OPEN LETTER FROM JJ

[KRAM1]

Did anyone else notice the half-page "ad" open letter format from JJ to the fans and staff at UNT in the April 24th Denton-Record Chronicle? I thought it was great and really a class act on JJ's part to thank RV, the Athletic Dept. staff and the FANS for all their support over the last 11 years.

Really great to see this. JJ put this program back on the map and built a foundation that should propel it to even greater things in the coming years. Without JJ and what he accomplished here, UNT would not be welcoming a Tony Benford as its new head coach today.

Thanks JJ, and the Mean Green Nation wish you nothing but success in Baton Rouge.....GEAUX TIGERS!

[MeanGreenTexan]

Link?

[LongJim]

Guy was a class act at UNT. Wish him the best.

[CMJ]

Link?

Yeah, please for us out of towners.

[Army of Dad]

Yeah, please for us out of towners.

I can't find a link for it and I don't think a 20K file will be large enough to read.

[CMJ]

April 19, 2012

I cannot leave a place like the University of North Texas without taking the opportunity to thank all the wonderful people that helped us on our journey.

First of all, I would like to thank our Athletic Director Rick Villareal, who did so much to help us be successful and who is instrumental in the position of the Mean Green today. I would also like to thank UNT President V. Lane Rawlins for all his support that he gave me and our program.

I would like to thank all the many people, too numerous to mention, in the athletic department behind the scenes who contributed to the daily operation of our program. Your support of our student-athletes was important and I hope you continue to do that on a daily basis for them in the future.

Finally, let me say a word about our UNT fans. We worked hard to build a successful program at North Texas that played for division and league championships and while we were averaging 21 wins over our last six seasons, you were right there with us as our sixth man. You urged our players on. You gave our players the support that great fans give that can spur them on at just the right moment.

You were a big part of our success and I hope you will continue to support the Mean Green men's basketball program as it moves forward.

My family and I love the Denton area and the people that are a part of the community. It took what only can be called a "dream" opportunity to return to my alma mater at LSU to get me to leave an extremely positive situation at the University of North Texas. Again, I wish to thank you for your support during my 11 years at UNT.

Sincerely,

Johnny Jones

This post has been promoted to an article

Edited April 25, 2012 by Harry

[CMJ]

BTW -- thanks to Army of Dad for sending me a picture of the ad. I hope I typed it up with as few errors as possible.

And one last time as a final farewell (given that we're getting a new coach in about 3 hours)....

Edited April 25, 2012 by CMJ

[Censored by Laurie]

[greenminer]

Never seen this before. Props to JJ and thanks for everything he did.

Best wishes to him and his staff in Tigerland.

[CMJ]

Never seen this before.

You mean writing a note to the fans like that? It's unusual, but not unprecedented (the most gracious was probably Weber writing a note to Illinois fans after they FIRED him).

Still classy as all hell. But you wouldn't expect anything less from him.

[Green Mean]

Ppreciate ya pal!

[meangreen]

JJ is nothing but first class. Will miss him for sure.

[glick1980]

This made me happy and sad all at the same time. I am happy for JJ and happy he was our coach and sad that he will be gone. I will root for LSU in basketball unless they are playing us.

[Rudy]

It killed my inside to visit the LSU website and see JJ in purple and yellow.He has always been a class act and I'll miss him.

Edited April 25, 2012 by Rudy

[meangreendork]

JJ's a solid character, and let's be honest - if we were coaching at another university and the AD from UNT called any of us up asking if we wanted to coach at our alma mater, I'm sure we would all take it.

[MDH]

Kind of like the "it's not you it's me" letter I got back in HS a few days post breakup. Miss you JJ

[Cooley]

Did Karen write an add?

[NT03]

Thanks for rising unt bb out of the ashes, you will be missed !

[KRAM1]

Did Karen write an add?

Now that's funny! She did not, but I hear a few folks are blaming it on a certain tailgate event.

[Army of Dad]

Now that's funny! She did not, but I hear a few folks are blaming it on a certain tailgate event.

She did, but since she was only here one year it was on Craigslist under missed connections. Five years would have been worth a quarter page ad.

[MeanGreenTexan]

[Green P1]

Did Karen write an add?

When you're the best coach in the history of a school you don't write the fans a letter. We should all be disgusted with ourselves for not writing her.

[KRAM1]

When you're the best coach in the history of a school you don't write the fans a letter. We should all be disgusted with ourselves for not writing her.

I have now officially removed the "all hat and no cattle" moniker from you, sir! GREATNESS!

HOF worthy! So funny, but so appropriate as well.