Ryan Walters heading to Memphis

[dml7007]

Memphis: North Texas corners coach Ryan Walters is joining the Memphis staff per sources. 247 is reporting the same.

http://www.footballscoop.com/the-scoop

Hope Mac has another good name in mind..

[H-towngreen]

Well that sucks

[Harry]

Man if they let him go to Memphis I am going to be extremely disappointed. I could understand p5...but Memphis? Can they really pay that much more than us?

[MeanGreenTexan]

Dang. That's a lateral move at best. Memphis football is awful and their HC is an offensive guy.

Wonder if the pay amount was a deciding factor?

Oh well. Best of luck to coach Walters and best of luck in Memphis.

[Harry]

Per source, North Texas assistant Ryan Walters will join the #Memphis staff at corners coach. http://t.co/ECbVTPMHyi

— CoachingSearch.com (@coachingsearch)

February 10, 2014

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

I've got a good name for a secondary coach: Duane Akina.

[ntmeangreen11]

I had a feeling we weren't going to be able to hang on to him for long but MEMPHIS?

What's the story here?

[MEANGREENCOACH2]

i would think he would stay with the players he is returning then look for another job after next years solid DB #'s. it may have helped him with a better job. Unless this is a move closer to home maybe i'm a little confused?

[Harry]

I think everyone knew that Walters was on a fast track and heading places. He was our top recruiter and completely rebuilt the corner position results. I think what stings here is the fact he made a lateral move to a nonp5 school. Some of us had held out hope that we had distanced from those Dickey days where every year our top recruiting assistant would leave and UNT would not do anything to keep them. We have yet to get the details on this, but initially it looks like the same old story except now they are joining Dickey versus leaving him.

[H-towngreen]

I've got a good name for a secondary coach: Duane Akina.

Dude can recruit

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Dude can recruit

And, coach...many 'Horn DBs in the NFL. Walter was good, but this guy would be phenominal.

He's got to be on the short list. How can he not be? Go big or go home with coaching hires these days (Larry Brown to SMU...no way!). All he can do is say, no.

[UNTGuy5]

Best of luck to coach Walters, but I'm not that upset by this departure. I feel like our corners were the weakest part of the defense last year. (sans Kenny Byers) I think Mac will be able to bring in a coach that will do as good or better with this unit.

[Cerebus]

I think everyone knew that Walters was on a fast track and heading places. He was our top recruiter and completely rebuilt the corner position results. I think what stings here is the fact he made a lateral move to a nonp5 school. Some of us had held out hope that we had distanced from those Dickey days where every year our top recruiting assistant would leave and UNT would not do anything to keep them. We have yet to get the details on this, but initially it looks like the same old story except now they are joining Dickey versus leaving him.

This is exactly my fear. I thought we had got past the point where we couldn't outbid a school like Memphis.

[ntmeangreen11]

I'm not saying this is the problem but how long are we going to drag our feet on Mac's extension? I may be wrong here but I believe it's common for the assistants to also receive a pay bump. I sure hope this is not a case where Memphis simply pays more.

[GOMG2013]

I feel like our corners were the weakest part of the defense last year. (sans Kenny Byers)

You must have stopped watching unt games at halftime of ball state...

[Harry]

This is exactly my fear. I thought we had got past the point where we couldn't outbid a school like Memphis.

That is exactly my point. There is no doubt that Memphis has a bigger budget to work with. The Mac contract should give you some flexibility. If you restructure his deal and make it close you have a shot at keeping him. My argument is he won't be at Memphis long either -- he will rejoin Stoops or some other p5 in short order. So sell him on the fact he can do that here, doesn't have to move etc.. he just had a kid so you know they aren't wanting to go through a move. The only thing I can think of is maybe he or his wife have family from that area. If not, and this was just a money move I would like to know whether or not we tried to keep him.

[Harry]

Vito has expanded on his coverage including quotes from Mac etc...

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2014/02/walters-to-memphis.html/

[BillySee58]

Good luck to Coach Walters. Really good coach and recruiter. I have the utmost confidence that Coach Mac will make a good hire, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. He has done a great job a bringing in good coaches here.

I hope we can lock up Coach Kevin Patrick long term. I'd like to have someone in place to take over for Coach Mac or Coach Skladany once they are ready to retire (whenever that may be).

[MeanGreenTexan]

Good luck to Coach Walters. Really good coach and recruiter. I have the utmost confidence that Coach Mac will make a good hire, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. He has done a great job a bringing in good coaches here.

I hope we can lock up Coach Kevin Patrick long term. I'd like to have someone in place to take over for Coach Mac or Coach Skladany once they are ready to retire (whenever that may be).

Sounds like coach McCarney thinks coach Joseph is that guy (to take over for Skladany).

[GOMG2013]

Sounds like coach McCarney thinks coach Joseph is that guy (to take over for Skladany).

Yep.

[All About UNT]

The last CB coach at Memphis made 208k a year (Chris Vaughn). Not sure what Ryan was getting made Justin Gaines made just 60k a year. Even MTSU's CB coach makes over 100k a year.

I am sure that we will allot some extra money to increase the assistant's salaries but if we got Ryan at 60k then that was a helluva steal and one that would definitely make him immediately start pondering which program he is bouncing to next.

http://memphis.247sports.com/Board/59482/Memphis-football-salaries-2013-24033082/1#a24641592

Best of luck to him.

*Edit....just confirmed that Walters was making 63k a year.

[BillySee58]

Sounds like coach McCarney thinks coach Joseph is that guy (to take over for Skladany).

Yeah, I'd definitely be fine with that too. Good recruiting coordinator as well.

[Mean Green 93-98]

The last CB coach at Memphis made 208k a year (Chris Vaughn). Not sure what Ryan was getting made Justin Gaines made just 60k a year. Even MTSU's CB coach makes over 100k a year.

I am sure that we will allot some extra money to increase the assistant's salaries but if we got Ryan at 60k then that was a helluva steal and one that would definitely make him immediately start pondering which program he is bouncing to next.

http://memphis.247sports.com/Board/59482/Memphis-football-salaries-2013-24033082/1#a24641592

Best of luck to him.

*Edit....just confirmed that Walters was making 63k a year.

That is pathetic.

Base salaries of other C-USA cornerback coaches:

MTSU: $110,296 (also co-defensive coordinator)

UTEP: $95,000

FIU: $92,000

WKU: $75,000 (as Sun Belt school)

Southern Miss: $90,000 (as they continue to pay fired Ellis Johnson's salary for another 3 years)

LaTech: $90,000

[UNT90]

We need to decide if we want to play football at this level.

If we do, we damn sure need to be able to compete with Memphis in assistants salaries, otherwise just pack it up and drop down to FCS.

Extremely disappointing to hear.

[UNT90]

*Edit....just confirmed that Walters was making 63k a year.

This really is an embarrassment. If we can't afford to be competitive in coaching salary, why the hell are we playing at this level?

I think we can afford it, but choose to do everything as cheaply as possible.

I mean, if it ain't broke...