Future Of Head Basketball Coach

[Green Dozer]

It was good to see the the mens basketball team last night and know that bb is just around the corner. When the coaching change takes place with the current football staff, what will the domino effect be on the future of the basketball program? If JJ wins another conference championship and goes to the big dance, he may well get the offer that we can't match. I think he will most certainly get it if he wins at least one game in the NCAA tourney. What my question is will we be able to find a suitable replacement for him should he leave, and pay for quality Div. 1 football coach and staff. The challenge with our basketball program is that it is no longer a rebuilding project, so a suitable Div. 1 coach is needed for it as well. Maybe Tasty, Oldtimer,etc could explain how competitive our head basketball coach's salary in relation to our position in the college basketball landscape.

I think Coach Leonard is like Deloach, just does not want to be a head coach. We might consider Coach Riker who moved to San Angelo after being an assistant here under Jones. A lot of you old guys will be wishing for Danny Casper.

Edited October 10, 2010 by Green Dozer

[MeanGreen61]

Rather than think about new coaches, we need to think of ways to keep JJ.

[Travis]

Rather than think about new coaches, we need to think of ways to keep JJ.

It isn't going to be easy.

Not that he doesn't like it here... but, he should be getting some sweet offers.

Edited October 10, 2010 by Travis

[TheTastyGreek]

Rather than think about new coaches, we need to think of ways to keep JJ.

Yup. If we drop half a million on a football coach, make sure there's another $200k left in the piggy bank to get Johnny up to that level and in the same ballpark as Stew Morrill and Fran McCaffrey. Otherwise, programs like the ones Morrill and McCaffrey are running will easily be able to hire him away from us, like TCU did with Kent State's former coach.

[Mean Green 93-98]

If we drop half a million on a football coach . . .

You can just stop right there. It's not likely to happen.

[Travis]

You can just stop right there. It's not likely to happen.

Don't be shocked if we do.

[TheTastyGreek]

You can just stop right there. It's not likely to happen.

Dodge's compensation package, according to RV at the time that he hired him, could have put him up over $400k average per year. I'd suspect that like most contracts, that was weighted towards the tail end of the deal.

4 years later, with a student fee in place to free up discretionary money and (hopefully) a BOR and president ready to open the pocketbook a little wider, I don't think another $100k is out of the question.

[UNTflyer]

Don't be shocked if we do.

Don't be shocked if we spend a lot more.

[TheTastyGreek]

Don't be shocked if we spend a lot more.

Just as long as we bank enough to keep JJ with a contract in the $500k range, in case we need to. I can understand losing him for more than that, but not less.

[Green Dozer]

Don't be shocked if we spend a lot more.

Flyer,

Neinas says in his report that the student fee will go towards the stadium. So then, where will the "lot more" come from? In addition, a proven head coach is not going to bring bargain salaried assistants. Plus, Dodge still has to be paid for the remaining year on his contract. I mean, after this year, I would think he would need some time off to get his batteries recharged. So please explain where all this extra money is coming from. I agree with Tasty that we could get to 500K, but you infer that we could get to 800K to a million.

Edited October 10, 2010 by Green Dozer

[GreenMachine]

Don't be shocked if we do.

Inside info?

I hope we do spend a lot more for a football coach and bump up JJ's salary also but we need to be paying asst coaches much more.

[UNTflyer]

Flyer,

Neinas says in his report that the student fee will go towards the stadium.

The report also grossly underestimates the amount of revenue generated by the fee ($4 million a year).

I estimate it at $6 million based on total credit hours for 2008-2009 (860,952 hours). It should be even higer going into next season, possibly as high as an extra $7 million.

Also, I do not believe at the end of the day that we are going to devote that much to paying off the stadium. The fee is only around as long as we are paying off capital projects, so why be in a big hurry to service the note? Just pay the interest for the next 20 years.

[UNTflyer]

Inside info?

No, just logical. I expect we will spend up to $750,000 for the next coach.

[Green Mean]

In addition, a proven head coach is not going to bring bargain salaried assistants.

I think everybody on the board is overestimating on the new HC's assistants. A very good HC won't require top level coordinators...chances are he is probably a good evaluator of coaching personnel and therefore he will be able to find very good and/or up and coming coaches at an economical price.

Edit: As for Johnny Jones, I think for him to start getting legitimate big boy offers he will have to take the program to the next level as in maybe winning a few NCAA tournament games or making a deep run in one tournament. 4 20-win seasons and 2 NCAA tournament appearance is awesome but i don't think it will be enough to get a serious offer from a big boy.

Edited October 11, 2010 by Green Mean

[MeanGreenTexan]

I think the only real threat is if North Texas goes to Baton Rouge and spanks the Tigers, then wins conference again and shows up in the NCAA's. LSU may fire their staff, and Johnny would probably bolt to LSU even if they only offer him a five dollar bill. We all know about the Auburn offer that was shunned. I think Johnny has his eye on one job only... in the meantime, he's doing great things for UNT!

[Travis]

Per the conversations I have heard... RV has mentioned we are going to either make a solid investment(coaching) or there is no reason to do this at all.

[Green Mean]

Per the conversations I have heard... RV has mentioned we are going to either make a solid investment(coaching) or there is no reason to do this at all.

That would be my guess too. RV has said many times that if we are going to do things then we need to do it right. Within the next couple of years expect JJ to get a significant raise for his work and unless LSU offers him a deal which he can't refuse, I expect JJ to be here for a while.

[Travis]

That would be my guess too. RV has said many times that if we are going to do things then we need to do it right. Within the next couple of years expect JJ to get a significant raise for his work and unless LSU offers him a deal which he can't refuse, I expect JJ to be here for a while.

Unfortunately, i see that LSU offer coming pretty soon.

[Green Mean]

Unfortunately, i see that LSU offer coming pretty soon.

Maybe so but the this will be the third season with Trent Johnson as head coach. Had a stellar first season and very poor second season. Unless they duplicate or get worse this season compared to last season I think LSU will give him a couple of more seasons. But yes at some point I think LSU will heavily look into JJ and it will be a done deal once or if Dale Brown recommends them to choose JJ.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Love the basketball thread!

The report also grossly underestimates the amount of revenue generated by the fee ($4 million a year).

I estimate it at $6 million based on total credit hours for 2008-2009 (860,952 hours). It should be even higer going into next season, possibly as high as an extra $7 million.

Chuck Neinas did not estimate the total revenue at $4M, but the additional revenue beyond what the A.D. presently receives from its portion of the non-dedicated student fee.

Also, I do not believe at the end of the day that we are going to devote that much to paying off the stadium. The fee is only around as long as we are paying off capital projects, so why be in a big hurry to service the note? Just pay the interest for the next 20 years.

That still chaps me that the guv's office did that to the bill. What the students approved was not limited to the duration of stadium debt.

[UNTX]

Love the basketball thread!

Chuck Neinas did not estimate the total revenue at $4M, but the additional revenue beyond what the A.D. presently receives from its portion of the non-dedicated student fee.

That still chaps me that the guv's office did that to the bill. What the students approved was not limited to the duration of stadium debt.

And it chaps me even more because I don't believe the athletics fee at other universities in the state are subject to a sunset provision of any kind. Only ours is!

Edited October 11, 2010 by UNTX

[untbowler]

And it chaps me even more because I don't believe the athletics fee at other universities in the state are subject to a sunset provision of any kind. Only ours is!

BUT Lee Jackson knows how to glad hand and knows the politics of Austin and was going to get tons of money funneled to Denton, yeah right. Again why does the BOR keep this smuck around while he screws the Denton campus to kiss RW's *$$ in South Dallas.

[CMJ]

Sorry to dig up this thread, but I felt it was as good a place as any to post what one of the MTSU guys said about Coach Jones in the SBC forum today.

With all due respect to UNT, put a coach like Jones in a place with the tradition and fertile recruiting grounds of WKU and the Toppers would be back to a perenial power.

More and more folks are gonna be looking at JJ I have a feeling.

[GrandGreen]

There are obviously many things at play as far as NT athletic finances. The student fees are the biggest variable. Remember the BOR can increase the amount up to 10% a year until NT reaches the state max of $20 an hour which could relatively quickly double the amount of funding without any student enrollment increase. Also the amount of the student fees that can be used for construction is supposed to be limited to 50% of the construction cost. This should provide significant increases in operating funds from student fees. Hopefully, a new coach and stadium will also significantly increase revenues.

In short, I would not be surprised that the new HC will be paid in the $500 to $750k range with significant boosts also for the staff.

[Green Mean]

With all due respect to UNT, put a coach like Jones in a place with the tradition and fertile recruiting grounds of WKU and the Toppers would be back to a perenial power.

I admit WKU has a great basketball program but we can compete with WKU. And Texas is only getting bigger as far as this state being fertile recruiting grounds. That poster should have taken out WKU and actually put a big and legit program. Then I can believe it.