The Texas Longhorns are 7-2 and are finally back in the top 25 with the Oklahoma State Cowboys coming to Austin. The Longhorns are riding high and some are already talking about Mack Brown saving his job for years to come. Some believe that the status quo will get us back to greatness. However, Texas can’t afford to not change any longer.
The Texas Longhorns under Mack Brown have turned it around. Credit has to go to Mack Brown. He finally saw that the Manny Diaz experiment failed and had Greg Robinson in his back pocket. He knew when he hired Greg Robinson in the summer, he had prepared for the unexpected and had Greg Robinson available just in case Diaz failed. It was a gamble that paid for Mack Brown. However, that points one character flaw in Mack Brown. He’s more of a friend to his assistant coaches instead of a boss. A boss will try to get you on his side but he will hold you accountable for expectations. It’s up to you to rise to the challenge or fall under the weight of the pressure. A friend looks out for your own best interests even if they get hurt in the process.
That’s Texas’s fault. They help to create the monster that is a complacent Mack Brown. People need pressure to perform at the highest level. Some people always have that pressure to succeed and never stop until there are dead. Some people work hard to get to a certain goal and then they coast. That is Mack Brown. He proved he was a great coach and now he is coasting.
So Mack Brown’s personality isn’t a fit for the Texas Longhorns anymore, and he isn’t the only coach at a big time program that isn’t a fit.
Lane Kiffin wasn’t a fit at USC and even though USC has turned it around, Ed Oregeron is not a long term answer for USC. Will Muschamp is facing the heat down in Florida and it’s not good. Mark Richt is also feeling some heat in Georgia. Bo Pelini and Nebraska have a love/hate relationship with each other and if their fanbase has their way, Nebraska will fire Bo Pelini.
So in the offseason, we could have USC, Florida, Georgia and Nebraska all have job openings. Those 4 jobs are going to be very popular amongst the hottest names in coaching right now. If Texas waits too long, it could be left with no viable options to replace Mack Brown. We all know Nick Saban is likely interested in the job. McPhaul is a guy who has connections so we know he is interested. But will he be like Mack Brown? Reached all his goals and coast? Who knows, however it’s not a bad thing to look at the guy who is hungry. A man who wants to prove to himself and college football that he has what it takes to be a big name college coach. That would be the perfect candidate for the Texas job.
The Longhorns can’t afford to not change. If they refuse to change and stay with the status quo, they will fall even further behind than they already are.
