Call to Fry now part of UNT preparations

[Harry]

North Texas began fall practice Monday talking a lot about change, just as it has since the end of a milestone season.

Several of the standouts who helped lead the Mean Green to a win over UNLV in the Heart of Dallas Bowl were long since gone when UNT’s returning players sprinted onto the field at the Darrell R. Dickey Football Practice Facility.

UNT coach Dan McCarney took time out for one of his long-standing traditions before heading out to begin addressing all those changes and challenges.

McCarney picked up the phone and called Hayden Fry.

“I talk to coach Fry every year before my first practice,” McCarney said. “I said, ‘Coach, guess what? Thirty-five years ago you and I got together. How time flies.’ I have not lost one bit of energy, excitement or love of the game. I said, ‘I sure enjoyed it with you and hope that I can go out and enjoy it with my guys today.’ It was great to talk to him. I love him.”

Read more: http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/colleges/north-texas-headlines/20140805-football-call-to-fry-now-part-of-unt-preparations.ece

[SilverEagle]

“I said, ‘Coach, guess what? Thirty-five years ago you and I got together. How time flies.’ I have not lost one bit of energy, excitement or love of the game. I said, ‘I sure enjoyed it with you and hope that I can go out and enjoy it with my guys today.’

Could we please do a complete psychological profile on coach McCarney and Coach Fry and use that to hire all future head coaches. And could we please use elements of these profiles to hire future athletic department staff......especially the AD and promotions people.

Thank you

​The Committee for a meaningful and positive change in the North Texas culture.

[Stan R]

I think Mr. Vito made a big upgrade to AV equipment! Video looks and sounds great!

[hickoryhouse]

I love that in some small, but meaningful, way coach Fry is still connected to our program.

[drex]

Hayden Fry is magic...I wish all of you could meet him.

[NT80]

Coach Fry was simply "The Best".

I hope the steps are taken and that his health allows him to perhaps do the coin toss for the Iowa vs NT game next year. How great would that moment be for Coach Mac and us "old school" NTSU fans?

Edited August 6, 2014 by NT80

[Christopher Walker]

I think Mr. Vito made a big upgrade to AV equipment! Video looks and sounds great!

Yeah.... but that rolling shutter is gonna bug the heck outta me.

[All About UNT]

[All About UNT]

http://hawkcentral.com/2013/02/28/catch-up-with-iowa-legend-hayden-fry-as-he-turns-84/

"How influential was former athletics director Bump Elliott in getting you to take the job at Iowa?

HF: He was the main reason I took the job at Iowa. Plus the fact that I had four consecutive winning teams after I took over at North Texas. They hadn’t had a winning season in 12 to 14 years.

My first year we were co-champions of the Missouri Valley Conference. And then I had teams that were 10-1, 9-2, 8-3 and 7-4 that didn’t get a bowl bid. So I called the NCAA and said, ‘What’s going on?’ Back in those days, they didn’t have a rule that if you won seven games, or whatever it is today, six games, you were eligible for a bowl game. We had these great teams — we’d even upset Tennessee, who was No. 5 in the nation.

But anyway, I called the NCAA — it’s kind of a cute story. I said, ‘What’s going on? I’m having these teams winning and so forth and we don’t get a bowl bid?’

And they started laughing. I asked the gentleman on the phone, ‘What are you laughing about?’

He said, ‘Obviously, nobody wants to play you.’ That’s the other reason I went to Iowa."

[All About UNT]

"If you could pick the musical entertainment for Fry Fest (Coralville’s annual festival named after the coach), what would it be?

HF: No question I’d get Willie Nelson. … Willie and I became real good friends. He did a benefit show for me at North Texas. After the big show, we had a reception out on the ranch, and a lot of my coaching staff, the (school) president and so forth, different people, were there.

Willie walks up to me and says, ‘Aren’t you the coach?’ And I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ He said, ‘Who’s got my damn check’” And I said, ‘The athletic director.’ And he said, ‘Where is that S.O.B?’ And I said, ‘Well I’m the athletic director, too.’ And he said, ‘Well give me my damn check.’

I had it made out, at that time … back in the ’70s, I can’t remember the exact year, the check was for 40 thousand bucks. And I handed it to him.

He said, ‘You’ve got a pen?’ I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ He said, ‘Give it to me.’ I gave it to him. He endorsed it right back to the North Texas Athletic Department and handed it to me, winked at me, said ‘enjoy’ and walked away.

That’s back when he had the reputation that he was smoking pot and all those bad things about him. And here he was, did the show for zip and handed me back the check. He’s a great musician, a great person and that’s who’d I’d recommend. We tried to get him one year, for the Fry Fest, but his schedule was filled."

[meangreenthirteen]

"If you could pick the musical entertainment for Fry Fest (Coralville’s annual festival named after the coach), what would it be?

HF: No question I’d get Willie Nelson. … Willie and I became real good friends. He did a benefit show for me at North Texas. After the big show, we had a reception out on the ranch, and a lot of my coaching staff, the (school) president and so forth, different people, were there.

Willie walks up to me and says, ‘Aren’t you the coach?’ And I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ He said, ‘Who’s got my damn check’” And I said, ‘The athletic director.’ And he said, ‘Where is that S.O.B?’ And I said, ‘Well I’m the athletic director, too.’ And he said, ‘Well give me my damn check.’

I had it made out, at that time … back in the ’70s, I can’t remember the exact year, the check was for 40 thousand bucks. And I handed it to him.

He said, ‘You’ve got a pen?’ I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ He said, ‘Give it to me.’ I gave it to him. He endorsed it right back to the North Texas Athletic Department and handed it to me, winked at me, said ‘enjoy’ and walked away.

That’s back when he had the reputation that he was smoking pot and all those bad things about him. And here he was, did the show for zip and handed me back the check. He’s a great musician, a great person and that’s who’d I’d recommend. We tried to get him one year, for the Fry Fest, but his schedule was filled."

That is such a cool story.