The Final 8 Belt Years

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Arkansas State: 2 winning seasons, 5 non-losing seasons

2005: 6-6, Steve Roberts

2006: 6-6, Steve Roberts

2007: 5-7, Steve Roberts

2008: 6-6, Steve Roberts

2009: 4-8, Steve Roberts

2010: 4-8, Steve Roberts

2011: 10-3, Hugh Freeze / David Gunn

2012: 9-3, Gus Malzahn / John Thompson

Florida Atlantic: 2 winning seasons

2005: 2-9, Howard Schnellenberger

2006: 5-7, Howard Schnellenberger

2007: 8-5, Howard Schnellenberger

2008: 7-6, Howard Schnellenberger

2009: 5-7, Howard Schnellenberger

2010: 4-8, Howard Schnellenberger

2011: 1-11, Howard Schnellenberger

2012: 3-9, Carl Pelini

Florida International: 2 winning seasons

2005: 5-6, Don Strock

2006: 0-12, Don Strock

2007: 1-11, Mario Cristobal

2008: 5-7, Mario Cristobal

2009: 3-9, Mario Cristobal

2010: 7-6, Mario Cristobal

2011: 8-5, Mario Cristobal

2012: 3-9, Mario Cristobal

Louisiana: 3 winning seasons, 6 non-losing seasons

2005: 6-5, Ricky Bustle

2006: 6-6, Ricky Bustle

2007: 3-9, Ricky Bustle

2008: 6-6, Ricky Bustle

2009: 6-6, Ricky Bustle

2010: 3-9, Ricky Bustle

2011: 9-4, Mark Hudspeth

2012: 8-4, Mark Hudspeth

ULM: 1 winning season, 3 non-losing seasons

2005: 5-6, Charlie Weatherbee

2006: 4-8, Charlie Weatherbee

2007: 6-6, Charlie Weatherbee

2008: 4-8, Charlie Weatherbee

2009: 6-6, Charlie Weatherbee

2010: 5-7, Todd Berry

2011: 4-8, Todd Berry

2012: 8-4, Todd Berry

Middle Tennessee: 3 winning seasons

2005: 4-7, Andy McCollum

2006: 7-6, Rick Stockstill

2007: 5-7, Rick Stockstill

2008: 5-7, Rick Stockstill

2009: 10-3, Rick Stockstill

2010: 6-7, Rick Stockstill

2011: 2-10, Rick Stockstill

2012: 8-4, Rick Stockstill

North Texas: 0 winning seasons, 0 non-losing seasons

2005: 2-9, Darrell Dickey

2006: 3-9, Darrell Dickey

2007: 2-10, Todd Dodge

2008: 1-11, Todd Dodge

2009: 2-10, Todd Dodge

2010: 3-9, Todd Dodge / Mike Canales

2011: 5-7, Dan McCarney

2012: 4-8, Dan McCarney

Troy: 5 winning seasons

2005: 4-7, Larry Blakeney

2006: 8-5, Larry Blakeney

2007: 8-4, Larry Blakeney

2008: 8-5, Larry Blakeney

2009: 9-4, Larry Blakeney

2010: 8-5, Larry Blakeney

2011: 3-9, Larry Blakeney

2012: 5-7, Larry Blakeney

Western Kentucky: 2 winning seasons

2009: 0-12, David Elson

2010: 2-10, Willie Taggart

2011: 7-5, Willie Taggart

2012: 7-5, Willie Taggart / Lance Guidry

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Even Western Kentucky, who has only been in the conference four seasons, has two winning seasons - building off of David Elson's 0-12 beginning in 2009.

Eight years, we're the only Sun Belt school without even a non-losing season. Was our cupboard any more bare than schools that were 0-12 at points, like FIU and WKU? Our facilities any crappier than those schools?

I'm sad to say, that we are one of only four programs without at least a non-losing season in the last eight. Our Fraternity of Suck includes: UNLV, New Mexico State, and Tulane.

Every other program has managed to squeeze out at least one non-losing season over the past eight.

So, it's a race - who will be the last to suck? The odds don't favor us:

-UNLV is sticking with Bobby Hauck despite three consecutive 2-win seasons. I guess the Rebels figure winning is never going to come.

-New Mexico State has retianed Dewayne Walker after a 1-11 season, his fourth consecutive losing season in a row, and the school's 10th. After winning four games in 2011, Walker was given a three-year extension!

Telling quotes about the state of New Mexico State football:

"There's no way there will be a buyout," said Bob Porter, an Aggie basketball player from 1948-51 who remains a loyal supporter of the athletics program to this day. "He's here as long as he wants."

NMSU Athletics Director McKinley Boston said when Walker was initially hired, his assignment was the bring together the locker room and make the Aggies a unified team, which Boston deemed accomplished. ... "When players are going to class, getting good grades, no social-misconduct issues and we're showing improvements, those are things that are important that you look for."

No one sets the bar lower than New Mexico State. No one, I say! I mean, who really expects players to able to win and go to class? I can't for the life of me figure out why they didn't make a run at Todd Dodge at least as OC.

-Tulane's Curtis Johnson just finished his first season as head coach at 2-10. The guy was a position coach with no coordinator experience when hired. Look for this to go the way of Colorado's similar experiment with Jon Embree and OU's with John Blake.

Of the four other 8 year (minimum) suck schools, we have the best odds of finally turning in a non-losing season. Anyone know if Vegas will set odds? That's one bet you can put your money on us to win!

Edited December 10, 2012 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

[Green Mean]

Pretty depressing thread bro.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Pretty depressing thread bro.

I admit I was depressed while researching it. But, after looking at what is happening at UNLV, NMSU, and Tulane...I felt a little better?

[Mean Green 93-98]

I'm sad to say, that we are one of only four programs within at least a non-losing season in the last eight.

You mean "without"; i.e., "without at least one . . ."

Not meaning to be a grammar nazi, but I enjoyed your depressing post, and wanted to make that point clearer.

[glick1980]

I can verify that we suck at sports.

[untjim1995]

Arkansas State: 2 winning seasons, 5 non-losing seasons

2005: 6-6, Steve Roberts

2006: 6-6, Steve Roberts

2007: 5-7, Steve Roberts

2008: 6-6, Steve Roberts

2009: 4-8, Steve Roberts

2010: 4-8, Steve Roberts

2011: 10-3, Hugh Freeze / David Gunn

2012: 9-3, Gus Malzahn / John Thompson

Florida Atlantic: 2 winning seasons

2005: 2-9, Howard Schnellenberger

2006: 5-7, Howard Schnellenberger

2007: 8-5, Howard Schnellenberger

2008: 7-6, Howard Schnellenberger

2009: 5-7, Howard Schnellenberger

2010: 4-8, Howard Schnellenberger

2011: 1-11, Howard Schnellenberger

2012: 3-9, Carl Pelini

Florida International: 2 winning seasons

2005: 5-6, Don Strock

2006: 0-12, Don Strock

2007: 1-11, Mario Cristobal

2008: 5-7, Mario Cristobal

2009: 3-9, Mario Cristobal

2010: 7-6, Mario Cristobal

2011: 8-5, Mario Cristobal

2012: 3-9, Mario Cristobal

Louisiana: 3 winning seasons, 6 non-losing seasons

2005: 6-5, Ricky Bustle

2006: 6-6, Ricky Bustle

2007: 3-9, Ricky Bustle

2008: 6-6, Ricky Bustle

2009: 6-6, Ricky Bustle

2010: 3-9, Ricky Bustle

2011: 9-4, Mark Hudspeth

2012: 8-4, Mark Hudspeth

ULM: 1 winning season, 3 non-losing seasons

2005: 5-6, Charlie Weatherbee

2006: 4-8, Charlie Weatherbee

2007: 6-6, Charlie Weatherbee

2008: 4-8, Charlie Weatherbee

2009: 6-6, Charlie Weatherbee

2010: 5-7, Todd Berry

2011: 4-8, Todd Berry

2012: 8-4, Todd Berry

Middle Tennessee: 3 winning seasons

2005: 4-7, Andy McCollum

2006: 7-6, Rick Stockstill

2007: 5-7, Rick Stockstill

2008: 5-7, Rick Stockstill

2009: 10-3, Rick Stockstill

2010: 6-7, Rick Stockstill

2011: 2-10, Rick Stockstill

2012: 8-4, Rick Stockstill

North Texas: 0 winning seasons, 0 non-losing seasons

2005: 2-9, Darrell Dickey

2006: 3-9, Darrell Dickey

2007: 2-10, Todd Dodge

2008: 1-11, Todd Dodge

2009: 2-10, Todd Dodge

2010: 3-9, Todd Dodge / Mike Canales

2011: 5-7, Dan McCarney

2012: 4-8, Dan McCarney

Troy: 5 winning seasons

2005: 4-7, Larry Blakeney

2006: 8-5, Larry Blakeney

2007: 8-4, Larry Blakeney

2008: 8-5, Larry Blakeney

2009: 9-4, Larry Blakeney

2010: 8-5, Larry Blakeney

2011: 3-9, Larry Blakeney

2012: 5-7, Larry Blakeney

Western Kentucky: 2 winning seasons

2009: 0-12, David Elson

2010: 2-10, Willie Taggart

2011: 7-5, Willie Taggart

2012: 7-5, Willie Taggart / Lance Guidry

I wonder if there were a lot of MUTS fans who wanted to fire Stockstill after his 2011 2-10 season? That season followed a 6-7 year that saw a bowl loss. No matter what, he certainly rewarded their fans this year with a great season. I'm hopeful McCarney will do that here next year.

[meaniegreenie]

I know ragging on TD gets old, but if we're going to compare programs/coaches over the past 8 years...

It should be noted that ONLY ONE of these programs had a coach with ABSOLUTELY NO collegiate coaching experience for nearly half of these 8 years.

[Mean Green 93-98]

I know ragging on TD gets old, but if we're going to compare programs/coaches over the past 8 years...

It should be noted that ONLY ONE of these programs had a coach with ABSOLUTELY NO collegiate coaching experience for nearly half of these 8 years.

Who? Not TD.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

You mean "without"; i.e., "without at least one . . ."

Not meaning to be a grammar nazi, but I enjoyed your depressing post, and wanted to make that point clearer.

Thanky. Corrected.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

I know ragging on TD gets old, but if we're going to compare programs/coaches over the past 8 years...

It should be noted that ONLY ONE of these programs had a coach with ABSOLUTELY NO collegiate coaching experience for nearly half of these 8 years.

True. Tulane tried to hire someone with little experience, hiring a WR coach with no coordinator experience.

NMSU's Walker had been a defensive coordintor for three seasons. The season before he was hired, UCLA went 10-2. During his three seasons as DC, Bruins were 7-6, 6-7, and 4-8. So, he was part of the demise of UCLA...which made him attracitve to New Mexico State.

UNLV's Hauck had been a successful FCS coach at Montana, but had never been a coordinator at the I-A/FBS level before the Rebels hired him. Predictably, he hasn't been able to figure out the FBS game even among non-AQ competition.

So...I like our odds of breaking away from the Franternity of Suck better than those guys. I only wish we would schedule them during the tenures of these coaches.

Edited December 10, 2012 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

True. Tulane tried to hire someone with little experience, hiring a WR coach with no coordinator experience.

NMSU's Walker had been a defensive coordintor for three seasons. The season before he was hired, UCLA went 10-2. During his three seasons as DC, Bruins were 7-6, 6-7, and 4-8. So, he was part of the demise of UCLA...which made him attracitve to New Mexico State.

UNLV's Hauck had been a successful FCS coach at Montana, but had never been a coordinator at the I-A/FBS level before the Rebels hired him. Predictably, he hasn't been able to figure out the FBS game even among non-AQ competition.

So...I like our odds of breaking away from the Franternity of Suck better than those guys. I only wish we would schedule them during the tenures of these coaches.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Oh, good lord...what have I done?

[10Eagle10]

I only wish we would schedule them during the tenures of these coaches.

THIS

RV, if you read GMG, please schedule New Mexico State, UNLV and Tulane ASAP. btw, I think we do get Tulane next year in CUSA before they bolt Big East

[Harry]

Cool analysis -- I have never seen it broken out like that and some of the final numbers were surprising to me. Wow say what you want but-- Dicky had one helluva run here. I wonder where that falls under all time consecutive conference championship wins?

[Cerebus]

Wow say what you want but-- Dicky had one helluva run here.

And then we fired him after a bad year and a half. Not even two years. A year and a half.

[CurveItAround]

And then we fired him after a bad year and a half. Not even two years. A year and a half.

Because around here, we hold coaches accountable.

Using the logic we used on Dickey, let's see how the coaches from TFLF's list would have fared:

Arkansas State: 2 winning seasons, 5 non-losing seasons

2005: 6-6, Steve Roberts

2006: 6-6, Steve Roberts

2007: 5-7, Steve Roberts

2008: 6-6, Steve Roberts

2009: 4-8, Steve Roberts

2010: 4-8, Steve Roberts (gets the axe here)

2011: 10-3, Hugh Freeze / David Gunn

2012: 9-3, Gus Malzahn / John Thompson

Florida Atlantic: 2 winning seasons

2005: 2-9, Howard Schnellenberger

2006: 5-7, Howard Schnellenberger (gets the axe here)

2007: 8-5, Howard Schnellenberger

2008: 7-6, Howard Schnellenberger

2009: 5-7, Howard Schnellenberger

2010: 4-8, Howard Schnellenberger

2011: 1-11, Howard Schnellenberger

2012: 3-9, Carl Pelini

Florida International: 2 winning seasons

2005: 5-6, Don Strock

2006: 0-12, Don Strock (goodbye)

2007: 1-11, Mario Cristobal

2008: 5-7, Mario Cristobal (probably gone here)

2009: 3-9, Mario Cristobal (definitely gone here)

2010: 7-6, Mario Cristobal

2011: 8-5, Mario Cristobal

2012: 3-9, Mario Cristobal

Louisiana: 3 winning seasons, 6 non-losing seasons

2005: 6-5, Ricky Bustle

2006: 6-6, Ricky Bustle

2007: 3-9, Ricky Bustle (finger on the trigger)

2008: 6-6, Ricky Bustle

2009: 6-6, Ricky Bustle

2010: 3-9, Ricky Bustle (fool me twice, gotta go)

2011: 9-4, Mark Hudspeth

2012: 8-4, Mark Hudspeth (what's wrong with coach?)

ULM: 1 winning season, 3 non-losing seasons

2005: 5-6, Charlie Weatherbee

2006: 4-8, Charlie Weatherbee

2007: 6-6, Charlie Weatherbee

2008: 4-8, Charlie Weatherbee

2009: 6-6, Charlie Weatherbee

2010: 5-7, Todd Berry

2011: 4-8, Todd Berry (sorry coach, not working out)

2012: 8-4, Todd Berry

Middle Tennessee: 3 winning seasons

2005: 4-7, Andy McCollum

2006: 7-6, Rick Stockstill

2007: 5-7, Rick Stockstill

2008: 5-7, Rick Stockstill (so long coach)

2009: 10-3, Rick Stockstill

2010: 6-7, Rick Stockstill

2011: 2-10, Rick Stockstill (why are you still here? be gone)

2012: 8-4, Rick Stockstill

North Texas: 0 winning seasons, 0 non-losing seasons

2005: 2-9, Darrell Dickey

2006: 3-9, Darrell Dickey

2007: 2-10, Todd Dodge

2008: 1-11, Todd Dodge

2009: 2-10, Todd Dodge

2010: 3-9, Todd Dodge / Mike Canales

2011: 5-7, Dan McCarney

2012: 4-8, Dan McCarney

Troy: 5 winning seasons

2005: 4-7, Larry Blakeney

2006: 8-5, Larry Blakeney

2007: 8-4, Larry Blakeney

2008: 8-5, Larry Blakeney

2009: 9-4, Larry Blakeney

2010: 8-5, Larry Blakeney

2011: 3-9, Larry Blakeney

2012: 5-7, Larry Blakeney (somebody fire this bum)

Western Kentucky: 2 winning seasons

2009: 0-12, David Elson

2010: 2-10, Willie Taggart

2011: 7-5, Willie Taggart

2012: 7-5, Willie Taggart / Lance Guidry (we love Taggart, he is our forever coach, he will never leave)

Man, we need a winning season around here. Everyone is going stir crazy, and cranky.

Edited December 11, 2012 by CurveItAround

[GrayEagle]

Why the past eight years? Why not five? Or twelve? It was undoubtedly chosen to show us in the most negative way possible.

What is the purpose of this thread? If it's more pissing and moaning about the Dodge years that's been beaten to death already. If it's to show that everyone else has made the right hire that's unproven in this scenario.

I could argue that the Dodge years, as bad as they were, were necessary or this stadium would not have been built. We likely had the worst facilities in the FBS to recruit to. The hiring of a high school coach, who had only been a quasi-coordinator for a couple of years, was a disaster and we have been fed that ad nauseum. But Dodge had the ear of the metroplex and his complaint eventually resonated to those who could help change our posture.

It's true that we have stunk for the last eight years, the worst losing span in our history. Sometimes you have to fall to the bottom to get a wakeup call. Sometimes it takes years to rise up from the depth of despair. Some never really do. I believe that we are on the road to recovery. New facilities, new conference, and especially a new attitude will move us forward. Continual criticism is usually destructive, not constructive.

Point out reasons for hope, because despair without hope only breeds more despair. I have been a North Texas fan for 65 years and have had many chances to give up but I choose to keep a stiff upper lip and try to help move this program forward. I've seen more positive changes recently than at any other time in our history. We are on the road to recovery. It won't be perfect and we can still use constructive criticism but we are moving forward.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Ease up. I chose eight because that's how many year it has been since we've had a winning season. The point is to show that every other team in the Belt except us has managed at least one winning season since we've had our last one.

Those of us who are "negative" sometimes, you know, go ahead and show how long the "wait 'til next year"/"it's takes a long time to rebuild" game takes. And, apparently...it takes us a lot longer than the other schools who have been in similar - or worse - situations than we have.

I know...wait, wait, wait, wait, wait...and, act/post happy about it.

(By the way, it should also show - a la Western Kentucky - that the climb out of the bottom of the Sun Belt shouldn't take as long as it is taking us. WKU is a school which was playing I-AA/FCS five years ago. They've gone from 0-12 to two consecutive winning seasons in just four years in the 85 scholarship limit world...amazing, right? Wait, wait, wait.)

[GrandGreen]

And then we fired him after a bad year and a half. Not even two years. A year and a half.

Should have fired him a lot sooner.

[UNT 90 Grad]

Who? Not TD.

Yeah. Some people stamped the High School Coach label on Todd Dodge so hard that they forget he had a couple years as an assistant coach at the collegiate level under his belt. The way some people post about him, you'd think he'd have been better off sitting on his duff from 1994-2006 rather than filling that void with high school coaching.

[Cerebus]

Should have fired him a lot sooner.

Then we probably could have gotten six years out of Dodge!

[CurveItAround]

It still astounds me that TD was not more successful. If the defense was not so bad the first two years, I wonder how different it could have turned out.

[Coffee and TV]

We haven't had a winning season since I got married in April of 2004. Blame my wife.

[UNT90]

Arkansas State: 2 winning seasons, 5 non-losing seasons

2005: 6-6, Steve Roberts

2006: 6-6, Steve Roberts

2007: 5-7, Steve Roberts

2008: 6-6, Steve Roberts

2009: 4-8, Steve Roberts

2010: 4-8, Steve Roberts

2011: 10-3, Hugh Freeze / David Gunn

2012: 9-3, Gus Malzahn / John Thompson

Florida Atlantic: 2 winning seasons

2005: 2-9, Howard Schnellenberger

2006: 5-7, Howard Schnellenberger

2007: 8-5, Howard Schnellenberger

2008: 7-6, Howard Schnellenberger

2009: 5-7, Howard Schnellenberger

2010: 4-8, Howard Schnellenberger

2011: 1-11, Howard Schnellenberger

2012: 3-9, Carl Pelini

Florida International: 2 winning seasons

2005: 5-6, Don Strock

2006: 0-12, Don Strock

2007: 1-11, Mario Cristobal

2008: 5-7, Mario Cristobal

2009: 3-9, Mario Cristobal

2010: 7-6, Mario Cristobal

2011: 8-5, Mario Cristobal

2012: 3-9, Mario Cristobal

Louisiana: 3 winning seasons, 6 non-losing seasons

2005: 6-5, Ricky Bustle

2006: 6-6, Ricky Bustle

2007: 3-9, Ricky Bustle

2008: 6-6, Ricky Bustle

2009: 6-6, Ricky Bustle

2010: 3-9, Ricky Bustle

2011: 9-4, Mark Hudspeth

2012: 8-4, Mark Hudspeth

ULM: 1 winning season, 3 non-losing seasons

2005: 5-6, Charlie Weatherbee

2006: 4-8, Charlie Weatherbee

2007: 6-6, Charlie Weatherbee

2008: 4-8, Charlie Weatherbee

2009: 6-6, Charlie Weatherbee

2010: 5-7, Todd Berry

2011: 4-8, Todd Berry

2012: 8-4, Todd Berry

Middle Tennessee: 3 winning seasons

2005: 4-7, Andy McCollum

2006: 7-6, Rick Stockstill

2007: 5-7, Rick Stockstill

2008: 5-7, Rick Stockstill

2009: 10-3, Rick Stockstill

2010: 6-7, Rick Stockstill

2011: 2-10, Rick Stockstill

2012: 8-4, Rick Stockstill

North Texas: 0 winning seasons, 0 non-losing seasons

2005: 2-9, Darrell Dickey

2006: 3-9, Darrell Dickey

2007: 2-10, Todd Dodge

2008: 1-11, Todd Dodge

2009: 2-10, Todd Dodge

2010: 3-9, Todd Dodge / Mike Canales

2011: 5-7, Dan McCarney

2012: 4-8, Dan McCarney

Troy: 5 winning seasons

2005: 4-7, Larry Blakeney

2006: 8-5, Larry Blakeney

2007: 8-4, Larry Blakeney

2008: 8-5, Larry Blakeney

2009: 9-4, Larry Blakeney

2010: 8-5, Larry Blakeney

2011: 3-9, Larry Blakeney

2012: 5-7, Larry Blakeney

Western Kentucky: 2 winning seasons

2009: 0-12, David Elson

2010: 2-10, Willie Taggart

2011: 7-5, Willie Taggart

2012: 7-5, Willie Taggart / Lance Guidry

Anyone who wants to know why this board is so negative need only to read the above.

I'm surprised there are any fans left.