Mack Brown told us he would focus on Major Applewhite's running back coach replacement after the Alamo Bowl.

And focus he did. Reports emerging a strong candidate interviewed for the job yesterday.

Larry Porter, the current running backs coach at Arizona State, is said to currently be in the lead spot for the opening.

Porter has long ties to the state of Texas, specifically Houston and southeast Texas, as this was his territory while assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator under Les Miles during his LSU tenure and before becoming the head coach at his alma mater Memphis State.

His resume is impressive having put many household name running backs in the NFL (Tatum Bell, Joe Addai).

The only draw back might be his ties, albeit a stretch, to Will Lyles. His name was included in some prior NCAA improprieties but they never stuck.