Sorry To bring this up again...

cdizzle86 · January 20, 2013

@espn_macmahon: Believe it or not, Jim Harbaugh interviewed for the North Texas job when Todd Dodge got it. Six years later, he's headed to Super Bowl.

It hurts so much to think about what could have been. I think this was probably the biggest mistake we made in the last 10 years.

oldguystudent · January 20, 2013

Had things gone differently would that mean that Todd Dodge would be the 49ers coach? Because that would be comedy of the highest order.

Also, who knows what Harbaugh could have done here? I'm sure he had a wee bit more resources at Stanford.

GrayEagle · January 21, 2013

It's a nice story but it's a real stretch as far as Jim Harbaugh goes. He interviewed because he wanted to be a FBS head coach and we had an opening. He probably took a look at our facilities and salary and swallowed hard. He's lucky that Stanford also had an opening.

On the other hand, Dodge as head coach of the 49ers with Mendoza as the defensive coordinator has a certain intrigue about it.

PlummMeanGreen · January 21, 2013

We told Dennis Francione "no" twice. The first time was when our powers that be chose Dennis Parker and then the most recent when Coach Mac was hired.

I hope we made the right decision and we probably did, but what has gone un-noticed by many of us are the impressive number of 3 star recruits Coach Fran
has signed at his present job. I know 3 stars can mean that is the extent of a kids development, but I think most of us would still agree that we'd rather have
more of those than the other. Boise State has according to one blog never had a Top 40 or heralded recruiting class ever so I guess we can take some degree of solace with that.

Gray Eagle, I actually heard that Jim Harbaugh almost begged for the North Texas job and gave a very enthusiastic interview due to his excitement. Why not? Everyone sees the unlimited potential at UNT, but we've just not done a good job of hiring athletic personnel most all our entire adult lives. That part has got to stop soon and very soon.

AND.............Just weeks before Jerry Jones hired Barry Switzer, he even inquired about the North Texas job probably getting tired of sitting on his sofa in Norman. One UNT staffer was said to have commented........."you mean "HE" is intersted in our job?"

Folks, North Texas is not a chopped liver type of job if we can just ever cease our cycle of hiring those who fit like a round peg in a square hole.

GMG!

Edited January 21, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

KRAM1 · January 21, 2013

All interesting stories and some have some truth to them. But, it is a story that no one knows how it would have ended. Speculation is just that...who knows? But, does make for some interesting "what ifs", but that is all it is...no one knows where any of this would have led.

PlummMeanGreen · January 21, 2013

All interesting stories and some have some truth to them. But, it is a story that no one knows how it would have ended. Speculation is just that...who knows? But, does make for some interesting "what ifs", but that is all it is...no one knows where any of this would have led.

So which ones might not be truthful?

Mean Green Matt · January 21, 2013

NT hired Dodge and Stanford hired Harbaugh about a week apart. Does anyone actually think he would have taken the NT job if he still thought he had a chance at Stanford. NT made a bad hire in Dodge, but that's not because Harbaugh was an option in some far away dreamland. I am way more concerned with the fact we are seemingly unable to hire proven winners at the college level for any major coaching vacancies.

greenminer · January 21, 2013

Does anyone actually think he would have taken the NT job if he still thought he had a chance at Stanford.

Without knowing one way or the other, I think we would be considered.

Stanford's academics present challenges on the recruiting front that we never have to worry about in Denton.

Though, I would agree conference affiliation is entirely in their favor.

NT03 · January 21, 2013

Best case scenario , he would have stayed here for 1 year

Mean Green Matt · January 21, 2013

Without knowing one way or the other, I think we would be considered.

Stanford's academics present challenges on the recruiting front that we never have to worry about in Denton.
Though, I would agree conference affiliation is entirely in their favor.

His base salary at Stanford was about 3X that of Todd Dodge.

eulessismore · January 21, 2013

A more credible story to me is that Stanford already knew they were going to hire him that Harbaugh already knew they were going to hire him, but that they had to go through some motions of a coaching search.

Mean Green 93-98 · January 21, 2013

He interviewed here, but he was never coming here.

KRAM1 · January 21, 2013

He interviewed here, but he was never coming here.

Very true...but it makes for a great legend for all those who want to think that RV screwed up somehow. Folks, was never going to happen...and, unless. You are just delusional or super stubborn, you know it.

But, the legend lives on for those who always want to feel slighted or that UNT always makes the wrong choice.

I hear Vince Lombardi, Bear Bryant and Knute Rockne stopped by once as well. Can we get this thing going? It would make for extra super legend.

Seriously, this constant "what if" stuff just doesn't matter...UNT has the history of HC's that it has and that is not going to change. Best to look forward not back. The future is so much more fun.

Mean Green Matt · January 21, 2013

Very true...but it makes for a great legend for all those who want to think that RV screwed up somehow.

So what exactly do you classify a coaching hire that goes 6-37 as?...a minor "oops"?

Edited January 21, 2013 by Mean Green Matt

THOR · January 21, 2013

RV too a shot on dodge...missed by about 17 miles...

emmitt01 · January 21, 2013

"All interesting stories and some have some truth to them. But, it is a story that no one knows how it would have ended. Speculation is just that...who knows? But, does make for some interesting "what ifs", but that is all it is...no one knows where any of this would have led."

"Very true...but it makes for a great legend for all those who want to think that RV screwed up somehow. Folks, was never going to happen...and, unless. You are just delusional or super stubborn, you know it."

How are those schizophrenia meds working for ya?

Wookies · January 21, 2013

@espn_macmahon: Believe it or not, Jim Harbaugh interviewed for the North Texas job when Todd Dodge got it. Six years later, he's headed to Super Bowl.
It hurts so much to think about what could have been. I think this was probably the biggest mistake we made in the last 10 years.

There was no mistake made, we simply couldn't afford Harbaugh.

aztecskin · January 21, 2013

I'm sure the money was the biggest issue, we wanted a cheap coach so we gambled on the hottest name in high school football. Jim Harbaugh at the time had an unpaid assistant-ship with his Dad at WKU and an awesome turnaround of San Diego under his belt. Maybe RV thought he couldn't sell that to the fanbase - you know, the ones who didn't know who Gus Malzahn was when he took the ArkSt job.

For every Jim Harbaugh there are tons of guys like Dan Hawkins and Greg Robinson. I don't mind missing out on home runs if we can get singles, but we struck out and tore our ACL with that TD hire. Also, maybe with this Benford hire.

cdizzle86 · January 21, 2013

There was no mistake made, we simply couldn't afford Harbaugh.

We also couldn't really "afford" 4 years of terrible football, but we did it and now we are trying to recover.

MeanMag · January 21, 2013

We also couldn't really "afford" 4 years of terrible football, but we did it and now we are trying to recover.

Well, I don't know, but it looks to me support continued to increase during that time. I don't know if the growth would have been larger, but we've afforded it and moved conferences since then.

Those years sucked.

eulessismore · January 21, 2013

@espn_macmahon: Believe it or not, Jim Harbaugh interviewed for the North Texas job when Todd Dodge got it. Six years later, he's headed to Super Bowl. It hurts so much to think about what could have been. I think this was probably the biggest mistake we made in the last 10 years.

Care to elaborate? Like how you know he would have come here?

cdizzle86 · January 21, 2013

Care to elaborate? Like how you know he would have come here?

I don't have any info to support that. Just remembered following that hire very closely and that his name was mentioned several times towards the end of the hiring process.

Daddy Dumpsalot · January 21, 2013

Why not? Everyone sees the unlimited potential at UNT.....

Not so fast there. I don't think everyone.

eulessismore · January 21, 2013

Care to elaborate? Like how you know he would have come here?

I don't have any info to support that. Just remembered following that hire very closely and that his name was mentioned several times towards the end of the hiring process.

Like so many topics, maybe this should have started with "question, no info".

UNT90 · January 21, 2013

There was no mistake made, we simply couldn't afford Harbaugh.

The mistake made is thinking that you can't afford what will get the football program on track. That has been the major problem here forever. The reality is you can't afford not to afford the right coach and facilities for your football program in this day and age.

And that is a lesson I still don't think the powers that be at UNT have fully grasped.

Edited January 21, 2013 by UNT90