Mack Brown up for extension

[Goldensilence]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7499003/texas-longhorns-ad-recommends-mack-brown-get-four-year-extension



Ace recruiter, mediocre coach.

Hopefully the new staff coordinators will opt to stick around for a while. Manny Diaz's D was fun to watch this year and if they had even competent QB play this year it could've been another 10 win season.

 

[Dutchrudder]

I read about this yesterday and the big change is that it added a 3.5 million dollar buyout clause. So, if they decide to go another direction in the next 5 years, they can pay him only 3.5 instead of the remainder on the contract, which was like 25 million. Good move by the AD.

 

[Blake]

Stability is always nice. You know Mack is going to be there. Cant say the same for ALOT of other programs playing musical chairs at the HC position.

 

[b0ng]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7499003/texas-longhorns-ad-recommends-mack-brown-get-four-year-extension



Ace recruiter, mediocre coach.

Hopefully the new staff coordinators will opt to stick around for a while. Manny Diaz's D was fun to watch this year and if they had even competent QB play this year it could've been another 10 win season.

If he's such an ace recruiter why has he had so much trouble replacing Colt McCoy? Badass quarterbacks basically grow on trees in Texas, and he runs the supposed best program in the country I don't understand.

 

[Dutchrudder]

If he's such an ace recruiter why has he had so much trouble replacing Colt McCoy? Badass quarterbacks basically grow on trees in Texas, and he runs the supposed best program in the country I don't understand.

They put all their eggs in the Garret Gilbert basket (5 star recruit) and it failed. After that I don't think they recruited any good QBs. McCoy and Ash were both 3 star guys. There are plenty of recruits who are rated as 4 and 5 star players coming out of high school, but fail at the college level. Having the best class each year isn't necessarily going to lead to success. This year they have a commitment from Connor Brewer who looks to be promising, and he may end up starting at some point this year if Case and Ash don't progress much this offseason.

 

[Blake]

If he's such an ace recruiter why has he had so much trouble replacing Colt McCoy? Badass quarterbacks basically grow on trees in Texas, and he runs the supposed best program in the country I don't understand.

They put all their eggs in the Garret Gilbert basket (5 star recruit) and it failed. After that I don't think they recruited any good QBs. McCoy and Ash were both 3 star guys. There are plenty of recruits who are rated as 4 and 5 star players coming out of high school, but fail at the college level. Having the best class each year isn't necessarily going to lead to success. This year they have a commitment from Connor Brewer who looks to be promising, and he may end up starting at some point this year if Case and Ash don't progress much this offseason.

Dutch already answered, but how many badass quarterbacks are going to come to Texas when they know Gilbert has been tabbed as the QB for the next 5 years?

Zero. Thats why we have David "im more of a runner than a thrower" Ash, and Case "My brother went here" McCoy.

 

[Goldensilence]

They put all their eggs in the Garret Gilbert basket (5 star recruit) and it failed. After that I don't think they recruited any good QBs. McCoy and Ash were both 3 star guys. There are plenty of recruits who are rated as 4 and 5 star players coming out of high school, but fail at the college level. Having the best class each year isn't necessarily going to lead to success. This year they have a commitment from Connor Brewer who looks to be promising, and he may end up starting at some point this year if Case and Ash don't progress much this offseason.

Post VY they also got hosed on several very promising recruits changing their mind late in the game.

John Brantley QB at Florida had all but committed, then changed his mind late to stay in the state of Florida. Jordan Jefferson was another guy who had given a verbal then the day of national signing switched hats at the podium to go to LSU.

Gilbert looked promising early then for some reason nose dived the past 2 seasons.

From what I've heard Conor Brewer could enroll early and be in the mix this spring.

I just don't see either Ash or McCoy developing more than what they are right now. Though I'd love to be surprised this spring.

 

[AcresHomesTexan]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7499003/texas-longhorns-ad-recommends-mack-brown-get-four-year-extension



Ace recruiter, mediocre coach.

Hopefully the new staff coordinators will opt to stick around for a while. Manny Diaz's D was fun to watch this year and if they had even competent QB play this year it could've been another 10 win season.

Given that a university can just out talent (especially with the Longhorns built-in advantages), give me the recruiter over the better-game day coach if I have to choose. Perfect world gives both, but we know about the perfect world thing.

 

[Dutchrudder]

Post VY they also got hosed on several very promising recruits changing their mind late in the game.

John Brantley QB at Florida had all but committed, then changed his mind late to stay in the state of Florida. Jordan Jefferson was another guy who had given a verbal then the day of national signing switched hats at the podium to go to LSU.

Gilbert looked promising early then for some reason nose dived the past 2 seasons.

From what I've heard Conor Brewer could enroll early and be in the mix this spring.

I just don't see either Ash or McCoy developing more than what they are right now. Though I'd love to be surprised this spring.

In all fairness, Gilbert was a 5 star, Brantley and Jefferson were 4 stars, and Brantley turned out to be decent but nothing special. I don't think Texas would have been much better off with either of those two.

 

[Goldensilence]

In all fairness, Gilbert was a 5 star, Brantley and Jefferson were 4 stars, and Brantley turned out to be decent but nothing special. I don't think Texas would have been much better off with either of those two.

When Gilbert took over in the title game, the kid looked like he had the tools to put UT right back in the title game soon. Though he also showed as well a propensity to turn the ball over.

I hope the kid the best in his transfer request and finds success.

You're right on Jefferson and Brantley. Though both fit the more athletic mold that Davis seemed to prefer in running a form of zone read after VY. Either way we've never know with either.

My biggest hope for the position lies with Bryan Hartsin being able to develop talent at the position like he was able to at Boise State. I believe he will be able to turn it around, it seems like a hard offense to grasp.

I guess I was trying to agree with you in saying its not like the position has been totally unaddressed during the past couple of seasons. Just things haven't worked out for various reasons.

 

[bah007]

Gilbert always had all the physical tools. His problem was between the ears.

 

[b0ng]

They put all their eggs in the Garret Gilbert basket (5 star recruit) and it failed. After that I don't think they recruited any good QBs. McCoy and Ash were both 3 star guys. There are plenty of recruits who are rated as 4 and 5 star players coming out of high school, but fail at the college level. Having the best class each year isn't necessarily going to lead to success. This year they have a commitment from Connor Brewer who looks to be promising, and he may end up starting at some point this year if Case and Ash don't progress much this offseason.

This is why I don't think he's such an ace recruiter. Good football players in Texas usually want to go to UT because that's the premiere school in this state (excuse me while I go barf). Maybe Brown mis-identified how good some of his QB recruits were but how are guys like Matt Stafford, Andrew Luck, and Andy Dalton, who all played their high school ball in effing Texas, going off to other schools and you're left with the Gilbert/Ash/McCoy part deux experience?

If you put a guy like Nick Saban in charge of UT they would win or compete for the national title year in and year out. A school like UT should never have a down year, especially playing in a top heavy conference like the BigXII. Brown has done a pretty good job getting UT a title and another appearance in the title game, but this is UT we are talking about. Texas H.S. football is probably the best HS football in the entire country and UT is not a direct reflection of all that talent, and it should be.

 

[Blake]

This is why I don't think he's such an ace recruiter. Good football players in Texas usually want to go to UT because that's the premiere school in this state (excuse me while I go barf). Maybe Brown mis-identified how good some of his QB recruits were but how are guys like Matt Stafford, Andrew Luck, and Andy Dalton, who all played their high school ball in effing Texas, going off to other schools and you're left with the Gilbert/Ash/McCoy part deux experience?

You had Vince in 2005 going crazy. I am surprised they convinced a single QB in the country to come in and be his backup, but they got 3 star Colt McCoy. In 2006 the got 4 star dual threat QB Jevan Snead. Thats alot of years Young and McCoy soaked up. Not many high schoolers are going to want to sit and wait for these guys to leave school or get injured.

Andrew Luck 2008: Colt McCoy is going bananas on teams.
Matthew Stafford 2006 was the #1 rated 5 star QB. I am sure every school in the nation was recruiting him hard. And he chose the SEC and Georgia.


You also have to consider the fact that maybe these kids dont want to attend UT. Maybe they want to get out of the state. Who knows what they are thinking.

Also its a crap shoot to a certain extent. UT isnt always going to pick the right guy 100% of the time. Other schools are battling for these top tier prospects too.

If you put a guy like Nick Saban in charge of UT they would win or compete for the national title year in and year out. A school like UT should never have a down year, especially playing in a top heavy conference like the BigXII. Brown has done a pretty good job getting UT a title and another appearance in the title game, but this is UT we are talking about. Texas H.S. football is probably the best HS football in the entire country and UT is not a direct reflection of all that talent, and it should be.

How many Nick Sabans are out there? Hell, how many guys LIKE Nick Saban are out there?

 

[Dutchrudder]

This is why I don't think he's such an ace recruiter. Good football players in Texas usually want to go to UT because that's the premiere school in this state (excuse me while I go barf). Maybe Brown mis-identified how good some of his QB recruits were but how are guys like Matt Stafford, Andrew Luck, and Andy Dalton, who all played their high school ball in effing Texas, going off to other schools and you're left with the Gilbert/Ash/McCoy part deux experience?

If you put a guy like Nick Saban in charge of UT they would win or compete for the national title year in and year out. A school like UT should never have a down year, especially playing in a top heavy conference like the BigXII. Brown has done a pretty good job getting UT a title and another appearance in the title game, but this is UT we are talking about. Texas H.S. football is probably the best HS football in the entire country and UT is not a direct reflection of all that talent, and it should be.

It's really hard to recruit QBs when you have a 5 star QB already on the roster. These high school kids know the QB situations while they are being courted by each school. You never see classes with two high profile QBs going to the same school. It's simply not a good idea for the kid who gets stuck transferring in his junior year because he can't win the job. I think that's why UT had trouble getting QBs for the last couple years. Plus you had the next McCoy coming up too. It would be tough to sell a top QB on the idea that they would be starting in 3-4 years.

Gilbert at the time was a good signing, he had potential to be a quality QB, but he failed adjusting to the college game for whatever reasons. There are PLENTY of recruits that don't live up to their projections, it's just more magnified when it's a QB.

 

[b0ng]

It's really hard to recruit QBs when you have a 5 star QB already on the roster. These high school kids know the QB situations while they are being courted by each school. You never see classes with two high profile QBs going to the same school. It's simply not a good idea for the kid who gets stuck transferring in his junior year because he can't win the job. I think that's why UT had trouble getting QBs for the last couple years. Plus you had the next McCoy coming up too. It would be tough to sell a top QB on the idea that they would be starting in 3-4 years.

Gilbert at the time was a good signing, he had potential to be a quality QB, but he failed adjusting to the college game for whatever reasons. There are PLENTY of recruits that don't live up to their projections, it's just more magnified when it's a QB.

I don't think picking the wrong QBs would inspire me to call Brown a great recruiter. To me, seeing Brown get an extension after this past season seems rather odd with the timing. He gets highly rated talent, but he certainly doesn't do the best job of identifying the talent that it takes to win at a sustained level to remain at the top of the conference year in and year out.

I wonder how much is going to change with the SEC starts coming around Texas now that A&M is in that conference.

 

[Dutchrudder]

I don't think picking the wrong QBs would inspire me to call Brown a great recruiter. To me, seeing Brown get an extension after this past season seems rather odd with the timing. He gets highly rated talent, but he certainly doesn't do the best job of identifying the talent that it takes to win at a sustained level to remain at the top of the conference year in and year out.

Well then I don't know what would make you think he's a great recruiter. The guy has consistently put great teams on the field for the better part of 15 years, and that is largely due to great recruiting. He missed on Gilbert 4 years ago, and now the team is paying for that. You put an above average QB on the team last year and they are easily a 9 win team at least. The defense was awesome across the board despite having a terrible offense that routinely put them in bad positions. That's all due to great recruiting by Mack and company, plus great coaching to get the most out of those recruits. They will turn it around, they just need a QB who isn't going to stare down receivers and fold like a lawn chair when under pressure.

I think the main purpose of this extension was this:

The regents will also put in a $3.5 million buyout clause with six months’ notice if the school chose to fire Brown, who has gone 13-12 the last two seasons.

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/bohls/entries/2012/01/23/did_brown_need.html

A&M had to pay Sherman a buttload of money for cutting him loose. I'm not sure what the final cost was, but I think it was around 8 million. Mack was on the books through 2016 before this extension at ~5 mill a year. Now they have a way out if he should have a terrible season and the mobs call for his head. Makes good business sense to me. Learn from the mistakes of others.

I wonder how much is going to change with the SEC starts coming around Texas now that A&M is in that conference.

Ehhhh, I don't think it will hurt UT much. Other Texas schools will probably be hurt by it, especially A&M, but UT will still attract its fair share of top Texas talent.