DMNews: UNT will find out if it's a real program

[Harry]

DENTON — Dan McCarney was in the midst of a rousing summertime speech in front of a room full of pumped-up boosters when North Texas’ head coach acknowledged that even he didn’t know how tough the task of resurrecting a lifeless program would be.

UNT had gone six seasons without winning more than three games in a year when McCarney arrived at UNT before the 2011 campaign.

After three years and a lot of hard work, McCarney and the Mean Green finally broke through with a slump-busting 9-4 season that concluded with a win over UNLV in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.

That win changed the face of the program and left the Mean Green facing a new challenge this fall — proving last season was beginning of the program’s rise and not just a fluke.

“The challenge ahead is this — are we a real program, which means no matter who you lose or who gets injured or who graduates can the next group come in and replace them?” McCarney wondered. “Or do we just disappear off the college football landscape for another 10 years?”

Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/college-sports/unt-mean-green/20140807-mean-green-football-preview-unt-will-find-out-if-it-s-a-real-program.ece

[JRock]

Good write up. Time to prove this was no "fluke".

[UNT90]

Backhanded title to the article and shows how UNT is still perceived in the metroplex.

UNT a real college football program?

[UNT Alumni Lifer]

Backhanded title to the article and shows how UNT is still perceived in the metroplex.

UNT a real college football program?

That's a quote from Coach Mac in the article. He's made that statement more than once. Eventually he will have to stop making statements like that for us to not be perceived that way. It's all about perception, and having your coach make those statements puts that bug in peoples' ears. Positive talk = positive perception. Of course, winning helps too.

[UNT90]

That's a quote from Coach Mac in the article. He's made that statement more than once. Eventually he will have to stop making statements like that for us to not be perceived that way. It's all about perception, and having your coach make those statements puts that bug in peoples' ears. Positive talk = positive perception. Of course, winning helps too.

I know he said it, but DMN chose to use that as the headline. Wonder why.

I also really wish Mac would quit this, also. You won 9 games and a bowl game last year, coach. Your job is not only safe, but with this fan base, that may actually get you first ballot HOF election.

Can we ease up on the "woe was me" routine already?

[JRock]

90 you're spot on.

[UNT Alumni Lifer]

I just don't see it as a "backhanded" article & title when they're just quoting the coach. The media is always going to use headlines that grab attention, and that does it. It's not necessarily the DMN's opinion.

I definitely agree with retiring the "woe was me" routine.

[Tyler Maryak]

So anxious about this season! I PRAY that we have a .500+ season and make Mac's W/L at UNT better than .500 as well.

[UNT Alumni Lifer]

So anxious about this season! I PRAY that we have a .500+ season and make Mac's W/L at UNT better than .500 as well.

AGREED. I'm in the Austin area & am anxious for the UT game! It would be nice to see Mac's UNT W/L record steadily improve. Love the guy & can't wait to see what's in store for the future.

[Grant.UNT]

Very good article. He has a valid point. I think he will stop making comments like that when we have 3 seasons of being a top tier team in the conference. one down, two to go.

[GrayEagle]

Much ado about nothing.

[GMG24]

Headlines sell, they grab attention and get people to read. It's ok everyone step away from the ledge, let's be thankful we got a write up in the DMN.

[UNT Alumni Lifer]

Headlines sell, they grab attention and get people to read. It's ok everyone step away from the ledge, let's be thankful we got a write up in the DMN.

[hickoryhouse]

I like how the writer assumes that the UT game is a loss when he says at the end of the article about the SMU game, lose and you are in an 0-2 hole. Thats the part of the write up that I found lacking in the respect category.

[emmitt01]

"When I got here we didn't have newspaper articles. Hell, none of the players could read anyway so it wouldn't have mattered. Luckily I won three literary national championships at Florida so I founded the Dallas Morning News as soon as I arrived."

[greenminer]

You're a real boy program!

[UNT Alumni Lifer]

"When I got here we didn't have newspaper articles. Hell, none of the players could read anyway so it wouldn't have mattered. Luckily I won three literary national championships at Florida so I founded the Dallas Morning News as soon as I arrived."

[malonish]

Wait, this isn't a fictional team's message board?

[Green Otaku]

Is he wrong though? All that hard work and success will be quickly forgotten if we plummet this year. I see it as a challenge, a slap in the face to say, don't think we have made it yet. You grab that opportunity by the throat and earn it on your own.

[ColoradoEagle]

Right. Mac knows that last season was a blip on a flatline for this program. Beat some big opponents. Become nationally ranked. Win CUSA championships. Those are the goals now; That's the next level. Start accomplishing those and maybe the conversation about adding the second deck on the student side won't be as laughable as it's been in the past.

I agree 100% with him that there are still many more goals to reach as a program. Last year was incredibly fun for hardcore Mean Green fans. We need seasons that are incredibly fun for currently completely disconnected students and alums as well as DFW area potential fans.

I highly doubt Mac wants his legacy at UNT to be, "Yeah, we had a couple winning seasons after a decade of losing." He wants to put this program on the map.

[LongJim]

Any pub is good pub. Now the DMN prints an article and we all hate it. Ok. Got it.

McCarney is talking to his team and staff as much as anyone else.

[untcampbell]

Headline in the actual fish wrap is:

Mean Green ready for takeoff

GMG

[golfingomez]

I like how we complain about coverage... then we get coverage, and everyone gets their panties in a wad about semantics

[Green P1]

So if UT blows our doors off do we still get to be a real program?

[Ben Gooding]

There are critics of this program and rightfully so. Win football games and they will shut up. Stay competitive with UT going into the 4th quarter, demoralize SMwho with a power running game and go 6-2 in conference again and that will speak for itself.

On a side note, just got back from the walmart on University about 20 minutes ago. The students are starting to make their way back into Denton. The great thing was that I have never seen as much North Texas apparel in a non-UNT public place since I moved to Denton. Elderly, women, middle-aged, students were reppin' North Texas gear and it was very nice to see. I think this might be another season to remember (only if we have at least average QB play)!