University of North Texas Athletics
Photo by: Manny Flores
Mean Green Open Spring Practice Monday
2/26/2021 1:00:00 PM | Football
DENTON – North Texas opens spring practice Monday morning and heading into preparation for his sixth season at the helm of the Mean Green, head coach Seth Littrell will be looking to break in several new members to his coaching staff.
UNT has made five additions to its staff, bringing in new defensive coordinator and safeties coach Phil Bennett, Jim Gush (linebackers), Jarred Holley (cornerbacks), Blake Joseph (quarterbacks) and Matt Passwaters (defensive line). In addition, Littrell has promoted Mike Bloesch to offensive coordinator, and Bloesch will now be assuming playcalling duties in 2021.
Just having spring practice in 2021 will be a major benefit to the Mean Green, who missed out on the period in 2020 due to the pandemic and everything surrounding CoVID-19. With protocols now in place, spring practice is full steam ahead for a team looking to bounce back from a 4-6 season in 2020 that saw the Mean Green reach a bowl game for the fourth time in five seasons, and acclimate the staff and student-athletes.
A key departure from one of the nation's most prolific offenses in 2020 (UNT ranked eighth in the country in total offense with 513.2 yards per game), is All-America wide receiver Jaelon Darden. There's no doubt that there is a significant hole to fill in terms of production, but the receiving corps is young, deep and hungry to fill that void. Second-leading receiver Deonte Simpson (25 receptions for 517 yards and four touchdowns) and the return of Jyaire Shorter, who missed the majority of the 2020 season due to injury (caught four passes for 97 yards in 2020 and had 24 catches for 473 yards and nine touchdowns), as well a young stable of talented pass-catchers return to the fold.
UNT opens spring ball with a new defensive coordinator in the veteran Bennett, who has 40 years of coaching experience, and has coordinated defenses across the country, and also adds head coaching experience. Bennett and the Mean Green defense will have a new look schematically, and he and his new position coaches will utilize the spring practice period to help ease and guide that transition.
Gush takes over duties with the Mean Green linebacking corps, and joins North Texas after previously serving as the defensive coordinator at McNeese State in 2019. This marks Gush's fifth stint working with Bennett. The pair have spent 18 seasons together in stops at Baylor, SMU, Kansas State and Iowa State. Gush also has head coaching experience, at the junior college level, from his time at Navarro College.
Holley joins the Mean Green after spending three years (two seasons) at Albany, where he coached safeties. Holley, a four-year starting defensive back at the University of Pittsburgh under Bennett, came to the Great Danes from Arizona State, where he worked since 2015, serving as a graduate assistant on both the special teams and defensive staffs before working as a defensive analyst in 2017 (also under Bennett).
Passwaters arrives in Denton after spending the past season on Todd Graham's staff at Hawai'i, where he served as a quality control assistant. Prior to his time on the big island, Passwaters was a graduate assistant at his alma mater, New Mexico State, on offense (2018-19) and defense (2017). He helped the Aggies reach their first bowl game in 57 years (the Arizona Bowl). Passwaters also played on the offensive line at New Mexico State from 2008-09.
On the offensive side of the ball, Joseph enters the fold as quarterbacks coach. Austin Aune returns after splitting time at quarterback Jason Bean (who is currently in the transfer portal). Aune completed 101-185 passes for 1,650 yards with 13 touchdowns to just four interceptions. He also added a pair of touchdowns on the ground. Joseph arrives in Denton after spending five seasons at Magnolia West High School, the last two of which he spent as head coach. Magnolia West averaged 41.8 points per game in 2020, including a record-setting 97-0 win over Caney Creek. The Mustangs posted 32.7 points per game in 2019, Joseph's first season at the helm, and reached the playoffs. A three-year offensive coordinator on staff prior to his head coach appointment, Joseph oversaw a major uptick offensively for the Mustangs. In his first season as offensive coordinator in 2016, Magnolia West averaged 24.8 points per game, 33.5 in 2017 and 40.3 in 2018. He also coached the Montgomery County Player of the Year (2018) in quarterback John Matocha, who now plays at the Colorado School of Mines. Joseph also played quarterback at Houston before transferring to Sam Houston State.
While the opener against Northwestern State is more than six months away, so much of the key foundational work will be done over this next four weeks. A major part of that will be happening behind the scenes with all of Littrell's new additions to the staff.
UNT has made five additions to its staff, bringing in new defensive coordinator and safeties coach Phil Bennett, Jim Gush (linebackers), Jarred Holley (cornerbacks), Blake Joseph (quarterbacks) and Matt Passwaters (defensive line). In addition, Littrell has promoted Mike Bloesch to offensive coordinator, and Bloesch will now be assuming playcalling duties in 2021.
Just having spring practice in 2021 will be a major benefit to the Mean Green, who missed out on the period in 2020 due to the pandemic and everything surrounding CoVID-19. With protocols now in place, spring practice is full steam ahead for a team looking to bounce back from a 4-6 season in 2020 that saw the Mean Green reach a bowl game for the fourth time in five seasons, and acclimate the staff and student-athletes.
A key departure from one of the nation's most prolific offenses in 2020 (UNT ranked eighth in the country in total offense with 513.2 yards per game), is All-America wide receiver Jaelon Darden. There's no doubt that there is a significant hole to fill in terms of production, but the receiving corps is young, deep and hungry to fill that void. Second-leading receiver Deonte Simpson (25 receptions for 517 yards and four touchdowns) and the return of Jyaire Shorter, who missed the majority of the 2020 season due to injury (caught four passes for 97 yards in 2020 and had 24 catches for 473 yards and nine touchdowns), as well a young stable of talented pass-catchers return to the fold.
UNT opens spring ball with a new defensive coordinator in the veteran Bennett, who has 40 years of coaching experience, and has coordinated defenses across the country, and also adds head coaching experience. Bennett and the Mean Green defense will have a new look schematically, and he and his new position coaches will utilize the spring practice period to help ease and guide that transition.
Gush takes over duties with the Mean Green linebacking corps, and joins North Texas after previously serving as the defensive coordinator at McNeese State in 2019. This marks Gush's fifth stint working with Bennett. The pair have spent 18 seasons together in stops at Baylor, SMU, Kansas State and Iowa State. Gush also has head coaching experience, at the junior college level, from his time at Navarro College.
Holley joins the Mean Green after spending three years (two seasons) at Albany, where he coached safeties. Holley, a four-year starting defensive back at the University of Pittsburgh under Bennett, came to the Great Danes from Arizona State, where he worked since 2015, serving as a graduate assistant on both the special teams and defensive staffs before working as a defensive analyst in 2017 (also under Bennett).
Passwaters arrives in Denton after spending the past season on Todd Graham's staff at Hawai'i, where he served as a quality control assistant. Prior to his time on the big island, Passwaters was a graduate assistant at his alma mater, New Mexico State, on offense (2018-19) and defense (2017). He helped the Aggies reach their first bowl game in 57 years (the Arizona Bowl). Passwaters also played on the offensive line at New Mexico State from 2008-09.
On the offensive side of the ball, Joseph enters the fold as quarterbacks coach. Austin Aune returns after splitting time at quarterback Jason Bean (who is currently in the transfer portal). Aune completed 101-185 passes for 1,650 yards with 13 touchdowns to just four interceptions. He also added a pair of touchdowns on the ground. Joseph arrives in Denton after spending five seasons at Magnolia West High School, the last two of which he spent as head coach. Magnolia West averaged 41.8 points per game in 2020, including a record-setting 97-0 win over Caney Creek. The Mustangs posted 32.7 points per game in 2019, Joseph's first season at the helm, and reached the playoffs. A three-year offensive coordinator on staff prior to his head coach appointment, Joseph oversaw a major uptick offensively for the Mustangs. In his first season as offensive coordinator in 2016, Magnolia West averaged 24.8 points per game, 33.5 in 2017 and 40.3 in 2018. He also coached the Montgomery County Player of the Year (2018) in quarterback John Matocha, who now plays at the Colorado School of Mines. Joseph also played quarterback at Houston before transferring to Sam Houston State.
While the opener against Northwestern State is more than six months away, so much of the key foundational work will be done over this next four weeks. A major part of that will be happening behind the scenes with all of Littrell's new additions to the staff.
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