Can we fire benford yet?

Army of Dad · February 7, 2014

Does Mike Canales know anything about basketball?

Lock the paint!

MeanGreenTexan · February 7, 2014

How old IS HE?

This is more SUMG's territory, but:

He's SO old, he guided a group of rag-tag, philandering, disinterested, injured, street-balling Athenians to a monumental defeat of Macedonia A&M.

emmitt01 · February 7, 2014

I give their leadership a ton of credit. Hiring Larry Brown to coach at his age, when he hasn't coached college basketball since 1988, and also buying off Jankovich to be the coach-in-wating from his Illinois State head coaching gig took some major boldness and dollars to commit. I get that they have money to throw around down there because of their alumni, but the boldness part, at least for now, is really paying off.

Next year, when the AAC loses Louisville, SMU might just be one of the top 4 teams to win that league, with Cincy, Memphis, and UConn. That is incredible to type, much less believe, but it really does make you realize just how dormant their hoops program was under Doherty and the coaches before him. Shocking how much coaching actually matters, huh? (See Brown at SMU and Benford at UNT)

I'm just on sanction watch. The clock is ticking.

H-towngreen · February 7, 2014

Give Benford a chance to get his guys in here. He's really going to build a pipeline in the DFW area.

Dear people who gave me negative votes. It was a joke. Just like our head coach. Sarcasam.

laxtonto · February 7, 2014

the money is there.. so there is hope...

TheTastyGreek · February 7, 2014

How old IS HE?

Why, he's so old, he had a first class cabin on Noah's Ark!

He's so old, his social security card has Roman numerals on it!

He's OLD, I tells you. Old!

Quoner · February 8, 2014

Why, he's so old, he had a first class cabin on Noah's Ark!
He's so old, his social security card has Roman numerals on it!
He's OLD, I tells you. Old!

I don't care who you are, that's funny stuff! /puts on mustache and glasses, sprays seltzer out of bow tie

golfingomez · February 8, 2014

Why, he's so old, he had a first class cabin on Noah's Ark!
He's so old, his social security card has Roman numerals on it!
He's OLD, I tells you. Old!

i looked briefly, but couldn't find any stock footage of Night at the Apollo

UNT90 · February 8, 2014

Its not like someone from this staff is going to step in and make things better. If there is not a potential improvement from getting an interim from the staff, then why bother?

Completely disagree here. You have a former head coach sitting on the staff. While all the assistants have to support Benford publicly, what they think privately may be an entirely different thing.

Things would be way different with a different head coach, even if it was an interm from this current staff.

UNT90 · February 8, 2014

There where a lot of times that Rice had unguarded inside men right under the basket, but I have no idea who's fault that is in the different zones NT is attempting to play.

So nothing has changed since last year? Except the post players, of course. But it is still somehow their fault. Don't believe me, ask RV. He will tell you so.

UNT90 · February 8, 2014

the money is there.. so there is hope...

You will here more excuses after this season. Mark it.

BillySee58 · February 8, 2014

You will here more excuses after this season. Mark it.

I see what you did there.

untbowler · February 8, 2014

You will here more excuses after this season. Mark it.

yes excuses from an AD, whose ass should be on the line for the numerous crappy hires piling up

Edited February 8, 2014 by untbowler

greenminer · February 8, 2014

You will here more excuses after this season. Mark it.

I think this is very well done.

Edited February 8, 2014 by greenminer

UNT90 · February 8, 2014

I think this is very well done.

Woah there.

This was not aimed at anyone at all, if that is what you guys are implying. Just a general statement,

Censored by Laurie · February 8, 2014

Woah there.
This was not aimed at anyone at all, if that is what you guys are implying. Just a general statement,

OK. So we should all just "cram" these insinuations?

GrandGreen · February 9, 2014

Anyone that watches should know that Benford is a much better coach this year. Now, that is indeed faint praise, but this team is losing primarily because they are not very good. A good guard group cannot compensate enough for a very weak front court.

After stating that Benford has significantly improved over a disastrous first year, I still think a change should be made after this year. I just don't see him ever digging out of the hole that he has made himself. I don't think the team has any confidence in him and the fan base has been all but destroyed.

There is no rationale for NT to settle for someone whose upside appears so limited. This was not rebuilding project when Benford was hired, but it definitely is now.

Yes, the financial aspect of terminating Benford will be difficult for NT, but another year of Benford is likely to be much worse.

Cooley · February 9, 2014

How much $$$ will it take? How do we raise the $$$?

UNT90 · February 9, 2014

How much $$$ will it take? How do we raise the $$$?

I don't think an Internet fundraiser would do it, nor do I think it is necessary. The person who made this failed hire needs to raise the funds to fix it, if he hasn't already.

This is not our doing and not our responsibility.

NT91 · February 9, 2014

RV time to do something in April

BillySee58 · February 9, 2014

A good guard group cannot compensate enough for a very weak front court.

This is the main reason why Benford is not good long term, to me. As 90 said, you can blame it on the players, but when it's different players every year, where should the blame really fall? Benford is the constant through this all and as long as he's here it's hard to see us ever having the posts we need to really win significantly. Voss is doing a decent job, but he is 6'7" (listed, more like 6'6" in person) and has trouble on defense. But he's the best we have. Obviously, the production from Gaines, Coleman, and Flannigan forces Voss to play heavy minutes, and have to play the 5 often. I also have a hard time believing that Benford's other former commits would be helping out (Arthur Casimiro, Tony Nunn, and Josh Friar).

Another great point that is made on here is by CMJ. His point is that if you want to blame the individual games on players, that's cool. But the season is reflective on the coach, at least as much as the players. That's true for the season, and definitely true over the course of multiple seasons, as the roster changes.

I'm not personally calling for Benford's head ASAP, but if we keep him after this year we'll need him to replace Chris Jones, Jordan Williams, and TJ Taylor, as well as all of our current posts. As scary as replacing those first three guys is, I'm even more scared about what our front court recruiting will look like. Will we have a player over 6'7" on the roster in two years?

Edited February 9, 2014 by BillySee58

UNTFan23 · February 9, 2014

How's this for accountability: Pistons fire their first year head coach. Cheeks was 21-29.

Green P1 · February 9, 2014

How's this for accountability: Pistons fire their first year head coach. Cheeks was 21-29.

I sure hope their team didn't respect him... otherwise they'll all turn into crappy young men.

Mean_Green09 · February 9, 2014

Yes a good guard group can compensate for a weak front court or the lack of one. Villanova is always a good example. They normally go with 4 guards.

I don't believe our guards are good enough to be considered a good group. Decent group, but not good.

When the big dance rolls around I seem to always favor the teams that are guard heavy. They just perform better.

BillySee58 · February 9, 2014

Yes a good guard group can compensate for a weak front court or the lack of one. Villanova is always a good example. They normally go with 4 guards.
I don't believe our guards are good enough to be considered a good group. Decent group, but not good.
When the big dance rolls around I seem to always favor the teams that are guard heavy. They just perform better.

Especially in a single-game elimination format. Villanova had one of my favorite teams to watch in 05-06 with Allan Ray, Randy Foye, Kyle Lowry, Nardi, and a big man. 4 guard lineup that won a lot of games. Benford also coached a Marquette team a few years back that was similar. Dominic James, Wesley Matthews, and Jerel McNeal were all guards and their 4 was Lazar Hayward, who was a small forward. But those guys were exceptional guards, like you said.