Texas Coaching Changes: Setting The Table

None of this is happening in a vacuum. OU just won another conference title, A&M is on the upswing and will be playing in the DFW recruiting hotbed this bowl season, and LSU is still a 10 win program with an identity. These seem to be our main competitors for recruits right now.

Meanwhile, Texas is….

- Coming off a 5-7 season.
- Our HCIW left us as he was being groomed to take the reigns.
- We have no DC or OC.
- The only position coaches we have on staff have been rumored to other jobs and we have heard nothing from Mack/AD to refute these claims.
- Two of the coaches involved in the rumors (Giles and Major) played for Texas and neither have come forward to have Mack’s or our program’s back publicly.
- Several recruits have given statements about how they still want to honor their commitments to UT but that the coaching flux has them concerned.

Almost everything has to go right in order to get back to having an elite on the field product. Only a few things need to go wrong for us to be staring at what Tenn, Mich and Notre Dame have been dealing with for years.

Perception can easily be reality for 18 year olds.

I would ask one question before any other:

Is Mack Brown the best Texas can do? Do I trust a 60yo man to come in and essentially start my program over?

If not, then the answers to the questions presented by PB are largely cosmetic.

And incredible experience wil provide the guidance to get this ship back on track. He said that he is feeling great physically (I think he had knee surgery or something) and so I believe he is fired up to get this corrected.

My biggest complaint with him is his lack of urgency. This Mr. Nice Guy-I am waiting until after bowl games stuff is so 2 decades ago. We live in the electronic age with instant news and he still seems to be moving at a 1980’s pace.

I really wonder when Muschamp first talked to Florida. Another poster suggested that Urban’s decision and Florida’s instant hiring of Muschamp was secretly in the works for awhile. Makes me really wonder—cuz that was a lightning quick move by Florida.

These are the questions I wonder about. I am having trouble determining what actually happened. There are all sorts of rumors that Mack was thinking about stepping down soon (or maybe even told Muschamp he would). Is there any publically available evidence of a timeline or succession plan? I’m not saying there wasn’t one, but is there any evidence? I’m not sure what to believe.

While it is not a simple assignment putting the pieces in place, who else out there would you rather have at the helm?

…by choice. For him, it seems like being a kid in a candy store right now

Mack is sitting on another war chest of recruits with two high profile stepping stone coordinator positions open. He’s known as a CEO coach and a macro manager. And now that Muschamp has gone to Florida and Chizik is doing well at Auburn, they’ll lend credence to the power of his coaching tree.

Only reason a top coordinator wouldn’t come to Texas is he knows the current mess will all be on his shoulders and the fans will blame him before blaming Mack – though that may be changing.

Regardless, I think it’s still easier to exceed fan expectations after 5-7 than it is after 10-3. These coordinator spots are very enviable positions right now.

Mack gets some high profile guys in here, momentum will switch and the positivity will return…I also think a year of maturity, returning starters that were injured, and an infusion of talent will do wonders for the program.

Bottom line, if going back to the championship means going 5-7 firth, I’d rather ride the roller coaster than take the perennial 9-3 bus.

I think you’re assuming a lot with that statement.

Although I am nervous about what will happen, I consider myself fortunate to bear witness to the events that will shape the program’s future.

But assuming Mack still has drive and desire, he has the name, history, and, I think, the ability to pull more strings and get what he wants. When Mack speaks, people listen.

when was the last time y’all saw 5-7 under Mack Brown? Y’all are treading in new territory here. You cannot say all is well and if you are patient it will work itself out, when you have never been in this situation before.

it appears this was the only interview….interesting that it Shannon didn’t even get a real shot.

bleh.

ChipBrownOB

#Texas will announce Teryl Austin as its new defensive coordinator, www.Orangebloods.com has learned. #longhorns #hookem #ut

19 minutes ago via TweetDeck

A BIG RISK!!

I don’t understand this reach.

out there ASAP, because at the moment the media spin on this is not positive at all….he needs to (ahem, once again) change the current news cycle of negativity.

So c’mon Mack…..let’s get this “spin” going.

experience on the recruiting front, and he didn’t even have a say in florida’s defensive recruiting class because he came in late…….uh, not very re-assuring.

and he’s not a fiery guy, more of a calm teacher……so what means he is more of the “clap, clap, clap” kind of guy………bleh.

the only positive I’m hearing is that he has the potential to get the most out of the talent provided to him in terms of coaching a player up.

but I had been pretty dismissive toward all of the “I trust Mack to make the right decision” comments. On what premise is that attitude based?

I simply don’t trust Mack to make staff decisions. He repeatedly refused to get rid of Greg Davis. Ditto with McWorter. He’s screwed the pooch entirely regarding the Muschamp situation (IMO). Now Teryl Austin? Really?

It is possible both to love and distrust Mack simultaneously, which is more or less how I feel about the guy. When it comes to staff, he’s shown on more than one occasion that he really is the kind of person who has to be forced to do what’s best for the program.

Is anyone really all that surprised by this?

and man does my head throb.

“Came to Florida with a big time reputation for coaching defensive backs but this was first time as coordinator. Got the Florida job because of his conection with Billy Davis, the Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator who was Urban’s best man at his wedding to Shelley.

Florida intercepted 17 passes this season, which is tied for 11th nationally. Florida led the country for most of the year.

Coached Ahmad Black at UF, who made second team All-American. Corner Janoris Jenkins, who made first team All-SEC is expected to be a first round draft pick.

Florida defense is ranked ninth nationally in total defense, which isn’t a bad slip considering the Gators were fourth last year and this year Austin had to build a defense without linebackers Brandon Spikes (All-American), Ryan Stamper (All-SEC) and Dustin Doe (three-year starter), defensive ends Carlos Dunlap (All-American) and Jermaine Cunningham (All-SEC), who combined for 17 sacks, and corner Joe Haden (All-American) and safety Major Wright (All-SEC). Dunlap, Haden and Wright were juniors so Florida’s defense would have been substantially better.

Austin prefers about a 50-50 mix in 3-4 and 4-3 schemes. Prefers to get the pressure out of the front four and blitz only for surprise and effect, but this year had to rely more on the blitz than he intended since the Gators couldn’t get pressure from the front four.

Likes big defensive ends, something Florida didn’t have this year. Wants linebackers who can run laterally. More of an attack guy than a read and react.

In the secondary, likes playing one-high with the strong safety in the box to help take away the run. Plays press corners most of the time. Goes zone on third and long.

His schemes are very much NFL which requires plenty of film study by the players.

Soft spoken. Doesn’t raise his voice much. Let’s his assistant coaches do the yelling. Players say he’s easy to play for and they have a lot of respect for him. Very much known as a players’ coach. "