Bohls: Angry eyes of Texas are upon Tom Herman
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1. Not just a song. Texas President Jay Hartzell and athletic director Chris Del Conte blew it. Pure and simple. They didn’t get out ahead of the raging firestorm over “The Eyes of Texas” that will not go away. Those two should have done a better job squelching the furor this summer. I don’t think Texas will ever agree to get rid of the song. Hartzell has formed a committee and charged it with not deciding the song’s future, but “understanding the history. The charge does not include getting rid of it,” a UT source said. Texas had made strides in removing the names of people with racist connections or pasts from campus buildings, renaming the football field after Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams and erecting a statue for Julius Whittier, UT’s first black football letterman. And it should keep doing more to go forward in a positive way that helps UT distance itself from a negative racial perception. ... Tom Herman should not be “encouraging” his players to stay on the field as he said. He should
tell them and his staff to remain on the field to thank the fans for their support and remind them singing “The Eyes” is optional. Isn’t he in charge? He painted himself into a corner when he was adamant about advocating strong stands by his players and is now paying an unfortunate price. “People are upset, and there’s a lot of anger at the players and Tom Herman,” the source said. “He fanned the flames.” ... The image of Sam Ehlinger standing alone at the Cotton Bowl singing “The Eyes” was a seminal moment and endeared him even more to thousands of fans but also sent a bad message of a divided team. “The Eyes” is a piece of Longhorns’ souls, a unity-building song that was not adopted to degrade Black people but to bring students and alumni together with a tighter bond. I see no need to throw out the song with the bath water, but the waters are swirling.
2. Who’s got next? Herman had better run the table or go 5-1 down the stretch and go to a big bowl if he wants to save his job. If the meltdown continues and Texas limps home with a 5-5 season, boosters will come up with the minimum $35 million to pay his tree-year buyout and his staff and the first year of a new staff. A prominent Longhorns power broker told me Tuesday he isn’t sure Herman is gone. “I think there is a wait-and-see attitude. The thing to watch is whether the team stays on the field after the next game. I think that is a good indicator as to whether he has lost the team or not.” ... The source does not think Texas has lost $25 million in donations and pledges because so many athletic contributions “are locked in,” but the threats to do so are real. ... The suggestions on a potential new coach start and pretty much end with Urban Meyer and 49ers coach/Horn ex Kyle Shanahan second in line. Firing Herman would send a horrible message as a university, which cries poverty at the same time the school has announced furloughs and layoffs. Then again, football is king.
https://www.statesman.com/news/20201013/bohls-angry-eyes-of-texas-are-upon-tom-herman
