NovaScotiaGreen

As assistants, yes they do. Programs of that stature can change assistants like underwear if they choose.

Reading about this hire, and working in the business world now, I had to chuckle. Remember when everyone was saying 30 or 40K was small change to hire the right coach? Well, the 30 or 40K proved to be MORE expensive in this case. Mac is a done (as in over the hill) coach, and we will be paying him a hefty salary for at least 5 years. Coach Chico, who was the better option of the two, would have worked for less and brought more excitement and energy to the program. Ultimately, the 'consultant' will have cost us dearly. I was not a Dodge believer when he was hired, but as a UNT alum I went to games when I was still living in Texas. It got to be a begrudging exercise to go to Fouts to see the weak product that was put on the field. Chico seemed to have the ONE thing I loved in a coach as a player, he developed and executed a game plan designed for the strengths of his players. These other, 'high profile coaches - including Dodge' seem to be selling some crazy-assed 'playbook' as a one size fits all solution. I am afraid Coach Mac will be one of those guys. That being said, Count me OUT as one who is excited for next year.

He's a parent and as such: 1) Should be there in the stands watching his son and 2) Welcomed and treated with the respect of ANY other parent I was never a fan of the Dodge hiring, but he deserves all the respect given any and all parents at UNT. I hope he doesn't feel anything other than that when he is in the stands.

Ditto!

That means he's smart... no other real guarantees there though.

So Stalin never had his own guys? - I never knew that. This board is hard to follow at times, MOST times.

Who is this 'we' of which you speak?

I give him credit for being a believer, and I applaud his courage to promote NT every chance he gets. I would think we are ALL a little 'brainwashed' or why else would be here. As NT alum we have to believe in our team each week, but we also have to exercise the intellect we honed while at NT. I still believe in NT, and I believe in the players. I was never a fan of the Dodge experiment and to be honest I look forward to its conclusion... wanting a change in direction and believing we will ultimately get to where we belong (winning) can be done at the same time. Seeing the comments on the board tonight leads me to believe the fans are more beaten down than Dodge, as fans we can demand change but can't quit believing.

I always thought a team doing drills before a game was an unprepared team. They made me think they were getting in a few last minutes of practice. By game day, walks throughs, maybe visualizations (as the new athletes call them), and a warm up should be the norm. Again, could be a regional thing. I will take you word for it - as the feed I see on the Internet isn't 'replay and analyze' quality. All I know is the play I saw with Tune the defender seemed to have a direct bead on him - All I am saying is a very fast moving man was had a direct shot on a stationary guy. My biggest concern is (1) did anyone block him by design and if so (2) lets hope that lineman (or back) didn't let him go because he was tired. Ultimately I know football is a collision sport - but with UNT being on the injury side of the collisions it shows a pattern. I played long enough ago we didn't air it out every down and a balanced attack was status quo. Maybe it's just the new 'exciting' brand of football we see everywhere today. I must have joined the ranks for the 'old farts' as I am not that excited with it, it's much more exciting to win 2-0!

Quite a ways from where she went down. I am near the graveyard though, mostly the commoners and some crew are buried here.

Yep, pretty much saying that. Conditioning is a part of the equation also. I obviously wasn't at the last game, but one poster reported our guys were on the field an hour before the game in full pads. I don't get that. I have been not been out of Denton long enough to forget how hot it can be this time of year. That could say something about how our coaches view 'conditioning' - drills in full pads an hour before the game seems odd. Back to my original point - the amount of injuries show something more than just bad luck. Poor execution (both on the field and in the play calling) can put a player in a high risk position for injury. The most dangerous play this side of the border (yes we have football here) is a pass high or behind the tight end on a crossing pattern. A poorly placed pass exposes him to quite the hit. The good news for UNT for that scenario is we never throw to a tight end! ;-) I wouldn't say scared is the right word to describe what goes through a player's mind. Maybe more along the lines of 'not interested in getting creamed again'. As the players lose confidence - their performance is going to reflect it.

A few of us were chatting about this in chat during the game. Bottom line, if your players can't execute the plays in your playbook, adjust the plays for two reasons: (1) increase chance of execution, and (2) reduce injuries. Our injuries aren't minor cramps and bruises they are serious injuries, not only physically, but will feed into a lack of confidence for the guys in the huddle getting the play.

Amen

ChannelSurf does well out here in on the East Coast.