Coaching legend has earned Mean Green’s respect

[Harry]

From the first day Tony Benford took the helm as Mean Green men’s
basketball coach in April, he set out to bring in close friend Rob Evans
to assist him in his new campaign with UNT.

“It was very important to me to bring him in,” Benford said. “He was
the person on the top of the list no matter what head coach job I would
get. Coach [Evans] has been through it all. There isn’t a situation he
doesn’t know how to handle.”

In 1968, when his playing career at New Mexico State University came
to an end, Evans became the third African-American Division I coach in
NCAA basketball history when he joined the Aggies staff after his senior
season.

“I remember the other assistant coach on the staff asking me what I
wanted to do, and I said, ‘I want to be a head coach at a major
college,’” Evans said. “His response was that I need to shoot my sights a
little shorter…and that challenged me.”

From playing under Hall of Fame head coach Ralph Tasker at Hobbs High
School to becoming an All-American at Lubbock Christian University to
appearing in the final four with NMSU and being named National Coach of
the Year in 1997 with the University of Mississippi, Evans has no
shortage of accolades under his belt.

Every day Evans still wears his 1968 Final Four ring that he earned
as a player at NMSU, but another one of his accomplishments stands out.
Evans was the first African-American head coach at Ole Miss in 1992.

read more: http://wordpress1.cws.unt.edu/?p=2252

[flyonthewall]

Thank you for posting this Harry. this is another reason why this was a stupid hire, I mean come on, not the mvp of the southwest conference tournament, who oh by the way, brings in a pioneering friend who participated in a final four as a player, broke the color barrier at old miss, and was named NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR IN 1997, and after five days not one hater posts one reply to this article. In two years if this thing is announced a failure, I will admit it to the world. But I have one question for the haters, if we are where we want to be in two years, are you going to publicly say you were wrong about this? Or or you going to go on hating?

[H-towngreen]

Good for him. He's done great things.....in the past. As in all sports it's about the now. Much respect but this coaching staff and team is beyond a disappointment.

[GangGreen]

If I'm considered a hater, I would prefer to say I'm wrong right now. But, if it takes two more years, what the hell, we've sucked at almost every sport my entire life, so sure two years is nothing.

I don't really think there are any "haters" on this board. Some people, myself included, just took another mean green shot to the nads and really can't stomach spending as much time as normal reading or posting.

[Green P1]

Thank you for posting this Harry. this is another reason why this was a stupid hire, I mean come on, not the mvp of the southwest conference tournament, who oh by the way, brings in a pioneering friend who participated in a final four as a player, broke the color barrier at old miss, and was named NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR IN 1997, and after five days not one hater posts one reply to this article. In two years if this thing is announced a failure, I will admit it to the world. But I have one question for the haters, if we are where we want to be in two years, are you going to publicly say you were wrong about this? Or or you going to go on hating?

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts we'd all have a Merry Christmas.

[UNT90]

Thank you for posting this Harry. this is another reason why this was a stupid hire, I mean come on, not the mvp of the southwest conference tournament, who oh by the way, brings in a pioneering friend who participated in a final four as a player, broke the color barrier at old miss, and was named NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR IN 1997, and after five days not one hater posts one reply to this article. In two years if this thing is announced a failure, I will admit it to the world. But I have one question for the haters, if we are where we want to be in two years, are you going to publicly say you were wrong about this? Or or you going to go on hating?

He isn't the head coach and doesnt have final say in anything about this program. Why would there be any negative posts?

Sports are results oriented. Our results with the most talented team in our history beyond suck.

But you are right, Evans would make a great interm coach when we finally decide to ax Benford.

While we are issuing questions, I have one for you. If we win less than 10 games next year, will you admit this is a collosal failure of a coaching hire?

Edited February 27, 2013 by UNT90

[Green_dude]

Thank you for posting this Harry. this is another reason why this was a stupid hire, I mean come on, not the mvp of the southwest conference tournament, who oh by the way, brings in a pioneering friend who participated in a final four as a player, broke the color barrier at old miss, and was named NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR IN 1997, and after five days not one hater posts one reply to this article. In two years if this thing is announced a failure, I will admit it to the world. But I have one question for the haters, if we are where we want to be in two years, are you going to publicly say you were wrong about this? Or or you going to go on hating?

Don't you get it? It has nothing to do with a good or bad hire. It has to do with bitching. It took me awhile, but I get it now. If the team loses, bitch. If the team wins, bitch that they didn't win by enough. If somebody thinks there were 3600 at a game rather than announced 3610, bitch. On and on and on. Easier to bitch than be a part of the solution.... Regardless of what happens in two years the bitching will continue.

[Green P1]

Don't you get it? It has nothing to do with a good or bad hire. It has to do with bitching. It took me awhile, but I get it now. If the team loses, bitch. If the team wins, bitch that they didn't win by enough. If somebody thinks there were 3600 at a game rather than announced 3610, bitch. On and on and on. Easier to bitch than be a part of the solution.... Regardless of what happens in two years the bitching will continue.

I wish you wouldn't curse so much in your posts. It really makes you seem unintelligent.

[Army of Dad]

But I have one question for the haters, if we are where we want to be in two years, are you going to publicly say you were wrong about this? Or or you going to go on hating?

Define where we want to be. How about winning a round of 64 NCAA tournament game. Winning the regular season conference title and conference tournament title. Two of the three should have been readily attainable goals this season with a chance at all three. This is probably where CMJ or Tasty will let all if us know just how hard that NCAA win is to come by, but that was there for the taking this season and we aren't going to get it done.

[emmitt01]

Thank you for posting this Harry. this is another reason why this was a stupid hire, I mean come on, not the mvp of the southwest conference tournament, who oh by the way, brings in a pioneering friend who participated in a final four as a player, broke the color barrier at old miss, and was named NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR IN 1997, and after five days not one hater posts one reply to this article. In two years if this thing is announced a failure, I will admit it to the world. But I have one question for the haters, if we are where we want to be in two years, are you going to publicly say you were wrong about this? Or or you going to go on hating?

When did coach Evans get elevated to Head Coach? Damn, I'm excited! Nope, no hating from me...from the sounds of it this guy has prior HEAD coaching experience. That's exactly what we were told would be the pre-requisite for future coaches, so happy to have him. Sure wish there had been a press conference to announce the coaching change but I can't bitch since we made an intelligent move. Welcome head coach Evans!!

He is the new head coach, right? Surely you wouldn't take sarcastic shots at people over the accolades of an assistant.

Edited February 27, 2013 by emmitt01

[UNT90]

What worries me most about Flyonthewall's post is that he is privy to a lot more information than many regular fans. It appears that instead of admitting a mistake and fixing it, we are headed down the path of repeating the same recent mistakes of Todd Dodge and Shanice Stevens.

Pride is sometimes a good thing, but realizing you have made a mistake and fixing the mistake shows so much more maturity and character.

Fly, I appreciate everything you do for this program, but if Benford is here for 2 more years, I shudder at the basketball ruins that will be left at the Pit.

Edited February 27, 2013 by UNT90

[flyonthewall]

I want a 20 plus win season next year and postseason play. Follow that up with more respect in two years, an NCAA bid at an 11 to 14 seed which gives us a chance to win. That is what I want. Any thing less than that is failure. And I expect the same thing on the women's side too. I will also go on record as saying we must win 7 next year in football. I will agree that all of this momentum in fundraising we have built up will vanish like a fog rolling out if there is no success on the field. I am tired of supporting a loser, even if it is our loser.

1. Give coaches and kids tools to be successfull (aka facilities). This takes money.

2. Hire the right people at every level. This takes money

3. Fund scholarships for student athletes. This takes money

Hope to have a beer with some of you "haters" in hot springs. That includes you emmitt.

David

Edited February 27, 2013 by flyonthewall

[GrandGreen]

Kind of interesting that fans that express their disappointment in the worst sports letdown in NT history are branded as "haters". Does that mean the ones with the pollyannic view should be called "lovers"?

Edited February 27, 2013 by GrandGreen

[mgfan]

I guees I am a hater because I love winning, and I haven't seen much winning from Bedford.

ALWAYS NEXT YEAR! Right?

[CMJ]

If we win more than 20 games next year and win a game in the NCAA's I'll drive the effing Benford bandwagon. The chance of that happening is pretty damn low.

[flyonthewall]

I was asked to define what my definition of success is. I did not put a probability or a prediction if this is what was going to happen. New conference, better overall opponents, basically the same players with one more year of experience...........Could be very tough for anyone to have instant success. But that is where the bar has been set. Coach Benford has been around long enough to know that with the type of commitment some people have made, they expect the same success that made them able to help. Fail in business, get fired. Fail in coaching, get fired way faster.

However, three months cannot define a body of work in this business. So UNT90, you can start shuddering, Benford will coach here at least three years.

[emmitt01]

"Hope to have a beer with some of you "haters" in hot springs. That includes you emmitt."

Looking forward to it.

Even if Benford were to go winless I'd still show up to see him lose (work commitments and daughter's first every soccer season having Thursday practices aside). I'll just never do so silently when we are capable of, and deserve, so much more.

[GangGreen]

Don't you get it? It has nothing to do with a good or bad hire. It has to do with bitching. It took me awhile, but I get it now. If the team loses, bitch. If the team wins, bitch that they didn't win by enough. If somebody thinks there were 3600 at a game rather than announced 3610, bitch. On and on and on. Easier to bitch than be a part of the solution.... Regardless of what happens in two years the bitching will continue.

If you had been on this board prior to January of this year, you might have noticed that the people you continually love to call out or others deem as haters, have been on this board defending this program against enemies foreign and domestic for the good part of about 10 years. Your inane comments have no basis in reality, nor do they hold any type of historical context.

So, as a good friend of mine used to say, "Piss up a rope."

[forevereagle]

Fail in coaching, get fired way faster.

Really? I doubt that if I failed at work it would take three years for me to get fired.

Edited February 27, 2013 by forevereagle

[untjim1995]

Don't you get it? It has nothing to do with a good or bad hire. It has to do with bitching. It took me awhile, but I get it now. If the team loses, bitch. If the team wins, bitch that they didn't win by enough. If somebody thinks there were 3600 at a game rather than announced 3610, bitch. On and on and on. Easier to bitch than be a part of the solution.... Regardless of what happens in two years the bitching will continue.

So dumb...if you don't like reading posts that are critical of a coach who has shown nothing but suck so far, as well as to a university that supports sports well below its peers by hiring coaches like Benford over and over and over...just ignore them.

Hell, I want to be the most wrong poster in the history of the internet about Benford--I didn't like the hire to begin with and said so on this board. If he succeeds here, he will surely be Tech's head coach down the road, just like Johnny Jones and LSU. Because Benford changes players at a slightly faster pace than a hockey team changes lines, I doubt we will have to worry about that anymore--but again, prove me wrong, Benford and RV.

[MeanMag]

I want nothing more than this coach and this team to use my haterade as motivation to win just throw it in my face. The vocal critics on this board when things are going bad are also the most vocal supporters when things are good.

There is nothing more validating than support from your biggest critics.

[UNT90]

I was asked to define what my definition of success is. I did not put a probability or a prediction if this is what was going to happen. New conference, better overall opponents, basically the same players with one more year of experience...........Could be very tough for anyone to have instant success. But that is where the bar has been set. Coach Benford has been around long enough to know that with the type of commitment some people have made, they expect the same success that made them able to help. Fail in business, get fired. Fail in coaching, get fired way faster.

However, three months cannot define a body of work in this business. So UNT90, you can start shuddering, Benford will coach here at least three years.

We will shudder together over a beer at Lucky's..

But, make no mistake, shudder we will. I long for the day where we don't have to suffer through 3 years of an obvious mistake before finally correcting said mistake.

If only we were Houston... How sad is that?

[flyonthewall]

Saying this is a mistake hire is as knee jerk as it gets. I will agree that the record is trending the wrong way. But I can't say that it was a mistake hire. 20 wins and a postseason bid next year. More wins the following year and a 11 to 14 seed in the tournament. That is where the bar is set. But this year cannot be the judge of this hire.

[emmitt01]

Saying this is a mistake hire is as knee jerk as it gets. I will agree that the record is trending the wrong way. But I can't say that it was a mistake hire. 20 wins and a postseason bid next year. More wins the following year and a 11 to 14 seed in the tournament. That is where the bar is set. But this year cannot be the judge of this hire.

Here's my problem. It's all fine and dandy to say where "the bar is set". And at pretty much any school not named North Texas not reaching that bar would have consequences. I just have my doubts ( and recent proof to back them up) about whether performance will trump "budget" when it's nut cutting time.

[Harry]

Here's my problem. It's all fine and dandy to say where "the bar is set". And at pretty much any school not named North Texas not reaching that bar would have consequences. I just have my doubts ( and recent proof to back them up) about whether performance will trump "budget" when it's nut cutting time.

I hear you Emmitt - that's why year 3 of the "Mac Plan" is so critical. His first year we saw an IMMEDIATE bump in wins as compared to Dodge. Year 2 was a step back in terms of record but also probably the best Belt year in terms of strength ever. Year 3 and this is no longer Mac trying to make due with Dodge's program and players. Scholarship numbers are back up -- we have a redshirt class coming in with numbers unlike we've EVER seen since the return to IA. We have a strength and conditioning program that is light years above what we have ever had. We have a quarterback prospect with higher rankings than we have EVER had -- certainly he is unproven at this level and hasn't played in two years but the "reports" from his scout team play are encouraging. With a few exceptions, the entire team from last year is back this year. We landed some immediate impact transfers who will be with us in spring training.

Year 3 is the key for me. I am optimistic that we will see clear progress and if not we will need to re-evaluate things.