MeanGreenGlory

I haven’t seen the exact posts, but the concept doesn’t concern me. Most folks on this forum are hyper-aware of what’s going on with the athletic department, but we’re the small minority of the greater alumni and student community. The larger population of folks affiliated with UNT probably aren’t aware that we were hiring a new AD. Therefore, it doesn’t hurt to share the news a handful of times on the Facebook page where they have a bigger audience, and using other people’s words is a good way to 1) keep the message fresh and 2) leverage social proof to quickly convey Mosley is a good pick.

I'd caution against Bryan Harsin. Reports are starting to come out that his recruiting efforts at Auburn were awful, and some sources have suggested that his relationship with his players at Auburn wasn't good either. I imagine both of these things were contributing factors to his lack of success at Auburn. Two articles for reading: Bryan Harsin said to be absent on the recruiting trail Auburn football fans not happy with Bryan Harsin recruiting in Kansas during bye week Reportedly he didn't do much recruiting at Boise either, but Boise has such a name in the west that good G5 players will flock there regardless and he managed to pull off wins in the Mountain West with that talent. Given the reports of his lack of recruiting and the fact that the UNT name doesn't draw as much as Boise State (yet!), I don't think he'd be a good fit here at this time.

This doesn't concern me. If Fuente said "there's no guarantee" he'd accept, it doesn't imply that he doesn't have a desire to coach here. I've been in the interview process with companies that I liked and never guaranteed (privately or publicly) that I'd take a job offer during the interview process. This is for a couple reasons: A) There's no guarantee you're going to get an offer and there's no incentive to come across as desperate. Additionally, in the case of UNT's coaching search, if a coaching candidate publicly states they're guaranteed to accept a certain job it could prevent other schools from interviewing them. Why would they ever make a statement that could prevent another school from interviewing them when they don't even know if UNT is going to offer them? B) Offers can look very different than what you may have in mind, so you assess an offer when you get it—not before. If the offer isn't good or doesn't fit what you're looking for, you don't accept it. If you think the offer is good and you believe the opportunity is a good fit, you accept.

Great questions. I fully agree with you on needing to look harder at proven head coaches.

I didn't realize Mullen was available. I'd like the Mullen hire a lot. A few reasons why: Successful head coaching experience showing he can win in multiple places He's still young and has a lot of career left in him so UNT likely isn't his last stop He's very familiar with what a legit D1 team looks like In regards to the concern about not being a good fit for a G5 school because he's only coached at P5 schools with big budgets...hiring Lane Kiffin worked out really for both FAU and Lane. I also have a feeling that Tom Herman is going to work out really well for both FAU and Tom. I could see Mullen, who's still young, wanting to get back to a P5 school but needing to "prove himself again" at a G5 before someone picks him up. UNT could be a perfect place to do that over the next few years. Additionally, I really like that Mullen (and Patterson) know what a legit D1 team should look like in terms of roster and scheme. They have legitimate expectations for what players to go after and therefore are more likely to win the "big" games. Again, the size and speed requirements that Mullen or Patterson would have for recruiting compared to someone like Colby Carthel or Emmett Jones is probably dramatic—and that factor would absolutely be a difference maker in big games.

To add an additional thought exercise onto this, just imagine the difference in week one if Gary Patterson took the job vs. Garret Riley. Gary would come in with an immediate vision of what "great" looks like and know exactly how to assess the situation, identify gaps, and start putting the pieces together to build a great team. This would include ALL areas of the program from strength and conditioning to roster to position coaches to practice schedule and the whole nine. Garret Riley would come in and probably be hyped on adrenaline now that he's "finally a head coach!" and think life is awesome. He'd probably meet with some people and start talking with some position coaches and start thinking about recruiting, but his idea of what a "great" program looks like is undetermined and he's not even fully aware of all of his job responsibilities yet. He's making up his vision as he goes and throwing things at the wall to see what sticks one day at a time. In short, the experienced and successful head coach walks in with a blueprint that can be instantly modified and executed against. The coordinator walks in with a lot of ideas and aspirations they want to test out.

I agree with all of these. We need to hire a previous head coach, preferably at the FBS level, but if they have FCS head coaching experience with some FBS coordinating experience I'm okay with that as well. Manoj Bhargava, the billionaire and founder and CEO of 5-Hour Engergy, summed it up extremely well in a presentation I heard him give a while back. He said something to the effect of, "Why would I ever hire some young gun when I can hire someone older with more successful experience doing the job? The young gun may save me money at first glance, but I'd need to hire two or three of them to do the same job that the more experienced person can do in the snap of their fingers in their sleep. From this perspective, the more experienced person, albeit a higher salary, is cheaper and has a much better ROI." I think this is a perfect analogy for where we are and why we need an experienced head coach.

Imagine how different things could have looked at UNT right now if Harbaugh was hired instead of Dodge.

I like UNLV's rumored list better. Please hire an experienced, winning head coach.

Is Chris Peterson still interested in coaching? I’d like that hire a lot.

Gary Patterson. Make it clear that the expectation is to build the program quickly and win the AAC within the next three years. Give him the funds to bring a quality OC and DC, and set the expectation that either the OC or DC will take over as HC when he's ready to retire. Doing this will help us leverage one of the most successful football minds of the past two decades who is living down the road right now, build a strong program with a coach who knows how to win at the highest level, and set us up for sustained success with a HC in training.

It’s best to get as good of a candidate pool as you can and then hire best person for the job. If that’s Mosley, great. If it’s someone else, great.

@Brett Vito Do you happen to have specific numbers?

Yes, thank you to the players. You did all you could and fought hard.

Dear Smatresk, Please be a leader and make strategic moves for the athletic department starting today. Sincerely, The Remaining Fan Base

I read that Seth’s contract has some type of clause stating if Wren left before Seth, Seth’s buyout is reduced. Is this true? If so, how much is Seth’s buyout now that Wren is gone?

I’m making an executive decision and parting ways with Seth immediately and throwing everything I’ve got at Gary Patterson tomorrow to be the HFC in 2023. This situation has gotten out of hand, and with Wren hanging UNT out to dry, Smatresk needs to step up as a leader and make a decision. We don’t have time to wait on a new AD to get comfy in their new office before hiring a new coach.

Why isn’t UNT listed anywhere on this list?

I feel like Gary Patterson is the type of hire that Smatresk & Co. could make before hiring an AD and most AD candidates would be more than okay inheriting the situation.

Magically? No. With the right strategic moves? Yes.

Fair assessments. Thanks. I think the expectations should be higher for the HFC because I think some will make the leap quickly (FAU with Herman and the helm now), but I can see where you’re coming from regarding the growing pains. Regarding Smatresk: That adds a huge wrinkle in all of this and the direction of the program. Overall, I feel like Smatresk has been supportive of the athletic department. It’ll be interesting to see if that support continues, increase, or decreases.

Exactly. Herman has a full year to load up on talent via the portal and implement his system. Don't be surprised if FAU is ranked and wins the AAC championship in 2024 to secure a spot in the first college football playoff.