Coach Wintrich establishing the Mean Green Mindset

[Chief Rising Eagle]

Excellent segment on Coach Wintrich inspiring cultural change through the warrior's mindset. Coach Frank is responsible for a huge part of the success we are experiencing and will continue to experience. Love what he does and how he does it. All of our coaches and how they work together as a team is reflected in our football team: character, integrity, discipline, enthusiam, belief in each other, and belief that with the right mindset, with undying effort, with the will do something that has never been done before...anything is possible. Love that they believe in the Mean Green.

[meangreener]

Unsung hero of the Mean Green.

[SilverEagle]

Can we get a comparable person or persons (like Wintrich and McCarney) at the school to work on changing the culture of our student body and alumni?

And please don't say "winning" will change it. Because, in the past, four bowl trips on a row didn't magically change the North Texas student/alumni culture.

Plus, the main point in the video that came across to me was "change-the-mind-set-then-winning-follows".

[meangreener]

Can we get a comparable person or persons (like Wintrich and McCarney) at the school to work on changing the culture of our student body and alumni?

And please don't say "winning" will change it. Because, in the past, four bowl trips on a row didn't magically change the North Texas student/alumni culture.

Plus, the main point in the video that came across to me was "change-the-mind-set-then-winning-follows".

26,000 at a late season HC game and student section being sold out twice last year says to me that it is changing.

[SilverEagle]

26,000 at a late season HC game and student section being sold out twice last year says to me that it is changing.

With a student enrollment of 35K and alumni numbering anywhere from 100K to 200K (depending on who throws out the numbers) within 45 min of Apogee, nothing short of at least two sell-outs next year will count as any sort of culture change amongst the aforementioned groups.

Oh, and those "fools on the Hill" need to all come down into the stadium and participate with the rest of the students, before I would consider it a credible culture change.

[meangreener]

With a student enrollment of 35K and alumni numbering anywhere from 100K to 200K (depending on who throws out the numbers) within 45 min of Apogee, nothing short of at least two sell-outs next year will count as any sort of culture change amongst the aforementioned groups.

Oh, and those "fools on the Hill" need to all come down into the stadium and participate with the rest of the students, before I would consider it a credible culture change.

That happens at every school. Nick Saban was complaining about it. I think the students are fine, what needs to happen is we get the disconnected alumni here. UTSA can't pay students to attend their games but routinely outdraw us. T-Shirt fans and alumni come out for them.

[ragpicker]

Can we get a comparable person or persons (like Wintrich and McCarney) at the school to work on changing the culture of our student body and alumni?

And please don't say "winning" will change it. Because, in the past, four bowl trips on a row didn't magically change the North Texas student/alumni culture.

Plus, the main point in the video that came across to me was "change-the-mind-set-then-winning-follows".

I agree. We have made some progress and we need to build on it. I am not an A&M fan, but they seem to have written the book on student sprit and involvement. If we actually have a promotion Department, perhaps they could seek some advise from A&M officials. We are in different conferences and seldom play each other so they might just take a magnanimous approach toward us and offer some sound advice.

[DT 90]

I agree. We have made some progress and we need to build on it. I am not an A&M fan, but they seem to have written the book on student sprit and involvement. If we actually have a promotion Department, perhaps they could seek some advise from A&M officials. We are in different conferences and seldom play each other so they might just take a magnanimous approach toward us and offer some sound advice.

The answer from an Aggie who has been part of the Mean Green Family the last four years (I don't wear maroon, only MG gear and I have not worn my Aggie Ring in 4 years)

At A&M it is called "Traditions". It is Yell Practice; it the 12th Man; it is the Corps of Cadets; it is the Aggie Band; it is the yells and the Yell Leaders, it is NEVER sitting down; it is EVERY home game is a Homecoming; it is the ENTIRE stadium sawing tu's Horns off. And these traditions just didn't start 10 years ago (looking at "Enter Sandman" at VaTech). Some of these Traditions are 50, 60, 70+ years old.

There are no "promotions" at Aggie football games. Other sports? Yea but not football. There are no "promotions"for Mid-night Yell Practice on Friday night regularly attended by 10,000 to 15,000. They don't need to post flyers around campus or around BCS that there are games on Saturdays. There is no "I didn't know there was a football game". You go to ATM to be an Aggie and Aggies support thier teams. Might not like the results and sometime the product on the field but you go to the games dispite of it.

If you ever watch an Aggie football game on TV and you see all three decks on the visitor side.... ALL three decks are students. Those three decks equal all of Apogee AND they PAY for the tickets for seating which is not first, come first serve either.

That is what the Event Promotions Department at A&M will tell you.

Edited December 20, 2013 by DT 90

[NewUNTFan8]

Because there's nothing else to do in College Station?!

[SilverEagle]

The answer from an Aggie who has been part of the Mean Green Family the last four years (I don't wear maroon, only MG gear and I have not worn my Aggie Ring in 4 years)

At A&M it is called "Traditions". It is Yell Practice; it the 12th Man; it is the Corps of Cadets; it is the Aggie Band; it is the yells and the Yell Leaders, it is NEVER sitting down; it is EVERY home game is a Homecoming; it is the ENTIRE stadium sawing tu's Horns off. And these traditions just didn't start 10 years ago (looking at "Enter Sandman" at VaTech). Some of these Traditions are 50, 60, 70+ years old.

There are no "promotions" at Aggie football games. Other sports? Yea but not football. There are no "promotions"for Mid-night Yell Practice on Friday night regularly attended by 10,000 to 15,000. They don't need to post flyers around campus or around BCS that there are games on Saturdays. There is no "I didn't know there was a football game". You go to ATM to be an Aggie and Aggies support thier teams. Might not like the results and sometime the product on the field but you go to the games dispite of it.

If you ever watch an Aggie football game on TV and you see all three decks on the visitor side.... ALL three decks are students. Those three decks equal all of Apogee AND they PAY for the tickets for seating which is not first, come first serve either.

That is what the Event Promotions Department at A&M will tell you.

This reminds me of when people interview parents of a large family who have been very successful as parents. They always ask "what's their secret." The answer is always basically the same, "have family rules, and be consistent in making sure that everyone adheres to the rules".

In this case the "family rules" are the "traditions", and the consistency is.....well.....consistency. Two things that historically North Texas lacks.

[meangreener]

I hope to God we never become like A&M.

[eulessismore]

I hope to God we never become like A&M.

You don't have to be like someone to learn something from them.

[SilverEagle]

You don't have to be like someone to learn something from them.

Ding Ding Ding...and we have a winner.

I tried to make the very same point when I was a participant in the focus group back in November of 1990 that Dr. Lane led. I started talking about our lack of traditions and then started to mention A&M. I was cut off by Dr. Lane with a curt "we don't want to be like A&M." It's attitudes like that, that have kept us wandering around aimlessly for decades. Since that focus group in late 1990, we've changed our colors and our logo God only knows how many times. How many times has A&M changed theirs? How about Texas? How about Texas Tech? The list goes on.

Coaches Wintrich and McCarney have changed the culture and/or mindset of the football team. We CANNOT sit back and look at that phenomenon and say "well, it's started with the football team, it'll now spread amongst the students and fans". .....WRONG! Those coaches will not be here forever. We've already had a coach here who started changing the culture. But when he left, the will and/or fire to make permanent change went with him.

We have another opportunity to make real changes in our culture. We need some non-coaching staff to step forward and start the same culture change amongst the students.... but especially the alumni.

There is a reason why students have lined up to get into A&M all these years in spite of all the jokes made about them. Academics aside, it's TRADITIONS and CONSISTENCY, and a true feeling of being part of a REAL FAMILY.

A&M also seems to agree with Woody Allen who is quoted as saying......."80% of being successful is just showing up"

Edited December 21, 2013 by SilverEagle