North Texas announced Monday that defensive coordinator John Skladany will retire at season’s end.
Skladany is in his third season at North Texas, and was a long-time lieutenant of Dan McCarney at Iowa State before the pair reunited in Denton.
“Johnny and I have been together for 13 years, 10 at Iowa State and three at North Texas. He is a phenomenal guy. I love him and I respect him,” McCarney told the Denton Record-Chronicle. “He and Sharron and their two daughters, we grew up together at Iowa State. This is his last game at Apogee Stadium and his last two in college football, so they are very meaningful for him. Even though it hasn’t shown with our record, I have never seen a guy give more, put more time in, care more and coach harder than John Skladany has this year.”
North Texas has struggled defensively this season, ranking 94th in scoring defense and 68th in yards per play in the midst of a 3-7 season. However, Skladany’s defense was a strength of last year’s 9-4, Heart of Dallas Bowl-winning team, ranking eighth nationally in scoring defense, fourth in takeaways and second in red zone defense.
North Texas will close out its home schedule Saturday against Florida International, and then end the season at UTSA on Nov. 29.
”It’s important that we send him off on a good note,” said linebacker Derek Akunne. “We are going to give a little more for everything he has done for us as players and to help this university. We owe it to him to him to send him out on a good note.”
In addition to North Texas and Iowa State, Skladany coached at Central Florida, Houston, Colorado State, Ohio, Maine, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and Utica (Ohio) High School.
(Photo credit: North Texas athletics)