Reports: Texas interviewing Cal OC Tony Franklin

A quiet 24 hours for the Texas Longhorns in the pursuit of a new offensive coordinator gave way to the news that head coach Charlie Strong is interviewing California Golden Bears offensive coordinator Tony Franklin on Thursday, according to reports from Horns Digest and Orangebloods.

With Sonny Cumbie staying with the TCU Horned Frogs and no job offer out to Tulsa Golden Hurricane co-offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert in the wake of his interview on Wednesday, Franklin is now the third coach interviewed by Texas head coach Charlie Strong.

Running the so-called Bear Raid offense under head coach Sonny Dykes, Franklin has had a great deal of success during this three years in Berkeley, as his attacks have set numerous school records, in large part because of highly-talented junior quarterback Jared Goff:

Cal has set new single-season school marks in 2015 on the offensive side of the ball for passing yardage (4,425), passing touchdowns (38) and total offense (6,293) that were previously set in 2014 and has an opportunity to add more single-season marks during its bowl game in total yards per game (524.4 ypg in 2015, record 495.2 in 2014), passing yards per game (368.8 ypg in 2015, record 331.4 in 2013), completions (327 in 2015, record 368 in 2013), first downs (314 in 2015, record 321 in 2003), first downs passing (185 in 2015, record 188 in 2014) and yards per play (6.9 in 2015, record 7.03 in 2004).

If Texas decides to hire Franklin, it would be the culmination of a long climb back to the highest echelons of college football that has spanned nearly a decade now. Hired by Tommy Tuberville at Auburn following a successful stint at Troy, Franklin was scapegoated for the offense's early struggles in 2008, lasting only six games that season.

Relegated to Middle Tennessee State for the 2009 season, Franklin caught on with Dykes in 2010 at Louisiana Tech and has remained with him since,