Mack Brown and My Father

[riloh05]

My father was a head basketball coach for 30+ years... When his last year came up it was time. It was like he had aged 15 years during the course of his last season. Mom and I were concerned, he had success, but it (the job) was taking its toll on him. I remember vividly taking him to dinner and having "the talk" with him. It was difficult, my father is my hero and he didnt want to hear it. He still wanted to fight for it because he loved it that much. It was time. I laid out my reasons why and a week later he called to tell me he made the decision. Today, my hero plays too much golf, is in the best shape of his life and keeps the blood going by volunteering as an assistant coach for a small christian school. He doesn't coach any mickey d all americans but he gets do to what he absolutely loves.

I guess what I am trying to say is coaches good, bad, or indifferent are wired differently. It isnt easy to walk away. Hell, all of us probably have a retirement date, number circled, or an app for that but coaches never want to see it end just like those of us who played the game.

Mack, it wont be easy and it will be a bitter pill to swallow. However, your family loves you and we will always still call you coach.

 

[pringlelake]

good post riloh. Thanks.

 

[Los Corralles]

Yes, good post

 

[mesoHorny]

My father was a head basketball coach for 30+ years... When his last year came up it was time. It was like he had aged 15 years during the course of his last season. Mom and I were concerned, he had success, but it (the job) was taking its toll on him. I remember vividly taking him to dinner and having "the talk" with him. It was difficult, my father is my hero and he didnt want to hear it. He still wanted to fight for it because he loved it that much. It was time. I laid out my reasons why and a week later he called to tell me he made the decision. Today, my hero plays too much golf, is in the best shape of his life and keeps the blood going by volunteering as an assistant coach for a small christian school. He doesn't coach any mickey d all americans but he gets do to what he absolutely loves.
I guess what I am trying to say is coaches good, bad, or indifferent are wired differently. It isnt easy to walk away. Hell, all of us probably have a retirement date, number circled, or an app for that but coaches never want to see it end just like those of us who played the game.

Mack, it wont be easy and it will be a bitter pill to swallow. However, your family loves you and we will always still call you coach.

I don't see it that way with Mack. I don't think he wants to be out there. He is just to prideful to leave. If if loved it so much he would be on the field and not MIA most of the time.

 

[riloh05]

I don't see it that way with Mack. I don't think he wants to be out there. He is just to prideful to leave. If if loved it so much he would be on the field and not MIA most of the time.

i guess the point that i wanted to make is that the family sees what is going on.

 

[Randolph Duke]

I don't want to be a jackass, but was your dad geting paid $5.6 million/ year?

I'm not saying Mack is doing it for the money, but he's certainly no longer doing it for the kids. If he cared about the kids, watching the game film of the Baylor game would tell him the kids deserve better.

 

[riloh05]

I don't want to be a jackass, but was your dad geting paid $5.6 million/ year?
I'm not saying Mack is doing it for the money, but he's certainly no longer doing it for the kids. If he cared about the kids, watching the game film of the Baylor game would tell him the kids deserve better.

of course he didn't. look, i want mack gone since 5-7. period. i am just saying maybe someone at home sees it and needs to have the talk. like you said he is in it for the wrong reasons and the product shows.

 

[Lord Vader]

Situations like this are never about the players, its all about egos and money. For those of you I know are going to go say that was a "horrible" thing for me to say look no further than Todd Graham, Lane Kiffin, Nick Saban as it pertains to movement, and Bobby Bowden, Joe Paterno, and Bob Knight for examples of ego. Its about a bigger payday, more prestige, trying to be the king of the world, or its about holding on too long because you were there for such a time period you really do think you can fix anything.

Graham, Kiffin, and Saban all took off on teams for more money, with Graham and Kiffin doing so after the ink had barely dried on their contracts. Saban job hopped three times and hopefully moves for #4. Bowden and Paterno ripped out the hearts of a lot of passionate fans who loved them too much to want them gone but loved them too much to see them stay at the same time. The game and decency passed by a guy like Knight. Each of these men did what they did for themselves at the end of each stop, much like we are bearing witness to at this moment.

Whether you work as a public servant, in education, or at a mom and pop restaurant, nearly all of us have worked for someone who whatever game we played had passed by. Whether you hate Mack, love Mack, or just want him to walk out with dignity and grace to take his position at the right hand of DKR in UT Legend, you have to recognize what is going to transpire over the next few days is not about anything other than Mack Brown himself.