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Results of offseason critical to UNT in '06
Brett Vito: Results of offseason critical to UNT in '06
Sunday July 23,2006
Every once in a while, in the midst of all the routine interviews and day-to-day conversations that go along with writing about sports, someone says something that sticks with you.
It doesn't have to be shicking or outrageous. Sometimes it's how a statement is made as much as the statement itself.
That was the case last winter at the tail end of one of the toughest seasons in Darrell Dickey's tenure at North Texas
The Mean Green had just lost their last game of the season to Arkansas State and fell to 2-9, last in the Sun belt Conference. Dickey was at the post game news conference, and he had something entirely unexpected
to say.
He didn't talk much about how hard his team played or how his players didn't give up.
Dickey had what amounted to a promise to make.
He said what happened in 2005 wouldn't be repeated in 2006.
UNT would be more dedicated on and off the field, tougher physically and mentally, too. An Evaluation would be made of the entire program from top to bottom.
In the next few days, we will begin to see what results that evaluation process and offseason dedication has yielded. Practice is still a few days off, but Monday essentially marks the beginning of a new season.
Dickey will be in New Orleans along with the rest of the coaches in the Sun belt Conference to meet with the press at the league's media days in
what amounts to the kickoff of a new season.
We will find out soon enough if it will also kick off a return to glory for the UNT football program.
Every living, breathing sports fan in Denton knows the story of what went wrong last season all too well by now.
UNT had two back-to-back national rushing champions in Jamario Thomas and Patrick Cobbs, four straight conference titiles and an expectation that No.5 was on its way heading into the season, only to see it all fall apart in dramatic fashion.
The Mean Green were in every game in conference play but failed to convert on enough of their opportunities while finishing 2-5 in league play.
It was a shicking result considering the Mean Green were picked to win it all in the preseason coaches poll.
No one expected it, least of all the players, many of whom hadn't
experienced anything but a season that ended in the New Orleans Bowl.
The implication after the season was that maybe the Mean Green became a little too complacent.
Linebacker Maurice Holman said the Mean Green know now that a berth in the New Orleans Bowl isn't a birthright.
Wide receiver Johnny quinn flat out said that a 2-9 finish was unacceptable and that breaking every receiving mark in UNT's record
book this fall wouldn't amount to much if it didn't help the mean Green.
Quinn established himself as one of the top receivers un UNT history while hepling lead the Mean Green to the New Orleans Bowl in 2003 and 2004 and wants to go out on top.
The changes that are supposed to help make this happen have been coming quickly in the offseason.
Dickey shook up his coaching staff and brought in a new defensivie coordinator in Fred Bleil, who installed a new 3-4 base of defense.
The zone-read option that Texas used to win a national title appeared in spring practice.
More changes will happen in fall practice when senios like Quinn will join Dickey in trying to foster a new attitude and a physical and mental toughness that was missing at times last season.
Will those changes make a difference?
UNT will find out soon enough.
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07-23-2006 10:17 AM |
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