Conference Sun Belt Conference Head coach Todd Dodge Offensive scheme Spread option | 2007 record 2–10 (1–6 Sun Belt) Offensive coordinator Todd Ford Defensive coordinator Ron Mendoza | |
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The 2007 North Texas Mean Green football team represented the University of North Texas in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season . The team was led by its new head coach Todd Dodge. He replaced Darrell Dickey, who was fired after going 3–9 in 2006. Dodge was regarded as one of the nation’s most successful high school football coaches amassing a 98–11 record overall at Carroll High School in Southlake, Texas. He was named National Coach of the Year by Schutt Sports in 2004 and by USA Today in 2005. His Southlake program produced five consecutive offensive players of the year in Texas. Dodge is also regarded by many FBS coaches as one of the nation's premiere offensive minds in developing a unique and effective scheme in his variation of the spread offense, in the much the same vein as Steve Spurrier and Mouse Davis. While at Southlake, Dodge helped the University of Missouri to implement his scheme.
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The Mean Green played their home games on campus at Fouts Field in Denton, Texas.
Coaching
After being named as head coach, Todd Dodge announced in early January the hiring of nine new assistant coaches. The new staff's combined resumes include 26 bowl appearances, 14 bowl victories, 18 high school state titles, a Super Bowl title and a BCS national title. New defensive coordinator Ron Mendoza, new offensive coordinator Todd Ford and new special teams Robert Drake all come with Dodge from Carroll High School where they coached the Dragons to 5 state titles. After a tenure in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and University of Houston Cougars, Butch LaCroix, former North Texas assistant from 1987–1993, rejoins the Mean Green staff for a second duration as cornerback’s coach. For the past four seasons at the University of Tulsa, new offensive line coach Spencer Leftwich returns to North Texas at the same position he previously held. Former North Texas leading receiver, new receivers coach Clayton George, also served under Dodge until becoming head coach at Hillcrest High School. 2003 Division I assistant coach of the year, new safeties coach Chuck Petersen, after spending 17 years with United States Air Force Academy Falcons. Former Texas Longhorns and St. Louis Rams player and later Texas Longhorns graduate assistant, Derek Lewis, will coach defensive ends. After spending the last two seasons at Louisiana Tech, new running backs coach Shelton Gandy, also was running backs coach for his alma mater Southern Mississippi.
Stadium Improvements
Prior to the first home game, Fouts Field received several improvements. With paint donated by local Pittsburgh Paints, the student spirit organization, Talons, repainted the entire stadium. Other changes included renovated bathrooms, signage, asphalt in and around the entry gates. This is the largest improvement to Fouts since replacement of the field's Astroturf prior to the 2005 season.
Uniform changes
On August 4, 2007, North Texas unveiled changes to their uniforms during the Kickoff Cookout at the Mean Green Athletic Center. For away games, instead of all green jerseys, the team will have white shirts with white pants. Home games will feature the university's new kelly green on top and have the same white pants. The numbers and letters will be green for away games and white for home with a black outline. The most notable change is the reintroduction of a white helmet not worn since alumni "Mean" Joe Greene played for North Texas in the late 1960s.