Good stuff.
No pressure: Sterlin Gilbert tries to save Longhorns' offense, Charlie Strong's job
AUSTIN, Texas -- Sterlin Gilbert's West Texas accent fills the room the same way syrup fills a plate of pancakes.
It confirms this schoolboy was raised "playin' in the dirt" of his native San Angelo, a Texas burg that makes the middle of nowhere seem right around the corner. San Angelo is 207 miles from Austin, 259 miles from Dallas, 367 miles from Houston and 155 miles from the Mexico border.
That accent now reflects only his geography, but it also carries his passion -- playing for the Lake View High Chiefs and then, less than seven miles away, Division II Angelo State.
The twang was recognized immediately by hundreds of Texas high school coaches earlier this summer. At their convention, they welcomed another one of their own who'd made it.
"It's been great to be home in Texas," said Gilbert, Texas' new offensive coordinator. "seeing a bunch of those guys, shaking [their] hands."
They've been shaking their heads here for years wondering when it would all come together again. Not so recently, the state of Texas has largely become the epicenter for spread option quarterbacks.
Here at the state's flagship university, the position has been a sink hole. The last quarterback of substance for the Longhorns is 29 years old entering his seventh NFL season. You remember Colt McCoy, don't you?
If it wasn't for Gilbert being now largely responsible for ending that dark chapter, this tale has the potential to be a carefree lyric in a Pat Green song.
I like Texas
Man, there ain't no doubt
Just listen to me 'cause I know what I'm talkin' about
Gilbert is feel-good Texas, 37, single and all about coaching ball. Whether life remains that simple is the issue.
Coach Charlie Strong pretty much has to win big this season or he'll be fired. Gilbert will be making approximately $650,000 a year to fix an offense that finished 92nd and 110th nationally in Strong's first two seasons.
"You just rattled off some stuff I don't even know," Gilbert said.
That's probably for the best. The new guy spent eight years toiling at three different high schools in the state. Gilbert left after one season at Tulsa to come here.
But his resume even includes an NFL starting quarterback. (New England's Jimmy Garappolo played for him at Eastern Illinois.)
Gilbert humbly puts himself in a category with Rice's David Bailiff, Kansas' David Beaty and Bowling Green's Mike Jinks. All are long-time Texas high school coaches who made the big time.
Art Briles, who spent 24 years at Texas high schools, was their idol. A "huge" influence, Gilbert said.
Gilbert has similar buzz at a similar point in his career. Being the Texas play-caller should be intimidating, but it isn't. Not yet.
"I've told people this," Gilbert said, "Everywhere I've been is the most important job I'm at. I wasn't following Texas [before this]."
A refresher then, Sterlin: The opener against Notre Dame in 10 days is bigger than big. It was that point a year ago that Texas cratered in a 38-3 loss in South Bend. A case can be made: The Longhorns never recovered.
Then-offensive coordinator Shawn Watson immediately lost his play-calling duties and was fired following the season. The offensive problems are chronic and real.
It sounds a lot like true freshman Shane Buechele will start next month against Notre Dame. It sounds even more like senior Tyrone Swoopes would back him up as a change-of-pace guy.
Strong has said as much without revealing which guy will take the first snap. Scratch one quarterback controversy? Hardly. There is guaranteed to be at least one unsettled QB situation for the loser.
We're talking two of the most scrutinized programs in the country with precarious situations at the most scrutinized position. Irish coach Brian Kelly has already raised a few eyebrows by taking a similar approach. Both Deshone Kizer and Malik Zaire will play against the Longhorns.
At Texas, place your long-term bets on Buechele, one of those Lone Star State schoolboy stars (Arlington, Texas) like Gilbert used to be. The son of a former major leaguer has won the lockerroom before he has won a game.
"Every day I walk into that [players'] game room," Strong said. "[Tight end Caleb] Bluiett and Shane are on the pool table. Him and [punter] Michael Dickson are playing ping pong and Shane's winning there ...
"I call him a gym rat. You see him around all the time. He's got that persona, that personality."
But it's one thing to win hearts and minds in the offseason, it's another to deliver strikes on third down under pressure.
"There's respect, for sure, but he hasn't won the battle," Bluiett said. "He just came in and befriended everyone. He's not cocky at all. That makes him more acceptable."
Gilbert wants to go fast. But who isn't running up-tempo stuff these days? Alabama went no huddle on every single snap last season. A lot of this is largely a case of Strong putting his job in the hands of an 18-year-old who enrolled in January.
Only eight true freshmen have ever started a game at quarterback for Texas. Their combined record, 13-10.
"It really doesn't bother me for a freshman to start at quarterback," Strong said. "When I was at Louisville, Teddy Bridgewater started as a freshman. What you have to look at is, Shane is surrounded by enough."
Well, that and Gilbert who himself reportedly first turned down the job in December. Members of the Texas administration finally sealed the deal by flying to Tulsa to pry Gilbert away from the Golden Hurricane.
These days the offensive coordinator's office is sparsely decorated. Priorities, you know.
"Coach just wanted up tempo, he wanted Texas, and he wanted a quarterback guy," Gilbert said, the syrup dripping off his words. "I'm pretty sure that's on my resume."
http://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/no-pressure-sterlin-gilbert-tries-to-save-longhorns-offense-charlie-strongs-job/
