Open letter from coach Mac

[mgfan]

Oct. 5, 2011

An Open Letter to University of North Texas Students from Head Football Coach Dan McCarney

Two weeks ago many of you witnessed something that has never been done before, a Mean Green win over a Big 10 Conference opponent right here on our own campus! It was an incredible night. It was my first win as a coach at North Texas and it was against a team that I have great respect for in Indiana. I told the team before the game to imagine what it would be like to win this game and have the student body rush the field and that dream became a reality. I wouldnt have it any other way than to celebrate my first win in this fabulous new stadium with the tremendous students and fans that helped make it possible.

Congratulations are also in order for you. The two-game attendance for Houston and Indiana was 49,256 - the largest two-game attendance figure in school history! I hope that all of you that came out for the first two games and celebrated the win with us on the field will bring a dozen new friends this week and for the rest of the season. We are on pace to set the North Texas all-time attendance record, but need to average 20,000 fans for the rest of the games. We cant do it without you!

My coaching staff and I have been working diligently to build this football program and a big part of that includes recruiting outstanding student-athletes. Every time we talk to recruits we brag about the unbelievable home-field advantage that our students create at Apogee Stadium. The atmosphere that you build at Apogee has a large impact on all 16 of our sports. Football games are always part of every student-athletes recruiting experience and your support at the games sends a message that North Texas is a great place to be a student.

As a college football coach I only get 12 chances a year to prove my worth, so every game is very meaningful. We only get four more chances to celebrate with our students and fans in Apogee Stadium this year so, we have to take advantage of every opportunity. This Saturday night is our next chance to build this relationship and we need you there. The Mean Green football family appreciates the energy and passion that you have for your school, so lets make it another great Saturday night at Apogee!

Go Mean Green,

Dan McCarney

Head Football Coach

University of North Texas

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

You gotta hand it to the guy: he is trying.

[UNTLifer]

Good stuff.

[MeanMag]

He who finds the open letter that Dan McCarney sends the NT Daily before every else gets all the +1s.

Give Dan Mac the +1.

Can we create an account in his honor/name and track the opinion of the board on how he's doing his job?

[ScreamingEaglesFan]

Ok call me a pessimist, and don't get me wrong I think these letters are an awesome move; but does anyone else think these might be the work of our SI office, with imput from Dmac?

Either way I think it's a great/smart PR move to help fill the stadium I just know in the corporate world these are done by PR peeps with mgmts input, just curious.

[NCMeanGreen]

1 win?? So far lousy...:+)

[GreenGuy123]

I'll be there and I'll be doing my best to spread the word.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Can't we say for the first time in North Texas football history that the size of our crowd and the noise our crowd have already shown it can generate because of the accoustics inside Apogee Stadium is worth at least one touchdown for the team wearing the Mean Green?

Example below of Apogee Stadium crowd noise after the first North Texas TD scored against Univ. of Houston.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/blog/...loss-to-houston

Addendum: Been watching Mean Green football for 38 years now and I've never heard such (collective) crowd noise as made after the first TD scored at Apogee Stadium. The New Mexico State game in 2001 would come the closest but the Fouts crowd noise always fell flat like a concert hall with dead accoustics. Like Gil Brandt said about our stadium: "...this is really, really something special."

Edited October 6, 2011 by PlummMeanGreen

[KRAM1]

For the first time in a long many years UNT has a HC that is working hard to help increase attendance. The guy never stops trying to get rears into Apogee. If you are a member of the Mean green nation you just have to love what he is doing. I hope some of this bleeds off to both our head basketball coaches as I would also love for the Super Pit to become a real home court advantage.

I don't care if the SI office helps create these messages or not...it comes with Coach Mac's signature and Coach Mac's "ask". It's a great idea and he should be applauded and thanked for his efforts to increase attendance.

[GTWT]

I look forward to the day that the UNT community deserves the hard work of her student athletes and coaches.

God bless Texas!

[Green P1]

Ok call me a pessimist, and don't get me wrong I think these letters are an awesome move; but does anyone else think these might be the work of our SI office, with imput from Dmac?

Either way I think it's a great/smart PR move to help fill the stadium I just know in the corporate world these are done by PR peeps with mgmts input, just curious.

I think you're probably right. Nothing wrong with that.

[DeepGreen]

I think this is a great way for Coach McCarney and the athletic department to connect with the student body. He needs to keep this form of communication going, regardless if the attendance does not meet our expectations. It's going to take more than one season of letters to the students to make a difference. This type of campaign needs to continue next season. A few wins would go a long way, however.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

He's done about everything he can. Maybe he could go door-to-door through the Denia neighborhood and talk to the folks there. Or, mow their lawns or something.

[BDPG]

Great stuff. I am not sure how he gets the letters to all of the students though. Probably should shorten his message and send via text message to every student.

[Green P1]

He's done about everything he can. Maybe he could go door-to-door through the Denia neighborhood and talk to the folks there. Or, mow their lawns or something.

Rake. Please.

[UNTP1]

Great stuff. I am not sure how he gets the letters to all of the students though. Probably should shorten his message and send via text message to every student.

The letter goes out to all students via email before it is published in the NT Daily

[Green Mean]

Ok call me a pessimist, and don't get me wrong I think these letters are an awesome move; but does anyone else think these might be the work of our SI office, with imput from Dmac?

Either way I think it's a great/smart PR move to help fill the stadium I just know in the corporate world these are done by PR peeps with mgmts input, just curious.

I doubt it but even if that were the case is there anything wrong with that? This doesn't change the fact that it seems very very evident that he's trying his ass off to get a losing program with a great deal of apathy into respectability and get it to a winning one? His persona and the way he carries himself is convincing. Give the guy some slack. It's been 5 games and while I'd like to be better than 1-4 I don't think any coach would have been able to do that much better to this point. Again this PR stuff goes a long way because we want the students and alumni to feel connected and this definitely does not hurt.

[Denia Park Pedro]

He's done about everything he can. Maybe he could go door-to-door through the Denia neighborhood and talk to the folks there. Or, mow their lawns or something.

Aw, man, I just mowed. Can he come back in a few weeks?

[greenjoe]

Does this letter appear in today's Chat, err...North Texas Daily ?

[Keith7]

Does this letter appear in today's Chat, err...North Texas Daily ?

Yea, you can find it on the campus of NTSU

[SouthBendGreen]

I would follow Coach Mac into battle.

I have said it before and will say it again. I have full faith and confidence in this man and would wager a large amount of money he has our university back in a bowl within 3-4 years.

I love these letters. And I think it is straight from him and NOT the department.

[Keith7]

I'm guessing they are definitely straight from the athletic department. Nothing wrong with that though.

[filmerj]

Ok call me a pessimist, and don't get me wrong I think these letters are an awesome move; but does anyone else think these might be the work of our SI office, with imput from Dmac?

Either way I think it's a great/smart PR move to help fill the stadium I just know in the corporate world these are done by PR peeps with mgmts input, just curious.

I don't think it matters who writes them, his name is on it and he must give approval. So to me it doesn't matter if it's an intern or the Marketing Arm, as long as it's well written and makes sense.

[greenjoe]

Where ?

[bleedgreen4ever]

I want coach Mac to be my friend.