With the 2014 season in the rear view mirror, Head Coach Charlie Strong, his coaching staff, and his team are preparing to take the next step in restoring Texas football as a national title contender. Strong’s first year at the reins finished with a 6-7 team that was better than the poor teams the Horns played, and outclassed by the good teams Texas faced.
But that was 2014 – the football offices are now firmly focused on 2015. Moving forward, there are several priorities for Strong and the coaching staff. After spending a year changing the culture of the football program, fans will see Year 2 start with familiar events, serving as a reminder of the amount of change that is happening in Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletic Complex.
Assistant Coach Openings
Shortly after the dismal showing in the Texas Bowl, Charlie Strong relieved Les Koenning and Bruce Chambers of their duties as assistant coaches. For the last few weeks, the media and fans have bandied about potential hires for the vacant positions, including: Tim Brewster, Ron Dugans, Tony Levine, Derek Lewis, Tee Martin, and Darrel Wyatt.
Over the past few days, Strong attended the AFCA Coaching Convention in Louisville, KY. At the conference, Texas’ head coach connected with several candidates, but no hires have been announced.
Reports are that Levine and Dugans remain in consideration for jobs. As careful with the hires as Strong has been, expectations are that names will not emerge until the vacancies are confirmed as filled.
Locker Room
The suspensions and dismissals that purged the roster during the 2014 season was symbolic of the culture change that Strong was implementing. Quite simply, Strong needs players that completely commit to his core values and the mentality he demands on the field.
With a season’s worth of practice time, Strong and his assistants now know the team – a luxury they didn’t have before the 2014 season. With that familiarity, the staff has reportedly identified several additional players that are yet to fully commit to the program.
After nine total players left the program last Fall, another 5-8 are expected to transfer or leave the program throughout the Spring. Expect the majority of the moves to happen before Spring practices begin, so that both the coaches and the team have an accurate picture of the roster they’ll be working with leading up to August.
Recruiting – National Signing Day
After a 6-7 season, many questioned whether or not Strong could connect with the most talented high school players and convince them to join his effort to restore Texas football. The popular line of thinking was that Strong’s value system resonated with parents of recruits, but not the recruits themselves.
Then on December 19th, Strong received commitments from Mesquite Poteet teammates Malik Jefferson and DeAndre McNeal, two of the top-rated recruits in the state of Texas. The announcements by Jefferson and McNeal signified that blue chippers from the Lone Star state are still enamored by playing for the Longhorns, and that Strong’s style connects with more than adults.
Since the Poteet duo committed, Strong and Texas have surged in recruiting. Notably, Strong secured commitments from 5 key players from Florida, some of which are scheduled to enroll for the Spring semester, enabling them to begin competing for playing time immediately.
With only a few weeks left until National Signing Day, Strong appears to be in an enviable position of having more players that want to commit to the Horns than available spots on the roster. Expectations are for Texas to finish the recruiting cycle with a class of about 30 players, meaning there should be 5-6 more commitments before NSD.
Spring Practice
Although official dates have not been set for Spring practices, it’s safe to assume they will take place in the second half of March. That means that the recruiting finish, early enrollments, and roster attrition mentioned above should all conclude before the beginning of practices.
With his two immediate predecessors each only having one losing season during their tenure, Strong should be feeling pressure to improve on 6-7. With a clear picture of the roster he’ll have in August, expect Strong to use Spring practices to focus on fundamentals, and having all positions openly compete for spots on the depth chart.
Knowing that each day’s performance impacts their standing on the two-deep roster, translates to the mental toughness and attitude that Strong expects from players. Instilling a focus on competing every day, and earning the right to play in games, fits strategically within the culture that Strong is working to build.
