...is McCarney really a good coach?

[rcade]

McCarney inherited a mess. He is turning it around but it takes time and 4 recruiting classes.

Nobody is given four recruiting classes any more to turn a program around.

[texmusic]

Well then give it 2-3 years before crying

[UNTLifer]

Nobody is given four recruiting classes any more to turn a program around.

True, but they are also.given more than one. Be realistic people.

[MeanGreenMusic]

[UNTLifer]

That is an excuse that every new coach uses. The entire staff needs to coach and teach these guys to play ball and quit making excuses.

You can coach a lot of things, speed ain't one of them.

[GreenMachine]

You can coach a lot of things, speed ain't one of them.

I totally agree but lack of speed isn't this teams only problem.

[unt_rocket09]

Lack of speed is the HUGE problem!

[Aquila_Viridis]

Or what? We lose to a team we are projected to lose to. A team everyone has at the top of our conference. A team that won a bowl game last year.

Let's stop the over dramatic BS.

....a team that in the overall scheme of college football ... sucks. He's supposed to find a way to beat SubBelt teams and the like.

Let's stop the losing.

[UNTLifer]

Seriously. I realize we have a bad offense and there's a bunch of terrible players but we play so frustratingly conservative. McCarney's plan is so predictable, they're never ready to play and there's no adjustments. Seriously, WKU got turned around quicker than us. So did ULM. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? After a sold out allotment, and fans who just obviously want a winning team how do you choke so terribly? I still think we will pull 20K+ for the game but that's still depressing that we just suck so bad. We've developed a fanbase. McCarney needs to play like it's a real college team. Not the 2002 Ravens.

Seriously? There is so much in here that either makes me laugh or is contradictory. What were the records of Taggert and Berry before they got things turned around and how long did it take? And then you wrap it all up neatly by comparing us to an NFL team. Our players are our's, and I know they are big boys, bht what goid does it do to say.they are terrible and the team sucks?

[TheTastyGreek]

What were the records of Taggert and Berry before they got things turned around and how long did it take?

I mentioned this in another thread... On October 6th of last year, Taggart at WKU won his 1st game of the season and 3rd game ever, raising his record to 3-14 overall. A nice bounceback from losing by 4 touchdowns to a 1-AA team two games earlier.

Not saying Mac gets a pass... But Taggart had half as many wins as Mac at the same point in his tenure. And a loss to a 1-AA school.

As for Berry, he went 5-7 and 4-8 in his first two years at ULM. Never better than .500 in Sun Belt play. And at this point in his tenure... He was sitting at 6-11, with two of those six wins against 1-AA schools.

[Green Mean]

I don't think you can fully judge Coach Mac in the middle of year 2. That said we've reached a point in college athletics where coaches aren't given at least 4 years anymore to see what he has. I realize this team probably lacks talent or depth but a lot of times great coaching and preparation will make up for lack of talent and speed. Boise State has figured out a way to not only be competitive against the big boys but even win most of those games when they supposedly have inferior talent and lack the speed of their big name opponents. At some point we're just going to have to shock the world and trend upward quickly. Again I do believe Mac has done a commendable job so far but he's soon going to reach the point where wins on the field is all that matters. You sell a program by winning and having a good and competitive product.

[UNTLifer]

I mentioned this in another thread... On October 6th of last year, Taggart at WKU won his 1st game of the season and 3rd game ever, raising his record to 3-14 overall. A nice bounceback from losing by 4 touchdowns to a 1-AA team two games earlier.

Not saying Mac gets a pass... But Taggart had half as many wins as Mac at the same point in his tenure. And a loss to a 1-AA school.

As for Berry, he went 5-7 and 4-8 in his first two years at ULM. Never better than .500 in Sun Belt play. And at this point in his tenure... He was sitting at 6-11, with two of those six wins against 1-AA schools.

Thank you.

[stryker]

Short answer: yes he is.

Barry Switzer once said great players make great coaches.

McCarney inherited a mess. He is turning it around but it takes time and 4 recruiting classes.

In the old days, yes, a coach would be allowed 4 recruiting classes. Nowadays, new coaches get about 3 recruiting classes (ESPN recently ran an article on this) because after 3 seasons you more or less no what you're going to get out of your head coach. Going into year 3, if McCarney isn't showing more progress than this year, he very well could be shown the door. On the other hand, if there's progress in year 3, and by progress I mean a record of at least .500 or better, than I'd say he's going in the right direction.

Right now, he looks like a coach who's best days are behind him, but we also know that he inherited an absolute train wreck.

[mean green d]

Its been slightly over a year. Your expectations are unrealistic. Good things take time, so it is with

turning this program around. Give him the needed time!

GMG

[Green P1]

Given a first year coach's first recruiting class is usually a 50/50 throwaway, but i'd like to see more than one guy Mac has brought in (outside of walkons) contributing at the skill positions. I'd also like to see the potential (outside of a transient QB transfer) in this next class at the skill positions. I don't see it.

[meangreener]

Mac's recruiting is completely underwhelming. If TSSM is bringing in tons of 3-stars, we should be bringing in more 3-stars or some 4s.

[FirefightnRick]

Well we have no WRs, can't run the ball bc they stack the line on us.

We opened the second half with a drive that utilized a stretch run to the sidelines while in a 4 receiver set that let our trio of backs get out in space and do what they do...make people miss. And it was extremely successful at pouring it down their throat...easily for a score.

After that drive, we went back to what didn't work for us in the first half and we never tried the stretch run out of that set the remainder of thale game.

WHY?

Rick

Edited October 7, 2012 by FirefightnRick

[KingDL1]

We opened the second half with a drive that utilized a stretch run to the sidelines while in a 4 receiver set that let our trio of backs get out in space and do what they do...make people miss. And it was extremely successful at pouring it down their throat...easily for a score.

After that drive, we went back to what didn't work for us in the first half and we never tried the stretch run out of that set the remainder of thale game.

WHY?

Rick

I am now on the anti-Chico bus!

[Green P1]

I am now on the anti-Chico bus!

I could be 100% wrong but I feel like Mac is 1000 times more heavy handed on Chico's offense than most think.

[stryker]

I seem to remember the offense being much more wide open when Canales was the interim head coach. McCarney's conservative philosophy on offense was one of the reasons he was run out of Ames.

[stryker]

Give it time...

The same thing was said about Todd Dodge when he was here. Give it time. A college coach more or less has 3 years to show he has a program headed in the right direction in today's college football climate so I'm willing to give it until next year before I say whether or not McCarney is the answer at UNT. That being said, many of his decisions, both playcalling and recruiting, have been very questionable.

[Proud North Texan]

Give him some fucking time!

[outoftown]

Well I have to say it is frustrating when we do things like letting time expire with a minute and 3 timeouts left in half 1 when we are behind. Looking at what Berry did, it just has a different feel to it game call wise. We are not taking chances at al, which would be ok, if we were ahead and usually had the better team, but we are not there yet. Also we are predictable. And that is not just a question of the talent we do or don't have.

on the positive side: we had decent games by the offense and decent games by the defense, both sides are improving particularly the defense -even though it is hard to believe after this game. We have yet to see a game when both sides of the ball have a good day. It is bound to happen some time.

That said, a bowl game has just gotten a lot less probable

Edited October 7, 2012 by outoftown

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Offense isn't the problem. We had almost 500 yards of offense against UH.

The problem is...we gave up 623 on defense - 302 rushing and 321 passing.

Again, and I'll keep saying it: DEFENSIVE LINE. McCarney is a good coach, so are his coordinators and assistants. But, if they don't get the DL line depth and talent situation worked out, it will all be nothing but a fart in the wind.

Edited October 7, 2012 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

[UNTDude]

I know that I am new and have a son that plays, but with my experience and with a perspective I get from my son...here are my 2 cents:

1 - Berglund is a stud....3 years of eligibility

2 - Pegram (kid from Purdue) runs all over our D in practice

3 - The Texas transfer at WR....big / strong and fast

4 - a little bias, but I think our redshirted freshman this year is a strong group....McDorman and Watson on DL and Kirby and Trussell on OL.

5 - coaching...you use what you have. how do you open up a passing game when our qb is not a passing qb? and everyone in the stands is a better coach than what is on the field...sorry, i am as guilty as everyone else in this but these guys

spend hours of time each day in film and matching weakness vs strength....our strength this year is running game and trying to get the ball to Chancellor. pretty unbalanced attack when you cant count on passing game.

6 - this is Macs 2nd year....there is still a Dodge hangover at UNT. I see and hear it in here everyday. the recruiting philosophy Dodge had ( dont start recruiting till the end of season...he said that at a camp that Connor went too and then his scheduling of so many "money" games) not a good combination.

I think in two years, you could see a very different team.

Really appreciate a player/family's perspective......money post.