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Posted on 8/1/25 at 12:59 pm to Old Sarge
quote:
Sock?= alter?
A sock can create infinite alters
Posted on 8/1/25 at 1:26 pm to FireDanMullen
There's a direct relationship between bad coaching hires and not winning a championship.
Between 1984 to 1997 Texas went 92-68-3 for a whopping .575 winning percentage. There were 3 coaches, latter day Fred Akers competing at a time when OU, OSU, SMU, and A&M were at the prime of their bag game, David McWilliams, hired at a discount because Texas couldn't afford anyone better after one 7-5 season at Texas Tech, and John Mackovic because the people responsible for the hire didn't actually care how good of a football coach he was. They wanted someone who projected a CEO type demeanor who ran an exciting offense. That's it. That was the hiring criteria.
In addition, the administration in charge of Texas hated being a football power. They liked going to a bowl every now and then, but nothing much more. The athletic department was in a full blown commercialization phase, where they went from being a poor depending on the state legislature to cover capital expenses, and paying staff subpar salaries, to the richest revenue program in the country, at the expense of student and band participation, wine and cheese crowds, in a country club setting.
The board of regents were being appointed by anti Texas governors who gave the seats to large donors without much care regarding what happened to Texas administratively, much less what happened with the football program.
Don Evans and Tom Hicks helped fund Ann Richards governor campaign. Together they turned things around from the board of regents, making Texas football a huge priority. They helped engineer a new athletic complex, they forced the hire of Mack Brown. and they helped make winning in football a campus wide priority again.
Between 1998 and 2009 Texas went 128-27 for a .826 winning percentage (I should add though that OU/Bob Stoops practically owned Texas for much of that time).
In the late 2000s Mack Brown got lazy and thought he'd figured college football out. He didn't adapt to the new recruiting paradigm created by third parties becoming more and more important in the process. Saban and other SEC schools began offering earlier, offering "uncommittable offers" with the condition they needed to attend summer camps to make it a commitable offer. This is also the time when unofficial visits started being paid for. Mack Brown wouldn't let his staff recruit during the season, not even to make high school visits outside the Austin area (DFW and Houston is where most of the instate talent is). He hated losing recruiting battles, so he more and more offered kids he knew would say yes even if they weren't as talented as other players. He wouldn't do the work necessary to recruit out of state unless there was a direct tie to the player, such as a legacy. He got scared of QB controversies, so he promised Garret Gilbert's Dad he wouldn't recruit anyone else. The QB room was a disaster for years and years because of Mack Brown's ineptitude and fear of dealing with controversy and rejection.
Colt McCoy hid a lot of deficiencies, especially on offense. While not an outstanding pro quarterback - he lacked the measurables needed - he was an amazing college quarterback, with a quick release, elite accuracy and he threw a very catchable ball, and he had above average mobility. That offensive line was not good. The receivers had good hands and ran good routes, but there wasn't a lot of over the top speed on the roster. McCoy was basically the playmaker on that team. Once he was gone, all those deficiencies which were already present became apparent.
From 2010 to 2022 Texas went 91-72 for a .558 winning percentage.
In those time periods 1984-1997 and 2010-2022 Texas had 11 non winning seasons in 27 years.
As much as anything, it's a function of the head coaches. Fred Akers went on to fail at Purdue. David McWilliams retired from coaching and became a full time fundraiser at UT. John Mackovic failed at Arizona. Mack Brown just failed at North Carolina and was a complete douche on his way out, just like he was at Texas. Charlie Strong failed at USF. Tom Herman failed at Florida Atlantic. These weren't wizards who were sabotaged. They were bad coaches who couldn't seize the opportunity.
I'm not saying there weren't issues at Texas. There were, But all of the issues could have been handled by a superior head coach who had a vision for how to succeed at an elite level, could convey that message and get buy in from everyone around him, and then execute on that vision. Mack Brown did fine for a while, until the times changed and he refused to change along with it.
Every elite program in the country has gone through those time periods. Alabama certainly has, and they're the bell cow of the SEC. Georgia had good but not great success under Mark Richt, never mind the mediocrity that came before that. LSU and Florida have both spent time dealing with mediocre coaching. It happens. The only one who really hasn't ever experienced a downturn since WWII is Ohio State. I consider them a unicorn for their ability to hire coaches. Some of them, like Jim Tressel, were even ugly hiring processes.
It helps that Texas has as many resources they have, but that's not enough. There has to be a commitment to win at the highest level with every stakeholder, and you have to have the right head coach.
Right now Texas has a chairman of the board of regents in Kevin Eltife who is locked in on Texas being successful in football. Chris Del Conte is the best athletic director Texas has ever had, who has successfully balanced fundraising with also creating game day environments that are conducive to winning. Not just in football, but all sports. Especially basketball, which was handicapped by playing in the Erwin Center with the way ticket allotments worked.
And then they also appear to have a head coach who is ready and willing to take advantage of those resources.
But the key thing that rubs people the wrong way - and who can blame them? - is that regardless of on the field results, or academic rankings, or anything else, Texas fans think we're better than you. That comes from being the flagship state from the most arrogant state in the country. Texans in general think we're better than you, even if it's not factually correct. It's part of our culture. A&M doesn't reflect that in the same way for a variety of reasons, so while they certainly can come across as a cult, it mostly feels weird rather than contemptuous. Their inferiority complex when it comes to Texas helps take some of the arrogance away.
Then you add in Austin, where everyone thinks they live in the greatest city on Earth, even if it's not actually true. And the fact it's the largest city in the country with no major professional team, so Texas is de facto the professional team in a huge metro area. Which sure is helpful for NIL and general revenue generation purposes.
I guess there are Texas fans who are bothered by the lack of success over the last 40 years. I am a little bit, too. But I know what the causes have been, because I've seen them up close first hand. There were some systemic issues, but bottom line you have to hire the right coach, and if you don't, none of the rest of it matters. And that's not just for Texas. That's any program. It feels like we finally have the right coach, so we'll see how it all works out.
Between 1984 to 1997 Texas went 92-68-3 for a whopping .575 winning percentage. There were 3 coaches, latter day Fred Akers competing at a time when OU, OSU, SMU, and A&M were at the prime of their bag game, David McWilliams, hired at a discount because Texas couldn't afford anyone better after one 7-5 season at Texas Tech, and John Mackovic because the people responsible for the hire didn't actually care how good of a football coach he was. They wanted someone who projected a CEO type demeanor who ran an exciting offense. That's it. That was the hiring criteria.
In addition, the administration in charge of Texas hated being a football power. They liked going to a bowl every now and then, but nothing much more. The athletic department was in a full blown commercialization phase, where they went from being a poor depending on the state legislature to cover capital expenses, and paying staff subpar salaries, to the richest revenue program in the country, at the expense of student and band participation, wine and cheese crowds, in a country club setting.
The board of regents were being appointed by anti Texas governors who gave the seats to large donors without much care regarding what happened to Texas administratively, much less what happened with the football program.
Don Evans and Tom Hicks helped fund Ann Richards governor campaign. Together they turned things around from the board of regents, making Texas football a huge priority. They helped engineer a new athletic complex, they forced the hire of Mack Brown. and they helped make winning in football a campus wide priority again.
Between 1998 and 2009 Texas went 128-27 for a .826 winning percentage (I should add though that OU/Bob Stoops practically owned Texas for much of that time).
In the late 2000s Mack Brown got lazy and thought he'd figured college football out. He didn't adapt to the new recruiting paradigm created by third parties becoming more and more important in the process. Saban and other SEC schools began offering earlier, offering "uncommittable offers" with the condition they needed to attend summer camps to make it a commitable offer. This is also the time when unofficial visits started being paid for. Mack Brown wouldn't let his staff recruit during the season, not even to make high school visits outside the Austin area (DFW and Houston is where most of the instate talent is). He hated losing recruiting battles, so he more and more offered kids he knew would say yes even if they weren't as talented as other players. He wouldn't do the work necessary to recruit out of state unless there was a direct tie to the player, such as a legacy. He got scared of QB controversies, so he promised Garret Gilbert's Dad he wouldn't recruit anyone else. The QB room was a disaster for years and years because of Mack Brown's ineptitude and fear of dealing with controversy and rejection.
Colt McCoy hid a lot of deficiencies, especially on offense. While not an outstanding pro quarterback - he lacked the measurables needed - he was an amazing college quarterback, with a quick release, elite accuracy and he threw a very catchable ball, and he had above average mobility. That offensive line was not good. The receivers had good hands and ran good routes, but there wasn't a lot of over the top speed on the roster. McCoy was basically the playmaker on that team. Once he was gone, all those deficiencies which were already present became apparent.
From 2010 to 2022 Texas went 91-72 for a .558 winning percentage.
In those time periods 1984-1997 and 2010-2022 Texas had 11 non winning seasons in 27 years.
As much as anything, it's a function of the head coaches. Fred Akers went on to fail at Purdue. David McWilliams retired from coaching and became a full time fundraiser at UT. John Mackovic failed at Arizona. Mack Brown just failed at North Carolina and was a complete douche on his way out, just like he was at Texas. Charlie Strong failed at USF. Tom Herman failed at Florida Atlantic. These weren't wizards who were sabotaged. They were bad coaches who couldn't seize the opportunity.
I'm not saying there weren't issues at Texas. There were, But all of the issues could have been handled by a superior head coach who had a vision for how to succeed at an elite level, could convey that message and get buy in from everyone around him, and then execute on that vision. Mack Brown did fine for a while, until the times changed and he refused to change along with it.
Every elite program in the country has gone through those time periods. Alabama certainly has, and they're the bell cow of the SEC. Georgia had good but not great success under Mark Richt, never mind the mediocrity that came before that. LSU and Florida have both spent time dealing with mediocre coaching. It happens. The only one who really hasn't ever experienced a downturn since WWII is Ohio State. I consider them a unicorn for their ability to hire coaches. Some of them, like Jim Tressel, were even ugly hiring processes.
It helps that Texas has as many resources they have, but that's not enough. There has to be a commitment to win at the highest level with every stakeholder, and you have to have the right head coach.
Right now Texas has a chairman of the board of regents in Kevin Eltife who is locked in on Texas being successful in football. Chris Del Conte is the best athletic director Texas has ever had, who has successfully balanced fundraising with also creating game day environments that are conducive to winning. Not just in football, but all sports. Especially basketball, which was handicapped by playing in the Erwin Center with the way ticket allotments worked.
And then they also appear to have a head coach who is ready and willing to take advantage of those resources.
But the key thing that rubs people the wrong way - and who can blame them? - is that regardless of on the field results, or academic rankings, or anything else, Texas fans think we're better than you. That comes from being the flagship state from the most arrogant state in the country. Texans in general think we're better than you, even if it's not factually correct. It's part of our culture. A&M doesn't reflect that in the same way for a variety of reasons, so while they certainly can come across as a cult, it mostly feels weird rather than contemptuous. Their inferiority complex when it comes to Texas helps take some of the arrogance away.
Then you add in Austin, where everyone thinks they live in the greatest city on Earth, even if it's not actually true. And the fact it's the largest city in the country with no major professional team, so Texas is de facto the professional team in a huge metro area. Which sure is helpful for NIL and general revenue generation purposes.
I guess there are Texas fans who are bothered by the lack of success over the last 40 years. I am a little bit, too. But I know what the causes have been, because I've seen them up close first hand. There were some systemic issues, but bottom line you have to hire the right coach, and if you don't, none of the rest of it matters. And that's not just for Texas. That's any program. It feels like we finally have the right coach, so we'll see how it all works out.
Posted on 8/1/25 at 1:43 pm to SL Xpress
quote:
Then you add in Austin, where everyone thinks they live in the greatest city on Earth
This is not at all true among Austinites in the last 5-10 years. They all pretty much complain now.
Now if you want to go back a few decades, Austin was pretty great. Everything was "local". Yes, it was different, but mostly in a fun and cool way. I went swimming in Deep Eddy. Zilker Park was my backyard. I ate at all the places that are now long gone. I even saw ZZ Top play at DKR.
Austin is pretty much the same story as California, but it trailed behind a decade or two.
Posted on 8/1/25 at 1:46 pm to MtVernon
Austinites complain about the streets being littered with heroin needles and homeless people while dead bodies continue to pop up in Town Lake on the regular 
Posted on 8/1/25 at 1:47 pm to AuburnTigers
Are you still salty Texas won the big game in 2005 and 13-0 Auburn didn't get to play?
Posted on 8/1/25 at 2:03 pm to NFLSU
quote:
NFLSU
You seem to know a great deal about UT, its history, its campus, surroundings, etc.
But it is obvious to see that your grades wouldn't have been up to Texas standard.
So I'm sorry about that, but LSU seems about right for you.
Posted on 8/1/25 at 2:08 pm to SL Xpress
Holy wall of text batman
Posted on 8/1/25 at 2:10 pm to NFLSU
All weirdos move to the boot, even Trent Reznor moved down there after living in the house in Cali where Sharon Tate was murdered by Manson family.
A real side show state you have, collecting all the trash of the satanitc and vodoo world
A real side show state you have, collecting all the trash of the satanitc and vodoo world
Posted on 8/1/25 at 2:16 pm to MtVernon
quote:
For sure should have beat Georgia in the SECCG last year.
a backup beat you. you didnt deserve anything
Posted on 8/1/25 at 3:26 pm to MtVernon
Sarkisian hasn’t won the important games. Even with a talent edge
Posted on 8/1/25 at 3:56 pm to SL Xpress
quote:
Between 1984 to 1997 Texas went 92-68-3 for a whopping .575 winning percentage. There were 3 coaches, latter day Fred Akers competing at a time when OU, OSU, SMU, and A&M were at the prime of their bag game,
Now, now, now... don't forget that Texas went on probation as well during that period (1987). Tony Degrate admitted he got 20K from boosters. Texas was the one team cited for violations regarding the recruitment of Marcus Dupree.
Fact of the matter is the whole time Texas got away with a lot of things by using people who had "established previous relations with a player before they were a recruitable athlete".... Texas boosters were able to legally support players through people who lived in the town where the player grew up and knew the player as a kid.
That is how Ramonce Taylor got his car. Financed through his HS coach because of that loophole.
To be fair, this was common practice for hometown athletes in any state because it wasn't illegal by NCAA rules.
Posted on 8/1/25 at 4:34 pm to dat yat
quote:
Are you still salty Texas won the big game in 2005 and 13-0 Auburn didn't get to play?
You’re mixing up the years here. Auburn went 13-0 when USC and OU played in the natty.
Posted on 8/1/25 at 5:00 pm to MtVernon
quote:
But it is obvious to see that your grades wouldn't have been up to Texas standard.
So I'm sorry about that, but LSU seems about right for you.
He actually failed out of Southeastern Louisiana.
quote:
Now if you want to go back a few decades, Austin was pretty great.
I've heard this for about 40 years now. Austin use to be great until ______ happened.
This post was edited on 8/1/25 at 5:05 pm
Posted on 8/1/25 at 5:30 pm to MtVernon
quote:
The sad truth is that Texas is great at racking up wins - but struggles to rack up championships. I feel we will be the same with 7-win Sark. Our talent and resources will get us to the dances, but we will choke it up with 2nd-tier big game leadership.
I also lack faith in sark after the last two seasons but if ryan day can get one so can we. Dominos have to fall just right though.
Posted on 8/1/25 at 5:41 pm to TexasWranglers
quote:
We won our last big 12 title since y'all like to focus on recency. Just played for the sec title in year 1. Where were you lsu?
LSU fans are waiting for this coming season. But the reality is going to be another disappointment of a season for LSU.
Posted on 8/1/25 at 5:46 pm to SL Xpress
quote:
SL Xpress
Welcome to the board.
FYI - this dude is somewhat of an internet legend.. Katy Agnes, Bob Wheeler, Orange Houses type of stuff.. Disregard if you don't know what any of that means..
Bottom line: This dude is way more connected to the actual dots than I am. I'm just a fan.
Posted on 8/1/25 at 7:07 pm to AuburnTigers
And the D with ears says Arch is best CFB Qb since Tebow in 2006.
I don't see how he talks with his mouth full.
I don't see how he talks with his mouth full.
Posted on 8/1/25 at 7:17 pm to AuburnTigers
And Auburn has won one in the last 67 years. Auburn definitely is a basketball school.
Posted on 8/1/25 at 8:03 pm to MtVernon
Texas won’t sniff a natty for the next 20 years.
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