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I’m stunned. I’m pissed. It’s Will Muschamp.

Posted by HenryJames on November 18th, 2008 under Football

Will Muschamp will be the next head coach at Texas at some point in the future. Deloss Dodds just announced it.

We pulled a Jimbo Fisher.

That scream you just heard came from Minnesota.

I can’t remember the last head coach hired at Texas that didn’t have previous head coaching experience. f srr50

Have we hired the next Bob Stoops?

Will Greg Davis get a raise as well?

Muschamp mentioned how much he and his family love Austin. Duh.

Brown talking a lot about continuity. Mike Campbell just rolled over in his grave.

Muschamp called the Texas job ‘an awesome responsibility.’ He has no idea.

Applewhite for OC!

I think Muschamp is an excellent coach, and I’m sure he’ll make an excellent head coach. But we’re Texas. Coaches would have come from the forks of the branch to interview for this job. I don’t think it’s something that should have been bequeathed.

OTOH, when Brown does step down, Muschamp might be the hottest candidate in the country for any head coaching job. And we’ve already got him.

Official release.

h/t to our friends at BurntOrangeBeat (pay) for breaking this story. We were sworn to secrecy. Here’s their free write up.

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Brian Bahr/Getty Images

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117 Responses

  1. Mother of God

  2. Crazy Joe Clark said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 12:48 pm

    This is great news for all Aggie and Sooner fans!

  3. Facebook User said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 12:49 pm

    I bet Major is pissed.

  4. Is this a joke? One of these days Major will turn on Mack Brown. Seriously, maybe he’s a great hire, if he gives Major the reins.

  5. RansomStoddard said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 12:49 pm

    Will he have immediate authority to fire Greg Davis?

  6. Boom motherfuckers.

  7. Wow.

    What a horrible, horrible move. And dammit… as a Georgia fan, I so wanted Auburn or Tennessee to hire him.

  8. I approve this message.

  9. Sam Bradford said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 12:59 pm

    Muschamp’s secondary makes me moist.

  10. I feel a stir in my loins.

  11. I feel all funny inside.

  12. I thought you guys had a mancrush on Will.

  13. Mister Mike said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 1:09 pm

    “I thought you guys had a mancrush on Will.”

    That’s what I thought too, Ded.

  14. austintxusa said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 1:11 pm

    Brown will replace DeLoss, Davis will follow Brown to ADs office and unless Major wants a HC job before then, he’ll be the offensive coordinator. My pecker is harder than Chinese algebra.

  15. I think Muschamp is an excellent coach, and I’m sure he’ll make an excellent head coach. But we’re Texas. Coaches would have come from the forks of the branch to interview for this job. I don’t think it’s something that should have been bequeathed.

    1) If one identifies Muschamp as the target–which Dodds and Brown clearly did–what does any of that matter? It’s wholly irrelevant.

    2) Circumstances forced our hand, in some sense. The man’s a wanted commodity. I see no reason we should avoid locking in our top target for some mythical “We’re Texas” reason.

    If you disagree with the identification of Muschamp as the top target, that’s another story altogether.

  16. The Rams did the same thing in 99, when they named ‘Mike Martz’ future head coach. Whenever Dick Vermeil decides to step down.

    The Rams were scared to death that Martz was the hottest OC in the NFL, and didn’t want to lose him.

    He proved to be a miserable fucking head coach.

  17. Mike Martz is also an asshole. Muschamp is not.

  18. I can’t wait to see what our D looks like next year and the year after with continuity and Coach Boom. I don’t know how you don’t like this if you are a Texas fan.

  19. If you guys are talking about the headline, then you’re missing the sarcasm.

  20. How many more seasons does Mack coach? Certainly not more than 3.

    Major will have to leave, won’t he? There’s no “path.”

  21. Count me as one in favor of this. I trust Mack’s judgment here and clearly he sees something in Will. Also, Mack is going to be the HC for at least 2 more years and probably longer. Will is going to have the opportunity to learn from the master for quite a while before taking over. Way better than going outside the family IMO. I daresay Boom!

  22. We’re identifying the best candidate now for an uncertain point in the future. Is he still the best candidate next year? What about the year after that?

  23. Bartoncreek said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 1:22 pm

    It was probably the only way to keep him. Someone must have offered, he tells Mack, Mack tells Deloss to lock him up. Ultimately, this is Mack’s decision. He feels strongly enough about keeping Muschamp around for a few years that he was willing to go ahead and turn it over to him when he is done.

    Interesting and ballsy. I would rather have Will than Jimbo waiting in the wings. That is for damn sure. I have thought for a while that Muschamp might even be a better head coach than DC. I still believe he is a damn good DC. He is young, energetic, organized. He recruits well and more importantly understands the importance. The big question, as always, with new head coaches is their ability to put together a staff.

    He does owe Mike Campbell for this. Without that debacle and the division and in-fighting it caused, this wouldn’t have happened. I am wondering if Royal didn’t o.k. this at some level with Mack. The Campbell thing really killed him.

  24. If we’re being honest, deals are broken every day (see Arizona basketball). This is all good. It locks in our defensive coordinator, who we’re very pleased with, and gives us a great head coaching candidate when the time comes.

    To some of us on the outside, it may feel premature, but we don’t interact with Muschamp every day. I’m extremely pleased about it.

  25. HJ,

    I hear you but at some point, it’s like choosing a spouse. When you meet the right person you just know, and if you keep waiting because you think to yourself “what if I meet someone even better next month?”, well then you will wind up alone in the end or settling for what’s available when the music stops.

    This sage wisdom is free of charge.

  26. TaylorTRoom said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 1:27 pm

    I’m cool with it. The big concern for anybody without head coaching experience is that they won’t be able to handle the non-football parts of the job (media scrutiny, alum pressure, etc.). Mack will be here to mentor him through that.

    Worried he won’t be as successful as Mack? Odds are against anybody being that successful.

    Some kind of succession planning has to happen. Mack and Davis were 46 when they got here in ‘98. Now, they’re almost 60, and along with Tolly and McWhorter, remind more recruits of their grandparents than their fathers (interesting note- Stoops is now older than Mack was when he arrived in Austin).

  27. In the near term what a terrific move this is. The continuity on defense alone may be the difference between winning a national championship in the next 3 years or not.

  28. The General said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 1:29 pm

    “I think Muschamp is an excellent coach, and I’m sure he’ll make an excellent head coach. But we’re Texas. Coaches would have come from the forks of the branch to interview for this job. I don’t think it’s something that should have been bequeathed.”

    I agree, and yet I just creamed my drawers.

    But, I think this was more about keeping Will Muschamp DC for the next 2-3 years. I think Mack would sell his first born for another MNC, and Muschamp was vital to that whether we get in the game this year or set up for a run next year (when we should be preseason #1 or #2).

    Mack was betting on the come with Muschamp as HC while banking a short term boost to the possibility that he wins a NC this year or next.

  29. My initial response is that this is freaking genius. The habitual problem in the Texas football program is complacency. Ensuring that a very intense guy has a lasting influence on our program addresses that issue front and center. With Mack’s success, ensuring coaching continuity is the second biggest problem with his staff getting raided regularly (e.g. 5 DC’s in 6 years). This move addresses that on the defensive side of the ball. Add that Will is probably the hottest young head coaching candidate among assistant coaches in the country right now and it looks even better.

  30. Major Applewhite said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 1:30 pm

    1st Chris Simms and now this?

    Seriously I am OUT OF HERE!

  31. Mack always said he had a list of guys at coordinator to back up if any of his guys got hired away. I guess the list got real short. (Greg Robinson is back on it) Can anyone name five up and coming defensive coordinators that we would want next year because you know we’d be looking and by the way, look how many we’ve had since Brown has been there in eleven years, 5. The turnstyle has to stop. This is a great move and will look even better when Will has his recruits in there in two years. Watch out!

  32. I say this is DYnoMITE!!!! MNC here we come!

    Just hope Will doesn’t get off the Dave Lapham honorary “Pepper Pot Award” sideline coaching MO while he’s waiting to be HC…love that pepper pot attitude in a co-ordinator…not so much in a HC…

  33. This is a pretty interesting proposition. There is definitely some major risk in this due to lack of HC experience and such and such, as well as the fact that many things could happen between now and when Mack retires that could sour this relationship.

    However, I think I have a pretty good feeling about this, Will may turn out to be a mediocre recruiter, not the best in the GM role that college coaches must accept, etc. However, after seeing him this season and how our defense has performed, I am positive that when he becomes HC our team will play with passion and intensity in every game. Coaches that can accomplish this don’t grow on trees (Carroll anybody?). He also seems to have a good feel for the game of football (at least on defense), as evidenced by the level of execution our young players have had this season. Our D hasn’t been perfect this year by a large margin, but with everything considered (young players, new schemes, etc.), it’s hard to say he hasn’t done a pretty outstanding job.

    Also, if Mack really does feel he is a special coach and could accomplish great things here, why not try to lock him up while we have the chance? There’s no guaranty we get him back if he had gone to UT or some other major gig as a HC. I really like this move. This is a gamble but I think it pays off in the end.

  34. A slap in the face to Davis?

  35. calculated risk

    obviously mack thinks highly of the guy if he is willing to do this

  36. Black Scholes said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 1:46 pm

    It came down to 3 things:

    1. Watching some of the recent abortions of coaching searches/hires concerned Dodds (playing for the legacy now) and Brown.

    2. We absolutely have to, have to, have to get some continuity on the defense. The changes in coordinator could not continue every other year.

    3. Our hand was forced. Ideally there would have been another year of ‘getting to know you, getting to know all about you’ and this announcement would have come when we were better ready. However, it’s a good roll of the dice and nothing that can’t be undone if it’s not a fit.

  37. I bet Davis approved the move.

  38. Who knows what happens down the line with regards to the head coaching position. I’m ecstatic we’ll have Muschamp as a defensive coordinator for at least a few more years. That’s the continuity we’ve been missing for four years in a row now.

    One now has to wonder how long Mack plans on running the ship, I’d say 3-5 years max.

  39. Hippie Killer said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 1:49 pm

    I’m not ready to lose Mack.

    I would have been OK with Greg Robinson coming back. I’m thrilled to keep Muschamp for a few more years and what that means for our defense, but I am just not ready to lose Mack.

    The grass isn’t always greener and I’m just not in a hurry for Mack to leave. Not at all.

    Greg Davis on the other hand…..Fire his ass and hand the keys to THE MAJOR!

  40. Groundhog Day said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 1:50 pm

    HJ,

    We used the excuse that we only hire head coaches and look where that got us for 21 years….Akers, McWilliams, Mackovic. That’s futility right there. It’s obvious the impact that Muschamp has had on this program. Intensity and fundamentals rule the day. It also helps that the players will run through a brick wall for this guy.

    OU nailed it with Stoops and I think we will do the same with Muschamp.

    The only guy out there right now that might be attractive in the future is Tim Brewster as he is a lights out recruiter and was familiar with Texas. There is no guarantee that you will be able to get your man when the time comes. Obviously, Texas thinks they have their man and they have locked him up.

  41. Think more like 1-3.

  42. This move is worth it if only to keep Muschamp around for a MNC run next season.

  43. austintxusa said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 1:50 pm

    Davis was never, ever, unless hell froze harder than Chrisapplewhite’s fist of death, going to be the head coach.

  44. Absolutely terrific move. Even if Muschamp were to have stayed on for another year, how would you have felt next year when the Aggies came calling ala Emory Bellard? We got a Bob Stoops type talent and a couple of years for him to prepare for the rigors of the Texas job. If only General Motors were so well run…

  45. Orangechipper said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 1:54 pm

    I think we just landed Mcfarland.

    BOOM!

  46. Hey, Fred won a lot of ballgames before the Governor started buying players for his alma mater – I wouldn’t lump him in with McWilliams (a heckuva guy by all accounts) and Mackovic (a jerk by all accounts).

    That said, I agree completely with the following statement, posted above: “He does owe Mike Campbell for this. Without that debacle and the division and in-fighting it caused, this wouldn’t have happened. I am wondering if Royal didn’t o.k. this at some level with Mack. The Campbell thing really killed him.”

  47. Fine by me. Any hire is going to be a roll of the dice (we almost hired Gary Barnett last time). We get the guy we want, who looks to be a great fit, get to give him on the job training for a few years, etc.

    Well done, Mack and co.

  48. This is a great move, if for no other reason than it keeps Muschamp here for another possible MNC run in 2009.

    As for whether the job should have been “bequeathed” like this to a guy with no prior head coaching experience, ask yourself this: Given UT’s record the last 30 years in hiring head coaches who did have prior experience, would you have a lot of confidence in whomever our next hire would be when Mack retires?

    Remember that if DeLoss had had his way in 1997, Gary Barnett would have been our head coach, not Mack Brown. Would you be comfortable having a more powerful DeLoss heading up another search 2-3 years from now?

    Boom, M’Fer!!!! That’s all I gotta say.

    Hook ‘em!!!

  49. Trips -

    If you guys are talking about the headline, then you’re missing the allusion.

  50. Groundhog Day said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 2:04 pm

    Juice,

    No doubt Akers won a lot of games but a lot of that winning was due to Royal legacy. He left the program in complete shambles, but you’re right there was rampant cheating all over the place. McWilliams is a great guy but that doesn’t always translate into great coach and yes, Mackovic was the worst hire of all and a first class jerk who the players despised.

  51. Football weenie fully erect thinking about Muschamp after another year of coaching those bad ass underclassmen on defense.

    This is America. Buy it today, pay for it tomorrow, bitches.

  52. Mysterious Package said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 2:05 pm

    To be honest there is nobody better. Great move by Deloss and Mack. This is no way to know if this will work out perfectly but we are hiring the very, very best out there to replace Mack. One cannot dispute this. If Will cannot succeed here then that is one thing but its hard to argue the opposite right now. And I am a glass half empty kind a guy. You have to be happy with this. It doesn’t always work out…See ND, Mich, but sometimes it does Saban, Carrol, we took a calculated risk and I am pleased as all Longhorn fans should be. The future is bright and we have a young one to one day beat Joe Pa’s record at wins. Think of it that way.

  53. SizzleChest said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 2:06 pm

    Mack is due for his fat $2 million bonus on 1/1/2010. I think he’s one more and done.

    As a country, we just elected a smart, passionate dude with little experience as President. He’ll be learning on the job, just like Will must. This decision is not as ballsy as some of you are thinking. It’s very safe, very astute, and has been given sincere thought since last January most likely. I’m sure DeLoss and Mack would’ve preferred to give it some more time, but fuck it.

    Major to OC. HenryJames to continue wondering what could have been.

  54. Thank you, God!

  55. Black Scholes said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 2:15 pm

    Akers could have been fine, but the athletic department dissension never fully went away, he stopped recruiting as well and had some staff issues. Game over.

    We brought McWilliams back before he was ready. I can’t hold that against him. Again, poor staff issues and the fact there were parts of Texas we were not going to be able to get kids out of during that time period pretty much doomed that era. What a shame too.

    Mackovic was the classic ‘hire someone the opposite of the last guy’. Brilliant offensive mind and many other good qualities (color blind, emphasized academics) but the man chose to go through life as a complete and utter jackass. Can’t help that one.

  56. Spring Branch Horn said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 2:17 pm

    THe only other move is to send Greg Davis to the shows and put the Major to OC

  57. Think more like 1-3.

    Coinciding with his $2 million bonus on 1/10/2010?

    Not a bad way to go out.

    Unless Muschamp just proves to be incapable as a head coach, which is a pretty far-fetched scenario, I don’t see one negative to this announcement and there obviously a ton of positives:

    - Player development
    - The ability to properly teach a zone defense?
    - Implementing new blitz packages
    - Locking down Texas for defensive studs
    - A bigger emphasis on national recruiting
    - Handpicking the best coaching talent available to replace Akina in the secondary (sooner than later).
    - Muschamp’s familiarity with the program and recruiting ties once Mack retires.

  58. Thank God, the way I tore apart that Muschamp defense, this should make the South easier for us in the years to come.

    If Muschamp is going to run the entire team like he does his defense, I will be able to win Championships in Lubbock for years to come.

    God I love Texas Tech!

  59. I get the allusion. I just don’t think HJ is actually pissed.

  60. It’s one thing to do this when the HC is 80, but when he’s 57? That’s not that old for a HC. Any rumblings about Mack wanting to take an early retirement?

  61. austintxusa said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 2:25 pm

    Royal retired at an early age than Brown is now. I think Deloss calls it quits next year and Brown succeeds him.

  62. His ten years here have aged him 20.

  63. “Any rumblings about Mack wanting to take an early retirement?”

    Yeah, otherwise we wouldn’t be having this today. It’s not like Muschamp wants to stay on as DC here for the next 15 years.

  64. Also, I like the timing of this. “Boys, I’m not going anywhere. Now let’s get to work.”

  65. Prior experience is overrated. You don’t know how a guy is going to do at a huge job like this until he gets there, even if he did just light it up at TCU.

    Muschamp is a badass. He’s going to make a great head coach. He’s got everything you’d want.

    The best part of the deal has only been mentioned once by Eyes — that we’re going to get him again next year when we’re not playing a bunch of freshmen and sophomores. That is not unimportant.

  66. It’s one thing to do this when the HC is 80, but when he’s 57? That’s not that old for a HC. Any rumblings about Mack wanting to take an early retirement?

    Darrell was 52 when he got out of the game. And Mike Campbell, as great an assistant as he was, would have been a disaster as head coach.

    He was uneasy around the media, didn’t suffer fools (i.e. alumni) lightly, and wasn’t that big of a fan of recruiting.

  67. RolloTamasi said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 2:42 pm

    Watching the goal line stand against Kansas with some of our scrubs in during a game where we dominated their offense without Orakpo I kept thinking, “our defense can be so good next year”.
    Imagine our defense learning a new defense next year with still young players just getting comfortable in the old one and replacing 3 starters on the defensive line along with (probably) Sergio Kindle.
    Now imagine the same defense working together in the same system with a much increased chance of having Kindle involved. Replacing Miller and Orakpo becomes the primary concern rather than starting over.
    This deal locks us in for a title shot in the next 1-3 years with Mack. As far as head coaching goes: one of our great advantages in the spread-era is the ability to field the kind of defense athletic enough to lock down spread offenses because of the talent we recruit. We just made defense a priority and set ourselves apart from the pack in college football.

  68. Orangechipper said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 2:49 pm

    Count me in as another that LOVES the timing of this.

    It sends a message to the team… We are committed to you. Don’t F up aggy game.

    It sends a message to the fans… We are commited to you. We won’t F up aggy game.

    It sends a message to recruits… Come on in. The water is nice. Boom MFer.

    Finally, It sends a message to the media. PAY NO ATTENTION TO THAT OU/TT game. We are the real story.

  69. Barry Switzer said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 2:49 pm

    If I knew I was going to completely run DKR off, I wouldn’t have whipped his ass so many times.

  70. EDSBS just launched this hilarious tribute to the move…

  71. Vangeestdabeast said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 3:21 pm

    I love it.

    I can only wonder though, how much is this still going to be “Mack’s team” in 2010 or whenever it happens?

  72. My 360 BBS history is rusty, it was texlarry that coined the I’m stunned. I’m pissed. It’s Mack Brown, no?

    I think it’s a good move. It helps us out of the 4 DC’s in 5 years miasma in the short term and he gets on the job training long term.

  73. Mike Leach, your offense scored a season low against this D, and won only bc of consecutive screw ups by two frosh.

    BTW, you wont be in Lubbock next year. Tenny just pulled up a truck filled with cash outside your house.

  74. great move.

    Good point: “Finally, It sends a message to the media. PAY NO ATTENTION TO THAT OU/TT game. We are the real story.”

    Mark it down: we Will win the 2009 National Championship.

    Hook ‘em!

  75. Facebook User said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 4:34 pm

    I’d like us to win another conference championship.

  76. Doperbo-
    I was thinking that it was SLX, but I believe you’re righter.

    Where is Gary Barnette now, anyway?

    Btw, I think you want “morass” instead of “miasma”.

  77. Facebook User said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 4:52 pm

    • figurative an oppressive or unpleasant atmosphere that surrounds or emanates from something : a miasma of despair rose from the black workshops.

  78. Bobby Jack Akina said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 4:54 pm

    Awesome headline.

    No matter when Mack leaves, replacing him will involve some probability of success and an associated probability of failure. Hard for me to imagine that the probability of Muschamp succeeding is too much lower than anyobdy else we might hire.

    And by locking up Muschamp through the end of Mack’s tenure, we have to add to our expected value the marginal increase in our probability of success during that time attributable to Muschamp staying here. I think that increase is not negligible, especially since we may have to continue the defensive coordinator carousel if Muschamp leaves.

    So I’m cool with the move.

  79. Stuck in MN said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 5:24 pm

    How’d they get around the requirement that any state job opening be posted for a week or so before being officially offered?

  80. Stuck: Muschamp hasn’t changed jobs, and won’t for some period of months or years. I imagine they’ll post the job at some point when it becomes clear that Mack is about to announce his retirement.

  81. Stuck in MN said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 5:49 pm

    Eyes, but if something is written into his contract haven’t they already offered him the job for all intents and purposes? Or have they just verbally promised him the job with nothing in writing?

  82. Stuck in MN said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 5:56 pm

    Never mind, I found the answer, looks like there is an exception for him since he was already an employee of the state. Sorry to get sidetracked on a legal discussion.

    Sec. 656.001. STATE AGENCY EMPLOYMENT OPENING. Any agency, … of state government that has an employment opening for which persons from outside the agency will be considered shall list the opening with the Texas Workforce Commission.

  83. miasma: bad air; toxic atmosphere.
    morass: quagmire; entanglement; troublesome situation.

    Both are swamp/marsh allusions, btw, but miasma was thought to be the cause for the black plague.

  84. Inside Texas has posted a comparison of Muschamp with Darrell Royal:
    http://insidetexas.com/news/story.php?article=524

  85. RansomStoddard said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 6:33 pm

    It’s likely a very shrewd move. The guy is passionate, has great ethic, connects with kids and know his stuff. He has time to learn about recruiting etc from the greatest recruiter I’ve ever seen. He has and will have the best facilities in the country to work with. The table is set for success. Not that much of a risk actually.

  86. BurntOrangeBoom said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 7:07 pm

    “I’d like us to win another conference championship.”

    Fielding a consistently good defense will go along way toward winning conference titles. It might also encourage Stoops to move on. There’s going to be a new sheriff in town.

  87. SlickStreet said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 7:12 pm

    yep, Doperbo, it was texlarry

  88. Greatness! Muschamp is already a better football “coach” than
    Brown. He brings passion, intensity….urgency! He will learn
    at the feet of the master of recruiting, politics and alumni relations.
    2010 is about right. Mack does want to hang out at Dairy Queens
    in his 60’s. It feels right —I like the move.

  89. This is wonderful news. The headline is very funny.

  90. Atmosphere, entanglements, the long dark teatime of the defensive soul… let’s all compromise and agree that Muschamp is pusillanimous.

  91. Well, I meant rumblings of early retirement before today….

  92. Nicole-Barbe Ponsardin said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 7:53 pm

    I find him callipygous.

  93. bighornfan32 said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 7:56 pm

    Anyone who doesnt like this move can eat a bag of dicks, to put it in layman’s terms.

  94. This is a brilliant move by Mack. Just locking in Muschamp as DC is amazingly good news.

    Mack not only resurrected the program from a deep hibernation but he has now almost guaranteed (as much as guarantees exist in college football)continued elite status for UT after Mack retires.

    It is a good move for Muschamp, too. It will give him time to really get trained for this particular head coaching position and to learn from the master.

    Wow!

  95. zyzzyballubah said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 8:55 pm

    This ain’t too difficult to read:

    1) We need to keep Muschamp as DC, and he’s gone if Mack doesn’t do this. This takes him off the market and strokes his ego at the same time.

    2) If someone better comes along when Brown rides off in to the sunset, there are ways to buy-off Muschamp and send him on his way.

    3) Having a “coach-in-waiting” like Muschamp is awesome for recruiting. There are no variables for kids. They know what they are getting if Mack steps-down.

    4) It frees Mack to do what he does best – RECRUIT.

    5) Mack does not develop players, Muschamp obviously does. Therefore, Mack can begin shifting some of the responsibilities where he is weak and Muschamp is strong.

    6) This is the way it should be at Texas. Despite what happened at TT, this is the first year that I could say that coaching looked smart and motivated. Until this year, we didn’t have a coaching staff. We had the makings of a Viagra commercial. With the addition of Muschamp and Applewhite, we injected the missing elements — testerone and youth, respectively.

    I see two drawbacks, one will take care of itself and one has probably already been resolved:

    1) The one that will take care of itself (eventually) is Greg Davis. He will be here as long is Mack is around; however, you can already see Major’s fingerprints in the play calling. This brings me to #2…

    2) Major Applewhite. The rumor mill has it that the Muschamp move is merely a formalization of what was promised to him when he came in order to lure him here, so someone must have told Major something prior to today. That is why I assume that any issues with Major have already been resolved. I sure hope so!

    Stellar move otherwise. We now possess the most rounded package of coaches in college football. This can only translate to great things!

  96. zyzzyballubah said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 9:06 pm

    “Watching the goal line stand against Kansas with some of our scrubs in during a game where we dominated their offense without Orakpo I kept thinking, “our defense can be so good next year”.”

    No doubt! Compare last year’s excuse for a defense with this year’s. I don’t care if you are playing paralyzed midget amputees. When you can hold 6 or 7 straight plays inside the 9 yard line including a roughing penalty, you da bomb!

    By the way HenryJames — Just because I disagree with your pitiful analysis, I hope that you don’t decide to classify my “paralyzed midget amputee” analogy as political and remove my posts.

    ;)

  97. CrazyJoeDavola said:

    November 18th, 2008 at 9:49 pm

    If there were “promises” made to Muschamp, I doubt seriously that anything close to those were made to Applewhite. Major’s bargaining position for such considerations was a great deal weaker than Muschamp’s when they both came on.

    I believe Applewhite’s been a positive force on this coaching staff, but the hand-wringing I’ve seen over how the Muschamp move affects Major’s position and feelings has been ridiculous and creepy, if totally predictable.

  98. Predictable as hell. The Cult shall never die, apparently. Major’s going to be a fine head coach some day – he just needs his accomplishments to catch up to his legend. And I doubt he is upset at all about this, unlike his hangers-on. I hope he sticks around Austin to become OC when Davis hangs them up – that would be good for him and the program.

  99. And now for something completely different and unrelated…

    JaMarkus McFarland has whittled it down to two: OU and Texas. OU is returning 3 out of 4 of the 2 deep at DT including the two best, McCoy and Granger. UT has Roy Miller graduating to NFL riches, and a dearth of true DTs….Hmm.

    Congrats on your new commit.

  100. 100!

  101. Two more things:

    1. I like how UT fans aren’t concerned that the school isn’t concerned about hiring only a Texas guy as head coach. After listening to Husker fans last year and KSU fans this year, you’d think the only criteria is history with school. Probably a subconscious realization that it’s hard to get outsiders to come to Lincoln or Manhattan.

    2. How many of you are worried about the Peter Principle? Is this just an overreation to the fact that Muschamp is highly sought after?

  102. How many of you are worried about the Peter Principle? Is this just an overreation to the fact that Muschamp is highly sought after?

    BCS Football programs are multi-million dollar projects, and the hiring of a coach at one of the elite BCS programs is a high-stakes gamble no matter who it is.

    Basically, it is a game of Texas Hold ‘Em and you have to go all in before the turn. I like the idea that the administration (and Mack) looked at our hole cards and decided the percentages were in our favor.

  103. Houston Tiger said:

    November 19th, 2008 at 7:01 am

    Congratulations. You guys just locked up your Bo Pelini.

  104. I’ve heard Muschamp being lauded as the next Fred Akers.

  105. No!! the next “DAVID McWILLIAMS”

  106. Johnny Knoxville said:

    November 19th, 2008 at 7:41 am

    Dedfischer, do you have a wish list for your new HC?

  107. I'm afraid of Gary Framilton said:

    November 19th, 2008 at 7:51 am

    “When I went into the press conference and was breaking the news on my blackberry to the website, not a single reporter had a clue what was going to happen.

    I was pretty nervous that I was going to look like an idiot.” – Geoff Ketchum

  108. What happens when BOOM gets tired of waiting for Mack to retire and pisses him off. I think Mack Daddy just wants to keep his DC for now. Good luck on that.

  109. I’m kind of wondering that too.

    “Hey, uh, Mack? Got a sec? I know you said I could take over one day, but it’s now 2019…”

  110. TaylorTRoom said:

    November 19th, 2008 at 9:01 am

    I think that Sonny Dykes is the obvious replacement for Leach. He pupiled under Leach, and has been OC at Arizona. Plus…HE’S A TECH GUY.

  111. Groundhog Day said:

    November 19th, 2008 at 9:08 am

    There is no comparison between Muschamp and Bo Pelini. In fact, I thought Nebraska hired the wrong guy again. Time will tell, but I think they would have been better off with Turner Gill or Paul Johnson. LSU had two losses last year and both of those losses were high scoring affairs against Arkansas and Kentucky.

  112. Check me if I’m wrong, Groundhog, but weren’t both LSU losses in 2007 triple OT affairs? That would help explain the “high scoring” part (if not excuse it).

    Time will tell if Pelini was right or wrong; I’m quite willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

    I went to school with Turner and like him a lot but wouldn’t hire him as my head coach. He’s done quite well at Buffalo and I wish him well at the next level (he’ll be there soon).

    Like hiring Gill, a Johnson hire would be saying to every NU recruit “We’re going back to Option football”–which is clearly going to turn off a lot of young players.

  113. What happens when BOOM gets tired of waiting for Mack to retire and pisses him off. I think Mack Daddy just wants to keep his DC for now. Good luck on that.

    I’m willing to bet that Mack steps down before his win total at Texas reaches 167 — and it stands at 113 right now.

  114. Muschamp is not our new head coach. Muschamp might not wind up being our new head coach (where’s the buyout section?).

    This arrangement is intended to keep Muschamp as DC by dangling HC in front of him. Who knows what will actually happen?

  115. A program is always looking for that difference maker and there ain’t that many out there. You can ‘what if’ all you want but I agree with SRR, it will happen sooner than later.
    By the way if your tired of hearing the Stoops/assistant to head coach comparison how about a 35 year old assistant taking over Nebraska in 1972. He did OK.

  116. [...] of Texas, the heir to King Mack’s throne.  And we know Texans largely agree that the move is totally awesome, that burnt orange is a primary color, and that Cub Scouts should be able to earn capital [...]

  117. “I’m willing to bet that Mack steps down before his win total at Texas reaches 167 — and it stands at 113 right now.”

    I bet you’re right, and hope so.

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