Ryan Walters heading to Memphis

[MDH]

So I sat next to Ryan Walter's father-in-law waiting for a flight back from Denver yesterday (he saw my UNT sweatshirt and started talking to me). He told me he was going to Memphis and I thought I had missed some piece of news...guess I was ahead of the game and didn't know it. His F-I-L had great things to say about Coach Mac.

Edited February 11, 2014 by MDH

[meangreener]

Except, of course, that we wanted to keep him. He is one of our best recruiters. Let's not put a spin on this.

We wanted him to stay, and there was no way we could match the offer. That offer wasn't from Texas or USC or Ohio St. It was Memphis. Lets fix this anyway we can.

$200000 for a young kid?

Sounds like cost analysis.

[FirefightnRick]

What did you make for your first job?

50 cents an hour relocating irrigation pipe in a hay field..

Rick

[TheWestie]

During the signing day press conference, when asked about our new DL coach Kevin Patrick, Mac mentioned in passing that they had "hundreds of people apply..."

There has been a lot of turnover in P5 schools and NFL teams in the last few months, so we have a pretty big pool of possibilities to replace Walters.

At this point none of us know why he is leaving, but if it really does boil down to money then that does sting.

[wardly]

The head football coach at Memphis makes $900,000 per year. Ryan Waters is not yet in their database, but bet its a good jump over his UNT salary. If you look at resumes of all assistant coaches it looks like their in the witness protection program as much as they move around.

[Ben Gooding]

Well, don't get too down. Louisville was just able to lure away Alabama's DB coach and top recruiting coordinator. So it can happen anywhere to anyone. I agree that the base pay at North Texas for these football coaches need to increase significantly. More money, more accountability.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Well, don't get too down. Louisville was just able to lure away Alabama's DB coach and top recruiting coordinator. So it can happen anywhere to anyone.

Brown wasn't Bama's recruiting coordinator, but he will be at Louisville. So he's receiving a promotion, position-wise, by going to Louisville. So Walters going to Memphis is not really parallel. It's more like when we hired Coach Mac from Florida.

[VideoEagle]

Yes, it would be better to pay our assistants more. We have moved up from the Sun Belt and have moved up from Sun Belt salaries. We appear to be paying mid-range CUSA salaries on average. Some a little more, some less. The average salary level in the American is higher. We are growing and there is no reason to think we won't get there but we aren't there yet.

[UNTLifer]

Memphis is still playing with Big East money. Let's see what happens to their budget when that money dries up and they are getting AAC funds. I expect it to change. How much is too be determined.

Regarding us, every person that bought tickets and attended the HOD should receive a call about the MGC as well as season tickets. So should every graduating student. Not sure that is happening.

[greenminer]

From Vito's blog:

Really? Because 2015 recruits would NEVER think of committing early, right?

When would be the most timely time to vacate/replace the position?

[ragpicker]

Cheapness in our athletic program is our DNA, it is our tradition and it still defines us. It is atavistic and it will take a concentrated effort and real commitment to change it. Other schools have made that commitment and if we wish to be a player in Division 1 athletics we need to make that commitment as well. We have done it a bit here and there in recent year but it is time to go whole hog or forget about it.

[UNTLifer]

I would say it is in the DNA of our alumni too. Expect a top flight, well funded program when MGC membership is woefully low.

[UNT90]

I would say most of our alumni don't expect one damn thing from athletics.

And they have a history of getting what they expect.