Patrick Daniel McCarney(born July 28, 1953) is an American formercollege footballcoach. He served as the head football coach atIowa State Universityfrom 1995 to 2006 and theUniversity of North Texasfrom 2011 to 2015, compiling a career head coaching record of 78–117.
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 28, 1953 Iowa City, Iowa,U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1972–1974 | Iowa |
| Position(s) | Offensive lineman |
| Coaching career (HCunless noted) | |
| 1977–1978 | Iowa(GA) |
| 1979–1989 | Iowa (DL) |
| 1990–1994 | Wisconsin(DC/DL) |
| 1995–2006 | Iowa State |
| 2007 | South Florida(AHC/DL) |
| 2008–2010 | Florida(AHC/DL) |
| 2011–2015 | North Texas |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 78–117 |
| Bowls | 3–3 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 1Big 12 North Division(2004) | |
Playing career
editMcCarney played football atIowa City High School,[1]and was an offensive lineman at theUniversity of Iowafrom 1972 to 1974 and was named team captain in 1974.
Coaching career
editIowa
editMcCarney returned to Iowa as agraduate assistantfrom 1977 to 1978 underBob Commings.WhenHayden Fryarrived at Iowa in 1979, he named McCarney as defensive line coach, a post he held for 10 years—during which Iowa made two appearances in the Rose Bowl.
Wisconsin
editMcCarney served as thedefensive coordinatorand defensive line coach at theUniversity of Wisconsin–MadisonunderBarry Alvarezfrom 1990 to 1994.
Iowa State
editMcCarney served as head coach atIowa State Universityfrom 1995 to 2006. His contract was reduced when it was found that his estranged wife had disclosed allegations of abuse by McCarney in a restraining order filed against him in 1994; he admitted to several verbal arguments but only one that became physical as the team elected to keep him a yearly basis (no criminal charges were filed).[2][3]During that span, McCarney led theCyclonesto fivebowl games;the program had been to only three bowl games in their entire history before his arrival. It was he who played a key force in shifting the colors of the team to add blue to a previous color scheme that favored gold and cardinal red; the blue was removed in a uniform and logo revamp in 2008. In their first bowl appearance under McCarney, the2000 Insight.com Bowl,the Cyclones notched their first bowl win in school history. McCarney guided the Cyclones to be co-champions of the Big 12 North Division during the 2004 season, which led to him earning Big 12 Coach of the Year honors fromThe Kansas City Starand espn.com.[4]His 56 wins were the most in program history until he was passed byMatt Campbell.[5]He went 6-5 againstin-state rival Iowa,including five straight wins from 1998 to 2002 to win their first games against Iowa 1982.
The 2006 team won three of its first ten games, with seven straight losses to Division I teams by an average of 20 points. On November 8, 2006, he announced his resignation. At the time, he was the longest tenured head football coach in theBig 12 Conference.[6][7][8]In 2016, he was inducted into the Iowa State Hall of Fame.[9]
South Florida
editIn February 2007, McCarney accepted a position as the defensive line coach and assistant head coach at theUniversity of South Florida.[10]
Florida
editThe next year, McCarney accepted the same position at theUniversity of Florida.He coached the defensive line at Florida for two years. During his tenure, the Gators produced NFL draft picksCarlos DunlapandJermaine Cunningham.
North Texas
editIn November 2010, McCarney was offered and accepted the position of head coach at theUniversity of North Texas.[11]
At North Texas, McCarney inherited a team that had endured six consecutive losing seasons, and had not won more than three games in any of those seasons. He won five games his first season, and four the next season; then, in 2013, led the Mean Green to their first winning season since 2004.[12]
In 2013, McCarney led the Mean Green to its third bowl win, posting a 36–14 win overUNLVin theHeart of Dallas Bowl.[13]
McCarney was unable to duplicate his 2013 success in 2014, as the North Texas football team posted a 4-8 record.[14]In October 2015, following a loss toPortland State University,McCarney was fired.[15]The loss had dropped the Mean Green to an 0-5 record to open the 2015 season.[16]
Despite having an overall losing record at North Texas, McCarney managed some highlights in addition to the school's third of three all-time bowl wins. In 2011, he led the Mean Green to its first win over aBig Ten Conferenceopponent with a 24–21 victory againstIndiana.The win was also the school's first at their new stadium,Apogee Stadium,which had opened that year.[17]
The 2011 team set a record for home attendance, drawing 113,186 fans to six games.[18]
His 2013 bowl winning team's nine wins were the most since 2004. To that point, it was only the fifth nine-win season in North Texas football history. The other nine win seasons occurred in 2004, 1978, 1977, and 1959.[19]As North Texas State University, the Eagles had their only 10 win season in 1947.[20]
In 2014, McCarney led North Texas to the most lopsided win in the school's history versusDallas–Fort Worth metroplexrivalSMU,43–6.[21]To that point, the win was only the fifth by North Texas versus SMU against 28 losses and a tie.[22]
On October 10, 2015, McCarney was fired following a 66–7 loss toPortland Stateof theNCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision(FCS).[23]The 59-point margin is the biggest win by an FCS over anNCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision(FBS) team sinceNCAA Division Ifootball was divided into subdivisions in 1978.[24]
Head coaching record
edit| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State Cyclones(Big Eight Conference)(1995) | |||||||||
| 1995 | Iowa State | 3–8 | 1–6 | T–7th | |||||
| Iowa State Cyclones(Big 12 Conference)(1996–2006) | |||||||||
| 1996 | Iowa State | 2–9 | 1–7 | 6th(North) | |||||
| 1997 | Iowa State | 1–10 | 1–7 | 6th(North) | |||||
| 1998 | Iowa State | 3–8 | 1–7 | T–5th(North) | |||||
| 1999 | Iowa State | 4–7 | 1–7 | T–5th(North) | |||||
| 2000 | Iowa State | 9–3 | 5–3 | 3rd(North) | WInsight.com | 23 | 25 | ||
| 2001 | Iowa State | 7–5 | 4–4 | 3rd(North) | LIndependence | ||||
| 2002 | Iowa State | 7–7 | 4–4 | 3rd(North) | LHumanitarian | ||||
| 2003 | Iowa State | 2–10 | 0–8 | 6th(North) | |||||
| 2004 | Iowa State | 7–5 | 4–4 | T–1st(North) | WIndependence | ||||
| 2005 | Iowa State | 7–5 | 4–4 | T–2nd(North) | LHouston | ||||
| 2006 | Iowa State | 4–8 | 1–7 | 6th(North) | |||||
| Iowa State: | 56–85 | 27–68 | |||||||
| North Texas Mean Green(Sun Belt Conference)(2011–2012) | |||||||||
| 2011 | North Texas | 5–7 | 4–4 | 5th | |||||
| 2012 | North Texas | 4–8 | 3–5 | T–6th | |||||
| North Texas Mean Green(Conference USA)(2013–2015) | |||||||||
| 2013 | North Texas | 9–4 | 6–2 | T–2nd(West) | WHeart of Dallas | ||||
| 2014 | North Texas | 4–8 | 2–6 | 5th(West) | |||||
| 2015 | North Texas | 0–5[n 1] | 0–2[n 1] | [n 1] | |||||
| North Texas: | 22–32 | 15–19 | |||||||
| Total: | 78–117 | ||||||||
| National championshipConference titleConference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Notes
edit- ^abcMcCarney was fired after the first five games of the 2015 season.Mike Canaleswas appointed interim head coach and led the team for the final seven games of the season. North Texas finished the year with an overall record of 1–11 and a mark of 1–7 in conference play, placing last out of six teams inConference USA's West Division.
References
edit- ^Mackey, Chris (July 14, 2005)."McCarney inducted into City High Hall of Fame".Iowa State Daily.RetrievedNovember 18,2021.
- ^"IOWA ST. COACH SAYS DOMESTIC ABUSE CASE OVERBLOWN".RetrievedJanuary 17,2025.
- ^Hykes, Jenny."McCarney's outside income cut greatly".Iowa State Daily.RetrievedJanuary 17,2025.
- ^"Dan McCarney - Head Coach 1995-2006 - Staff Directory".Iowa State University Athletics.RetrievedJanuary 17,2025.
- ^Larson, Jared (January 31, 2022)."Legends Series: Dan McCarney reflects on his life and Iowa State Football".Wide Right & Natty Lite.RetrievedJanuary 17,2025.
- ^"espn.com".McCarney's resignation effective at season's end.RetrievedNovember 8,2006.
- ^"dmregister.com".Hayden Fry: McCarney will do a great job at North Texas.RetrievedDecember 1,2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^"McCarney resigns after 12 seasons at Iowa State".ESPN.com.November 9, 2006.RetrievedJanuary 17,2025.
- ^"Dan McCarney (2016) - Hall of Fame".Iowa State University Athletics.RetrievedJanuary 17,2025.
- ^"espn.com".Former Iowa State Coach joins South Florida staff.RetrievedFebruary 6,2007.
- ^Florida assistant Dan McCarney accepts North Texas head jobArchivedDecember 4, 2010, at theWayback Machine,Palm Beach Post, November 28, 2010.
- ^"North Texas Mean Green Football Record by Year".
- ^"Heart of Dallas Bowl - Nevada-Las Vegas vs North Texas Box Score, January 1, 2014".
- ^"North Texas Mean Green Football Record by Year".
- ^Evans, Thayer (October 10, 2015)."North Texas fires head coach Dan McCarney after 0–5 start".Sports Illustrated.RetrievedOctober 10,2015.
- ^"2015 North Texas Mean Green Schedule and Results".
- ^"Indiana at North Texas Box Score, September 24, 2011".
- ^"2012 facts"(PDF).
- ^"North Texas Mean Green Football Record by Year".
- ^"2011 facts"(PDF).
- ^"SMU vs. North Texas - Game Summary - September 6, 2014 - ESPN".
- ^"Mcubed.net: NCAA Football: Series Records: North Texas vs. Southern Methodist".
- ^Evans, Thayer (October 10, 2015)."North Texas Fires Head Coach Dan McCarney After 0–5 Start".Sports Illustrated.RetrievedOctober 10,2015.
- ^Sherman, Rodger (October 10, 2015)."FCS Portland State Beat North Texas So Badly, the Mean Green Immediately Fired Their Head Coach".SB Nation.RetrievedOctober 10,2015.