untjim1995

I completely agree with this last sentence. Seriously, we couldn't build a new stadium, even though we needed one for decades. Then, during the worst economic year the country has seen in 70+ years, the stadium deal gets passed. Whether RV and GB were vocal or not vocal about it all last year, the fact remains they wanted it badly to pass. RV may have some black marks on his record, but he has to be the best AD this university has ever seen. I still think that another school will come along and hire him away after all of the facility and financial improvements he has led during his tenure.

He would be placed into "development", not urinal scrubbing

SUMG, I agree to a point, with the question of whether being able to afford to keep Dodge. I will say this up front, just as so many of you have--I think that Todd Dodge is a great guy and a fabulous high school coach. It just hasn't worked up here. Trust me, I would love for our university to basically cut ties today because we can afford to pay him off and go and get a "name" coach that can compete with Patterson and Jones here in the Metroplex for recruiting. I know that the program lists lots of donors, but I guess my question goes back to the buyout. Because of the amount of Dickey's buyout, the amount we could afford to pay a new coach was still minimal, actually below what Dickey made in his last few years. My fear is that we would limit ourselves to only go out and get a "cheap" coach again. Of course, many times, the cheap option turns into gold--maybe a i-aa coach with success makes it happen here or a an OC from a mid-major that is bright and makes a great run in his first head coaching job, but we have seen us do similar things in hiring since 1991 and it really hasn't worked. I guess my main point is that if it means putting up with one last year of Todd Dodge to prove he can do this or else we can go get a Kragthorpe-type, for example, then I will accept it. But what is UNACCEPTABLE to me is either hiring a cheap coach again because we fired him too soon or keeping Dodge here for the fifth year with anything less than a 7 win, bowl-attending season next year. Just my opinion, though.

Let me ask you a question. If at your current job, you made $250K or more and your boss came in and said either you stay here and do nothing and get $250K for the next two years or you can leave your job and go and get a job at your previous level, which pays about $125K, what would you do, knowing full well that the $125K job (at most) will be plentiful whenever you want to go look? He ain't leaving with us paying nothing. There will be a buyout of some level--its just a matter of how much and for how many years. Next year will be his last year on this current contract, no matter what. He will either get an extension if we are winning or he will be bought out for his last year of salary, which would allow us to pay a new coach more than what we could afford to pay Dodge while Dickey was still collecting a check from us.

I apologize for the length of this, but I think we all have really gotten down--rightfully so--about where our program currently resides in the FBS division, but I feel like there are some positives that are ahead that I want to discuss. This is a list of things that I think will impact UNT football positively for the future ahead. 1. The new stadium will open up new funds and recruiting for this program at the perfect time. I truly beleive that our university decided that it wanted to be in the football business because if the vote didn't pass, I am 100% convinced we were either going back to 1-aa or giving up the program eventually if we were stuck at Fouts. 2. Dodge's situation-- The university made a mistake giving him a 5-year deal (should have been no more than 4) But, since we have this, next year will be his year to either stay here for a while or get fired. There is no way we can afford to fire him now, but there is no way he will be coaching in 2011 with only one year on his contract. RV knows recruiting will suffer mightily if he goes into a final year of a contract with no extension. So a FINAL bit of more patience will give us this certainty--Dodge is either our coach going into a new stadium with an extension or we will have a new one. The buyout is too steep now, but it won't be next year. The AD has been on record about next year needing 4-5 wins, but I now believe that the number of wins is a bare minimum of 7 with a bowl appearance, unless all slots are full. Otherwise, a coaching change will be done. I'm not completely ruling out this year, but I highly doubt it will happen in 2009 or early 2010. 3.Potential Replacement List--there are going to be a lot of folks out there that will entertain this opportunity more now that at any point in the last 30 years. We will have the the final piece of the facility-puzzle in play. The academics, the location, and the increased fan support are the biggest reasons to believe that a guy with a lot of name value will come knocking. Just a few of the names that I believe will be talked about will be Franchione, Kragthorpe, Bower, Dan McCarney, Chan Gailey, not to mention a few other well-known coordinators from big-time schools. Seriously, this should be a job search that will bring up names we never would have dreamed of in the past. 4. SMU---TCUs success over the last 10 years is miraculous--very similar to where K-State went in the 90s from their horrid decades before. The thing with TCUs success though was that it was in Ft. Worth. We all know that the major media outlets in this town revolve around Dallas. Denton is much more aligned with Dallas than FW, and the history between UNT and SMU is so much stronger, that the SMU program's losing ways didn't really affect us that much at all. The two conferences are pretty equal, with a few differences here and there, and the recruiting was about the same, too. Yeah, they could pay more for a coach, but the success never manifested itself for SMU, especially when Phil Bennett made twice as much as Dickey and had a worse record, so we all kind of laughed. But then SMU got real serious with the cash and bought June Jones for $2 Million. And in the first year, they were terrible. But the money paid is starting to pay off big time and SMU is about to go bowling--for the first time in 25 years. Meanwhile, we are floundering at 2-7 and our record has been around this for the last 5 years. Because our "rival" down the road--if that what we truly think of them--is seeing the light, our fanbase is going to have to see both Metroplex teams enjoy amounts of coverage that will dwarf anything we have ever seen. Which, of course, means we will either become an after-thought in the Metroplex or we are going to make a "splash" to stay competitve with the folks we recruit against. The snobs in University Park will still be able to spend more, but the HS recruit doesn't always fit in with that crowd, nor do they always qualify academically, which is precisely why I do believe that the large public school up the road will still do quite well in recruiting. And why I think a reputable coach will look to come here for around $400k-500K. He knows that what could be around the corner here will lead to $$$ for himself, whether from UNT or another school. To me, I want SMU to lose every week, but I think that their bar has been raised and if we are truly "peers" with them in football, which is what we are in regards to recruiting, this is going to have to force us to raise the bar, too. Its one thing for Troy to become a strong program, its completely different when its SMU. 5.)New Leadership--replacing the Old Nestors-- In the past, UNT's BOR and administration took the path of least resistance and were fine with it. They felt that a true liberal arts college that had a strong history in education was perfect for the sleepy town that didn't want to grow or attract crowds. No need to put money into something as "obscene" as football. But things change--growth occurs whether you want it or not. Now, with the leadership we have seen from Pohl and Bataille, over the last 10 years, they want this thing to work and they aren't gonna take chances on unknowns again, not with almost $80Million being spent to build a new stadium. That is the thing of legacy-type reputations--for good or bad. A beautiful new stadium with large crowds, winning football, and quality opponents will get a name or two on facilities, not to mention even more job opportunites. But a large new stadium that cost that much and isn't anywhere close to full because we cannot afford to have a competitive program is stuff that will follow an administrator anywhere else he or she may go, especially during these economic times we are in today, Imagine for a moment, tha you are in Gretchen Bataille's shoes. She just watched the student body decide that the school deserves a new stadium, to watch a team she obviously enjoys watching and knows full well from her prior stops that athletics is that window for all to see us from afar. She knows that the university's student body is only going to get bigger. Do you think if you were in her shoes that it make sense to move forward with all of this and watch it fail? After your student body just agreed to raise the fees for this for years to come while our world economy was at its worst in 70 years? She has too much vested in this project to watch the whole thing turn into the worst investment the university has ever made, which it would be if we don't upgrade the product. Drawing 11K to see the two worst teams in America play each other at Fouts is bad, but it somehow seems appropriate since it is a toilet. But drawing 11K to watch two teams that suck in a brand new stadium that cost so much and had so much controversy surrounding it would be the ultimate reputation crusher. She may have been fairly silent during the vote, but her preference on needing a new stadium has been known for years--and now she has it. Under her tenure as President at UNT, she will be forever known as the one in place when we got approval for a new stadium that will cost the student body alot of money. It is in her best interest to make the investment return plenty back to the university--and she knows it too. So there it is--my longest post ever, but I felt it was needed atthis time. I don't blame anyone who got tired head after the first paragraph, but I think it all needs to be noted and reminded. The history of this place is terrible when it comes to decision-making and funding, without a doubt. And if I thought for a moment that we weren't going to do anything about it--stay in Fouts, keep Dodge with no strings attached, etc.--I would probably walk away, although it wiould hurt to do it. But I asked myself a few weeks ago, what is the university gonna do about this program and it made me realize that they are already doing it. From tailgating, to the new athletic facilites, to the new stadium on the way, and to the "unacceptance' of where we are as a program, it made me feel better about the future than I EVER HAVE BEFORE. Trust me, I know that my faith could get stomped in the mud here, but I don't believe it will this time. As a matter of fact, just like we did when Trilli got hired, then fired, and we replaced him with Johnny Jones, I think we will see a better coach and a winning program come sooner than we ever believed it could, at least from where we sit today. So there it is--Down the Corridor of Years, We'll Forget the Joys and Tears, For North Texas We Love!!

Where is the money gonna come from? Sure you can try the "reclassification" route, but there is still a cost if TDodge accepted the deal--whatever that would be. Here is the best hope we have--and I believe it is slim to none--that Dodge decides that HS Football is his thing and he leaves this all behind. Again, that probably isn't gonna happen, as in these economic times, a head coach at a big Texas HS will pay less than half than what his salary commands at UNT. If someone gave that kind of money up knowingly during these times, I wouldn't question their heart--I would question their mind.

I bet you that their basketball success gives their AD some more $$$ from alumni giving and attendance, not to mention NCAA $$, that makes our financial support look pathetic. Our alumni might be larger, but I will bet that the $$ given back to WKU from their alumni is at a much higher level than ours. Could be that Crennel could very well look at WKU and say that I can go home and win in that league sooner rather than later. The bigger question is who do we get and when? The AD is on record as saying that Dodge is safe this year if we are "competitive", so I am assuming that since we doubled our win output from last year, and the fact that he still has 2.5 years to go on his full contract, the when is next year at the earliest. The who is going to be the intriguing part--as I said earlier, this is gonna be an attractive job to someone if we pay a good salary.

In other news, it appears that we will all still need oxygen to breathe. Seriously, How hard is it to really write an article like this? Yes, it is extremely accurate, but this same article could have been written at just about anytime over the last 30 years. Even in the SBC championship days, we got a little more attention from the local media, but it was ALWAYS behind TCU and SMU, even when we had better records than SMU. The Metroplex fanbase doesn't even support TCU as well as they should and they play in a really good conference and have reached #4 in the BCS. The real deal here is that if you are not in the Big XII, the fans really don't care here in the DFW area. If you are not from the old SWC, the media really doesn't care, either. Here is the hope and this is what I would write an article about. UNT is building a new stadium that will be ready in 2011. The facility will match up perfectly with the other great facilities in the Athletic Center. The funding for the program will get a needed infusion from student fees and probably from corporate sponsorships and suite purchases/rentals. This will be an attractive job for someone.

I also think World Peace would be awesome, too...

Fixed

You'll keep waiting, trust me. This spare ain't gonna answer you directly on anything--unless it is how many mattresses are being sold today or how great things are in Albuquerque these days. He acts like everyone on this board is a Dodge apologist--never mind that for every Dodge apologist, there is a Dodge antagonist to match.

Even More Fixed

The SEC is on record as saying that they don't want to play non-BCS schools in bowl games anymore, which is why the Liberty Bowl is not happy. I don't know how the Big XII feels, but I suspect it isn't far from the SEC's stance. There is just too much credibility that the non-BCS has to gain when they beat a BCS team.

Shhh..don't let this little nugget of truth get out. The media giant that is the DRC hates UNT, as does the Ciy of Denton, all of Denton County, the Metroplex media (all because of SMU), and the entire state of Texas, especially UT and A&M, which view us as the real threat to their status!!If we could just convince Bill Patterson to hire UNT grads only for sports journalism, in the same manner that our fine alma mater has only hired UNT grads for ALL athletic department positions, we wouldn't be in the position we are in today.--SARCASM ALERT!!! Look, Bill Patterson went to OSU. His parents went to UT. They run a business that caters to the local readers, of whom, 90% feel the same way about UNT athletics--pure apathy. They publish what the readers of Denton want to read.

The really sucky part about this is that the bowl games want the 6-6 team from the BCS conference over the 8-4 or better SBC team--see Troy in 2007. Its just the way it is, but the BCS ain't going anywhere. Anyone want to take a look at the teams that are undefeated and see any way both TCU and Boise State get BCS bowl bids? There is just no way--hell, Boise beat Oregon for the second year in a row and will watch the Ducks zoom past them in the BCS rankings. WHEN this happens, it will represent the second year in a row that Boise will go undefeated, be ranked high--as in top ten, and not get to go to a BCS game. And the worst part of it all? Baylor gets more bowl money revenue than Boise, even though the Broncos go undefeated and the Bears will not win a conference game this year. That is the most repulsive part of it all to me.

Am I the only one that is thinking that this whole scenario will not end well for the winner of these prized tickets and parking pass?

Seriously, you might be the worst poster on this board--which is saying something. If you think that RV would do this, you have been seriously misled. AGAIN, the AD has said that this year is ALL about being competitive, not wins and losses. NO chance Dodge will be fired this year, nor next year, if he wins 4-5 games. That is the from the mouths of the folks in the SIDs office, not mine. Shaft, you are delusional if you believe otherwise.

Trust me, you can go talk to same people in the SID's office and I would assume that the same story will be told to you, too. If that wasn't the stated goal for next year, why would you say it to a MEDIA MEMBER? Most idiots can usually understand this, but I guess this one is going right over your head. Maybe when you go to the AD to get that new coaching fund started, they will give you these facts. We all get that you loved Dickey--I figured he must have had at least one fan that didn't mind hearing him call fans MFers and go on an on about UNT being the worst job in America, so congratulations on being "that guy". The deal isn't that Dodge is better than Dickey, which seems to be your argument. It is the fact that NOBODY has had success here because we can't afford to pay coaches serious money and the apathy that runs rampant here keeps expectations low. You seem to think money grows on trees. Either you really are Mattress Mac, which would make sense based on your posts, or you have never taken one finance course in your life. People think that we can't afford to lose fans around here--I think that's wrong. The more I read your posts, the more I think that you are a troll or that you should walk away before the insanity causes you to do something criminal.

In no way am I saying that Dodge's record means he isn't over his head, too. Dodge was the OC for two of those Parker years so that may give you the answer to your question.

You are either high, an Aggie fan, or haven't watched any college football this year if you think TCU, Boise, or BYU would beat Texas on a neutral field. TCU would keep it close because of their defense, but the other two would get BLOWN out. They would beat LSU, too. I will agree, though, that Florida and Bama would kill them anywhere.

I thought you might find this interesting, shaft. I spoke with one my friends today that happens to be a media member here in town. Recently, he spoke to some of the folks within the AD about Dodge's future and what he has learned. First off, they talked about the learning curve that was really steep in those first two years on this level of play. Dodge admitted that he had to make changes to his staff and did so. The AD has said that this year is ALL ABOUT BEING COMPETITIVE, that the record is secondary--whether you agree with this stance or not, this is where the AD stands today. This is where your brain will probably explode and it doesn't make me feel better about things either at our alma mater, but the stated goal for 2010 is to win 4-5 games, with 2011 in a new stadium as the goal to make a bowl game. The folks within the AD have said that the MONEY is just not there to make a change now nor next year either. That isn't coming from me, this is coming from the folks within the AD talking bluntly to a media member. As I have said all along, this thing boils down to cash, as it always does. You can start a new coaching fund, but it better grow fast, because the university ain't talking about changes. BTW, the folks in the AD that he spoke with said that RV truly believes that Dodge will need all 5 years of his contract to get us competitive again. You all can take it for what it is worth, but if I were you shaft, I would either raise a lot of cash fast ot probably take a step back from the program. Otherwise, your sanity will probably be completely drained, if it hasn't been already based on your posts. As for me, this all really didn't surprise me one bit. No money means no change, at least for now anyway.

If the defense continues to play this poorly, I can assure that one win is probably the best we can get.

I, too, had 3-9, but I had us at 0-7 right now. I thought we would beat WKU and Army, and then beat either ULM or FIU. I still think that makes sense. If we finish 4-8, that would make some folks feel a bit better about 2010. I think Dodge will only get fired if he doesn't win another game this year. But, so far, sadly, we are where I thought we would be for 2009. That was just how bad we were in 2008.

Actually, Parker had a three-year deal and his AD, Steve Sloan, had resigned in the fall of his last season (1993). Craig Helwig came in as the AD in early 1994, which was amazing that an athletic department could go MONTHS without an AD. Anyway, he was here for about a month and fired Parker, who's contract ran out at the end of the spring or summer of 1994. He had no interest at all in giving him a new contract. We had no buyout of Parker to deal with, so we could go out and make a good hire, which is what we did--getting a guy who had skins on the wall, so to speak , with his experience as a D-1 assistant. The admin wasn't more uderstanding back then--they were lucky that Steve Sloan left the job and no one even wanted the job, so we left our head coach to hang out in the wind in his last year. Trust me, Parker was in WAY over his head and should have been fired when he got canned, but the lack of a buyout didn't pose an issue like we have now. To me, those last three years of D-1aa were the best examples of how poor a decision we made as a university to go down to that level and just how far it put us behind the 8-ball. We are still paying for those years today. Corky may have been great, but even with that, that entire time at UNT in purgatory may never be repaired.