Mack Brown: A Cut Above the Rest

http://www.bevoball.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/cut-300×198.jpgIn light of all the discussion around the Texas Football Program’s recent success (or lack thereof, depending on your point of view) I thought I would give my perspective on the state of Texas Football and head coach Mack Brown.  Recent Twitter rumors have circulated the rumor of Mack’s imminent retirement, which Mack has vehemently denied, and other sources have gone so far as to place Nick Saban on the sidelines at DKR.  Let’s start by making a few things clear.  Mack has no interest in retiring any time soon, and Saban will not be calling Austin home any time soon.

Look at the facts.  Brown is 133-34 (.796) as the head coach of the Longhorns.  He is the only Texas coach other than Darrell Royal, who has amassed 100 wins as head coach of the Longhorns.  Prior to last season’s less than stellar performance, Brown had gone to 18 straight bowl games dating back to 1992, when he was head coach of the North Carolina Tarheels.  He registered just two wins in his first two seasons in Chapel Hill but went on to have 8 consecutive winning seasons, reaching the 10 win mark in 3 of those years.  His critics have their opinions.  Most think he is not a great coach but rather a great recruiter and a great “executive” for Texas Football.  True?  Maybe, but the numbers don’t lie.  Mack has proven himself as a savvy, successful coach that graduates players and pushes life success as well as football to his players.  From a university perspective, that is hard to beat.  He brought the school a BCS Championship in 2005, knocking off the USC dynasty that Pete Carroll and company built in Los Angeles.

I could bring up the records of coaches in high profile coaching positions as comparison but I won’t.  Mack Brown’s coaching record stands on its own.  Those that question his abilities and decision making quickly forget that prior to ’05, Texas had not won a national championship since Royal’s 1970 team, a lengthy span of 35 years.  Additionally the Longhorns played in the 2009 BCS National Championship game.

Fans want to know what Mack’s timeline is as head coach at Texas?  Well, we think Mack determines that.  Prior to accepting the head coaching job at Florida, defensive coordinator Will Muschamp was named head coach in waiting.  Muschamp obviously didn’t place too much stock in taking over any time soon in Austin and jumped for the sure thing in Gainsville.  Some would argue that this showed Brown was close to retirement, or at least considering it.  Why else would they label Muschamp with such a prestigious title?

Mack is 60 years old and currently holds the #1 recruiting class of 2012.  Reports are that he is tired and not willing to deal with the development of a young quarterback.  We say hogwash.  Brown is a winner and has the Darrell Royal “addiction to winning.”  At Texas, you have to have it or you aren’t worth a damn.  Look for Mack and the Longhorns to compete for a championship in a few years, if not sooner.