Pegram Passed Over For Assistant's Job

[Harry]

http://meangreen.beloblog.com/

Former North Texas running back Erric Pegram said late Tuesday that he has been informed that he will not be asked to join the Mean Green's coaching staff. Pegram interviewed with new head coach Todd Dodge for a job coaching UNT's running backs.

Pegram played for UNT in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He led the Mean Green in rushing in both the 1989 and 1990 seasons and went on to play in the NFL.

Pegram was attending the policy academy when he interviewed for the UNT job and will continue with the program now that he knows that he will not join the Mean Green's staff.

[good_ken]

I wonder what it is about him that they DD or TD wouldn't pick him up?

[Got5onIt]

[NCMeanGreen]

Is there any particular reason(s) why some of you are mad he was not hired? Do you know him personally and can vouch for his coaching/teaching abilities?

We have to trust that TD and the NT athletic administration will make the right moves to promote this program. I understand he was a good player here that went on to the NFL. Yeah, and??? Again, what are his abilities?

[stebo]

I want to jump into this conversation and say a couple of things. First of all, Pegram is a great guy and I tried to get hi a job at my current employer. While I have gotten 2 other friends hired, Erric was the third that I reccomended and they passed on him. Maybe he is just a bad interviewer. My relationship with him is pretty informal. Pegram worked a little bit for me at the bar back when he came back to finish his degree. He basically would work promotions - help with checking id's on slow nights; but for the most part, he would walk around and tell NFL stories and keep people entertained. He literally worked for beer - and sometimes gave away/drank a little bit more then his pay should have been - but I thought that the novelty of it was realy cool while it lasted.

Eventually, I couldn't afford to keep up with him and him giving away so many drinks, lol... but we had long talks about him going into coaching at NT... Let me keep this as fair as possible. In the NFL, Erric had heard all sorts of stories about players getting rewarded under the table during during their college days and he did not have any of those stores about his days at NT. His thoughts were that if we were going to compete with the big boys, we needed to act like a big time program (even the "behind the scenes" stuff like that). To make a long story short, his thoughts on coaching and how he would get NT in the Top 25 are kind of outside the box and at the time (now this was YEARS ago), he wasn't afraid to vocalize it. I really don't want to get any more specifics; but to sum it up, Pegram believed (way back then - circa 96/97/98 or so) that there is corruption at every serious IA school (i.e. cash envelopes showing up in the lockers of high performing players after a big win, etc...) and that NT had to do SOMETHING in order to compete with this practice. New rules have been pased since then and student athletes are allowed to hold down a part time job (BEFORE, an athlete on full ship was not allowed to hold any type of job to avoid "Rhett Bomar" like problems). Now, I want to reiterate that this was a long time ago, right after he had finished his pro career. He may have changed his opionion since then, but right out of the NFL, he was all in favor of pushing NT forward by acting (in a behind closed door manner) like the big boys and was not scared to be vocal about it. So... there is a reason why Dickey did not hire him - I have no idea what went on with the TD interview but maybe his feelings haven't changed... you never know.

Meanwhile, if you need a personal trainer, PM me and I will give you his contact information.

Edited January 10, 2007 by stebo

[SUMG]

Also....it wouldn't have hurt EP's chances, if he had actually coached somewhere. I don't think he has....has he? I don't think he was ever a GA with us...nor have I heard of him coaching anywhere (high school, college). And gee, his playing days in the NFL....were over about 10 years ago. (He played for Pittsburgh in their Super Bowl loss to Dallas...near the END of his career).

No offense, but if Erric wanted to get into coaching....he could have tried to pay his dues somewhere.

[GMoney]

Also....it wouldn't have hurt EP's chances, if he had actually coached somewhere.

I think that's the biggest factor, no coaching experience.

[rcade]

No offense, but if Erric wanted to get into coaching....he could have tried to pay his dues somewhere.

True, but a runnings back gig at a mid-major like UNT might be a reasonable dues-paying job for a former NFL player with a Super Bowl ring (Pegram was on the Steelers in 1995). I can understand why he'd not be hired if he's been vocal about paying players, but it's a shame there's not a place for him somewhere at UNT. Maybe he could do some color commentary on the radio broadcasts.

[meangreenacct]

True, but a runnings back gig at a mid-major like UNT might be a reasonable dues-paying job for a former NFL player with a Super Bowl ring (Pegram was on the Steelers in 1995). I can understand why he'd not be hired if he's been vocal about paying players, but it's a shame there's not a place for him somewhere at UNT. Maybe he could do some color commentary on the radio broadcasts.

I think he should pay his dues as well, and I don't think running backs coach is where you begin. As it was stated above, he should begin as a GA somewhere, or have some sort if coaching experience. I think running backs coach would be too much of a jump. Also I don't believe the Steelers won that Super bowl.

Craig

[GreenN'walinsVet]

True, but a runnings back gig at a mid-major like UNT might be a reasonable dues-paying job for a former NFL player with a Super Bowl ring (Pegram was on the Steelers in 1995). I can understand why he'd not be hired if he's been vocal about paying players, but it's a shame there's not a place for him somewhere at UNT. Maybe he could do some color commentary on the radio broadcasts.

I hate to inform you but Dallas beat Pittsburgh in 1995

[GMoney]

True, but a runnings back gig at a mid-major like UNT might be a reasonable dues-paying job for a former NFL player

I'd love for EP to be a part of the program, but do you make a spot for every NFL player who wants to come back? If you achieve success can you make a spot for Kassel, Awasom, Spencer, EP, Tomar Barnes, B. Waters, S. Bowles etc.. There are not enough spots if you keep going through the list. You've got to have some coaching experience, be a GA or atleast volunteer to help for a while. Heck, TD is getting blasted by some for not having enough coaches w/ college coaching experience, what would people say about hiring coaches w/ no experience?

On a side note, you don't get a ring for playing in the Super Bowl and losing but you do get a ring for winning your conference championship (thus Super Bowl winners actually get 2 rings).

[Got5onIt]

Is there any particular reason(s) why some of you are mad he was not hired? Do you know him personally and can vouch for his coaching/teaching abilities?

We have to trust that TD and the NT athletic administration will make the right moves to promote this program. I understand he was a good player here that went on to the NFL. Yeah, and??? Again, what are his abilities?

And what?????? And what?????

Edited January 10, 2007 by Got5onIt

[Baby Arm!]

Did EP ever get his degree? If so, and he really wanted to get into coaching he should 'pay his dues' with an assistant job on the high school level.

[Got5onIt]

Did EP ever get his degree? If so, and he really wanted to get into coaching he should 'pay his dues' with an assistant job on the high school level.

Yeah, just like the Mean Green Golden Boy Major Applewhite, right?

[Baby Arm!]

At least Major Applewhite did some time as a GA at Texas before

[PlummMeanGreen]

Another NT Ex and I were talking about this subject just today and we both wondered:

Why do so many from our own try to impose so many of our own on new NT employees (Todd Dodge?) who would probably just as soon hire those they have a familiarity or past with and won't feel like they are taking a chance on an unproven commodity? When I chose to be in management in the tech school recruiting business, I really preferred to succeed (or not succeed) with those who I was responsible for hiring.

Erric Pegram was one of our all time Mean Green heros and one of the best, he made us all proud during the Corky Nelson era and I'm sorry he seems to be the odd man out on all this hiring business going on now in Denton, but Todd Dodge is probably going to go with some old familiar faces, ie, those he has a past with (just as most of us would do if our necks were on the line with such a high profile job as TD has at UNT). Anyone he may hire that he doesn't have a past with will probably come by recommendation, but from someone not affiliated with UNT or presently on our campus. We don't need to copy too much of what we've seen for most of the last 25 plus years if we want to reach the kind of heights the Boise State Broncos have showed us are even within our reach in Mean Green Country.

Hey folks, there's nothing wrong about getting sentimental about all our past football heros in Denton, but just as we all have to as we go out in this cold (sometimes cruel) world and make our own way job-wise or for our own careers, we should probably let those most admired heros from our Mean Green Nation's past (probably) just do the same.

E.P. should know by now in this thing called life that when one small door closes that (many times) a much bigger garage door (and golden opportunity) will open for something much better.

Just my .02.

Off the subject, Harry: But why did one political party think several months ago that we needed more soliders in Iraq but once President Bush wants more in Iraq this same political party (suddenly) doesn't want those additional soliders in Iraq? Do those people know what the hell they do want or is this all really mostly about them than the citizens of the USA--who they should think about more than just themselves perhaps? (Sorry, but I vote independent and most always have)--in fact, I have yet to vote for Bush (except for his dad) but I do support our President just like others might think about doing themselves). Will it take a mushroom cloud over some of these people's constituencies before they finally realize that this is more than just about partisan politics and their own self-serving agendas that they have yet to fully sell the rest of this country on truth be know? Put that in your pipes and smoke on it, Rosie O' and Barbara S!

Now turn to your hymnals to page...............

Edited January 11, 2007 by PlummMeanGreen

[ntsumck]

I believe that Pegram thinks he is owed something from NT. If he is really serious about coaching or coaching at NT, then he would ask for a GA position. You have to start somewhere? Just because you are a good player does not automatically make you a great coach.

[Baby Arm!]

Why do so many from our own try to impose so many of our own on new NT employees (Todd Dodge?) who would probably just as soon hire those they have a familiarity or past with and won't feel like they are taking a chance on an unproven commodity? When I chose to be in management in the tech school recruiting business, I really preferred to succeed (or not succeed) with those who I was responsible for hiring.

My oh my how time (and a coaching hire) seems to change everything!

This from a guy that rallied against the 'cronyism' hiring of Dickey?? Why is one a "crony" hire and the other "just as soon hire those they have a familiarity or past with and won't feel like they are taking a chance on an unproven commodity" ?

[Got5onIt]

At least Major Applewhite did some time as a GA at Texas before

And Pegram had a career in the NFL. Something Applewhite and 90% of college athletes can only dream about. He played at the ultimate level and was around coaches of the "highest" quality.

Not trying to be an ass, just playing Devil's advocate here.

Edited January 11, 2007 by Got5onIt

[MeanGreen61]

And Pegram had a career in the NFL. Something Applewhite and 90% of college athletes can only dream about. He played at the ultimate level and was around coaches of the "highest" quality.

Not trying to be an ass, just playing Devil's advocate here.

There IS a difference in playing at the ultimate level and being around high quality coaches and actually COACHING. Now tell us about his COACHING experience. Just playing the advocate for the Devil's advocate here.

Edited January 11, 2007 by MeanGreen61

[PlummMeanGreen]

My oh my how time (and a coaching hire) seems to change everything!

This from a guy that rallied against the 'cronyism' hiring of Dickey?? Why is one a "crony" hire and the other "just as soon hire those they have a familiarity or past with and won't feel like they are taking a chance on an unproven commodity" ?

Hellssbells! I ain't going to play devils advocate with this; I am going to play ol' Lucifer himself! (just kiddin', mom)!

Jeez! Baby Arm! You still got that ol' chip on your shoulder with ol' PMG here? I can't quite remember now, but weren't you one of those who wanted to keep things "business as usual" in Denton with the way things had been going with all those highly and nationally ranked D1-A teams we had at UNT the last 9 years? (If so, all this presently going on now must really be frustrating to you and your small army that some of us just kept posting months ago was a shrinking army).

YET...... weren't you another one of those who would not admit to all of us who knew that this thing was going nowhere fast that just maybe we all might have been just a tad on target with our assessments of Mean Green football all the time under the past coaching regime and the conditions they presented all of us (especially all the events that reared their ugly head in the last 3 weeks of the 2006 football campaign)? Well, if so, that's OK, BA, because there have been several others who have yet to step up to that plate of admittance as well. (Can anyone just imagine how recruiting, fundraising and future season ticket sales would have been in 2007 had some of you gotten your way with another year or 2 or 3 or 9 of "you know what" Ball)?

And Baby Arm, there is a difference in a UNT AD hiring a (crony) coach or buddy than a UNT head football coach hiring his own assistants; and I think most on this board probably know the difference (except for perhaps, uh, one)?

And as far as coaches at UNT go, isn't it apparently already clear that we are comparing apples to oranges with our recent past compared to the present? Just those Texas HS football players responding to Coach Dodge and his staff with planned visits to Denton already with our coaches having only been on payroll 2-3 weeks is short of amazing; even if we don't sign them all (which few schools ever do).

ON ANOTHER FRONT: The Louisville AD said in one of the DFW papers today that they may have had the quickest hire (or search) in NCAA D1-A history with Kragthorpe, but there are a helluva' lot of us on this board (most of whom that will continue to remain silent, of course) who would disagree with that Louisville AD.

Edited January 11, 2007 by PlummMeanGreen

[Baby Arm!]

Jeez! Baby Arm! You still got that ol' chip on your shoulder with ol' PMG here?

Uhhh, no. I don't have a chip on my shoulder regardarding ol' PMG. Geeze dude, chill. Got a pretty inflated image of yourself there don't ya pal. I was just pointing the seemingly contradictions in your postings. You can't have it both ways. You can't call an AD or BOR hiring someone they know and are familiar with a buddy or crony hire, and at the then say a Head Coach hiring someone they know and are familiar with isn't the same thing. You think this former is a crony hire because you don't like who got hired. But you think the latter is reasonable because you DO like who got hired. Some might call that being a hypocrite but I don't wouldn't go so far as that. JK, Seriously though I just think it's interesting to see how your opinion has changed along with the cast of characters.

BTW I wasn't the 'business as usual' crowd. I knew Dickey wouldn't be going anywhere and would get at least 1 year to try and turn it around, but I was no fan of DDBall.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Uhhh, no. I don't have a chip on my shoulder regardarding ol' PMG. Geeze dude, chill. Got a pretty inflated image of yourself there don't ya pal. I was just pointing the seemingly contradictions in your postings. You can't have it both ways. You can't call an AD or BOR hiring someone they know and are familiar with a buddy or crony hire, and at the then say a Head Coach hiring someone they know and are familiar with isn't the same thing. You think this former is a crony hire because you don't like who got hired. But you think the latter is reasonable because you DO like who got hired. Some might call that being a hypocrite but I don't wouldn't go so far as that. JK, Seriously though I just think it's interesting to see how your opinion has changed along with the cast of characters.

BTW I wasn't the 'business as usual' crowd. I knew Dickey wouldn't be going anywhere and would get at least 1 year to try and turn it around, but I was no fan of DDBall.

Of course, I was just asking you the question "weren't you part of that business as usual crowd (and so, obviously, I guess you weren't) sorry 'bout that......

Yet..........come on, Baby Arm, with our last "crony" hire and with the past hiring records of the last 25 years by UNT AD's how can anyone who has been around all this awhile ever really be too comfortable when UNT starts talking about hiring a new head football coach? You know as well as anyone what the situation was from many posters on this board when they thought we'd be getting a new Mean Green HFC from some school in Mississippi

In fact, at any other time, such a hire from Rick V may have been a good hire no matter where the new coach was from, but Helwig put a very bad taste in many mouths around these parts with his single-handed, non-regional or non-national coach's search that (basically) became a 2 or 3 man KSU connection "crony" hire and probably killed any chances for Rick V to have any semblance of a chance to have his own crony hire that would be universally accepted by the Mean Green Nation as his hiring of Todd Dodge has almost completely unified this MG Nation like many of us haven't seen in over 30 years.

Of course, I will never believe Todd Dodge was UNT's first choice and I also believe many on campus (and GMG.com) are just as surprised by all the ink his hiring has given UNT. The record will show that I and others became Todd Dodge advocates before it really became popular to do so. Kind of like that Barbara Mandrell song when she sang: "I loved country when country wasn't cool" I suppose. In fact, I'll go as far as say I think that early bandwagon effect on this forum even played some part on his getting hired at UNT. Now that statement is what you migth want to call an inflated opinion. (Once I figured out that Rick Neuheisel would never be approached by anyone from Denton, Todd Dodge became an early natural choice by yours truly).

Todd Dodge has been very well received from most on this board because he is one of us, ie, as in, uh, he's a Texan. What the hell, Texans are Texans! We walk with a swagger! We brag a bit sometimes! We were once our own nation and we natives don't let non-natives forget that fact! Actress Rene Zellewegger said today on one early AM TV show that she can always spot a Texan in a crowd. She said Texans are special. She is right! Ms. Zellwegger is a Houston girl herself.

As far as Todd Dodge goes, it also doesn't hurt that he was also a University of Texas QB, too, because whoever has that job usually gets state-wide attention and fame, too. Many father's of recruits we are trying to become Mean Greeners today will know Todd Dodge from his days as QB of the University of Texas Longhorns.

Now.....what the heck were we originally talking about, Baby Arm? I'm getting tired head so I guess I'll hit the sack! Adios to all and to all--Adios!

PS: Where the heck is GreenGrenadeII? He hasn't posted since Dodge first got hired. Anyone know?

Edited January 11, 2007 by PlummMeanGreen

[Got5onIt]

There IS a difference in playing at the ultimate level and being around high quality coaches and actually COACHING. Now tell us about his COACHING experience. Just playing the advocate for the Devil's advocate here.

I trump your 2 devils with 3.

& a Ninja from the depths of hell!!!

Edited January 11, 2007 by Got5onIt

[Eagle1855]