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Texas Longhorns head coach Tom Herman sat down with the Dallas Morning News this week. Despite the coronavirus’ impact nationwide, Herman remains convinced that football will “return in some way, shape or form” in 2020. One reason he’s hopeful, the Morning News notes, is because he “still remembers where he was when President George W. Bush threw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium after 9/11. He thinks sports can be an outlet on the way to normalcy.” The problem: It’s unclear how normal normal will ever be again.
“Are we going to be playing football? My gut tells me yes for a lot of different reasons,” Herman told the Morning News. “The country needs it, our students need it, our fan base needs it. I go back to all the major tragedies that this country has endured, and sports has always been the thing that has unified us and taken our minds off whatever catastrophe that we’re dealing with.” The latter is certainly true. Let’s hope his instinct is telling him right.
WHAT THE WISE MEN ARE SAYING ABOUT THE LONGHORNS
Austin American-Statesman: Commitment 101: Three-star running back Jonathan Brooks is first-step in Texas’ running back plan
Austin American-Statesman: Commitment 101: Three-star wide receiver Casey Cain is high-upside playmaker
Sports Illustrated: Cautious optimism seems to be growing for a college football season
247Sports: Commitment analysis: What Texas gets in Jonathan Brooks
247Sports: Texas Morning Brew: When should anyone return to campus?
247Sports: What I think and what I know: Thoughts on Brooks and Cain
247Sports: A look at the top signees for each team on 2020 Texas schedule
247Sports: The State of Recruiting: Landen King and Dajon Harrison
ICYMI IN BURNT ORANGE NATION
3-star WR Casey cain commits to Texas
Multi-purpose running back Jonathan Brooks commits to Texas
WHAT WE’RE READING
SBNation: Loss of sports, loss and sports
The Ringer: The eternal allure and unifying power of the Michael Jordan Bulls
NEWS ACROSS THE LONGHORN REPUBLIC AND COLLEGE SPORTS
- USA Today thinks Texas football has what it takes to win big this year, per their game by game predictions. Here’s what Sports Illustrated had to say about it: “The stars are aligned for Tom Herman and Co. to dominate this upcoming season and make a run at a National Championship. With projected Heisman candidate Sam Ehlinger returning for his senior year, the introduction of scheme changes under the new coaching staff, and 16 returning starters, Texas is righteously hyped as a contender. New offensive coordinator, Mike Yurcich, will have an immediate impact on the offense, allowing Ehlinger to spread the ball out to all of his weapons including transfer receiver from Michigan, Tarik Black. While Herman isn’t on the hot seat just yet, anything but a Big XII championship will be considered a failure and will surely raise questions about the coach’s job security.”
@TRnerd34. https://t.co/FD3XhzcMgk
— Meredith Martin Hoffman (@mmartinhookem) May 13, 2020
- We’re bidding a fond farewell to Bill Sansing, Texas athletics’ first full-time sports information director, who passed away yesterday at the rip age of 100 years old.
Sad day with passing of Longhorn Legend Bill Sansing. A pioneer in the PR business, UT’s first-ever SID who later helped manage brands of the @dallascowboys & @jacknicklaus as a PR consultant. Wonderful man who laid the foundation for so many in @CoSIDAnews https://t.co/4sFOCR5Di9
— John Bianco (@UT_Bianco) May 14, 2020