University of North Texas Athletics
Green Gang: The Never Ending (Success) Story
7/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Return to Play
By Steven Bartolotta, July 25, 2009, 4:46 p.m.
Earlier this week Stephen Howard, who also has been moonlighting as the Denton Ryan beat writer, reported the story about Quincy Williams taking a job at the local high school as an assistant coach. It got me thinking about the success stories that have come out of the North Texas basketball program since Johnny Jones took over.
Eight plus years ago when Rick Villarreal introduced Jones as the new coach, along with the keys to his new office, RV should have given Jones a radiation suit. The fallout from the four previous years of basketball was so bad that the old theory a cockroach could survive a nuclear blast would have been put to the test.
Coach Jones never flinched. And while the success stories on the court have been chronicled, the ones off the court have been just as inspiring.
Think about this list of individuals who have found success in either coaching or player after being with Coach Jones. Kenneth Mangrum, Chris Davis, Leonard Hopkins, Shawnson Johnson, Kendrick Davis, Calvin Watson, and now Quincy Williams. And there are others, former assistant coach Fred Rike is now at Angelo State as the head coach. HIs assistant? Mangrum.
I’m sure there are names not on that list I’m forgetting but the point is Johnny Jones came in under unbelievable circumstances and has done what many thought unthinkable. He’s made North Texas basketball matter again.
He’s made you care about the program. Jones has even brought back former players from the glory days and involved them in the program.
Jones has made men into great basketball players and even more impressive, men into great success stories. That’s a story all Mean Green fans hope never ends.
