Jerry Gray Interviewing With Titans

I bet he knows he’ll never come back to Texas if he leaves…but it’s his choice. I’d probably take the job if I was him.

Joked yesterday morning that he could start a consulting firm for hiring coaches now. I expect that Van Malone and Willie Mack Garza are on that list.

That would make some sense if Akina wants to come back already. He allegedly tried to back pedal but we had already gotten Gray. What a mess.

there’s no good timing for news like this. However, I think that he’s better off leaving now than for someone to commit and then possibly de-commit because of a coaching change. This is even worse timing than Muschamp leaving at the banquet, though.

that anyone of them really think like that. It’s why they always believe that someone with the necessary ability can be turned into a good player. There’s some institutional hubris there I think and it’s probably necessary to ever have any success in the first place.

As you mentioned, he has a strong reputation. From the sound of some things he said yesterday at the Longhorn Foundation luncheon, he believes in being aggressive and getting after the quarterback. Also said that he likes to use odd fronts to make it difficult for the offensive line. Against Peyton Manning he would call a base defense and then switch it in the last 11 seconds of the play clock so that Manning couldn’t get a pre-snap read. Likes to use extra defenders to blitz rather than rely on blanket coverage/coverage sacks.

We only offered him the job because we try to help out our alumns that have no talent. Believe me, you don’t want him. How quickly can you start a Veto Seto start campaign in Smashville?

Seriously, he is talented. He said that he wanted to come back to Texas to be closer to family, and everyone knows he interviewed but didn’t get the DC job. We were thrilled he would take a DB position job since we all know he is over-qualified. Everyone thought it was part in parcel that Coach Doom (Diaz) will either be a flop and be gone in 2-3 years and Gray would take the CD job. Or, Coach Doom will be like Coach Boom, and go off to a HC job in 2-3 years, and then Gray would be the next DC. It makes no sense to me that Coach Gray and Coach Brown did not discuss at length the fact that Gray is over-qualified but that this was a chance for him to come home and begin his Texas coaching career.

I am still in denial and holding out hope that Gray is only meeting with Munchak to help him evaluate in the vetting process for other candidates. Also, most Longhorns despise Bud Adams a little less than I, but it is still a lot. This will seal the deal.

I think he considers himself a DC all the way. Didn’t think he’d stay long but again the timing is terrible. The good news as GoBR mentions above is that Mack has his list in hand and it probably won’t take long to replace him. Also I don’t think there are a lot of DB’s at the first Junior Day.

… to work on the 2012 class.

So it’s now my hope that Scaife and Co. all leave town ASAP.

In big $ football coaches and players change constantly. It is part of the sport.

Coaches get fired all the time and so the failure to give a coach permission to interview is really a doulbe edge sword. If you invoke a no contact clause you may now have a disgruntled coach and that is like poison for morale, etc. I would expect that Mack doesn’t even ask for that. Unlike the Randy Shannan debacle, Mack has always told recruits that if you don’t want to be here he will help you get to where you want to go. He is probably the same with coaches.

It would not surprise me at all if Gray is having some second thoughts of taking orders from a younger, less experienced DC. He could have been 100% committed to us, but it just not working as the right fit at this time because we all know he is overqualifed. He is also a very competitive, smart defensive guy and he is probabably not much of a “yes” man. So, if he feels that he knows a better way he is going to be a handful for Diaz and it is so early that known of us can know how that dynamic is or isn’t working.

My intuition/instincts tell me that Mack probably told Gray to go interview for this job so that you do not have any regrets. If it is a better fit, it is meant to be and Mack would probably tell Gray that he is at the top of his list if the DC job re-opens. If Gray goes and decides he still wants to be the DB coach at Texas then he will have no resentment or “what ifs” to worry about. Also, Gray would know that he met with his friend Munchak, and helped him look at other candidates and ways to market the Titans DC position. Whatever is meant to be will happen and will be for the best. I don’t want a “trapped” Jerry Gray on our coaching staff anymore than I want a player like Westerman that is always looking at the shiny new penny across town.

This is part of football, and recuits/players simply have to get used to it and get over it. A player can sign with a team, and depending on his “no trade clause” be traded away. Other players get hurt. Teamates and best friends get traded. Coaches leave for greener pastures. If a recruit/player thinks he is committing to a position coach (a la Westerman) they are just in for a life a grief. There is simply very little stability in this sport, and the sooner these guys look at the whole picture and not one small part the better off they will be. Professional athletes get paid big bucks, but security is not one of the benefits of their chosen career.

Well, maybe not entirely but damn, it does make me nauseous.

Smiles, smiles, smiles

I’m just glad we have this place to vent with others willing to hear our angst and venting. Cuz my family and co-workers sure don’t like hearing me try to explain my daily longhorn drama.