Could we be entering the Golden era of UNT athletics?

[Harry]

With a promising football team that is not built on balsa wood; a long needed baseball program nearing launch; outstanding facilities and a new conference that offers us in state and regional rivalries I really think we may be there.

I realize that as Coach Mac will say the 24-hours since the Rice win has past but it's hard not to sense the momentum building around athletics and specifically this Mean Green football program. Look at the Goose article, comments from Dewey Scruggs and Babe Laufenberg...the media seems ready to join us at the altar.

Yes the early 2000's were great years but the investment in the infrastructure was not there. Now it is.

Just a very exciting time to be a fan. If you are lurking out there come and enjoy the ride! GMG!

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Yes.

[Cerebus]

It will all depend on recruiting. Failure to elevate recruiting is what made Dickey's bowl years a blip in the radar and not the start of the golden era.

I think we are much better positioned to make that move now. It really is going to come down to finding coaches who can go in and convince top prospects to play at NT, and then managing to hold onto those recruiters.

[outoftown]

Possible. But probabably next years team will not be quite as great as this years.

[KingDL1]

Golden era just seems old to me, 50s like, and a short period of time, I think we could say we moved to the next stage of better sports.

I feel like we have moved out of the shadows in to the light.

[Harry]

It will all depend on recruiting. Failure to elevate recruiting is what made Dickey's bowl years a blip in the radar and not the start of the golden era.

I think we are much better positioned to make that move now. It really is going to come down to finding coaches who can go in and convince top prospects to play at NT, and then managing to hold onto those recruiters.

I agree with you but frankly the guys who are stars for us right now were not for the most part heralded recruits. I am thinking that development and the system may be the key to this program. I hope that RV et al will do EVERYTHING possible to keep this staff in place. It may cost more than the budget may allow for but it would be absolutely worth it.

[ColoradoEagle]

Look at the Goose article, comments from Dewey Scruggs and Babe Laufenberg...the media seems ready to join us at the altar.

Is Dewey Scruggs also offended by smoking weed in public?

[meanJewGreen]

Golden Era= all sports winning, getting to NCAAs, doing well.... both basketball programs aren't doing that, soccer wins up to a point, same with tennis

we only have 9 games of good play... lets sustain this for maybe a couple of years.

[SouthBendGreen]

Possible. But probabably next years team will not be quite as great as this years.

Totally agree and I don't want to think about that because I'm enjoying the ride right now. But we lose so many pivotal seniors, especially on defense.

[Cerebus]

I agree with you but frankly the guys who are stars for us right now were not for the most part heralded recruits. I am thinking that development and the system may be the key to this program.

I agree with that also, but you said "Golden Era".

It looks to me like Coach Mac has a staff put together than can take the athletes we always recruit and turn them into a team that can compete in CUSA West and get to a bowl game. I hate to sound greedy, but that wouldn't be what I consider a golden era.

If we want to get to that next level, which is frankly being like TCU or Boise St, and get placed into one of the power conference, then we need to up recruiting. Let's not forget conference alignment isn't over, and those power conferences want to do whatever they can to keep more money away from the non power conferences.

With what we have in place, and the staff have built, all the stored potential of 225k DFW alumni, we can make that leap. But the first step is to move our recruiting to another level.

[meangreendork]

It will all depend on recruiting. Failure to elevate recruiting is what made Dickey's bowl years a blip in the radar and not the start of the golden era.

I think we are much better positioned to make that move now. It really is going to come down to finding coaches who can go in and convince top prospects to play at NT, and then managing to hold onto those recruiters.

This is the best post in this thread.

Dickey's miracle class had a great talent lead on the rest of the SBC in 2003. Dickey's problems were that he couldn't keep the parity between UNT and the rest of the SBC, and that he couldn't ever get the talent he did have to prove itself against OOC opponents, making it hard to get the talent needed to keep the distance between us and the rest of the SBC.

Mac's making great thing happens with the talent he has now and I think he's got the right staff and the right facilities to keep that momentum going and to build on top of that. This is a great season for UNT so far. It'll be a great era for UNT if Mac can keep things going for 3-4 years and put UNT in a place to keep winning even after he leaves or retires.

[KingDL1]

Totally agree and I don't want to think about that because I'm enjoying the ride right now. But we lose so many pivotal seniors, especially on defense.

Hi SouthBendGreen! I can't remember the last time I read one of your posts!

Welcome back.

[Got5onIt]

This would all be compounded 10 times over had the mens basketball team even sniffed a decent record this last season. I could only imagine the local media pub NT would be getting right now.....

This is a great time for NT athletics. The doors are opening up for us...

[NorthTexan95]

Like Mac said in his press conference today ... there's no magic going on (no magical run) ... it's all hard work, determination, etc.

[drex]

Semi-golden...don't forget that we still have the cement block around our neck called basketball.

[emmitt01]

Will Benford be gone? I don't think close victories over NAIA teams qualifies as "golden age".

[El Paso Eagle]

Need to come up with a plan to make sure certain coaches stay here. Need stability in the coaching ranks to get a system that works year in and year out for us.

[ColoradoEagle]

The most worrying thing to me going forward is whether or not Skladany stays.

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

With a promising football team that is not built on balsa wood; a long needed baseball program nearing launch; outstanding facilities and a new conference that offers us in state and regional rivalries I really think we may be there.

I realize that as Coach Mac will say the 24-hours since the Rice win has past but it's hard not to sense the momentum building around athletics and specifically this Mean Green football program. Look at the Goose article, comments from Dewey Scruggs and Babe Laufenberg...the media seems ready to join us at the altar.

Yes the early 2000's were great years but the investment in the infrastructure was not there. Now it is.

Just a very exciting time to be a fan. If you are lurking out there come and enjoy the ride! GMG!

Whoa whoa Harry, before you go getting excited about something,you'll have to go through the critique of your analysis through the board first.

[Green P1]

You guys are drunk on defense.

[meangreener]

The most worrying thing to me going forward is whether or not Skladany stays.

I think the staff remains in tact for this year.

[GrayEagle]

This is indeed the golden age of athletics at North Texas!

I've been here since a few years after Josh Chilton and this is the best. My reasons are:

1. Support by the administration. I thought that we had it when C.C. Nolen was president and he did his best to provide Hayden Fry with what he needed to succeed but the Board of Regents shot him down. However, Dr. Pohl started the support of athletics and with each successor the BOR became more susceptible to funding success. That meant funding the Mean Green Village, the Athletics Building, stadium bonds for Apogee, and larger salaries for all coaches.

2. Better financial support from donors. The Mean Green Club is slowly growing and several million dollar donors have come forth. Financial challenges such as a basketball practice facility, volleyball center, soccer field improvements, basketball floor, lighting and scoreboard, academic learning center, pedestrian walkway, football practice field and others are quickly met. Enough donors have appeared to restart the baseball program.

3. Students have and are stepping up. Face it, there would be no new stadium or increased athletic budget without the support of the students. Their attendance at football and basketball games especially have encouraged other previously non-committed students and alumni to become more active. Even the attendance at the so-called minor sports is holding well compared to others in CUSA.

4. Every sport that we sponsor seems to be in the upper half of the new conference except men's basketball. We are getting better coaches and paying them more. Women's soccer, women's tennis, volleyball, men's and women's golf, and all of the running sports...indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and cross-country all had winning records and swimming and diving should follow suit.

5. Although attendance may still have a few years to go to reach capacity, each succeeding year has edged up a little over the previous. The multi-year scheduling of SMU and Army should help that upward movement.

6. Spirit is really picking up. Last game the crowd of 23K was the LOUDEST that I can recall ever.

[JesseMartin]

The most worrying thing to me going forward is whether or not Skladany stays.

YES. If the new guys, with an awesome conditioning program, are going to fill the gaps left by the seniors, he will be the one to make it happen. But don't forget Wintrich. I have 3 answers to anyone who asks how our guys can hit so hard: conditioning, conditioning, conditioning. Okay, maybe 4 answers - Skladany. Point being, use the mental and the physical...these two guys have gotten the defense to do precisely that.