Texas HC Charlie Strong is in Fort Worth for meeting with TCU co-OC Sonny Cumbie

The meeting between Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong and TCU Horned Frogs offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie should happen some time early Sunday evening, as a plane owned by the Texas Board of Regents took off from Austin and landed in Fort Worth at 5:19 p.m. CT.

Horns247 reported the flight ($) after confirming the Sunday meeting that Orangebloods broke on Saturday not long after the Longhorns finished the 2015 season with an unexpected upset of the Baylor Bears in Waco.

Public knowledge of the Texas pursuit of Cumbie emerged from Orangebloods last Monday with the news that the TCU co-offensive coordinator was the top target for the Longhorns. In the immediate aftermath of that revelation, it appeared that the pursuit of Cumbie could be short-lived when his co-offensive coordinator Doug Meacham looked close to taking the head coaching job for the North Texas Mean Green.

But Meacham reportedly removed his name from contention as North Texas honed in on North Carolina offensive coordinator Seth Littrell, who officially took the job on Saturday, putting Cumbie back in play for Texas despite some belief from the TCU side early last week that he would remain in Fort Worth.

So Cumbie is clearly the top candidate and could receive a promotion at Texas by becoming the play caller, a role held by Meacham at TCU. He also could be in line for a huge payday if he takes the job in Austin, as there are multiple reports that he could receive a salary of $1 million or more from Texas, a strong sign that money is not an issue for Strong as he attempts to make the most important hire of his tenure with the Longhorns.

In 2014, only five assistants had such a lucrative contract (at leaest among public schools), but since TCU is a private institution, it's not required to report those salaries. However, it's safe to say that Cumbie would be in line for a significant raise.

Hiring Cumbie and allowing him the construct the offense in the image he see fit is hardly a guarantee, but he's the top candidate because he's the best available hire for the Longhorns. If Strong can make it happen, it would be best move he's made on offense in his two years by a wide margin.

Right now the key is Strong selling Cumbie on the opportunity and convincing him that he won't risk the advancement of his career by throwing in his lot with a coach who isn't guaranteed to last past the 2016 season at Texas.