Dear BOR and President Smatresk

UNT90 · December 15, 2013

For god sakes, end this before any more damage is done to this program. Show us you are serious about winning college basketball at UNT.

This is YOUR responsibility. This is something that YOU will probably have to address.

This was a terrible hire. But you knew that last April and didn't do one damn thing about it (talking to the BOR, here). You chose to let your AD blame players and crossed your fingers and wished for a miracle (if some of you even cared at all).

Well, that hasn't worked. Time to step up and act like a major university in the State of Texas.

Or do what you have always done, and watch more of us walk away from the basketball program.

Every day this continues cost this program in attendance, recruiting, and future fans.

Re-assign him. Now. There are plenty of Interm coaching options at the assistant level.

Edited December 15, 2013 by UNT90

NM Green · December 16, 2013

Simply the worst in game experience and product ever. It will be hard for me to back. No retail really?

GMG

meangreenfreak · December 16, 2013

This would have never happened if we had hired Shaun Forrest. The team wanted him, he knew the system and had the momentum. Instead he is coaching at Western Kentucky and doing well. Shaun wanted this job in the worst way. We messed up.

Harry · December 16, 2013

Smatresk doesn't officially start until February.

Army of Dad · December 16, 2013

This would have never happened if we had hired Shaun Forrest. The team wanted him, he knew the system and had the momentum. Instead he is coaching at Western Kentucky and doing well. Shaun wanted this job in the worst way. We messed up.

Forrest is just another Benford, but with "extra" degrees. A good recruiting assistant coach that should not be a head coach.

Andrew · December 16, 2013

This would have never happened if we had hired Shaun Forrest. The team wanted him, he knew the system and had the momentum. Instead he is coaching at Western Kentucky and doing well. Shaun wanted this job in the worst way. We messed up.

Forrest would have done no better...

Green P1 · December 16, 2013

Forrest would have done no better...

you're very possibly correct... But it'd be neat to see what a roster full of kids that believed in their coach could do.

NT03 · December 16, 2013

Forrest may or may have not had success here , but there are few college coaches in the country who coulda led our team to 2 blowout losses to ULM last year. Very few

the green rokemi · December 16, 2013

Can't we just go varsity blues and let the kids coach themselves?

UNT90 · December 16, 2013

Smatresk doesn't officially start until February.

I know. I expect the current regime to not do one damn thing. If I wasn't posting from a cell phone. I would have tagged his name to this thread with the slim hope that maybe he is an egomaniac and would google himself and read my plea.

Approximately 2 weeks ago on your very own podcast RV laid down a thinly veiled blame at the feet of the players last year instead of using the opportunity to say what he should have, that last year was unacceptable, that he knew it, that Bemford knew it, and that it could not be repeated. RV simplyy will not admit that this was a terrible hire (which, in my book, is far worse than actually making said hire).

So, ya, I hope the new prez has enough power to stop the destruction of this program.

Edited December 16, 2013 by UNT90

untbowler · December 16, 2013

I know. I expect the current regime to not do one damn thing. If I wasn't posting from a cell phone. I would have tagged his name to this thread with the slim hope that maybe he is an egomaniac and would google himself and read my plea.
Approximately 2 weeks ago on your very own podcast RV laid down a thinly veiled blame at the feet of the players last year instead of using the opportunity to say what he should have, that last year was unacceptable, that he knew it, that Bemford knew it, and that it could not be repeated. RV simplyy will not admit that this was a terrible hire (which, in my book, is far worse than actually making said hire).
So, ya, I hope the new prez has enough power to stop the destruction of this program.

RV will never admit it because his a$$ is in a sling for this hire, Dodge hire, first SB coach hire, Stephens hire, Peterson hire, now Benford hire. He is just hoping FB will buy him a reprieve for a few months.

Edited December 16, 2013 by untbowler

emmitt01 · December 16, 2013

RV will never admit it because his a$$ is in a sling for this hire, Dodge hire, first SB coach hire, Stephens hire, Peterson hire, now Benford hire. He is just hoping FB will buy him a reprieve for a few months.

Reprieve from what? They just handed him an extension. Nothing is gonna happen.

GrandGreen · December 16, 2013

This would have never happened if we had hired Shaun Forrest. The team wanted him, he knew the system and had the momentum. Instead he is coaching at Western Kentucky and doing well. Shaun wanted this job in the worst way. We messed up.

I keep seeing this Forrest stuff. If anything the Benford and Trilli debacle should tell you that hiring coaches with the primary job of recruiting may not work out so well. Not to mention the fact that Forrest has a less than stellar reputation.

I agree that almost anyone might be better than Benford but if anything it would be nice to hire someone with actual hc experience.

UNT90 · December 16, 2013

Reprieve from what? They just handed him an extension. Nothing is gonna happen.

A one year extension under the terms of the current contract. Not exactly a huge vote of confidence.

oldguystudent · December 16, 2013

Peterson hire,

Just curious as I don't much follow it, but the women are 4-5 with the losses to what appear to be really good teams. That doesn't scream Dodge/Stephens incompetence to me.

Rudy · December 16, 2013

Can't we just go varsity blues and let the kids coach themselves?

I think "Train Wreck" Tony did that a few times last year.

greenit · December 16, 2013

Benford may turn out ok once he has 5 -10 years of head coaching experience to figure out what does and does not work. Division 2 and Division 3 are excellent places to gain this experience.

FirefightnRick · December 16, 2013

This would have never happened if we had hired Shaun Forrest. The team wanted him, he knew the system and had the momentum. Instead he is coaching at Western Kentucky and doing well. Shaun wanted this job in the worst way. We messed up.

Nor would it have happened had we hired the man that built the team that just whipped our ass on Sunday, Danny Kaspar. Not only is he an alumni but a letterman as well, who would have poured his heart and soul into this program. He took SFA to the dance, imagine what he could have done here? He wanted this job and had some huge references suggesting we hire him and it sounds like those references were ignored because I don't believe we ever contacted him?

Rick

MeanGreenTexan · December 16, 2013

Nor would it have happened had we hired the man that built the team that just whipped our ass on Sunday, Danny Kaspar. Not only is he an alumni but a letterman as well, who would have poured his heart and soul into this program. He took SFA to the dance, imagine what he could have done here? He wanted this job and had some huge references suggesting we hire him and it sounds like those references were ignored because I don't believe we ever contacted him?

Rick

We would have probably lost Mitchell to the draft and maybe others if UNT hired Kaspar. Back then, that made me say 'absolutely not' to Kaspar.

Hindsight being 20/20, I don't care who we would have lost, we made the wrong hire. We don't know how Kaspar would have done here, so I'm not saying he was the right hire, but I bet it would be better than what we are seeing now.

GRN-WHT · December 16, 2013

We would have probably lost Mitchell to the draft and maybe others if UNT hired Kaspar. Back then, that made me say 'absolutely not' to Kaspar.

Just curious what makes you think that? I think TM and everybody else would have stayed. At that time, Tony saw himself as a lottery pick, not late 1st early 2nd, I think he was staying no matter who the coach was.

NT03 · December 16, 2013

We would have probably lost Mitchell to the draft and maybe others if UNT hired Kaspar.

Not true at all. TM was coming back regardless

UNT90 · December 16, 2013

Not true at all. TM was coming back regardless

I would imagine TM's return had much more to do with the lack of NBA talent in the 2013 draft as opposed to the 2012 draft. 2013 was supposed to be the weakest in years, and TM was projected to be a lottery pick.

Then he got Benford'd

Edited December 16, 2013 by UNT90

NT03 · December 16, 2013

I would imagine TM's return had much more to do with the lack of NBA talent in the 2013 draft as opposed to the 2012 draft. 2013 was supposed to be the weakest in years, and TM was projected to be a lottery pick.
Then he got Benford'd

Exactly. Old staff actually told him to stay another year regardless of what happened

untbowler · December 16, 2013

I would imagine TM's return had much more to do with the lack of NBA talent in the 2013 draft as opposed to the 2012 draft. 2013 was supposed to be the weakest in years, and TM was projected to be a lottery pick.
Then he got Benford'd

in some ways but his pouting and not putting 100% also lost him some favor. Hopefully he figured that out now that he is with his equals