Benford gets North Texas job

[Pakuni]

According to Jeff Goodman at CBS and Zags blog.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/18812607/north-texas-expected-to-hire-marquette-assistant-benford

[4everwarriors]

Now maybe we can hook up with one of them AAU coaches.

[brewcity77]

Great news for Tony! Good overall for the program...be interesting to see who Buzz finds to fill the spot.

[tower912]

He has earned it.   Congrats to Tony.   Hopefully, Buzz has a replacement ready to go.   

[VegasWarrior77]

Congrats Tony!  The Buzz coaching tree has begun!

[muguru]

He has earned it.   Congrats to Tony.   Hopefully, Buzz has a replacement ready to go.   

I would imagine this is easy....he stays in house and goes with Bart Lundy.

[Galway03]

 I wonder if any of the currant staff at MU will go with Coach Benford ? Guru, that's what should happen , Lundy would be a very logical choice.

[brewcity77]

I wonder if any of the currant staff at MU will go with Coach Benford ?

Wondering the same thing. Wouldn't surprise me to see Aki Collins get promoted to Benford's Associate HC job. Can't see them offering enough to nab Monarch, but possibly Lundy or Autry could be wooed away.

[TedBaxter]

I wonder if any of the currant staff at MU will go with Coach Benford ? Guru, that's what should happen , Lundy would be a very logical choice.

Brad Autry would be a very good promotion or he could join Tony in Denton I suppose since Brad is from Oklahoma originally and also has Texas ties.

[MattyWarrior]

Really tough to see Benford leave, as he is a big part of our success recently and a great guy! Best of luck to Tony.

[Skatastrophy]

Grats to Benford on getting a D-I job! 

[Dawson Rental]

Of course, they had to wait to name him until after Howard committed to SMU as an assistant.

[TedBaxter]

Of course, they had to wait to name him until after Howard committed to SMU as an assistant.

You don't have to worry about Buzz hiring a quality assistant as he has options on the current staff that are very good and if he goes out of house, he probably has a short list.

[Slim]

Questions. Which of this years recruits were attributed to Tony? Are they allowed any leeway with their NLI? Is this the answer to Hiroshima?

And lastly, I wonder if they have a group called Catholics of University of North Texas.

[tower912]

I would make a small wager Durley ends up there.   

[Dawson Rental]

You don't have to worry about Buzz hiring a quality assistant as he has options on the current staff that are very good and if he goes out of house, he probably has a short list.

Indigestion 0    TedBaxter 1

[Dawson Rental]

Questions. Which of this years recruits were attributed to Tony? Are they allowed any leeway with their NLI? Is this the answer to Hiroshima?

And lastly, I wonder if they have a group called Catholics of University of North Texas.

Is this the answer to Hiroshima?

Oh, if only it were.  No leeway on LOI, Buzz would have to decide to give 'em a break.

I wonder if they have a group called Catholics of University of North Texas.

No, but that doesn't men that the student body wouldn't use the term, anyway.

[Dawson Rental]

I would make a small wager Durley ends up there.   

I think you're right  on this one.

[GGGG]

Questions. Which of this years recruits were attributed to Tony? Are they allowed any leeway with their NLI? Is this the answer to Hiroshima?

I don't know about Hiroshima, but I really doubt either of the Taylors or Ferguson want to follow him down to Denton.

[brewcity77]

I don't know about Hiroshima, but I really doubt either of the Taylors or Ferguson want to follow him down to Denton.

Ferguson's lead recruiter was Aki. Doubt either Taylor would request a release to go to UNT.

[hdog1017]

Mike Deane as replacement

[JTBMU7]

Ferguson's lead recruiter was Aki. Doubt either Taylor would request a release to go to UNT.

also, no player would ever do that. leave a high major program to follow the assistant down to a low major? MAYBE could see them requesting a release to go to a different high major school, but even that would be very rare.

[Golden Avalanche]

Excellent news for Benford. Very deserving. And North Texas has some momentum so it's not a dog show job.

Couple good options on the bench to elevate so long as its not Monarch.

[real chili 83]

Don't know much about North Texas.  Is it a mid major, low major, none of the above?

[nyg]

Don't know much about North Texas.  Is it a mid major, low major, none of the above?

http://espn.go.com/dallas/ncb/story/_/id/7850281/tony-benford-hired-new-north-texas-mean-green-head-coach

This should answer.

[Henry Sugar]

Warriors > Mean Green > Golden Eagles

[real chili 83]

http://espn.go.com/dallas/ncb/story/_/id/7850281/tony-benford-hired-new-north-texas-mean-green-head-coach

This should answer.

Thanks for the link nyg.  Good spot for Benford to land.

[Dawson Rental]

The Mean Green, so that's how Mean Joe Green got his nickname.  He was an alumnus.

[jsglow]

Congrats Tony.  Well deserved.  Keep your eye open for kids down in Texas that might fit MU better than NTU.  You're old bud Buzz will appreciate it.

[Blackhat]

Congrats Tony!   


Now lets go find a stud for director of basketball operations.

[brewcity77]

This tweet from Mike Broeker about Benford made me chuckle...

@mikebroeker: "Tried to schedule him to guarantee game yesterday, he passed, smart guy, showed me he is ready to be a HC. #mubb"

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Don't know much about North Texas.  Is it a mid major, low major, none of the above?

I don't know much about North Texas either except my cousin, also from Connecticut, went to college there.  He was music major so they must have a good music school.  He stayed down there after graduation and is supposedly playing in a band with the former lead singer of Blood, Sweat & Tears.

[GGGG]

Right now, it is a low major in the Sun Belt.  But they are rumored to be going to Conference USA if they choose not to merge with the Mountain West. 

It's not a bad place.  Right on the northern edge of the DFW metro area.  It has the potential to be a nice program if someone comes in and makes the right moves.  If he comes in and does well there, he could very well take that next step into a higher level program in a BCS conference.

[TedBaxter]

I don't know much about North Texas either except my cousin, also from Connecticut, went to college there.  He was music major so they must have a good music school.  He stayed down there after graduation and is supposedly playing in a band with the former lead singer of Blood, Sweat & Tears.

Didn't Don Henley go to the music school there?

[Canadian Dimes]

How awesome for Tony!!!  Best of luck with the opportunity!!  What a dream come true day for him!

[real chili 83]

I don't know much about North Texas either except my cousin, also from Connecticut, went to college there.  He was music major so they must have a good music school.  He stayed down there after graduation and is supposedly playing in a band with the former lead singer of Blood, Sweat & Tears.

Check the link nyg sent me on North Texas.  In one of the posts above.

[warriorchick]

Check the link nyg sent me on North Texas.  In one of the posts above.

As a kid, I worked at Opryland and got to know a several of the musicians who worked there.  Quite a number  of them were North Texas grads (It was called North Texas state back then).  It was very well respected, especially for traditional jazz (i.e., Dixieland).

[4everwarriors]

Traditional jazz=oxymoron

[MattyWarrior]

Any info or ideas on a new assistant?

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

He even gets a shoutout from Phil Rogers, Tribune baseball writer:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-your-morning-phil-dawson-campana-royals-20120425,0,1173543.story

Talking baseball while congratulating Marquette assistant Tony Benford for becoming the head basketball coach at North Texas:

[Blackhat]

Any info or ideas on a new assistant?

It'll be Bart Lundy.    Then we'll find the best director of basketball operations in the country.  

We don't hire assistants we hire DBO's.

[GGGG]

Any info or ideas on a new assistant?

If it isn't someone on staff, my guess is Buzz has a pretty good idea who it is and may have a verbal agreement in place.  But by not announcing it, or officially signing him, he can stay out on the road recruiting as much as possible.

[We R Final Four]

Right now, it is a low major in

If he comes in and does well there, he could very well take that next step into a higher level program in a BCS conference.

Sultan-doesn't this go without saying?
Do well and you may get a shot at a better program

[brewcity77]

It'll be Bart Lundy.    Then we'll find the best director of basketball operations in the country.  

We don't hire assistants we hire DBO's.

There are also rumors Benford might try to bring Lundy with him to UNT.

[Galway03]

 Wow, Benford and Lundy at the same time. If that happens, and irregardless of who is hired or promoted, the basketball IQ of this coaching staff will have taken a major hit.

[TedBaxter]

If I am Buzz I promote Brad Autry to replace Tony and Jamie McNielly to the Director of Basketball Operations. 

Brad's a good basketball guy who also has the personality and experience to recruit (Arkansas-Little Rock) and Jamie's been here 4 years so he can move up as well.

[PVMagic]

Wow, Benford and Lundy at the same time. If that happens, and irregardless of who is hired or promoted, the basketball IQ of this coaching staff will have taken a major hit.

Hiroshima.

[Galway03]

  PVMagic, keep that thought.

[Dawson Rental]

Sultan-doesn't this go without saying?
Do well and you may get a shot at a better program

Ooops, nailed by the posting police, Sultan.