Does RV need to be fired if Benford is retained and we are this bad ne

[UNT90]

I was going to start a pole, but don't think you can from a mobile device.

Just an informal opinion poll.

I will again not be buying season tickets for basketball. I refuse to care more about something than the people responsible for it.

I may or may not buy individual game tickets, depending in how good we turn out to be in December.

I won't mention UNT basketball to anyone.

This can be fixed if someone would let go of their very foolish pride.

[StealthEagle84]

I think its ridiculous to even think about firing RV for something like this. I do I believe Benford needs to go, yes. But as sad as it is to say, we made progress from last year. He'll get one more year.

[THOR]

WHAT PROGRESS???

[BillySee58]

I think its ridiculous to even think about firing RV for something like this. I do I believe Benford needs to go, yes. But as sad as it is to say, we made progress from last year. He'll get one more year.

Maybe he doesn't deserve to be fired, but if he isn't then it'll set our program back years. We need a capable recruiter to handle these 7 scholarship spots next year. If the signees are more high school guys who don't make it in and late juco signees, we will be lucky to be a 10 seed in the conference tourney as long as Benny is here.

Benford has a decent track record recruiting, but he's only as good a recruiter as his product is that he's selling. Some recruiters could sell ice to an Eskimo. Benford doesn't have the history and consistency of Marquette to sell, and he doesn't have the pitches that JJ established (20 win seasons, Sun Belt tourney success, Tony Mitchell, etc). Greg Wesley's main pitch that he received from Benny was that he would be used like Tony Mitchell, a player Benford had nothing to do with being on our roster. Combs was a good pickup, but the only school on his offer list that was impressive to beat for him was Texas Tech. We had proximity and playing time in our favor there. The other current 2014 signees didn't have any other offers.

Luckily we have playing time to offer. We need that pitch. Need.

Edit: sorry, forgot to explain what I was getting at. If the recruiting class tanks, and Benny does without JJ players to rely on, then RV does deserve to be fired. He has the option to fire him now and get a capable coach/recruiter to have for these 7 seniors' last season and for the 7-man signing class. He's chosen to let Benford handle that. Not to mention what's going on in women's hoops and football scheduling.

Edited March 12, 2014 by BillySee58

[UNT90]

I think its ridiculous to even think about firing RV for something like this. I do I believe Benford needs to go, yes. But as sad as it is to say, we made progress from last year. He'll get one more year.

Progress from a set back year which Benford was responsible for.

When does RV become accountable? Ever?

[GrandGreen]

No, he should not be fired based on the Benford hire.

However, I do think he should be evaluated on his performance like any other employee.

My opinion is that RV has gotten credit for a lot of positives at NT that most AD's would have duplicated and probably done more. Apparently, that opinion is not shared by the BOR and I expect RV to retire here.

[CMJ]

Whether it was him or not, I think Apogee Stadium and the Heart of Dallas Bowl probably got RV five years where BOR won't even think of replacing him.

[Green P1]

I don't know... Do you think firing RV would convince Ernie to let Benny go?

[UNT90]

I don't know... Do you think firing RV would convince Ernie to let Benny go?

This is probably the better question.

Maybe Ernie just likes to have room to stretch out when watching games at the Pit.

[UNT90]

And maybe he likes the short concession lines. I mean, no missing any of the game while waiting for those nachos.

[drex]

Like all mortals, the people who head up the athletic department hit a time when they are past their prime. The average tenure for an athletic director is much shorter than the time RV has spent here. Talk among yourselves.

[greenminer]

The average tenure for an athletic director is much shorter than the time RV has spent here.

Do you have data to support this? Honest request.

[UNT90]

I don't know... Do you think firing RV would convince Ernie to let Benny go?

Maybe he prefers an uninstructed view of the cheerleaders... Wait... I mean exit aisles.

[JesseMartin]

Again I'm not really putting my personal feelings into this one, just looking at the facts.

1) Regardless of what we think of the level of competition, this year was considered a "step up" in conference.

2) After losing our #1 guy to the draft, we had a better record (yeah, with a weaker OOC schedule, but I'm pretty sure that's being overlooked).

3) We won one game in the tourney...uhm...anyway...

All of these indicate that, down by one awesome Mitchell, and up a level in competition (?), we still had a better record and went farther in the tournament. Even if all of the fans and financial contributors think that it's a disaster and Benford should go, it would still be a hard sell to convince the powers that be that that is, in fact, the case. I think the attendance dip and season tickets NOT sold to previous perennials should be a big indicator, but it would be hard to convince anyone that Rick wasn't "acting diligently" by giving Benford at least another year.

If next year really is a "crash and burn" as many of you are predicting, then Rick could easily buy out Benny's final year and still come out clean because the "official indicators" of this year were those of progress. I'm veeeerrrrry skeptical about the possibility that next year will yield better results than this one, but as I mentioned before, it's a "rock and a hard place"...can you, if you're Rick, justify to the higher-ups firing a guy who made progress in these areas and paying out about half a mil? On the other hand, can you justify to the angry alumni and supporters why he should have another year racking up most of his wins against the likes of Incarnate Word and UTSA?

I can, with a decent level of certainty, predict that if next year's overall record is worse than this year's and isn't balanced with an appearance in the semifinals or higher in the tournament, that you could expect Benford to be out. But with "progress" like this, even though we're not really impressed with it, Rick would be hard-pressed to justify dropping him right now. I'm not about to have a coronary over it or anything, and like I said, I'm pretty skeptical, but unless you can prove that a good 90% of those alumni and fans who are NOT on this website are just as adamant about removing him, we're stuck with the same moral dilemma as last year: do you hope for a little more improvement to justify keeping him, or are we so sure there won't be enough improvement during his tenure that we quietly hope that he totally tanks the next season just so that he is gone sooner?

I'm staying skeptical yet hopeful...we're back in "wait and see" mode again. Sorry.

[CMJ]

Do you have data to support this? Honest request.

That's what I was wondering.

[GRN-WHT]

I think its ridiculous to even think about firing RV for something like this. I do I believe Benford needs to go, yes. But as sad as it is to say, we made progress from last year. He'll get one more year.

What do you see in our future with RV as AD?

[UNT90]

Again I'm not really putting my personal feelings into this one, just looking at the facts.

1) Regardless of what we think of the level of competition, this year was considered a "step up" in conference.

2) After losing our #1 guy to the draft, we had a better record (yeah, with a weaker OOC schedule, but I'm pretty sure that's being overlooked).

3) We won one game in the tourney...uhm...anyway...

All of these indicate that, down by one awesome Mitchell, and up a level in competition (?), we still had a better record and went farther in the tournament. Even if all of the fans and financial contributors think that it's a disaster and Benford should go, it would still be a hard sell to convince the powers that be that that is, in fact, the case. I think the attendance dip and season tickets NOT sold to previous perennials should be a big indicator, but it would be hard to convince anyone that Rick wasn't "acting diligently" by giving Benford at least another year.

If next year really is a "crash and burn" as many of you are predicting, then Rick could easily buy out Benny's final year and still come out clean because the "official indicators" of this year were those of progress. I'm veeeerrrrry skeptical about the possibility that next year will yield better results than this one, but as I mentioned before, it's a "rock and a hard place"...can you, if you're Rick, justify to the higher-ups firing a guy who made progress in these areas and paying out about half a mil? On the other hand, can you justify to the angry alumni and supporters why he should have another year racking up most of his wins against the likes of Incarnate Word and UTSA?

I can, with a decent level of certainty, predict that if next year's overall record is worse than this year's and isn't balanced with an appearance in the semifinals or higher in the tournament, that you could expect Benford to be out. But with "progress" like this, even though we're not really impressed with it, Rick would be hard-pressed to justify dropping him right now. I'm not about to have a coronary over it or anything, and like I said, I'm pretty skeptical, but unless you can prove that a good 90% of those alumni and fans who are NOT on this website are just as adamant about removing him, we're stuck with the same moral dilemma as last year: do you hope for a little more improvement to justify keeping him, or are we so sure there won't be enough improvement during his tenure that we quietly hope that he totally tanks the next season just so that he is gone sooner?

I'm staying skeptical yet hopeful...we're back in "wait and see" mode again. Sorry.

Meanwhile we are saddled with 7 Benfird recruits next year.

And if we do fire him after next year, we pay out TWO years if his remaining contract (which means we won't fire him, because we are too cheap and history shows we won't pay out more than 1 year).

So, you are saying since Benford lowered the bar so far last year, you are ok with slimmest of improvements? You do remember we were the consensus pick to win The SBC west last year, right?

[JesseMartin]

Meanwhile we are saddled with 7 Benfird recruits next year.

And if we do fire him after next year, we pay out TWO years if his remaining contract (which means we won't fire him, because we are too cheap and history shows we won't pay out more than 1 year).

So, you are saying since Benford lowered the bar so far last year, you are ok with slimmest of improvements? You do remember we were the consensus pick to win The SBC west last year, right?

I was thinking he was on a 4-year contract, my bad. As for me being ok with the improvement...no. Last year should have been awesome and this year should have been a slight dip. I'm just pointing out how this will play from an administrative standpoint.

[Mean_Green09]

In Texas it's all about getting the football hire right. He delivered us that therefore he will get amnesty.

We should just bury the basketball program under the rug. Who cares about it?

[emmitt01]

In Texas it's all about getting the football hire right. He delivered us that therefore he will get amnesty.

We should just bury the basketball program under the rug. Who cares about it?

As to the first portion of the bolded section above, this thought would have been preposterous just two season ago.

As to the second part, clearly not RV...and as a result none of the general public.

[Green P1]

We should just bury the basketball program under the rug.

Done did.

[UNT90]

We should just bury the basketball program under the rug. Who cares about it?

We first trapped it, the we tortured it, then we killed it, then we left the body exposed to the elements for a full year.

So I guess we can bury the bones.

[UNTLifer]

Benford should be fired. RV should be retained contingent upon the success of his replacement for Benford.

[untbowler]

Benford should be fired. RV should be retained contingent upon the success of his replacement for Benford.

So after Dodge, Stephens, Benford, Peterson you still want RV to hire another coach?

[UNTeagle88]

He hired McCarney right?!?! RV isn't all bad... and on paper Benford was a good hire when we got him.. i was excited about the hire initially after i got over johnny leaving. I support RV, even though i am upset the way the season turned out for my senior year at UNT.. i love UNT and i love our athletes.. I also love apogee stadium and the new megatron that we have in the superpit. i will take RV at his word.