Tony, Tony Levine HC

[Wag Tag]

This guy had HC success at UH. Knows the High School market. (UH players of today recruited by Levine) is at a good age with great experience! Could be perfect?

[Withers940]

He was fired from Houston and anyone fired from a low level Job, I am going to have to take a pass on them.

[Mean Green 93-98]

He's been mentioned several times before, but he's not what we want.  He had some success recruiting at Houston, but he underachieved with the talent he had.  We simply cannot afford to hire an underachiever.  We need someone who can recruit, but he also needs to be able to win with a roster comprised largely of 2-star talent.  Because that's what he will inherit, and may be what he has to work with for a while.

[Harry]

I brought him up in another thread and think very highly of him.  He is not a flashy hire but he can recruit and should be considered in my opinion.

I brought him up in another thread and think very highly of him.  He is not a flashy hire but he can recruit and should be considered in my opinion.

He's been mentioned several times before, but he's not what we want.  He had some success recruiting at Houston, but he underachieved with the talent he had.  We simply cannot afford to hire an underachiever.  We need someone who can recruit, but he also needs to be able to win with a roster comprised largely of 2-star talent.  Because that's what he will inherit, and may be what he has to work with for a while.

The Houston team that is undefeated right now is primarily composed of his players.   I agree that he did not have a good season last year and lost some horrible games to UTSA etc but if you look at the talent he assembled at UofH he would be a BIG upgrade from where we have been.  He's sort of a lunch pail, blue collar candidate that too often gets overlooked in my opinion.

[Wag Tag]

He was fired from Houston and anyone fired from a low level Job, I am going to have to take a pass on them.

Yea low level! Like bottom 10!

[Withers940]

Yea low level! Like bottom 10!

 

[NTXCoog]

He's a great guy and a good assistant.  He wasn't ready to be a head coach though.  I don't know if he can be in the future, but he wasn't for UH at that time.

To me, one of his biggest issues was the inability to hire quality assistants.  I don't know if it was all him or if he had budget restraints, but some of his hires were horrible. 

His first OC (Nesbitt) quit/was forced out after his first game. 

His interim OC (Bush) who kept the job later was hated by most UH fans. 

Then Doug Meacham became OC.  A big improvement, but nothing like at Okie St and TCU.  Was that because of Levine or was it because Meacham has had great co-OCs at those 2 schools.?

After Meacham left for TCU, we got Bush again.  Ugh.

OTOH he did have a darn good DC in David Gibbs for 2 years.  I don't know why that guy has never had a head coaching chance. 

[GOMG2013]

Levine's last two years UH went bowling.  He was fired while having winning seasons.  Would be a definite upgrade if he could get UNT to that point. UH fans and alumni were looking for more than just being bowl eligible so he didn't last.

 It would be silly to not have him on the list.  If a bigger name is available, you take it, but I would take levine over gill, mangino, etc.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Levine's last two years UH went bowling.  He was fired while having winning seasons.  Would be a definite upgrade if he could get UNT to that point. UH fans and alumni were looking for more than just being bowl eligible so he didn't last.

 It would be silly to not have him on the list.  If a bigger name is available, you take it, but I would take levine over gill, mangino, etc.

He was handed a 13-1 team that had beaten Penn State in its bowl game the previous year.  If the best he could do with that situation is going bowling and having winning seasons (well, 2 out of 3), what makes you think he can elevate UNT's present situation to that point?

[Harry]

He was handed a 13-1 team that had beaten Penn State in its bowl game the previous year.  If the best he could do with that situation is going bowling and having winning seasons (well, 2 out of 3), what makes you think he can elevate UNT's present situation to that point?

And his team with his players is undefeated this season and in the top 25..  Sort of equals things out no?  I know Hermann appreciates it.

[Mean Green 93-98]

And his team with his players is undefeated this season and in the top 25..  Sort of equals things out no?  I know Hermann appreciates it.

You're just making my point for me.  He couldn't coach them into the top 25.  Not close.

By the way, quite a few of those players Herman has are still Sumlin's recruits.

 

 

Edited October 28, 2015 by Mean Green 93-98

[GOMG2013]

He was handed a 13-1 team that had beaten Penn State in its bowl game the previous year.  If the best he could do with that situation is going bowling and having winning seasons (well, 2 out of 3), what makes you think he can elevate UNT's present situation to that point?

because he was the top recruiter in creating that 13-1 team.  He will have to hire good Co ordinators also, but recruiting is half the battle.  And that 13-1 team lost Case Keenum, so he really didn't inherit a 13-1 team.  

He's not great.  But UNT won't attract or pay for great.  It will be someone unproven, or a retread.  

since he is unemployed, he may take a job as a Co ordinator just to get back into coaching.  He should be a candidate if people are talking gill, mangino, and coaches with no D1 coaching experience.  Who the new coach is he will have to hit the ground running as far as recruiting.  Cannot wait for a coach to build relationships.  UNT is starting from scratch.

[Mean Green 93-98]

because he was the top recruiter in creating that 13-1 team.  He will have to hire good Co ordinators also, but recruiting is half the battle.  And that 13-1 team lost Case Keenum, so he really didn't inherit a 13-1 team.  

Obviously losing Keenum's a pretty big hit, but I don't think their overall turnover that year was that bad.  They brought Charles Sims back.  At any rate, even with losing Keenum, I have a tough time justifying a drop from 13-1 down to 5-7 in one year.

 

He's not great.  But UNT won't attract or pay for great.  It will be someone unproven, or a retread.  

Some of those unprovens will eventually prove to be great.  But if you're going the "retread" route, why pick someone who brought a program down a notch during his time with them rather than lifting them up?  Do you really want to compare him in actual coaching ability with Mark Mangino?  And there is talk about Willie Fritz--I don't know how realistic it is--but I don't see him as either unproven or a retread.

 

since he is unemployed, he may take a job as a Co ordinator just to get back into coaching.  He should be a candidate if people are talking gill, mangino, and coaches with no D1 coaching experience.  Who the new coach is he will have to hit the ground running as far as recruiting.  Cannot wait for a coach to build relationships.  UNT is starting from scratch.

I wouldn't mind him on the staff, not at all.  I just don't see him as the potential head coach to build our program up to a consistent competitor in C-USA.

[Eastwood Eagle]

UH is the second team I follow. I will give a resounding NO. 

[NTXCoog]

Obviously losing Keenum's a pretty big hit, but I don't think their overall turnover that year was that bad.  They brought Charles Sims back.  At any rate, even with losing Keenum, I have a tough time justifying a drop from 13-1 down to 5-7 in one year.

I have to completely disagree here.  They not only lost Keenum, but they also lost their entire WR corps.  (Edwards 4500 career yards, Justin Johnson 1200 yards his senior year, Tyron Carrier 3500 career yards).  The leading returning WR had 16 catches.

And if you want to say losing Keenum shouldn't drop UH to 5-7, what was Sumlin's record when Keenum was out due to injury?  Dropping from 10-2 regular season to 5-7 with the same QB replacing Keenum but with a much better WR corps.

Levine didn't make it better and he probably should have won another game or two, but Sumlin got out knowing the talent level would drop dramatically.

[Mean Green 93-98]

I have to completely disagree here.  They not only lost Keenum, but they also lost their entire WR corps.  (Edwards 4500 career yards, Justin Johnson 1200 yards his senior year, Tyron Carrier 3500 career yards).  The leading returning WR had 16 catches.

And if you want to say losing Keenum shouldn't drop UH to 5-7, what was Sumlin's record when Keenum was out due to injury?  Dropping from 10-2 regular season to 5-7 with the same QB replacing Keenum but with a much better WR corps.

Levine didn't make it better and he probably should have won another game or two, but Sumlin got out knowing the talent level would drop dramatically.

You obviously follow Cougar High much closer than I do, so I'll defer to you.  To an extent.  If you are suggesting that Sumlin and Levine are roughly equivalent head coaches, I'd be surprised if very many of your fellow fans share that opinion.

And the idea that Sumlin only "got out knowing the talent level would drop dramatically" is laughable.  As if he had Texas A&M beating down his door every year.  He would have been gone if he had Joe Montana and Jerry Rice on the Houston roster.

[WestTexasEagle]

He's a great guy and a good assistant.  He wasn't ready to be a head coach though.  I don't know if he can be in the future, but he wasn't for UH at that time.

To me, one of his biggest issues was the inability to hire quality assistants.  I don't know if it was all him or if he had budget restraints, but some of his hires were horrible. 

His first OC (Nesbitt) quit/was forced out after his first game. 

His interim OC (Bush) who kept the job later was hated by most UH fans. 

Then Doug Meacham became OC.  A big improvement, but nothing like at Okie St and TCU.  Was that because of Levine or was it because Meacham has had great co-OCs at those 2 schools.?

After Meacham left for TCU, we got Bush again.  Ugh.

OTOH he did have a darn good DC in David Gibbs for 2 years.  I don't know why that guy has never had a head coaching chance. 

David Gibbs defense at Tech is rated 126 out of 127....4 spots below the Mean Green defense! Gibbs is a good coach, but why isn't that translating to Tech?  That'd concern me.  

[NTXCoog]

You obviously follow Cougar High much closer than I do, so I'll defer to you.  To an extent.  If you are suggesting that Sumlin and Levine are roughly equivalent head coaches, I'd be surprised if very many of your fellow fans share that opinion.

And the idea that Sumlin only "got out knowing the talent level would drop dramatically" is laughable.  As if he had Texas A&M beating down his door every year.  He would have been gone if he had Joe Montana and Jerry Rice on the Houston roster.

Quite the opposite. Sumlin is solid, especially compared to Levine, but even he dropped to 5-7 after a 10 win season after losing Keenum.

And I'm not saying Sumlin left because he was losing Keenum. I'm saying if he had stayed, he wouldn't have had as many offers because the team would have had another big drop off after losing Keenum

[NTXCoog]

David Gibbs defense at Tech is rated 126 out of 127....4 spots below the Mean Green defense! Gibbs is a good coach, but why isn't that translating to Tech?  That'd concern me.  

It will take some time to change that defensive culture.  TT hasn't focused on defense since before Mike Leach.  They were 124 last year before Gibbs.  In 2012 before Gibbs, UH was 113th in total defense.  When he left, we were 18th.  And we became a turnover causing machine. 

With Kingsbury and his offense, they may never have a great total defense stats.  Too many plays.  But if he can get PPG stats down and turnovers up, total defense really doesn't mean anything. 

[WestTexasEagle]

It will take some time to change that defensive culture.  TT hasn't focused on defense since before Mike Leach.  They were 124 last year before Gibbs.  In 2012 before Gibbs, UH was 113th in total defense.  When he left, we were 18th.  And we became a turnover causing machine. 

With Kingsbury and his offense, they may never have a great total defense stats.  Too many plays.  But if he can get PPG stats down and turnovers up, total defense really doesn't mean anything. 

I'm watching a Gibbs coached defense and Tech has made big improvements since I saw them play Baylor.  Sure Texas isnt Baylor (wow that's still weird to say) but Techs positioning is better, they are ball-hawking...they have real energy. I take back what I said about Gibbs... He's making strides.  

Daryl