North Texas fans ‘thrilled’ with breakout season under McCarney

[Harry]

Sports writer Brett Vito of the Denton Record Chronicle took time out this week to answer some of our questions about the North Texas Mean Green. UTSA will play North Texas in Denton Saturday afternoon. Here’s what Brett had to say about the Mean Green, who have posted a 7-3 record, 5-1 in Conference USA:

What’s the mood in Denton with the Mean Green apparently headed to a bowl game for the first time in nine years?

People are thrilled. It’s been eight long years for UNT since the end of its four-year run as Sun Belt Conference champions. UNT struggled mightily in the years between the last of its four New Orleans Bowl appearances in 2004 and the arrival of Dan McCarney, who has rebuilt the program for the last couple of years. There is a sense around UNT that the program is on its way now. Apogee Stadium is still pretty new and very nice. McCarney has the program headed in the right direction and people are starting to notice in Denton, Texas and even nationally.

After a couple of tough seasons at North Texas, coach Dan McCarney seems to have turned the corner with this team. How did he do it?

There is just no understating what a terrible situation McCarney walked into. UNT had struggled for years, had a bad reputation across the state and needed to rebuild around a core of a few good players. It’s been a slow process, but McCarney changed the culture of the program. The spread went out the window and was replaced by a physical approach that emphasized defense and running the ball. UNT also began recruiting better and worked through its off-the-field problems with academics and behavioral issues. The fans are starting to buy in and come back. McCarney talked just yesterday about how the process was harder than he ever thought it would be, but he eventually got it done.

Read more: http://blog.mysanantonio.com/utsa/2013/11/north-texas-fans-thrilled-with-breakout-season-under-mccarney/