edited July 14, 2011 by UNT90

GrandGreen · July 15, 2011

I think everyone is on board with McCarney, but there are few coaches around that don't downplay their chances at the beginning. Does anyone expect him to say that the Belt is not the SEC, and even with the talent at NT, we should be able to quickly compete? Obviously, that just does not happen; Coaches don't want to predict success unless their job is on the line, and they certainly don't want to fire up their opponents.

Having stated the above, I seriously doubt his comments about the attitude of the team were anything but a honest observation. This is a team with very little success who has been led for the most part by a HC that shouldn't have been close to that job. However, there was definitely a spark at the end of last year and I expect that to be intensified this fall. My guest is the coaching staff would be very dissatisfied with a 3 to 5 win season that many are predicting.

untjim1995 · July 15, 2011

What experience did FIU have returning at QB last year? A red shirt freshman started. We have a redshirt sophmore (barely).

All we here is how great the new coaching staff is going to be. So much more experience than LaLa and Ark St. Well, coach em up and earn that money, boys.

Funny how those that gripe about how terrible of a coach Dodge was are the same people who want to pre-defend the same type of records generated by Dodge.

You just keep on being happy with 3 wins. I choose to expect just a little more (and, yes, 2 more wins IS just a little more).

And this is the Sun Belt, not the SEC

You mention FIU, so I'll play. How did they do when Cristobal got the job in his first year? He was the highest paid coach in the league, right off the bat, too? How did they do? Guess what, not very good--he had to have time to get the thing going. He did just that, and by year three, he was winning the SBC and a bowl game. That is the exact same expectation that I have of McCarney. Give him the proper time to build the program up from the depths of being one of the absolute worst programs in America. The proper time isn't one year, nor is it acceptable to want 3-4 wins in year two and beyond. But that asinine argument of "this isn't the SEC, its the SBC" is silly. The SBC has basically had three teams leapfrog everyone else in the league since we fell apart in 2005: Troy, MUTS, and FAU. Now, FAU looks to have fallen and FIU looks to have taken their place. It took FIU three years to break into that group with a new coach. In the same time, the SEC has crowned as its champion: Auburn, Alabama, Florida, LSU, and Georgia. This isn't even counting South Carolina or Arkansas, one of whom won a division in the SEC and the other who went to a BCS bowl last year. That is 7 of the 12 teams that are competing for the top of that conference. In most years, its Troy and someone else at the top of the SBC. Recent history tells me that we ain't busting into the top of the conference in the head coach's first year. That new head coach may have great experience, but his overall talent doesn't even close to fitting his recruiting profile or depth that is needed to make the move you are talking about. If I am wrong, you can write down right now that McCarney will be the SBC Coach of the Year, because if he gets to 5 wins with this team, which has won exactly 13 games in the last 6 years COMBINED, he will have performed a miracle to most of us. Winning less than 5 games next year is understandable, after that it won't be.

UNT90 · July 15, 2011

You mention FIU, so I'll play. How did they do when Cristobal got the job in his first year? He was the highest paid coach in the league, right off the bat, too? How did they do? Guess what, not very good--he had to have time to get the thing going. He did just that, and by year three, he was winning the SBC and a bowl game. That is the exact same expectation that I have of McCarney. Give him the proper time to build the program up from the depths of being one of the absolute worst programs in America. The proper time isn't one year, nor is it acceptable to want 3-4 wins in year two and beyond. But that asinine argument of "this isn't the SEC, its the SBC" is silly. The SBC has basically had three teams leapfrog everyone else in the league since we fell apart in 2005: Troy, MUTS, and FAU. Now, FAU looks to have fallen and FIU looks to have taken their place. It took FIU three years to break into that group with a new coach. In the same time, the SEC has crowned as its champion: Auburn, Alabama, Florida, LSU, and Georgia. This isn't even counting South Carolina or Arkansas, one of whom won a division in the SEC and the other who went to a BCS bowl last year. That is 7 of the 12 teams that are competing for the top of that conference. In most years, its Troy and someone else at the top of the SBC. Recent history tells me that we ain't busting into the top of the conference in the head coach's first year. That new head coach may have great experience, but his overall talent doesn't even close to fitting his recruiting profile or depth that is needed to make the move you are talking about. If I am wrong, you can write down right now that McCarney will be the SBC Coach of the Year, because if he gets to 5 wins with this team, which has won exactly 13 games in the last 6 years COMBINED, he will have performed a miracle to most of us. Winning less than 5 games next year is understandable, after that it won't be.

I think you need to remember that FIU did not have a football team in 2001. No team. Nothing. They won a share of the conference title last year, their 9th year in football existence after having been picked by many to finish at or near the bottom of the Sun Belt Conference and after finishing, oh my, 3-9 in 2009. So, please don't try to make the argument that it's harder to win the Sun Belt than the SEC.

Also, you act like UNT is the only school that faces challenges in replacing players that have left the program. Other schools have to worry about filling gaps due to graduation and discipline, also. It's not what you lose, it's what you do with what you have. Which brings us full circle to Coach Mac constantly bemoaning the state of the team. Again, just fix it.

Edit: If the 5 wins came in conference and were enough to win a share of the title (unlikely), then maybe Coach Mac would be coach of the year. If one of those wins comes OOC, no shot at coach of the year. I'd love to see an example of where a Sun Belt Coach won the honor with a 4-4 record in conference.

Had to look it up. The only time coach of the year has been awarded for 5 wins was Dickey in 2001 (5-1 conference record). and Roberts in 2005 (5-2 record and a share of the conference crown). Doubtful that it would ever happen in the modern Sunbelt era.

Edited July 15, 2011 by UNT90

greenminer · July 16, 2011

I like to think our O-line will surprise a few people next season. Maybe that's blind hope.

Regardless, I think some around here are reading way too much into coach speak.

UNTLifer · July 16, 2011

UNT90, you ever stop to think that maybe these reporters writing each of these articles are asking him the same thing? They all want his take on the situation when he arrived, and that is a pretty standard question for a new coach. I don't take this as Coach Mac setting us all up so he can say "I told you so.". That sure doesn't seem to be his MO.

I also think it is going to take a couple of years for him to restock the talent pool at some important positions and build depth in the program before we are mentioned as an annual power. I do have faith that he knows how to accomplish this and will, so 4-5 wins this year is my prediction with a renewed sense of spirit in the program and throughout the student body, alumni and fans.

I don't think Coach wins COY without beating Troy and FIU, but I don't think that will be the measure of his success. While we are all excited with Coach Mac, the new stadium, RV for retaining Canales and supporting the hiring of our most experienced staff, we also need to remember that we need more than a couple of players step up and deliver at some pretty key positions and the kids stepping into these positions are light on experience.

I will just be excited with the new attitude that Coach Mac brings to the program, expected improvement and the new direction he is taking this program. We will be fine, but be realistic.

DeepGreen · July 16, 2011

"Which brings us full circle to Coach Mac constantly bemoaning the state of the team. Again, just fix it."

Sorta like the Dems continually blaming Bush for the mess this country is in. Just saying...

Edited July 16, 2011 by DeepGreen

Yellow Snow · July 16, 2011

Look, the whole woe is me is just getting a little old. We get it.

Every new coach that is replacing a fired coach faces it. Playing it up can make it easier on you down the line. The new coach at LaLa is facing the same thing with far fewer resources.

It's just very convienent to blame the previous coach. Tired of hearing it.

Fix it.

Not to get in the middle of this, but....

I don't like "coachspeak" either... but trust me when I say that Mac is a straight shooter. He's not saying these things to give himself an out later, he's simply telling the truth as he sees it.

If these things he says were only excuses to save face later, you'd still have Dodge as your coach. Obviously, based on your earlier records, there are some "issues" that need to get fixed. When somebody asks him what these are, he's going to tell them. No excuse making, just an answer to the question. If he answered a question like, "What have you had the players work on the most since becoming head coach" with "no comment", you'd be on here saying he doesn't know what he's doing or he'd answer the question... am I right? Well, he's just answereing the question.

He did the same thing at I-State. Came in and told it like it was (we went 0-10-1 the prior year) and proceeded to fix it.

You keep saying you want him to "just fix it". How should he answer the questions then? What do you want to hear from him? I'm honestly curious as to what you would like to hear him say regarding the program he took over.

UNT90 · July 16, 2011

No. It is not just answers to questions. Anyone who attended the recent coaches tour saw it. These comments have been a part of his prepared speeches at these events(at least the Ft Worfh one).

I get it, and it's smart, but at some point let's stop the pity party and focus on what we have. I like Coach Mac and really hope he is exactly what this program needs, but just stop with the we are so bad talk already.

I would prefer he focus his comments on the future of the program and when asked personnel questions, answer them without bemoaning what you don't have. We all know that you can refocus the discussion with your answers. How about refocusing the questions to points of strength on the team, like running back.

Edited July 16, 2011 by UNT90