If Seth Littrell ever needs a reminder of the three pillars upon which his program is built, all he has to do is look up from his desk. They’re printed on the shades covering North Texas’ windows looking into Apogee Stadium. 

“Selfless. Toughness. Discipline,” Littrell said. 

It’s a simple mantra, and it’s helped Littrell build the Mean Green from a one-win team into a bona fide Conference USA title contender.

“Sometimes that relaxed syndrome can hurt you. It’ll get you beat,” Littrell said. “It’s something we stress every day, but we reset it every day.”

Sustaining success at North Texas has never been easy. Also, difficult: Figuring out why. Football facilities on campus, from picturesque Apogee Stadium to the weight room, locker room and coaches’ offices are as competitive as any in the conference. UNT is on the north edge of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, one of the most talent-rich basins that programs from coast to coast can find talent. But for Littrell, none of that’s relevant. He has his program on the precipice of shattering the confounding trend.

“I can’t speak to the past, but it’s your culture. Making sure you don’t relax. Sometimes that relaxed syndrome can hurt you,” Littrell said. “It’ll get you beat.”

He’s the first coach to take North Texas to bowl games in his first two seasons, and in 2018, he’ll try to be just the second to reach bowls in three consecutive seasons. He already has a division title under his belt and brings back most of the key pieces from an offense that won it. With quarterback Mason Fine, the Mean Green are aiming much higher than just a bowl. This season is about chasing the C-USA title that eluded them a year ago, when Littrell improved from five wins to nine from year one to year two.

Fine, the reigning C-USA Offensive Player of the Year, gives the Mean Green a chance to beat almost anyone, and Lane Kiffin’s Florida Atlantic team, who handed UNT two losses in 2017, will defend its title without offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, who left for Houston.

Littrell developed his style by piecing together tidbits from his mentors, an anointed quintet of head coaches with plenty of trophies to their names.

“You have to be yourself. As soon as you try to be somebody else, it can get away from you. I can’t be Larry Fedora. You take things from every coach you’ve been with. There’s going to be strengths and stuff you liked,” Littrell said, “and some stuff that doesn’t fit you as well.” 

There’s Bob Stoops, who coached Oklahoma to the 2000 national title with Littrell as his fullback. Mark Mangino gave Littrell his first coaching job as a graduate assistant in 2002. He moved onto Mike Leach’s staff at Texas Tech for four years before spending three years on Mike Stoops’ staff at Arizona. After a two-year stop in Indiana, he joined Fedora’s North Carolina staff for two more seasons before landing his first head coaching job at just 38 years old. In his final season at North Carolina, the Tar Heels led the nation in yards per play. The journey crafted him into the coach North Texas hired, and now they’re enjoying the results.

Selfless. Toughness. Discipline. Call it the mantra that helped revive North Texas football.