North Texas defeated SMU 46–23 at Apogee Stadium to open their 2018 season .
The North Texas Mean Green football team competes as part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), representing North Texas University as part of the Conference USA (C-USA). North Texas left C-USA and joined the American Athletic Conference for the 2023 season.[ 1] Since 2023, the team's current head coach has been Eric Morris .
The Mean Green have played 106 seasons of football, compiling a record of 530–527–33 (.501) and winning 26 conference championships (1 in the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association, 8 in the Lone Star Conference, 5 in the Gulf Coast Conference, 6 in the Missouri Valley Conference, 2 in the Southland Conference, and 4 in the Sun Belt Conference). The Mean Green appeared in 12 bowl games, and they appeared in the FCS playoffs four times.
North Texas fielded their first team in 1913 under coach J. W. Pender .[ 2] After competing as an independent during their early years, the then named Eagles joined the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association (TIAA) in 1922 , and were TIAA champions in 1931 .[ 3] Next as a member of the Lone Star Conference from 1932 to 1948, the Eagles captured eight championships. In 1946 , North Texas defeated Pacific (CA) in the Optimist Bowl for their first all-time bowl victory.[ 4] The Eagles' would win another 11 combined conference championships as members of the Gulf Coast Conference and the Missouri Valley Conference from 1949 to 1974.
After a brief stint as an I-A Independent from 1975 to 1981, the Mean Green participated in their first NCAA Division I-AA postseason in 1983 after they won the Southland Conference championship, when they lost at Nevada .[ 5] North Texas moved back to the I-A Division in 1995 , and were defeated in their first modern bowl game by Colorado State in the 2001 New Orleans Bowl .
Seasons
Conference champions †
Bowl game/postseason berth ^
Season
Team
Coach
Conference
Season results
Bowl result
Final ranking
Conference finish
Wins
Losses
Ties
Winning percentage
AP Poll
Coaches Poll
1913
1913
J. W. Pender
Independent
—
0
1
0
.000
—
—
—
1914
1914
—
3
3
0
0.500
—
—
—
1915
1915
James W. St. Clair
—
5
1
1
0.786
—
—
—
1916
1916
—
4
3
1
0.563
—
—
—
1917
1917
—
6
1
0
0.857
—
—
—
1918
1918
—
1
2
1
0.375
—
—
—
1919
1919
—
5
3
0
0.625
—
—
—
1920
1920
Theron J. Fouts
—
7
1
0
0.875
—
—
—
1921
1921
—
3
3
0
0.500
—
—
—
1922
1922
Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association
2nd
5
2
1
0.688
—
—
—
1923
1923
6th
3
5
0
0.375
—
—
—
1924
1924
2nd
5
3
1
0.611
—
—
—
1925
1925
John B. Reid
T–4th
6
4
0
0.600
—
—
—
1926
1926
T–2nd
5
3
1
0.611
—
—
—
1927
1927
T–9th
1
6
2
0.222
—
—
—
1928
1928
5th
4
5
0
0.444
—
—
—
1929
1929
Jack Sisco
2nd
4
3
2
0.556
—
—
—
1930
1930
3rd
5
4
1
0.550
—
—
—
1931
1931 †
1st †
8
3
0
0.727
—
—
—
1932
1932 †
Lone Star Conference
1st †
8
1
1
0.850
—
—
—
1933
1933
3rd
3
4
2
0.444
—
—
—
1934
1934
T–2nd
5
4
0
0.556
—
—
—
1935
1935 †
T–1st †
5
3
1
0.611
—
—
—
1936
1936 †
1st †
6
2
1
0.722
—
—
—
1937
1937
2nd
4
4
2
0.500
—
—
—
1938
1938
3rd
7
4
0
0.636
—
—
—
1939
1939 †
1st †
6
1
0
0.857
—
—
—
1940
1940 †
1st †
6
3
0
0.667
—
—
—
1941
1941 †
1st †
7
1
0
0.875
—
—
—
1942
1942
Lloyd Russell
3rd
3
5
0
0.375
—
—
—
1946
1946 †
Odus Mitchell
1st †
7
3
1
0.682
Won Optimist Bowl vs. Pacific (CA) , 14–13 ^
—
—
1947
1947 †
1st †
10
2
0
0.833
Lost Salad Bowl vs. Nevada , 6–13 ^
—
—
1948
1948
2nd
6
4
0
0.600
—
—
—
1949
1949
Gulf Coast Conference
2nd
8
4
0
0.667
—
—
—
1950
1950 †
1st †
7
2
1
0.750
—
—
—
1951
1951 †
1st †
8
4
0
0.667
—
—
—
1952
1952 †
1st †
7
3
0
0.700
—
—
—
1953
1953
2nd
3
6
1
0.350
—
—
—
1954
1954
2nd
4
6
0
0.400
—
—
—
1955
1955 †
T–1st †
5
4
1
0.550
—
—
—
1956
1956 †
T–1st †
7
2
1
0.750
—
—
—
1957
1957
Missouri Valley Conference
2nd
5
5
0
0.500
—
—
—
1958
1958 †
1st †
7
2
1
0.750
—
—
—
1959
1959 †
T–1st †
9
2
0
0.818
Lost Sun Bowl vs. New Mexico State , 8–28 ^
—
—
1960
1960
4th
2
6
1
0.278
—
—
—
1961
1961
T–2nd
5
4
1
0.550
—
—
—
1962
1962
2nd
6
4
0
0.600
—
—
—
1963
1963
T–3rd
3
6
0
0.333
—
—
—
1964
1964
T–4th
2
7
1
0.250
—
—
—
1965
1965
T–3rd
3
7
0
0.300
—
—
—
1966
1966 †
T–1st †
8
2
0
0.800
—
—
—
1967
1967 †
Rod Rust
1st †
7
1
1
0.833
—
—
—
1968
1968
2nd
8
2
0
0.800
—
—
—
1969
1969
2nd
7
3
0
0.700
—
—
—
1970
1970
4th
3
8
0
0.273
—
—
—
1971
1971 †
1st †
3
8
0
0.273
—
—
—
1972
1972
8th
1
10
0
0.091
—
—
—
1973
1973 †
Hayden Fry
T–1st †
5
5
1
0.500
—
—
—
1974
1974
6th
2
7
2
0.273
—
—
—
1975
1975
NCAA Division I/I-A independent
—
7
4
0
0.636
—
—
—
1976
1976
—
7
4
0
0.636
—
—
—
1977
1977
—
10
1
0
0.909
—
—
16
1978
1978
—
9
2
0
0.818
—
—
—
1979
1979
Jerry Moore
—
5
6
0
0.455
—
—
—
1980
1980
—
6
5
0
0.545
—
—
—
1981
1981
Bob Tyler
—
2
9
0
0.182
—
—
—
1982
1982
Corky Nelson
Southland Conference
NA
2
9
0
0.182
—
—
—
1983
1983 †
T–1st †
8
4
0
0.667
Lost NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal vs. Nevada , 17–20 OT ^
—
—
1984
1984
T–6th
2
9
0
0.182
—
—
—
1985
1985
T–5th
4
6
1
0.409
—
—
—
1986
1986
T–2nd
6
4
0
0.600
—
—
—
1987
1987
T–2nd
7
5
0
0.583
Lost NCAA Division I-AA First Round vs. Northeast Louisiana , 9–30 ^
—
—
1988
1988
3rd
8
4
0
0.667
Lost NCAA Division I-AA First Round vs. Marshall , 0–7 ^
—
—
1989
1989
T–5th
5
6
0
0.455
—
—
—
1990
1990
6th
6
5
0
0.545
—
—
—
1991
1991
Dennis Parker
T–6th
3
7
1
0.318
—
—
—
1992
1992
5th
4
7
0
0.364
—
—
—
1993
1993
T–5th
4
7
0
0.364
—
—
—
1994
1994 †
Matt Simon
1st †
7
4
1
0.625
Lost NCAA Division I-AA First Round vs. Boise State , 20–24 ^
—
—
1995
1995
NCAA Division I-A independent
—
2
9
0
0.182
—
—
—
1996
1996
Big West Conference
T–3rd
5
6
—
0.455
—
—
—
1997
1997
T–4th
4
7
—
0.364
—
—
—
1998
1998
Darrell Dickey
T–2nd
3
8
—
0.273
—
—
—
1999
1999
7th
2
9
—
0.182
—
—
—
2000
2000
T–3rd
3
8
—
0.273
—
—
—
2001
2001 †
Sun Belt Conference
1st †
5
7
—
0.455
Lost New Orleans Bowl vs. Colorado State , 20–45 ^
—
—
2002
2002 †
1st †
8
5
—
0.615
Won New Orleans Bowl vs. Cincinnati , 24–19 ^
—
—
2003
2003 †
1st †
9
4
—
0.692
Lost New Orleans Bowl vs. Memphis , 17–27 ^
—
—
2004
2004 †
1st †
7
5
—
0.583
Lost New Orleans Bowl vs. Southern Miss , 10–31 ^
—
—
2005
2005
7th
2
9
—
0.182
—
—
—
2006
2006
7th
3
9
—
0.250
—
—
—
2007
2007
Todd Dodge
7th
2
10
—
0.167
—
—
—
2008
2008
8th
1
11
—
0.083
—
—
—
2009
2008
8th
2
10
—
0.167
—
—
—
2010
2010
Todd DodgeMike Canales
T–6th
3
9
—
0.250
—
—
—
2011
2011
Dan McCarney
5th
5
7
—
0.417
—
—
—
2012
2012
T–6th
4
8
—
0.333
—
—
—
2013
2013
Conference USA
T–2nd (West)
9
4
—
0.692
Won Heart of Dallas Bowl vs. UNLV , 36–14 ^
—
—
2014
2014
5th (West)
4
8
—
0.333
—
—
—
2015
2015
Dan McCarney Mike Canales
6th (West)
1
11
—
0.083
—
—
—
2016
2016
Seth Littrell
4th (West)
5
8
—
0.385
Lost Heart of Dallas Bowl vs. Army , 31–38 ^
—
—
2017
2017
1st (West)
9
5
—
0.643
Lost New Orleans Bowl vs. Troy , 30–50 ^
—
—
2018
2018
T–2nd (West)
9
4
—
0.692
Lost New Mexico Bowl vs. Utah State , 13–52 ^
—
—
2019
2019
T–4th (West)
4
8
—
0.333
—
—
—
2020
2020
4th (West)
4
6
—
0.400
Lost Myrtle Beach Bowl vs. Appalachian State , 28–56 ^
—
—
2021
2021
3rd (West)
6
7
—
0.462
Lost Frisco Football Classic vs. Miami (OH) , 14–27 ^
—
—
2022
2022
Seth LittrellPhil Bennett
T–2nd
7
7
—
0.500
Lost Frisco Bowl vs. Boise State , 32–35 ^
—
—
2023
2023
Eric Morris
American Athletic Conference
T–8th
5
7
—
0.417
—
—
—
References
^ "UNT Accepted as Member of the American Athletic Conference" (Press release). UNT Athletics. October 21, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021 .
^ "Denton Normal Is Outplayed By T. C. U." Fort Worth Star-Telegram . November 23, 1913. p. 23. Retrieved October 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Round About Town" . Denton Record-Chronicle . Denton, Texas . December 10, 1931. p. 1. Retrieved June 10, 2020 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Last-second pass whips Staggmen" . Los Angeles Times . December 22, 1946. Retrieved November 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Reno decks NTSU" . Fort Worth Star-Telegram . December 4, 1983. Retrieved October 29, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
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