Dan McCarney's latest football turnaround returns sheen to Mean Gr

[Harry]

Not long ago, Monday nights were slow at Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q in Denton, Texas, the site of North Texas coach Dan McCarney’s weekly call-in radio show.

“When I first started, it was just me, my wife and a few neighbors,” McCarney said. “(This week), I couldn’t find a place to park, so I think things are getting better.”

McCarney was hired in 2011. North Texas had won six games in the previous four seasons. Since 1979, the Mean Green has managed 10 winning seasons.

McCarney’s first two years in Denton produced similarly bleak results, but 2013 has been a revelation. North Texas has six victories and is bowl-eligible for the first time since 2004. At 6-3 overall and 4-1 in Conference USA, the Mean Green is tied atop the West Division standings with Rice and Tulane.

It’s looking like another turnaround for McCarney, who guided Iowa State to seven wins or more in five of his 11 seasons in Ames.

“Coach Mac is a hard-working, hard-nosed kind of guy,” said senior quarterback Derek Thompson. “He learned under a lot of really good coaches in the early ’70s and ’80s, and he has definitely been around the block. You can tell from his experience — he has a bunch of skins on the wall.

“He’s an old-school coach.”

Read more: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20131108/SPORTS02/311080128/0/ENT/?odyssey=nav|head

[trussbussdad]

I agree with the hard nose football. Offensively we are a hybrid...we will line up wiht 4 wides and beat you on the edge with our speed...but I love to see some football that will pound your ass with 5 yards in a cloud of dust. There is nothing more demoralizing to a defense than have a 10 play drive where they can't stop an offense banging them up the middle.

Defense...I love the way these kids are flying around to the ball and gang tackling. I mentioned the other day how stupid I thought it was for UTEP to start a qb with no college experience against a defense like ours. Yes he had a couple of plays, but overall this kid was thrown in a pool of sharks with a bleeding wound.

[ParksAndRecRick]

Grand Story! Thanks!!!

[UNTflyer]

How long before someone starts looking to steal Mac away?

[trussbussdad]

UNT flyer....successful programs are resumes for these coaches. I think it would be naive on our part to think we would not loose some of our coaches after this season.

[Green Mean]

How long before someone starts looking to steal Mac away?

The more he keeps winning the more likely of course. But if he continues to win then there is no reason we cannot give him a very good extension and pay raise as well.

[ragpicker]

A pay raise for sure after seeing the list of coaches salaries recently.

The more he keeps winning the more likely of course. But if he continues to win then there is no reason we cannot give him a very good extension and pay raise as well.

A pay raise for sure after seeing a list of local coaches salaries recently.

[SilverEagle]

Two very serious health issues in two years? I think that any big time AD is going to shy away from that sort of risk. Right now, I see Coach Mac retiring at North Texas....AFTER he is instrumental in completely changing the culture here.......even though that's really not his job.

[meangreener]

I think it's possible we could lose Chico but Mac and Skladany will be here next year.

Said this before and will say it again. He'll retire here.

Edited November 10, 2013 by meangreener

[KingDL1]

I think it's possible we could lose Chico but Mac and Skladany will be here next year.

Said this before and will say it again. He'll retire here.

I wish the best to Chico