University of North Texas Athletics
Littrell's First Class Looks to Go Out On Top
8/30/2019 8:45:00 AM | Football
DENTON – When Seth Littrell was hired by North Texas to turn around its football program prior to the 2016 season, he made some quick promises.
The boldest one was that the team he inherited, which went 1-11 the season before, would be in a bowl game the following season. Turns out, they made good on that promise, and part of the reason was the first recruiting class Littrell signed – a group of players that now makes up his senior class, and it's a special one.
Mason Fine, LaDarius Hamilton, Rico Bussey, Jr., Michael Lawrence and Khairi Muhammad highlight the group, and now they prepare to end their college careers together, hopefully with a new goal accomplished.
"I think our senior class is exceptional," Littrell said. "It's a group that we all kind of came in together. They've done a great job of buying into our culture and have continued to help build and grow to where we want to be. And I know they put in a lot of a lot of hard work. I'm really excited about seeing how they finish this thing off, you know, the legacy that they set. They've done a great job over the four years, and I think they have a great opportunity to set a huge legacy - something that they'll be very proud of in the future."
With all the success the group has overseen – back-to-back nine-win seasons – they have yet to win a bowl game, and that is just one of the big goals for the outgoing seniors heading into the 2019 season.
"In the heart and mind of every competitor, you want to win, so we want to win every game, but obviously that last game," Hamilton said. "We're trying to bring a championship here. We haven't won that yet, and we have to work that much harder to win that last game – the last two games (Conference USA championship game and bowl game)."
Wins in those last two games would be tangible fruits of the seniors' hard work, but a substantial list can already be made of what they have contributed to Littrell's program and the culture he wanted to instill when he came to Denton.
"When we first got here, it was a bunch of new faces and a new staff, so we came together as a new team," Lawrence said. "Each year has been a transition and we've created a really strong bond through those four years. It's truly unbreakable. We hang out with each other outside of football. That's just one thing I've noticed. The first year here, we changed the culture and the second year we wanted that culture to stay. Now, as seniors, we're the leaders, and we've kept that culture. That's one thing we take pride in."
After going from 1-11 to 5-8 and a bowl berth in Littrell's first season, that core group helped lead the Mean Green to an 18-9 mark over their sophomore and junior seasons – the type of turnaround they can all take pride in.
"That's kind of something we brag on to the other classes," Muhammad said. "I always say we're the foundation – myself, Mike Law, Rico, Mason, all those guys – we're the foundation of this whole turnaround and this whole era. I'm glad to be a part of this. It's a blessing."
Lawrence said he hasn't thought much about the legacy he helped start for the Mean Green, but said he will look back on what he helped start during his time in Denton fondly when he's older.
"I'll probably look back and say, 'Wow, we started from the bottom,' and I'll take pride in what we did and all the guys I played with and the coaches I played for and just all the friendships I made, it'll bring a smile to my face," he said. "And down the road, when he's (Littrell) winning national championships, I can say, 'Wow, I was coached by him,' and all these coaches, I can tell my kids I was coached by this guy and this guy. It's amazing to have this staff we have and the future they'll have too. They'll always have a place in my heart no matter what."
The boldest one was that the team he inherited, which went 1-11 the season before, would be in a bowl game the following season. Turns out, they made good on that promise, and part of the reason was the first recruiting class Littrell signed – a group of players that now makes up his senior class, and it's a special one.
Mason Fine, LaDarius Hamilton, Rico Bussey, Jr., Michael Lawrence and Khairi Muhammad highlight the group, and now they prepare to end their college careers together, hopefully with a new goal accomplished.
"I think our senior class is exceptional," Littrell said. "It's a group that we all kind of came in together. They've done a great job of buying into our culture and have continued to help build and grow to where we want to be. And I know they put in a lot of a lot of hard work. I'm really excited about seeing how they finish this thing off, you know, the legacy that they set. They've done a great job over the four years, and I think they have a great opportunity to set a huge legacy - something that they'll be very proud of in the future."
With all the success the group has overseen – back-to-back nine-win seasons – they have yet to win a bowl game, and that is just one of the big goals for the outgoing seniors heading into the 2019 season.
"In the heart and mind of every competitor, you want to win, so we want to win every game, but obviously that last game," Hamilton said. "We're trying to bring a championship here. We haven't won that yet, and we have to work that much harder to win that last game – the last two games (Conference USA championship game and bowl game)."
Wins in those last two games would be tangible fruits of the seniors' hard work, but a substantial list can already be made of what they have contributed to Littrell's program and the culture he wanted to instill when he came to Denton.
"When we first got here, it was a bunch of new faces and a new staff, so we came together as a new team," Lawrence said. "Each year has been a transition and we've created a really strong bond through those four years. It's truly unbreakable. We hang out with each other outside of football. That's just one thing I've noticed. The first year here, we changed the culture and the second year we wanted that culture to stay. Now, as seniors, we're the leaders, and we've kept that culture. That's one thing we take pride in."
After going from 1-11 to 5-8 and a bowl berth in Littrell's first season, that core group helped lead the Mean Green to an 18-9 mark over their sophomore and junior seasons – the type of turnaround they can all take pride in.
"That's kind of something we brag on to the other classes," Muhammad said. "I always say we're the foundation – myself, Mike Law, Rico, Mason, all those guys – we're the foundation of this whole turnaround and this whole era. I'm glad to be a part of this. It's a blessing."
Lawrence said he hasn't thought much about the legacy he helped start for the Mean Green, but said he will look back on what he helped start during his time in Denton fondly when he's older.
"I'll probably look back and say, 'Wow, we started from the bottom,' and I'll take pride in what we did and all the guys I played with and the coaches I played for and just all the friendships I made, it'll bring a smile to my face," he said. "And down the road, when he's (Littrell) winning national championships, I can say, 'Wow, I was coached by him,' and all these coaches, I can tell my kids I was coached by this guy and this guy. It's amazing to have this staff we have and the future they'll have too. They'll always have a place in my heart no matter what."
Players Mentioned
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