UNT contacts USM asst. coach...

MadEagle · November 16, 2006

YEAH! If they've worked at S. Miss they should automatically be discounted. Afterall we don't want RV to hire anyone that he may have a familiarity with. It would look like cronyism! Cronyism never works! When Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys in 1989 he hired his old college roomate Jimmy Johnson to be the head coach. At the time everyone said college coaches never make it big in the NFL... It was a total crony hire. That crony hire led them to a 1-15 record the next season. Crony Hires Never Work!
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Yeah but he also led them too two Super Bowl apperances and layed the foundation for the team of the 90's

Edited November 16, 2006 by MadEagle

SilverEagle · November 16, 2006

YEAH! If they've worked at S. Miss they should automatically be discounted. Afterall we don't want RV to hire anyone that he may have a familiarity with. It would look like cronyism! Cronyism never works! When Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys in 1989 he hired his old college roomate Jimmy Johnson to be the head coach. At the time everyone said college coaches never make it big in the NFL... It was a total crony hire. That crony hire led them to a 1-15 record the next season. Crony Hires Never Work!
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Maybe you're operating on total faith, but I'm not. I'm not the least bit interested in this being an easy hire. I want someone who can work with the team and the North Texas fan base, not be someone's "good ol' boy".

And BTW, Jimmy Johnson really tore it up after he left Dallas didn't he? Could it be that the Dallas gig was the ONLY time that a crony hire ever worked?

FirefightnRick · November 16, 2006

Butler, a Hartford, Ala., native and USM graduate, never has been a head coach. He has 28 years coaching experience, the past 14 on Bower’s staff.

Why is this guy even being considered a candidate? It's very concerning to me to read that he's been in collage coaching for 28 years and has never been a head coach?

This was a courtesy call, nothing more.

Rick

GoMeanGreen1999 · November 16, 2006

That being said, he is not going to be your next coach. All you need to know is that he has never been a coordinator and if Bower retired at USM, Butler would get a courtesy interview, but would not have a snow ball's chance in hell of getting the USM job.
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So if this is the case, why in the world has RV already had contact with him about the job? Does it take RV interviewing this guy to get him out in the open? And if he doesn't have a snowballs chance of getting the SM job, why would anyone else want him?

SUMG · November 16, 2006

Pardon some of us...if we're a little wary of the hiring of a friend.

We've seen 5 + years of how great that has worked out for us, in basketball.

And Jimmy Johnson, when hired by Jerry....was an in demand coach. Miami had hired him away from Oklahoma State, and then while at Miami, Jimmy won a national championship.

I don't see such skins on the wall for Mr. Butler. Maybe a more apt football comparison would be Ernie Zampese or Norm Chow, guys who stayed as Assistants their entire careers.

ntmeangreen11 · November 16, 2006

Ugh.

There's even a blurb about this in the Denton Record Chronicle. It says RV has made calls to the USM head coach concerning Butler.

Here it is simply:

NO!

NDT · November 16, 2006

Does RV have a long term contract. If so, how much is the buyout?

GoMeanGreen1999 · November 16, 2006

So how many on here will be ticked if Butler were hired?

This makes so much sense to me. RV fires DD, then promptly announces there will be NO search committee. Within not even one week, it is being reported that he has already been in contact with Butler? This is not good....not good at all.

Edited November 16, 2006 by GoMeanGreen1999

Baby Arm! · November 16, 2006

I want someone who can work with the team and the North Texas fan base, not be someone's "good ol' boy".
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Just curious, what do you know about Mr Butler that indicates he CAN'T work with the team and the North Texas fan base?

I'm not pulling for this guy, as I said before I don't know enough about him to have an opinion at this point. But is the only reason you have against him is that he coaches at a place that RV used to work?

UNTLifer · November 16, 2006

So how many on here will be ticked if Butler were hired?
This makes so much sense to me. RV fires DD, then promptly announces there will be NO search committee. Within not even one week, it is being reported that he has already been in contact with Butler? This is not good....not good at all.
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I'll give Butler a chance, but this fanbase needs someone to get excited over. Butler doesn't do that. Dodge runs and exciting offense and is known in the Metroplex and has ties to the HS's we want to recruit from, Carthel is familiar with recruiting TX, runs an exciting offense and has proven he can turn a program around, Mathews has been successul as HC in 1AA and has TX ties, all things Butler doesn't bring to the table.

Greendylan · November 16, 2006

Does RV have a long term contract. If so, how much is the buyout?
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I can certainly understand your frustration with this direction in the coaching search, but I truly believe that RV deserves a bit more of our faith. Our most successful seasons under Dickey came soon after RV's hiring. Furthermore, he was willing to fire Dickey despite the likelihood that he would face strong criticism from the local media and possibly alienate a substantial donor. I am satisfied that he has the same high hopes for this program as we do. Remember, if you have any doubts you can always e-mail him, since he always responds.

Baby Arm! · November 16, 2006

I'll give Butler a chance, but this fanbase needs someone to get excited over. Butler doesn't do that. Dodge runs and exciting offense and is known in the Metroplex and has ties to the HS's we want to recruit from, Carthel is familiar with recruiting TX, runs an exciting offense and has proven he can turn a program around, Mathews has been successul as HC in 1AA and has TX ties, all things Butler doesn't bring to the table.
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What kind of offense would Butler run? Whats his offensive philosophy? I don't know and I dont think anyone on this board knows either?, Butler does have Texas ties having coached at SMU (pre death penalty) and Navarro JC. Butler has been coaching at a mid major Div 1 school, something that Dodge, Mathews and Carthel dont bring to the table.

Once again Im not for or against this Butler guy but what I see happening is a GroupThink developing against this guy all based on assumptions after reading a couple of paragraphs and some preconceived objections to "buddy hires" All Im saying is why don't we wait and see who gets to interview, what each candidate has to offer before we all jump of the bridge and start to cancel season tickets.

UNTLifer · November 16, 2006

As quiet as RV has been, we may never know who gets interviewed just who gets hired.

SUMG · November 16, 2006

What kind of offense would Butler run? Whats his offensive philosophy? I don't know and I dont think anyone on this board knows either?, Butler does have Texas ties having coached at SMU (pre death penalty) and Navarro JC. Butler has been coaching at a mid major Div 1 school, something that Dodge, Mathews and Carthel dont bring to the table.
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Matthews has lots of Division I coaching experience. He was at Georgia before taking the JMU job. He's also been at several other Division I schools.

ntmeangreen11 · November 16, 2006

EDIT- Just saw this was posted this morning.

So, uh, go mean green.

Edited November 16, 2006 by ntmeangreen11

STE · November 16, 2006

I haven’t posted on a UNT message board since probably the summer of 2000. I have however, followed this board almost daily since I stopped posting.

This issue with Butler forced me register with Gomeangreen.com and send email to RV expressing my family’s concern with this potential decision. A copy of the email I sent is set forth below in part.

I feel we have to speak up now or forever hold our peace. Please let him know how you feel re: Butler before it’s too late.

Mr. Villarreal

I am an alumnus of UNT (92) and a football season ticket holder (4 tickets). My father is also an alum (62) and season ticket holder (3 tickets)

We felt compelled to write to you after reading on GoMeanGreen.Com that you have contacted Coach Butler at USM regarding the head coaching job at UNT.

Let me preface what I’m about to say by saying that my father and I were very excited to hear that a coaching change was going to be made this season. Winning the New Orleans’ bowl in 2002 was great but unfortunately we were unable to significantly build upon that success. We now have an opportunity to change that.

We have seen other coaches such as Coach Price, Coach Dykes and Coach Dodge say very positive things about North Texas in the media. I don’t know if we have a realistic chance of getting one of these coaches or someone like them but we think we need to try. Hiring a named coach would do a lot for buzz and fundraising. We’ll even accept a head coach from a smaller school as long as he is energetic and talented (good W/L record) and has a positive attitude.

One of our biggest problems is one of perception in the local media. Many think that Coach Dickey represented the best that we could ever hope to have at North Texas. Obviously, we disagree. A named coach would go a long way in energizing the fan base and showing the media that they are wrong.

It should thus, come as no surprise that we believe hiring a career assistant coach from USM would be a colossal mistake for North Texas. It would demoralize the fan base and justify the media’s take on our current situation. Quite frankly, I’m shocked Coach Butler has been “contacted”. If that’s the best we can do, then we are surely in trouble.

I believe we are at a critical juncture with our football program. We cannot afford to go backwards at this time. The fan base is watching. The media is watching. Your next move will signal how serious we are about football.

I appreciate the action you have taken to get us to this point in our football program. Please don’t let us down now.

………

Sincerely

E E Sikes III (Class of 92)

E E Sikes Jr. (Class of 62)

P.S. have you considered alternative funding schemes? I once read that Coach Price at UTEP is paid one dollar from every ticket that is sold to a home game. Thus he has an incentive to sell out the Sun Bowl. It’s my understanding that plan makes up a significant portion of his compensation package. In any event, it might be something we want to consider. While Fouts can’t be compared to the Sun Bowl, every little bit helps.

NDT · November 16, 2006

Well written letter and I agree with the entire contents. Even so, he should have already known most people feel this way before he made the contact.

NT80 · November 16, 2006

RV says he did not initiate contact....

Let me stop this now. I received a phone call from Coach Butler and returned his call. I asked if he was calling because he was interested in the job. I invited him to apply and send info same as all candidates. I did not initiate contact. I can also now promise you that while I do know Coach Butler and he is a good friend, he is not a contender.

Rick V

Stan R · November 16, 2006

Holy crap SUMG posted!!
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Just to calm everyone down - I'm also aware of this situation - I checked the ground in hell - it isn't frozen - I also did a spot check of the sky and did not see any pigs.

Carry on.

madison eagle · November 16, 2006

Just to calm everyone down - I'm also aware of this situation - I checked the ground in hell - it isn't frozen - I also did a spot check of the sky and did not see any pigs.
Carry on.
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HEY EE

why dont you contact Spurrier or Pete Carrol?