North Texas coach is thankful to be here

[Harry]

Like a lot of people who have faced a life-threatening illness, McCarney finds himself with a deeper appreciation for certain things.

His time with his family, for one thing. His daily walks with their two dogs.

"Mother Nature in general," he said. "I remember the first day back at spring practice, I couldn't stop smiling. It wasn't because everything was fantastic at practice, because we've still got a long ways to go. It was just being back out there, being with your players and doing what God has given me the opportunity to do all these years."

He confessed to also thinking about what else might have happened that Sunday afternoon.

"It was scary," McCarney said.

The scariest part, he said, was seeing the concern on the faces of his wife and son as they rushed to get him to the hospital.

The episode made him ask himself some questions.

"Have I told people how much they mean to me?" McCarney said. "Have I told people enough how much I love them?"

The return to his football duties was a major step for McCarney. There is work to do at North Texas, he admitted. For one thing, his team that went 5-7 a year ago lost 27 seniors.

But just like the wind turbines outside of his office, the future marches on.

"There's a real commitment here," McCarney said. "And it's in every phase right now, not just this new beautiful $80 million stadium.

"It's up to us. We've got a long ways to go, but we've made some real strides in the first 15 months."

Dan McCarney feels blessed. He has the memory of that helicopter ride to remind him.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/04/15/3884368/north-texas-football-coach-is.html#storylink=cpy