HornSports Staff
HornSports.com
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Well everyone, I hope you’ve had a Happy New Year so far. Well, with every New Year there are fireworks and there certainly were a few of those throughout the Longhorn Nation since the Alamo Bowl last week. The twists and turns have been unseen, unpredictable, and perhaps even dangerous at times when one considers the careers involved. One thing is for certain: Red McCombs is NOT happy with the way things went down! Why isn’t Nick Saban coming to Austin? Did Steve Patterson circumvent the entire Head Coaching Search Committee altogether? If so, what are the ramifications as it pertains to his career at the 40 Acres going forward? It’s obvious we’re going be a tougher squad in ’14 however do ANY of the current coaches survive? Where do we go from here? And finally, what does our old buddy “Friend of Bevo” have to say about all of this? Can he read the tea leaves for us?
Oh, there were indeed fireworks this past week at the 40 Acres and we’ll discuss all of that and more in this week’s “Crossfire.” On to our conversation with Friend of Bevo”:
FRIEND OF BEVO- SABAN, THE LAST CHAPTER
McPhaul: Thanks for meeting with me today.
Friend of Bevo: Hello Darrell, sorry I couldn't meet with you earlier.
McPhaul: No worries. I appreciate you taking time-out to meet with me.
Friend of Bevo: You bet. We have a lot to talk about.
McPhaul: I like the sound of that! I’ve been going back and forth on whether I even wanted to bring up the Saban saga or just move on and talk about the future- what do you think?
Friend of Bevo: Let’s close it out.
McPhaul: So, what happened?
Friend of Bevo: First of all, you and that other cat they call Jesus Christ were pretty much on the money throughout this whole process.
McPhaul: (laughing) They don’t call him Jesus Christ- they call him Jesus Shuttlesworth.
Friend of Bevo: What the Hell kind of name is that? (laughing).
McPhaul: It’s a fictitious character from a movie.
Friend of Bevo: OK, let’s move on. So you want to know what happened with Saban? Regardless of what may be out there in the media, there was indeed a contract put together for Saban and approved by the University of Texas AND by Bill Powers or it would have never gone out the door. That’s Texas way of “saving face”- it makes it look like we really weren’t pursuing Saban when in fact we were. I think it’s crazy that we are even trying to paint this perception that Saban never had a contract from us!
McPhaul: He received a contract from us- why did he turn us down?
Friend of Bevo: Saban got a feeling that he wasn’t the choice of Powers or Patterson. Saban was having more conversations with the BMD’s than he was the AD & President of the University. The “powers that be” in Dallas were excited to Saban aboard. Red was excited to have Saban aboard.
McPhaul: Was there ever any indication from the BMD’s that Patterson was not on board with the hiring of Saban?
Friend of Bevo: ABSOLTELY NOT! That is why everyone was caught off guard and dumbfounded when the offer when out to Strong!
THE HEAD COACH SEARCH COMMITTEE AND STEVE PATTERSON
McPhaul: I know for a fact after speaking with multiple sources that there were a lot of your buddies that were not pleased with an offer going out to Charlie Strong SO FAST. There are NOT HAPPY!
Friend of Bevo: Darrell, first of all after speaking with my friends NO ONE is displeased with the selection of Charlie Strong as our next Head Coach. What they were displeased with was the lack of input they had in the selection of Charlie Strong as our next Head Coach. Those are 2 separate issues altogether! There was a selection committee that put forth a list of criteria that the next Head Coach needed to meet or exceed to be named as a candidate. Patterson however took the criteria that the selection committee put together and selected the candidate that HE wanted based upon that very criteria- locking the selection committee out of the hiring process altogether. Nevertheless, just to be clear - EVERYONE is on-board with Charlie as our Head Coach.
McPhaul: So what are the ramifications of this with Steve Patterson and BMD’s going forward?
Friend of Bevo: Well I will say this much, the most successful Head Coaches at the University of Texas, Darrell Royal and Mack Brown, both needed and had the BMD’s in the corners for the most part of their tenures at Texas. Now concerning Patterson, this was his hire and his hire alone. He had no qualms about making it. He simply did his job. If for some reason Coach Strong doesn’t work out at Texas, Steve Patterson is smart enough to know that this hiring is his responsibility. We at Texas do forgive but we don’t forget. I can assure you none of the BMD’s or their sons will forget what Steve Patterson did with this hiring. Let’s all hope everything works out.
DEEP THOUGHTS WITH RED MCCOMBS..
McPhaul: What about Red McCombs and his lashing out about Strong’s hiring and the stuff said about Gruden?
Friend of Bevo: Good night! Wasn’t that embarrassing?!
McPhaul: You tell me.
Friend of Bevo: Keep in mind, Red was not part of the Selection Committee for a reason.
McPhaul: Why is that?
Friend of Bevo: Red did not move off of the Mack Brown wagon until it was too late. Next, the Dallas contingency had already moved on as it pertains to Mack and when Red finally decided to get on board it was too late as far as these guys were concerned. Next, keep in mind when Red is on a committee he believes that HE is the committee.
When Red caught wind that Saban was not going to come here, Red took it upon himself to find the next Head Coach at the University of Texas ala John Gruden.
McPhaul: How far along was Red with Gruden?
Friend of Bevo: Red thought he had him that is why he is pissed-off Darrell!
McPhaul: Is this the end of Red McCombs as a BMD at UT?
Friend of Bevo: I highly doubt it. After Steve speaks with Red and reconciles things I’m sure everything will be fine again however it’s sad that Red has brought a bad light to his name and this University with this recent event.
NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN WITH A NEW PHILOSOPHY
McPhaul: Let’s move on to Coach Strong.
Friend of Bevo: OK, what do you want to discuss?
McPhaul: What are your initial thoughts about Strong as Head Coach?
Friend of Bevo: The more I read about the man the more intrigued I become. Not only by his coaching acumen but the type of man that he is. It is apparent to me that he has a lot of “on the job training” that will be coming his way as would be the case with whoever the next Head Coach at Texas would be. I can see the cultural dynamics of the Athletic Department changing drastically with his hiring.
McPhaul: Combined with Steve Patterson’s hiring, is that a good or bad thing?
Friend of Bevo: If it was indeed our intention to change the culture of a “good old boy” system that has been cultivated under the Dodds & Brown era then we couldn’t have made a better selection with these 2 hirings. As we have already seen, Steve Patterson is his own man and is not afraid of the consequences that come with his decisions. You have to respect that!
WHAT IS THE PIT?
McPhaul: What types of coaches will Strong be bringing in?
Friend of Bevo: As we just discussed with the cultural change, a lot of that is going to begin with the Strength and Conditioning Coaching hiring. As you are aware neither Jeff Madden nor Bennie Wylie will be retained.
McPhaul: I know how you feel about Jeff Madden. What are your thoughts about Bennie Wylie and his lack of progress while at the 40 Acres from a S&C impact on our program?
Friend of Bevo: I don’t know what the metrics from a measurement standpoint were for Bennie so I cannot give you a fair evaluation of whether he did or did not do a good job while at UT. Nevertheless Charlie will bring on his own guy in Pat Moorer. He is from Florida and doesn’t screw around. In the past, guys at UT could get injured and would avoid having to work while rehabbing. Not the case with Moorer. You know about “the Pit.” Let’s just say this about “the Pit” not the place where you want to be. (wryly smiling)
Off-season work-outs begin when the team reports back after the holidays. This off-season we’re going to separate the boys from the men. With the new culture there will be accountability in the weight room like there hasn’t before. It will be a cultural shock for these boys!
McPhaul: Do you think we’re going to lose guys over this?
Friend of Bevo: Every time you have a coaching change you’re going to lose guys over it. Some guys are just not going to want to do what is going to be done to stick around going forward. Now as it comes to offensive vs defensive philosophy and how it may jibe with a player’s talents, more offensive players are interested in seeing what kind of offense we’re going to run. The defensive guys are probably pumped because Strong is a defensive coach and he knows how to coach defense.
On the flipside, in recent years we have recruited an awful lot of receivers expecting to run the spread. These guys will want to know if we are going to run the spread or move to something more conservative offensively before making a decision on whether or not this is the place for them. Strong has stated that he wants to incorporate the spread but be able to run the ball as well so. There should be a place for everyone that is here already provided they develop the right attitude.
McPhaul: We know Strong wants to bring along Vance Bedford. What are your thoughts on Bedford?
Friend of Bevo: First of all he’s a UT Alum. From Beaumont, former all-SWC Defensive Back. Coached under Lloyd Carr, Urban Meyer. Coached DB’s for the Bears for 6 years. The guy was DC at Okie State for 2 seasons before moving to Louisville. Good pedigree. As we’re all aware there is always talent coming out of the Golden Triangle area (Earl Thomas, Tony Brown come immediately to mind!)
McPhaul: What about the Linebacker’s Coach that he has coming with him.
Friend of Bevo: Heard he was up for award for position coaches. Don’t know much about him.
ANY COACHES ON THE CURRENT STAFF MAKE THE CUT?
McPhaul: I know we’re running short on time. Any coaches on current staff that Strong may retain?
Friend of Bevo: He’s met with several of the members of the staff on Tuesday. The remainder will be met with on Thursday. By the end of the week we will have a clearer understanding of who will/will not be retained.
McPhaul: Care to guess who will be retained?
Friend of Bevo: Porter, Wyatt, Searels, and Giles will get the most consideration.
McPhaul: Not Akina?
Friend of Bevo: I’m really not sure- I haven’t heard his name mentioned.
McPhaul: What about Major?
Friend of Bevo: Major would LOVE to be retained in some capacity but I’m not sure that is going to work out.
McPhaul: What about Patrick Suddes?
Friend of Bevo: My understanding was he has been retained.
McPhaul: I know you gotta go. Thanks for your time.
Friend of Bevo: You bet.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Well, my Daddy used to tell me “son, may you live in interesting times.” Well Dad, if you were still here you would see that I do indeed live in interesting times. Do I feel good about where we are as a Football Program and Athletic Program going forward? Yes I do but I say that with some apprehension simply because as I stated earlier this week in a post, “Patterson had the bases loaded for him to ‘swing for the fences’ and what did he do? He squared around and bunted.”
The more I read and get to know about Charlie Strong I like. I think he is a solid hire and an 180 degree about face from where we were with the previous regime. My apprehension lies within the staff that Strong surrounds himself. Going after “middle of the road” assistant coaches as hires when people are expecting Home Runs is no way to ingratiate yourself to a still unconvinced fan base. We shall see how this staff comes together. Until then I want to take a “wait and see” approach to whether or not Charlie Strong is the great hire that I think he can become. Until next week- Hook ‘em and Welcome the the 40 Acres Coach Strong!
McPhaul
Oh, there were indeed fireworks this past week at the 40 Acres and we’ll discuss all of that and more in this week’s “Crossfire.” On to our conversation with Friend of Bevo”:
FRIEND OF BEVO- SABAN, THE LAST CHAPTER
McPhaul: Thanks for meeting with me today.
Friend of Bevo: Hello Darrell, sorry I couldn't meet with you earlier.
McPhaul: No worries. I appreciate you taking time-out to meet with me.
Friend of Bevo: You bet. We have a lot to talk about.
McPhaul: I like the sound of that! I’ve been going back and forth on whether I even wanted to bring up the Saban saga or just move on and talk about the future- what do you think?
Friend of Bevo: Let’s close it out.
McPhaul: So, what happened?
Friend of Bevo: First of all, you and that other cat they call Jesus Christ were pretty much on the money throughout this whole process.
McPhaul: (laughing) They don’t call him Jesus Christ- they call him Jesus Shuttlesworth.
Friend of Bevo: What the Hell kind of name is that? (laughing).
McPhaul: It’s a fictitious character from a movie.
Friend of Bevo: OK, let’s move on. So you want to know what happened with Saban? Regardless of what may be out there in the media, there was indeed a contract put together for Saban and approved by the University of Texas AND by Bill Powers or it would have never gone out the door. That’s Texas way of “saving face”- it makes it look like we really weren’t pursuing Saban when in fact we were. I think it’s crazy that we are even trying to paint this perception that Saban never had a contract from us!
McPhaul: He received a contract from us- why did he turn us down?
Friend of Bevo: Saban got a feeling that he wasn’t the choice of Powers or Patterson. Saban was having more conversations with the BMD’s than he was the AD & President of the University. The “powers that be” in Dallas were excited to Saban aboard. Red was excited to have Saban aboard.
McPhaul: Was there ever any indication from the BMD’s that Patterson was not on board with the hiring of Saban?
Friend of Bevo: ABSOLTELY NOT! That is why everyone was caught off guard and dumbfounded when the offer when out to Strong!
THE HEAD COACH SEARCH COMMITTEE AND STEVE PATTERSON
McPhaul: I know for a fact after speaking with multiple sources that there were a lot of your buddies that were not pleased with an offer going out to Charlie Strong SO FAST. There are NOT HAPPY!
Friend of Bevo: Darrell, first of all after speaking with my friends NO ONE is displeased with the selection of Charlie Strong as our next Head Coach. What they were displeased with was the lack of input they had in the selection of Charlie Strong as our next Head Coach. Those are 2 separate issues altogether! There was a selection committee that put forth a list of criteria that the next Head Coach needed to meet or exceed to be named as a candidate. Patterson however took the criteria that the selection committee put together and selected the candidate that HE wanted based upon that very criteria- locking the selection committee out of the hiring process altogether. Nevertheless, just to be clear - EVERYONE is on-board with Charlie as our Head Coach.
McPhaul: So what are the ramifications of this with Steve Patterson and BMD’s going forward?
Friend of Bevo: Well I will say this much, the most successful Head Coaches at the University of Texas, Darrell Royal and Mack Brown, both needed and had the BMD’s in the corners for the most part of their tenures at Texas. Now concerning Patterson, this was his hire and his hire alone. He had no qualms about making it. He simply did his job. If for some reason Coach Strong doesn’t work out at Texas, Steve Patterson is smart enough to know that this hiring is his responsibility. We at Texas do forgive but we don’t forget. I can assure you none of the BMD’s or their sons will forget what Steve Patterson did with this hiring. Let’s all hope everything works out.
DEEP THOUGHTS WITH RED MCCOMBS..
McPhaul: What about Red McCombs and his lashing out about Strong’s hiring and the stuff said about Gruden?
Friend of Bevo: Good night! Wasn’t that embarrassing?!
McPhaul: You tell me.
Friend of Bevo: Keep in mind, Red was not part of the Selection Committee for a reason.
McPhaul: Why is that?
Friend of Bevo: Red did not move off of the Mack Brown wagon until it was too late. Next, the Dallas contingency had already moved on as it pertains to Mack and when Red finally decided to get on board it was too late as far as these guys were concerned. Next, keep in mind when Red is on a committee he believes that HE is the committee.
When Red caught wind that Saban was not going to come here, Red took it upon himself to find the next Head Coach at the University of Texas ala John Gruden.
McPhaul: How far along was Red with Gruden?
Friend of Bevo: Red thought he had him that is why he is pissed-off Darrell!
McPhaul: Is this the end of Red McCombs as a BMD at UT?
Friend of Bevo: I highly doubt it. After Steve speaks with Red and reconciles things I’m sure everything will be fine again however it’s sad that Red has brought a bad light to his name and this University with this recent event.
NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN WITH A NEW PHILOSOPHY
McPhaul: Let’s move on to Coach Strong.
Friend of Bevo: OK, what do you want to discuss?
McPhaul: What are your initial thoughts about Strong as Head Coach?
Friend of Bevo: The more I read about the man the more intrigued I become. Not only by his coaching acumen but the type of man that he is. It is apparent to me that he has a lot of “on the job training” that will be coming his way as would be the case with whoever the next Head Coach at Texas would be. I can see the cultural dynamics of the Athletic Department changing drastically with his hiring.
McPhaul: Combined with Steve Patterson’s hiring, is that a good or bad thing?
Friend of Bevo: If it was indeed our intention to change the culture of a “good old boy” system that has been cultivated under the Dodds & Brown era then we couldn’t have made a better selection with these 2 hirings. As we have already seen, Steve Patterson is his own man and is not afraid of the consequences that come with his decisions. You have to respect that!
WHAT IS THE PIT?
McPhaul: What types of coaches will Strong be bringing in?
Friend of Bevo: As we just discussed with the cultural change, a lot of that is going to begin with the Strength and Conditioning Coaching hiring. As you are aware neither Jeff Madden nor Bennie Wylie will be retained.
McPhaul: I know how you feel about Jeff Madden. What are your thoughts about Bennie Wylie and his lack of progress while at the 40 Acres from a S&C impact on our program?
Friend of Bevo: I don’t know what the metrics from a measurement standpoint were for Bennie so I cannot give you a fair evaluation of whether he did or did not do a good job while at UT. Nevertheless Charlie will bring on his own guy in Pat Moorer. He is from Florida and doesn’t screw around. In the past, guys at UT could get injured and would avoid having to work while rehabbing. Not the case with Moorer. You know about “the Pit.” Let’s just say this about “the Pit” not the place where you want to be. (wryly smiling)
Off-season work-outs begin when the team reports back after the holidays. This off-season we’re going to separate the boys from the men. With the new culture there will be accountability in the weight room like there hasn’t before. It will be a cultural shock for these boys!
McPhaul: Do you think we’re going to lose guys over this?
Friend of Bevo: Every time you have a coaching change you’re going to lose guys over it. Some guys are just not going to want to do what is going to be done to stick around going forward. Now as it comes to offensive vs defensive philosophy and how it may jibe with a player’s talents, more offensive players are interested in seeing what kind of offense we’re going to run. The defensive guys are probably pumped because Strong is a defensive coach and he knows how to coach defense.
On the flipside, in recent years we have recruited an awful lot of receivers expecting to run the spread. These guys will want to know if we are going to run the spread or move to something more conservative offensively before making a decision on whether or not this is the place for them. Strong has stated that he wants to incorporate the spread but be able to run the ball as well so. There should be a place for everyone that is here already provided they develop the right attitude.
McPhaul: We know Strong wants to bring along Vance Bedford. What are your thoughts on Bedford?
Friend of Bevo: First of all he’s a UT Alum. From Beaumont, former all-SWC Defensive Back. Coached under Lloyd Carr, Urban Meyer. Coached DB’s for the Bears for 6 years. The guy was DC at Okie State for 2 seasons before moving to Louisville. Good pedigree. As we’re all aware there is always talent coming out of the Golden Triangle area (Earl Thomas, Tony Brown come immediately to mind!)
McPhaul: What about the Linebacker’s Coach that he has coming with him.
Friend of Bevo: Heard he was up for award for position coaches. Don’t know much about him.
ANY COACHES ON THE CURRENT STAFF MAKE THE CUT?
McPhaul: I know we’re running short on time. Any coaches on current staff that Strong may retain?
Friend of Bevo: He’s met with several of the members of the staff on Tuesday. The remainder will be met with on Thursday. By the end of the week we will have a clearer understanding of who will/will not be retained.
McPhaul: Care to guess who will be retained?
Friend of Bevo: Porter, Wyatt, Searels, and Giles will get the most consideration.
McPhaul: Not Akina?
Friend of Bevo: I’m really not sure- I haven’t heard his name mentioned.
McPhaul: What about Major?
Friend of Bevo: Major would LOVE to be retained in some capacity but I’m not sure that is going to work out.
McPhaul: What about Patrick Suddes?
Friend of Bevo: My understanding was he has been retained.
McPhaul: I know you gotta go. Thanks for your time.
Friend of Bevo: You bet.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Well, my Daddy used to tell me “son, may you live in interesting times.” Well Dad, if you were still here you would see that I do indeed live in interesting times. Do I feel good about where we are as a Football Program and Athletic Program going forward? Yes I do but I say that with some apprehension simply because as I stated earlier this week in a post, “Patterson had the bases loaded for him to ‘swing for the fences’ and what did he do? He squared around and bunted.”
The more I read and get to know about Charlie Strong I like. I think he is a solid hire and an 180 degree about face from where we were with the previous regime. My apprehension lies within the staff that Strong surrounds himself. Going after “middle of the road” assistant coaches as hires when people are expecting Home Runs is no way to ingratiate yourself to a still unconvinced fan base. We shall see how this staff comes together. Until then I want to take a “wait and see” approach to whether or not Charlie Strong is the great hire that I think he can become. Until next week- Hook ‘em and Welcome the the 40 Acres Coach Strong!
McPhaul
