Only at NT

GrandGreen · April 17, 2012

What are the odds that your two head basketball coaches both have their dream jobs come open on the same year, and both are selected? Even making it most far fetched both dream jobs are with the very top of the athletic food chain and both despite many protests from their fans, selected lowly Belt coaches.

By my count NT has only had four HC's move up to higher ground in the last fifty years. A couple of them were here only a year and were not big loses, Harry Miller in MBB and Cherrie Rapp in WBB. The other two were Fry and Jerry Moore which I still don't understand. So in really, NT has lost one coach before this year that was a real loss; Fry. Now this year we are down two.

Many may discount Aston because she was here only a year, but she may be as good a coach as ever worked at NT. Jones was solid and orchestrated an amazing program turnaround and left arguably being the best ever basketball coach at NT.

The best and the worse, is that both basketball teams should have had great seasons ahead. The best is with the right hire, the teams should still have tremendous seasons, the worse is that because of coaching changes the odds of having those seasons is substantially reduced. Both coaches left the team well stocked with good players, now it is up to the new coaches to build upon what has been established. Fry left a loaded team with about everyone back from a 10-1 season, NT made the wrong hire and it quickly turned to dust and it was not because of players leaving.

NT seems to never be able to get over the hump, rare success is usually followed by failure. Now is the time, that trend is reversed and NT build a program based on a foundation of good coaches not the rare exception that can win at NT.

Harry · April 17, 2012

Great post.

drex · April 17, 2012

At least we are trending upward....remember when we hired coaches from pissant programs or assistants from D1 programs and prayed to God it would work out? Those hires were motivated by total distain by the senior administrators or total incompetence by senior administrators.

Cooley · April 18, 2012

I think it is ironic that 2 of our best coaches of all time are Dan McCarney and Karen Aston. Both had/have been here for only 1 year and followed Todd Dodge and Shanice Stephens. I also think that Shawson Johnson should be in the NT Hall of Fame. Only at NT. Just having fun Grand!

bstnsportsfan3 · April 18, 2012

great post...agree 100% i hope they continue the success both programs have shown

GoMeanGreen1999 · April 18, 2012

We are already proclaiming Dan McCarney to be one the best coaches of all time?

Green P1 · April 18, 2012

We are already proclaiming Dan McCarney to be one the best coaches of all time?

And Aston?

Censored by Laurie · April 18, 2012

And Aston?

The inclusion of Shawnson makes me think Cooley's tongue has already bi-passed his cheek and is making a play for his ear.

oldguystudent · April 18, 2012

We are already proclaiming Dan McCarney to be one the best coaches of all time?

You could have thrown a drunken frat boy on a pee strained couch on the sideline, and he'd look like a hall of game coach compared to his predecessor.

emmitt01 · April 18, 2012

You could have thrown a drunken frat boy on a pee strained couch on the sideline, and he'd look like a hall of game coach compared to his predecessor.

We could have been coached Weekend At Bernie's style last year and been better off than during the previous four.

Rudy · April 18, 2012

We are already proclaiming Dan McCarney to be one the best coaches of all time?

SilverEagle rebuttal in 3..2..

SilverEagle · April 18, 2012

SilverEagle rebuttal in 3..2..

Are you anticipating that I might point out that one year is entirely too soon to declare ANYONE the best football coaching hire of all time? It's true that McCarney didn't go 5-5-1 and tie for the conference championship in his first year....but he came damn close. Not bad for the "student" of our greatest football coach of all time. But it isn't unusual for the student to eventually surpass his teacher/mentor.

oldschoollefty · April 18, 2012

We are already proclaiming Dan McCarney to be one the best coaches of all time?

Well placed sources have his statue being placed outside the south end zone by next season.

Rudy · April 18, 2012

Are you anticipating that I might point out that one year is entirely too soon to declare ANYONE the best football coaching hire of all time? It's true that McCarney didn't go 5-5-1 and tie for the conference championship in his first year....but he came damn close. Not bad for the "student" of our greatest football coach of all time. But it isn't unusual for the student to eventually surpass his teacher/mentor.

Geez, just joking around. Lighten up Francis.

UNTLifer · April 18, 2012

Well placed sources have his statue being placed outside the south end zone by next season.

I have it good source that Spiriki will split open in 2015 ultimately revealing the bust of Coach Mac with sunglasses and a bottle of Grey Goose.

SilverEagle · April 19, 2012

I have it good source that Spiriki will split open in 2015 ultimately revealing the bust of Coach Mac with sunglasses and a bottle of Grey Goose.

Here's another "only at North Texas". Only at North Texas could something like the bronze Eagle bust be funded/sponsored by members of a former athletic fraternity/campus organization. If there is that much money and influence still floating around out there amongst the Geezles, then why not revive the organization.

From the 1960 YUCCA....the Geezles.

http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth61030/m1/390/?q=geezles