Mean Green

There will be a story in tomorrow's Denton Record-Chronicle about UNT's search for a new women's basketball coach. Here are the basics.

UNT has a search committee in place that has narrowed the field of initial candidates to eight, although the school is still accepting resumes. UNT athletic director Rick Villarreal said the committee should narrow the field of eight down to a more reasonable number of candidates to interview in the next few days with interviews to follow.

UNT is in the process of contacting candidates who are on the short list to see if they are still interested in the job.

UNT would like to have a coach in place by the middle of the month.

Villarreal would not name the members of the eight-person short list, but a few of the coaches UNT might be interested in talking to are UTA head coach Donna Capps, former Middle Tennessee head coach Stephanie Smith and Clemson associate head coach and former Rice assistant Shanice Stephens.

It's really too bad when you look back on it, but one of the best players to ever suit up for the Mean Green -- at least in practice -- is blowing up on the recruiting scene.

Yes, I am talking about Roderick Flemings.

For those of you new to UNT hoops, Flemings was one of the top recruits in the country when he played for DeSoto, committed to Oklahoma State, left the program after a short time and transferred to UNT. Flemings didn't meet academic standards and ended up at Weatherford JC. He averaged 20.7 points and 11.7 rebounds a game and, perhaps most importantly, shot 34.9 percent from 3-point range last season. The knock on the 6-7 forward as a player was that he would have to learn to play on the perimeter in college. Shooting 35 percent from the arc isn't all that great, but it shows that Flemings is improving.

The big boys of college hoops have noticed. According to Rivals.com, UConn, Georgetown, Kentucky, West Virginia and Arkansas have all offered Flemings a scholarship and another chance.

It was tough to see Flemings go, but you have to give UNT head coach Johnny Jones credit for sticking to his principles. Players at UNT keep up their end of the bargain academically and nearly all of them graduate by the time they are done with their careers. Even if they don't graduate, they are on track to in short order.

Flemings didn't hold up his end of the bargain, but appears as if he will get another chance with one of the top programs in the country after leaving Weatherford. He has already set up a visit to UConn.

It's too bad. I am sure a lot of UNT fans will wonder what could have been if Flemings had made the grade.

Post your thoughts on the blog. Just how good would UNT have been with Flemings in the lineup last season?

There were a few overall themes that came out of UNT's first scrimmage of spring practice on Friday that will be covered in tomorrow's edition of the paper, including the overall improvement of the Mean Green's defense under new coordinator Gary DeLoach.

There were a few other developments worth noting that are perfect blog material, so here goes.

Cornerback Adryan Adams has been billed as a player who could make a big impact next season after transferring from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. Adams started to show those skills in the Mean Green's scrimmage when he intercepted a pass and made a few other nice plays on balls in the air. He could be the lockdown corner UNT has been looking for the last few years.

Running back Cam Montgomery scored twice and is looking more and more like the top-ranked recruit UNT thought it signed before last season. Montgomery was injured most of last season and ended up receiving a redshirt. With Jamario Thomas gone after finishing his career last season, the development of Montgomery is critical for UNT. He could provide the home run threat the Mean Green might lack without him.

I also heard at the scrimmage that Southlake Carroll quarterback recruit Riley Dodge has been selected to play in the Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star Game this summer. That's not really a big surprise, but it could give Dodge a chance to continue his comeback from a shoulder injury he suffered in the playoffs last season. Dodge had surgery and just started throwing the ball again in the last few days.

A couple of local products also continue to shine. Former Ryan standout and Navy transfer Greg Garden is seeing a lot of time at safety. Former Lake Dallas standout Chase Baine caught a pair of touchdown passes while playing with the third team. Baine could be the type of player UNT redshirts and tries to develop.

Senior wide receiver Roderick Johnson is seeing time with the first-team offense as is offensive lineman JJ Johnson. UNT is really shorthanded on the line this spring. The Mean Green's quarterbacks were under pressure much of the day.

Post your thoughts on the blog. What was the most encouraging sign to come out of the first scrimmage of spring drills?

At the Denton Record-Chronicle -- or any other newspaper for that matter -- reporters strive to get the story straight and quotes correct. Unfortunately, today we got one wrong. Athletic director Rick Villarreal gave me a quote on the future of the property that the Radison sits on for the paper. I read it to another reporter over the phone while I was at football practice and it was put into a story written by still another reporter, Randena Hulstrand.

Maybe you saw it in the paper today:

“We all know that the proposed stadium has a footprint on the piece of land,” said UNT Athletic Director Rick Villarreal. “It does not affect what we are doing, but I don’t know what the university has planned for that piece of property. If the president is supportive of what we do, she will keep our development in mind.”

The typo is obvious. There is no "if" when it comes to whether Gretchen Bataille supports what the athletic department is doing. This is a woman who comes to games clad in green, cheers for the Mean Green and talks about how important athletics is to the future of the university. She is a big reason why UNT is as far along as it is in its efforts to build a new football stadium.

The typo probably went unnoticed by most people, but there were a few people who saw it.

We regret the mistake at the Denton Record-Chronicle and apologize to Rick and Gretchen.

For the record, we would like to strike that misplaced "if" from the record.

Tomorrow is UNT's first scrimmage of spring practice. Here is what you need to know about the Mean Green heading into the workout.

First off, the scrimmage will take place at 3:30 p.m. at Fouts Field and is open to the public. Head coach Todd Dodge will have his first- and second-team offenses face off for 12 plays, followed by the third-team offense and defense for five plays, followed by eight plays by the second teams.

UNT will run through three punts and then repeat the sequence with 10 plays with the first teams, five with the third teams and eight with the second teams.

The third round will begin with three kickoffs and then 10 plays with the first team, five with the third and eight with the second.

All told, the workout will last around 100 plays.

UNT practiced on Thursday in preparation for the scrimmage when tackle Matthew Menard did a little more in the way of football activities. He was still limited, but worked on his foot work in pass protection with Chad Rose, who is out for the spring with an injury.

After watching a few sessions of spring, the player who seems to have really taken a step forward and improved his stock is redshirt freshman wide receiver Sam Roberson. I would be shocked if he didn't earn a starting job by fall practice.

Dodge continues to be high on walkon wide receiver Alex Lott, who made a nice grab in pattern drills where the wide receivers run their routs without defenders on the field. Sam Dibrell also made a nice catch.

Kicker Jeremy Knott appears to be as good as advertised. Knott hit several field goals from 35 yards out with room to spare at the end of practice. He should help solve the problems with UNT's kicking game last season.

Former Denton Ryan standout and Navy transfer Greg Garden is getting a long look with the first team at safety. Cornerback Latif Nurudeen continues to work with the first team as well.

Defensive end Eddrick Gilmore knocked down another pass at the line of scrimmage in practice. It seems like he gets at least one deflection every practice.

Lineman Charlie Brown is getting a long look with the first- and second-team defenses.

UNT staged its first third-down scrimmage of spring practice on Thursday. The Mean Green worked on several third-down situations when UNT's defense made a few stops unlike last year when the offense seemed to score at will.

I received a few questions about Rick Villarreal's comments on the future use of the land where the Radisson is currently located, especially after UNT president Gretchen Bataille mentioned that the athletic department could benefit from the university taking over the property. I went back and asked Villarreal again how the land could be used by the athletic department. He reiterated that he is unaware of what the plans for the land are, but that the university will keep in mind the athletic department’s plans to build a football stadium next door to the property as it devises a use for the land.

Post your thoughts on the blog. Who do you expect to shine in the first scrimmage of spring workouts?

The UNT Board of Regents will consider a proposal in closed session on Thursday that appears as if it could have an indirect impact the future of the Mean Green Athletic Village.

UNT's regents are set to look at the lease of the Radison Hotel that sits just a few yards away from the Mean Green Athletic Center and not too far from where the school hopes to build a football stadium in the near future. The agenda item indicates that the board could take action. I couldn't get a hold of the contract, but the hotel leases the property from UNT. The lease extends for several more years, but there is a chance that either side could opt out, giving the property back to the university. I asked UNT athletic director Rick Villarreal if the future of the hotel was in any way connected to the school's plans to build a football stadium. He said it wasn't, but it would be interesting to see what the university would do with the land, especially if the school does build a football stadium. It would be a prime area to add to UNT's athletic facilities in the future.

On the hoops front, a blog reader asked about Lewisville point guard William Weathers and if UNT was actively recruiting him. I asked the coaches over at Lewisville and they said UNT had looked at Weathers, but Wichita State and Tulane were the teams that were actively pursuing him.

Post your thoughts on the blog. What would you like to see the university do with the land if the Radison leaves the building?

You asked for them, and the Mean Green Blog has them, that's right it's time for some football notes. The Mean Green was back on the practice field for the first time since spring break.

Head coach Todd Dodge mentioned at the beginning of spring practice that he hoped to have tackle Matt Menard back on the practice field after spring break, and he was. Well, sort of. Menard was in shorts doing some running. Dodge said he wants to ease Menard back into full-contact drills over the next few practice sessions. He might not be back in full pads until the last couple of practices of spring drills. Dodge said Menard’s knee is progressing well after minor surgery. Menard’s return to form could be key for the Mean Green next season. UNT has some offensive linemen coming in that can help right away, but life will be a lot easier if Menard is ready to go in the fall. He could end up starting at left tackle again next season.

Dodge said one of his points of emphasis this spring has been putting his defensive backs into situations where they have to make plays in space and open-field tackles. UNT was not at all happy with the way its defensive backs performed last season and is looking for improvement from its holdovers who will be challenged by a host of highly regarded transfers.

UNT's scrimmage on Friday will last 100 plays with the first team offense running 10 plays against the first-team defense followed by five plays from the third team offense and defense. The Mean Green is really short on linemen and has essentially the same batch of players along its offensive front working with its first and second teams.

A couple of UNT’s projected starters on defense stood out in practice on Tuesday, including linebacker Tobe Nwigwe and defensive end Eddrick Gilmore. Nwigwe picked off a pass from quarterback Giovanni Vizza in team drills and also appears to be the Mean Green’s most physical linebacker. Gilmore knocked down a pass and appears to have the skills to get to the quarterback.

Redshirt freshman wide receiver Sam Roberson had a good day and made a nice one-handed catch in team drills. Sam Dibrell and Marcus King also made impressive catches. Alex Lott caught a touchdown pass in one-on-one drills.

Tackle Matt Tomlinson missed practice.

There were also a few notable people in attendance. Riley Dodge was on hand and said he is scheduled to start throwing the football tomorrow. He has not tossed a ball since injuring his shoulder in a loss to Abilene High in the playoffs. Missouri quarterback and former Southlake Carroll standout Chase Daniel came by during his spring break to visit with Dodge. Former UNT assistant coach Rick Gailey, who is now at Liberty Christian, also stopped by.

Post your thoughts on the blog. What are you hoping to see on Friday when UNT scrimmages for the first time in spring workouts?

Football practice starts back up tomorrow, which is a good thing as far as I am concerned. I am about out of blog material after spring break.

HOWEVER! (Channeling Stephen A. Smith there) a few notes remain.

The men’s basketball coaching staffs at Rice and TCU have officially been ousted, which could open the door for UNT -- if it likes some of the players who have committed to those schools for 2008. I don't think UNT is after any of TCU's commits, but I wonder about Rice.

UNT needs a point guard and Rice has two in its class -- Anthony Hill of Plano East and Jesse Sanders of Houston HCYA. Hill is ranked No. 28 in the state by Texashoops.com, while Sanders checks in at No. 65. Hill would be a nice get for UNT.

It's also worth noting that a few players who have been mentioned in connection to UNT have committed to other programs. Small forward Austin Brown of Lewisville is headed to Montana State, while fellow small forward Chris Busch of Okland Merritt CC is going to Eastern Washington.

On another front, I was blasted on the blog the other day for mentioning that I had done some work covering UNT softball lately and hadn’t been at every moment of spring football practice. Be forewarned, a UNT minor sports mention or two is on the way.

The UNT tennis team beat Marquette on Sunday to improve to 9-7 on the season, a big improvement over the 2-25 record the Mean Green posted last year. The UNT softball team is also faring well under first year coach T.J. Hubbard and is sitting at 6-3 in conference play.

I happen to be of the belief that sports other than football, men's basketball and women's basketball matter in the grand scheme of things. Yea, they don't make money or draw the interest of the Big Three, but they can bring some recognition to a program, and it's not like a school doesn’t have to field secondary sports in the Title IX era. UNT's women's soccer team has been a good example of a women's program that has done a lot for the Mean Green athletic department. John Hedlund’s team is good every year and has made a couple of trips to the NCAA Tournament.

Football is king and I spend all the time I possibly can on it, but there is more to life – not to mention the UNT athletic department.

Hang on a second ... climbing down from soapbox.

Anyway, post your thoughts on the blog on the possibility of pilfering a player committed to Rice or on the relative importance of anything other than the every move of Todd Dodge, the football program and what takes place on the hardwood.

Western Kentucky kept right on rolling in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday with a win over San Diego.

Courtney Lee scored 29 points and the Hilltoppers survived late after blowing a double-digit lead for the second straight game. WKU got a break when San Diego pulled a first-round upset of UConn, making the road a little easier, but one has to give the Toppers credit. They have taken advantage of their opportunities to become the first Sun Belt team to reach the Sweet 16 since 1993 when -- you guessed it -- WKU won two games to make it to the third round.

There has been a lot of talk about how the Hilltoppers' run will benefit the Sun Belt. It certainly won't hurt. If someone watching the game on TV hadn't heard of the league before, he had the Sun Belt burned into his brain after it was mentioned 20 times that Courtney Lee was the league's Player of the Year.

The Sun Belt needs all the positive publicity it can get, but if I were a fan of another team in the league I would cast a wary eye toward Bowling Green. WKU is always loaded, has a great arena and the ability to recruit nationally. A Sweet 16 run is only going to add fuel to their fire. UNT and South Alabama could be enough to prevent a Sun Belt dynasty, but former WKU guard and current head coach Darrin Horn is going to have a lot to work with the next few years if he stays with the Hilltoppers.

I also wonder just how much a team benefits when another team in the league makes a run. I don't see Florida Atlantic's win in the New Orleans Bowl or WKU's run in the NCAA Tournament making a big difference for UNT.

Post your thoughts on the blog. Will anyone in the Sun Belt other than WKU benefit from the Hilltoppers' success?

UNT recruiting target Eric Tramiel finished his career at Paris JC on a high note Saturday when he tallied 19 points and 11 rebounds in a loss to Chipola. Tramiel was named to the all-tournament team.

And now for the interesting part, seeing where the power forward ends up continuing his career. If every mid-major program in the country didn't know about Tramiel before the tournament, they do now. UNT should stand a good chance at landing Tramiel just based on location and the fact that assistant coach Bill Foy is the former Paris head coach and still has ties to the program.

I have seen some big shots in my days covering college basketball, and I have to admit, I would have love to have seen the bomb Ty Rogers dropped on Drake today in person. The Western Kentucky guard hit a 3 from deep to give the Hilltoppers the win at the buzzer. A Sun Belt Conference team won the game of the day on what could prove to be the shot of the NCAA Tournament.

This all seems to set up perfectly for the Hilltoppers, who will face San Diego in the second round Sunday. WKU will be favored to reach the Sweet 16.

On the UNT front, the Mean Green's recruiting target from Paris JC Eric Tramiel had another big day at the NJCAA national tournament, scoring 18 points and pulling down five rebounds in a win over Walters State. Paris appeared as if it might make a quick exit at the national tournament after falling in the first round, but keeps hanging around in the losers' bracket. This isn't setting up well for UNT. The better Tramiel plays, the more programs will come after him in recruiting. The Mean Green's ace in the hole appears to be assistant coach Bill Foy, who was the head coach at Paris and still has ties to the program.

Getting back to Rogers' big shot against Drake, seeing that 3 drop made me think back on all the big shots I have seen in UNT games over the years.

A few years ago, Michael DeGrate made a near fullcourt heave against New Orleans at Lakefront Arena that ended up on Sports Center's Top 10 plays of the day. Keith Wooden made a layup at Diddle to give UNT a win over WKU last year and Kendrick Davis hit several big shots in his career, including a 3 at the buzzer to give the Mean Green a win over Louisiana-Lafayette in the final game of the regular season last year. That shot helped springboard UNT to the NCAA Tournament.

I am sure I am forgetting a few. Post your favorite memory of a Mean Green shot on the blog.

UNT seems to be on a bit of a roll the last couple of years when it comes to hiring new coaches for its women's sports teams. Sujay Lama has the tennis team off to an 8-7 start, which is pretty impressive considering where the program was just a few years ago. The UNT softball team is 4-2 in conference play and 13-16 overall under T.J. Hubbard. After winning four of its last five games, the Mean Green appears as if it will post its best finish ever, exceeding last year's mark of 22-36. Swimming coach Joe Dykstra was just named the Sun Belt’s Coach of the Year.

All three appear to be solid hires, but that hiring history makes one wonder if UNT might lean toward hiring a woman as its next basketball coach. Volleyball coach Cassie Headrick and women’s golf coach Amber Chevrie are the only female head coaches on campus. The Mean Green has several female assistants, including softball coaches Jenn Cody and Erin Evans, swimming assistant coach Maya Nikolova, diving coach Summer Allman, track assistant coach Laurie McElroy and volleyball assistant coach Miranda Orr.

UNT has nine women’s sports programs in all, including track and cross country, which are essentially one team with a staff that coaches both squads. A total of eight women’s coaches are on the athletic department staff. The total was 11 before the women’s basketball team’s staff was let go at the end of the season.

That mix is common around the Sun Belt. Arkansas State has just one female head coach, Arkansas-Little Rock has three as does Louisiana-Lafayette, but adding to the number of female head coaches on UNT’s staff could end up being a consideration.

There is no way UNT should pass up the right coach because of gender, but I have heard the topic of how many female coaches there are on staff discussed in the past.

Post your take on the blog. Does UNT need to turn to former UT-Arlington head coach Donna Capps, former Middle Tennessee and Alabama coach Stephany Smith or another woman as its next basketball coach? Or would taking on another male head coach of a female team be the right move if it was the right coach?

UNT recruiting target Eric Tramiel had another big day at the NJCAA national tournament on Wednesday, when he scored 15 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in a win over Vincennes. Paris is already out of the hunt for the national title after losing in the first round, but will stay alive as long as it keeps on winning.

The 6-7 power forward would be a great pickup for UNT and would fill an immediate need.

What will also be interesting to see is if UNT follows its form of recent years and also takes on a Division I transfer or two. UNT has a long history of success with transfers. Kendrick Davis and Keith Wooden were both big hits who helped lead the Mean Green to the NCAA Tournament last year.

There will be players on the market who are looking for a new start. The Mean Green's history of success with transfers would only help its cause if it wanted to find a transfer or two. UNT seems to find at least one a year. Forward George Odufuwa sat out last season, shooting guard Collin Dennis the year before and Wooden the year before that.

UNT has some scholarships to work with. The best-case scenario seems to be finding a point guard and post player who could contribute right away and a transfer with talent to stash for a year.

While I am at it, today seems like a good time to give the softball team some well deserved recognition on the blog. UNT knocked off UT-San Antonio in a nonconference game for its fourth win in its last five games on Wednesday when Rebecca Waters hit a grand slam. The Mean Green is 4-2 in Sun Belt play and could be a factor in the conference title race if it stays on track.

Paris Junior College forward Eric Tramiel posted an impressive line at the NJCAA national tournament in Hutchinson, Kan., on Tuesday.

The 6-7 sophomore appears to be one of UNT's top recruiting targets and showed once again why a host of mid-major schools are talking to him by scoring 15 points and pulling down six rebounds. Both totals were team highs for Paris in a 63-57 loss to Southeastern Illinois.

The latest list of schools that are talking to Tramiel includes UNT, Arkansas-Little Rock, George Mason, Georgia State, New Orleans, South Alabama, Murray State and Weber State. UNT lost Keith Wooden and Quincy Williams to graduation and is set to turn its frontcourt minutes over to forward Harold Stewart, Arizona State transfer forward George Odufuwa, center Justin Howerton and forward Kedrick Hogans. Center Ben Knox is on the way from Arlington Grace Prep, but appears to be a project who is not ready for the college game.

Tramiel appears to be the perfect fit for the Mean Green, especially considering UNT assistant coach Bill Foy was the head coach at Paris before joining Johnny Jones' staff and still has ties to the program.

UNT should find out soon if it is going to land Tramiel now that his season is over. It probably didn’t hurt UNT’s cause that the rather large batch of college coaches that descend on Hutchinson only saw Tramiel play in one game. Players have a tendency to blow up if they lead their team deep in national tournaments and spend a lot of time in the spotlight.

In other hoops notes, it appears as if UNT is taking the early steps in finding a new women's basketball coach. UNT athletic director Rick Villarreal said that he has received a few applications and that the school has identified some coaches it is interesting in talking to. Athletic department officials were making some calls Tuesday afternoon.

Villarreal said UNT is not in a huge hurry, but would like to have someone in place with enough time to recruit. UNT has some good players coming back, including All-Sun Belt Conference selection Amber Jackson, but needs help in the post after losing Talicia Sanders and Erica Howard. The tough part is the best place to find players who are ready to contribute immediately is at the junior college regional and national tournaments. The women’s national tournament started today in Salina, Kan., and will be crawling with college coaches. UNT won’t have a coach in time to get into the feeding frenzy at the national tournament.

Weigh in on the blog with your thoughts. Who would you like to see the UNT men land in recruiting and who would you like to see as the school’ next women’s basketball coach?

The Sun Belt Conference made out pretty well the last couple of days when the NCAA men's and women's tournament fields were announced.

Both the Western Kentucky and South Alabama made it, marking the first time since 1994 that the league had more than one team make the field. WKU also earned a spot in the women's field. As I mentioned earlier this week, getting two teams in the men's field will be a financial boon for the league.

What might have been even more important was the seeding each team received. The USA men earned a 10th seed, while the WKU men earned a 12th seed. The WKU women are also a No. 10 seed.

Avoiding a No. 13-16 seed gives each team a decent chance to extend its tournament run. Each win lands the league a little more respect and publicity.

Feel free to weigh in on the blog. Do you think either USA or WKU can make it out of the first round?

As much as it might pain some North Texas fans out there, everyone who cares about Mean Green sports should be pulling for South Alabama today when the NCAA Tournament field is announced.

Western Kentucky is already in the field by virtue of winning the Sun Belt tournament. USA is sitting one the bubble, although a lot of projections have the Jaguars in. Why should UNT fans care? Money that could go to the Sun Belt Conference, that’s why. The NCAA Tournament is a giant cash cow for not only the NCAA, but conferences around the country.

The NCAA divides a big chunk of the money derived from the tournament based on a shares system. Each team that earns a spot in the tournament earns a “share” for the conference. Each win in the tournament adds another share. The big boys from the Big 12, ACC and Big East make out like bandits because they get six or seven teams in the tournament that combine for six or seven wins. Shares for the 2006-07 tournament were worth $177,000. The Sun Belt picked up one share when UNT made the tournament and lost to Memphis in the first round.

The league’s problem is it has gotten just one team into the tournament for the last several years and that team has lost in the first round each time. The Sun Belt could definitely use a larger piece of the pie, not to mention a little more respect in general. Getting a second team in the tournament would help on both fronts.

Say USA does make it in and both the Jaguars and Hilltoppers fall in the first round and this season’s shares turn out to be worth $180,000. Getting just one extra team in and landing one extra share would net the league more than $1 million in additional funding over the next six years. If you don’t think the league and its schools could use another $1 million, you haven’t been around the Sun Belt very long.

It’s reason enough to hope for an extra bid for the Sun Belt today.

There was some talk of this in the last couple of days, but I think it's worth mentioning that Chris Babb, a shooting guard from Arlington with an offer from UNT, committed to Penn State this week. It's not the end of the world, but Babb would have been a huge get for UNT.

Just a few months ago, Babb only had a few scholarship offers, but the number and quality of his offers seemed to grow by the week. Just remember, UNT recruited Kendrick Davis and Collin Dennis out of high school, saw them both go to other schools only to transfer to UNT later in their careers. Who knows? Babb is headed halfway across the country to a place where the culture will be a whole lot different and he will be pretty far away from family. He could always end up changing his mind later on.

It is also interesting to note that Paris Junior College and its power forward Eric Trammiel will face Southeastern Illinois College in the first round of the NJCAA National Tournament on Tuesday in Hutchinson, Kan. Trammiel has long been on UNT's recruiting radar. My gut feeling is that UNT really wants Trammiel. The 6-7 sophomore appears to be a player similar to Quincy Williams, who had a heck of a last couple of years at UNT.

Trammiel averaged 15.4 points and 6.8 rebounds in the regular season while shooting 58.6 percent from the floor.

Here’s the problem, Trammiel is blowing up just like Babb did. The list of schools after him has grown in size and stature. The list now includes: Arkansas-Little Rock, George Mason, Georgia State, New Orleans, South Alabama, Murray State and Weber State. That list should grow longer now that Trammiel is headed to the national junior college tournament, which doubles as a coaching convention. Just about every mid-major program has a head coach or an assistant show up in Hutchinson, Kan., to recruit.

One edge UNT might have is assistant coach Bill Foy was the head coach at Paris before he joined Johnny Jones’ staff and still has connections to the program. Foy’s old assistant Ross Hodge is now Paris’ head coach.

The following is a link to the tournament Web site:

http://www.njcaabbtrny.org/mod/index.htm

Nathan Tune shot up my list of favorite athletes at UNT on Wednesday night. Not because the backup quarterback provided a great quote or gave me a tip. He rescued me when I was stuck in the mud.

To make a long story short, I parked in the fields across from the Mean Green Athletic Center before UNT's softball game against TWU. I didn't arrive until late and didn't notice how muddy the field was. When I left I pulled straight ahead and tried to flip around because there were a few cars waiting behind me. Bad idea. My Hyundai Tiburon got stuck in a huge mud puddle that even a friend's jeep couldn't pull me out of.

To make a long story short, I left, filed my story and came back to wait for a tow truck when who rolls up in his huge SUV about 11:30 -- that's right Nathan Tune. He pulled my car right out of that puddle. I would have been there until after midnight otherwise.

Most of the time fans only notice athletes when they do something good on the field, and I guess in a way Tune did. Only this time it was a muddy field with no one watching.

Here's hoping Tune does well on the football field this fall when someone else besides me will appreciate it.

After missing the first couple of sessions of spring football practice attending to other sports like basketball and softball, I was able to make it out Thursday and pick up a few random notes. Some of this might have been repeated elsewhere the last few days, but I will run through everything I noticed just in case someone missed a note or two since spring started.

UNT’s starting linebackers at this point appear to be Craig Robertson, converted safety Steve Warren and Tobe Nwigwe, who is in the middle. A.J. Penson and Bron Hager are with the second team at outside linebacker with Colt Mahan in the middle.

Marquis Sykes and Ryan Davenport are working with UNT’s defensive ends and could end up being key players for the Mean Green. UNT is likely to start Eddrick Gilmore and JUCO transfer Alonzo Horton at the ends. Of the rest of UNT’s players, Sykes appears to be the most physically ready to step in if either starter is hurt or needs a break – at least based on watching a few minutes of one practice. Dodge said after practice he has been impressed with Davenport, who is starting alongside Gilmore at this point.

Kail Krider is now working with UNT’s defensive tackles, a group led by Joseph Miller. Outside of Miller, UNT looks really small and shorthanded for a Division I team. Miller and Jonathan Stewart are the starters. UNT could get some help at tackle if Draylen Ross returns to the team. Ross isn’t practicing, but he was on hand to watch workouts on Thursday. Ross is one of four defensive tackles listed at 270 pounds or more and is one of two that is not with the team at this point. Isaac Thomas is out for the spring after suffering a blood clot in his leg.

UNT’s starters at defensive back at this point appear to be: Latif Nurudeen and Antoine Bush at the corners and Kartey Agbottah and Navy transfer Greg Garden at safety. I would expect that to change with the development of corner Adryan Adams in spring practice and the arrival of several other JUCO transfers in the fall.

UNT has several offensive linemen out at this point, including tackle Matt Menard, who ran in shorts and a T-shirt at practice. Menard should be back after spring break next week, but for now Bryan Glass, J.J. Johnson, Matt Tomlinson, Esteban Santiago and Victor Gill are seeing time with the first team.

There were also some interesting spectators at practice. Former UNT tight end and graduate assistant Beau Davidson was on hand. He is now the offensive line coach at Trinity Valley Community College, the same school from which UNT recruited former offensive lineman Lonnie Chambers. Davidson could end up being a good contact in the future for UNT. Southlake Carroll head coach Hal Wasson was also in attendance.

On the injury front, Arthur Stubblefield had an MRI on his knee Thursday and could end up having surgery over the summer.

Dodge singled out wide receivers Marcus King, Sam Roberson and walkon Alex Lott and defensive ends Davenport, Sykes and Kyle Russo as players who have fared well in the first few days of spring.

Post your thoughts or questions on the blog.

North Texas released its schedule on Friday and after all the switches that happened -- not to mention those that didn't -- the Mean Green ended up with some good breaks and some bad ones as well.

The real kick to the shorts is playing Arkansas State at home the weekend after Thanksgiving. Most students will be gone and UNT could be out of the race for the Sun Belt Conference title by that point. That game could be a tough sell as far as attendance. UNT had only 5,027 people show up for last year's regular season home finale against Western Kentucky on a terrible day as far as the weather goes.

UNT's nonconference schedule will also be brutal with three road games, although a home game against Tulsa and a game at Rice are solid as far as being against regional rivals. UNT also only has five home games, marking the 11th straight season the Mean Green has been at home five times or less.

The real break UNT received was playing Florida International and Louisiana-Lafayette in its first two conference games at home. FIU and ULL are two of the teams UNT could be favored to beat in Sun Belt Conference play, although last year's game against FIU shows there are no sure bets. The Golden Panthers broke a 23-game losing streak with a win over the Mean Green last year.

Wins over FIU and ULL could keep the Mean Green in the race for the Sun Belt title for a while.

One game that could be brutal is a homecoming date with Troy. There are a lot of people out there who expect Troy to be down this season after losing Omar Haugabook, the best quarterback in the league, and offensive coordinator Tony Franklin.

Don't count me among them. Troy is stacked with talent and isn't going away any time soon. The Trojans hammered UNT 45-7 last season and will represent a huge challenge on homecoming next year.

Post your thoughts on UNT's schedule on the blog.

2008 North Texas Football Schedule
Aug. 30 at Kansas State
Sept. 6 Tulsa
Sept. 13 at LSU
Sept. 20 OPEN
Sept. 27 at Rice
Oct. 4 Florida International*
Oct. 11 Louisiana-Lafayette*(Family Weekend)
Oct. 18 at Louisiana-Monroe*
Oct. 25 Troy* (Homecoming)
Nov. 1 at Western Kentucky
Nov. 8 at Florida Atlantic*
Nov. 15 OPEN
Nov. 22 at Middle Tennessee*
Nov. 29 Arkansas State*
* Sun Belt Conference Game

I talked with Rick Villarreal today about UNT's search for a new women's basketball coach and tracked down some of the players who signed with the Mean Green in November. There will be a story in tomorrow's edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle, but here are the highlights.

Villarreal said he is in the process of forming a committee that would review the resumes of coaches who apply for the job and help select coaches for interviews.

A lot of names have been thrown out as possible candidates. Here are two more: Stephany Smith and Bill Brock. Smith built Middle Tennessee into a power in the Sun Belt before leaving for Alabama, where she struggled and was fired after three seasons. I don’t know if UNT would want a recycled Sun Belt coach, especially one who worked at Middle Tennessee, but you never know. Brock is in his second season as the associate head coach at Texas Tech. Before coaching the Lady Raiders, Brock spent six years at Baylor, including four as the associate head coach. He helped the Lady Bears win the 2005 national title.

Brock began his coaching career at Grayson County College in Denison and posted a 371-50 record. The Lady Vikings posted a 36-1 record in 2000 and finished third in the NJCAA national tournament. He was the national junior college coach of the year in 1996.

In the interest of full disclosure, I covered Grayson when Brock was finishing up his tenure there. He left because he realized he needed to work as an assistant at the Division I level to attain his goal of becoming a Division I head coach. There is no telling if UNT would consider a male head coach, especially considering the athletic department already has one male head coach of a female sports team in highly successful head soccer coach John Hedlund.

I also have no idea if Brock would be interested, but UNT would be hard pressed to land a coach with more skins on the wall at a national level.

While I was at it, I also tracked down Ryan Green and Mansa El and both UNT recruits said they plan to honor their commitments to UNT. Green is the gem of UNT’s early signees. The 6-2 forward was a first-team all-state selection by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches and had plenty of other opportunities.

In one final note, a new name has emerged on the recruiting front for the UNT men’s basketball team, point guard Dominique Johnson of Arkansas-Fort Smith junior college.

In this business, you never know what to expect from a coach who has been let go. Some are vindictive, others gracious. I had a pretty good idea of what women’s basketball coach Tina Slinker would have to stay today after her contract was not renewed by UNT after 19 seasons. I expected Slinker to take the high road, and that is just what she did.

Slinker was hoping that she could have stayed on in an administrative role with UNT, but didn’t get that opportunity. She didn’t hold that against the school any more than being let go. What Slinker wanted to make sure everyone knew was that she appreciated her time at UNT.

“I am so appreciative of the university and the community,” Slinker said. “Any time you stay at a place for 19 years there are so many people that are important to you inside and outside the athletic department. … I have always loved North Texas because it was always getting better and that made it a place you wanted to go to work.”

Slinker had her moments at UNT, but letting her go is a decision few will question. UNT struggled since making back-to-back trips to the WNIT a few years back. A change could spark the program and help it improve in a pretty solid Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball league.

Slinker said she would remember her championship seasons, but it was the players she helped along the way that made the job rewarding. Jalie Mitchell said Tuesday that she would never have accomplished what she has in life if it wasn’t for Slinker.

Slinker said she would be open to a number of avenues for continuing her professional life, including coaching or becoming an athletic administrator at another school. Slinker was UNT’s senior women’s administrator for a number of years.

There is little doubt that most everyone who worked with Slinker over the years wishes her the best in whatever she decides to do next in her career and in life. Even in the worst of times, Slinker was always a class act. That didn’t change as she departed UNT for the final time.

Feel free to post your thoughts on Slinker on the blog.

North Texas women's basketball coach Tina Slinker has been fired after 19 seasons with the Mean Green. For more, check back on the blog later tonight.

Junior defensive back Arthur Stubblefield became one of the first UNT players to go down with an injury in spring practice on Saturday when he injured his knee. Stubblefield was on crutches during practice on Monday.

Stubblefield has gone back and forth from playing wide receiver to defensive back throughout his career, but head coach Todd Dodge said before spring workouts began that he will be a defensive back for the remainder of his career. Stubblefield caught one pass last season and appears destined to be a backup for the Mean Green, which loaded up on junior college defensive backs in its last recruiting class.