Duane Akina to the Arizona Wilcats Per Tom Dienhart. [Archive]

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adoniijahsooner

1/16/2011, 10:00 PM

Texas secondary coach going to Mike Stoops?

http://twitter.com/TomDienhart/status/26827922673238016#

sooner59

1/16/2011, 10:17 PM

Who is Tom Dienhart?

Are you Tom Dienhart?

:D

adoniijahsooner

1/16/2011, 10:18 PM

Who is Tom Dienhart?

Are you Tom Dienhart?

:D

Tom Dienhart is the senior national college football writer for Rivals.com

Adrian

1/16/2011, 10:19 PM

This guy has got some good info. I'm subscribing to his Twitter page right away...

sooner59

1/16/2011, 10:25 PM

Tom Dienhart is the senior national college football writer for Rivals.com

Heh. I was just jabbing at oudavid1 a little. All in good fun...

sappstuf

1/16/2011, 10:30 PM

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hk_cayNIONo/SCz6YsjoFiI/AAAAAAAAIrw/4TgV4N8iCAw/s400/Jumping_ship.JPG

Leroy Lizard

1/16/2011, 10:53 PM

http://www.rollonfriday.com/Portals/0/images/rats_sinking_ship.jpg

silverwheels

1/16/2011, 10:57 PM

Adrian

1/16/2011, 10:59 PM

Josh Turner was rumored to be pretty close to Akina. Perhaps he will waiver on his commitment?

King Barry's Back

1/16/2011, 11:01 PM

Diaz probably didn't want him on the staff, because you don't just go from coaching the secondary at Texas to doing the same at Arizona. Or maybe Akina wants to be a coordinator within the next few years and thinks he has a better job of reaching that position in Tuscon than in Austin.

Think how desperate a rat on a sinking ship has to be to desert TX for the same job at UA, in normal conditions. Then consider that Mike Stoops is on the edge of being fired (though I surely hope not).

It looks bad in Austin. Which means it looks good everywhere else. :)

bluedogok

1/16/2011, 11:05 PM

Akina went to Texas after Toomey was hired as DC there. Akina was an assistant under Toomey when he was HC at Arizona before he was fired to make way for Mackovic. Maybe he just likes Tucson.

usaosooner

1/16/2011, 11:05 PM

7 year coach, who has pumped players into the NFL... something fishy is going on

Leroy Lizard

1/16/2011, 11:28 PM

7 year coach, who has pumped players into the NFL... something fishy is going on

He was the one assistant who's players performed consistently well throughout his tenure.

But he was only three stars. Maybe they think they can get a four-star coach in turn.

Therealsouthsider

1/17/2011, 12:02 AM

BigTime1

1/17/2011, 12:25 AM

Its more than just Josh Turner they're are quite a few of the new recruits that were hanging in after all that's happened this year because of Akina.

yankee

1/17/2011, 12:48 AM

Dienhart didn't say the Mike Stoops' Arizona, maybe it means the Arizona Cardinals? I have no idea why Akina would go to the UofA, but the Cards makes more sense since that's actually a promotion.

silverwheels

1/17/2011, 01:18 AM

....maybe he wants to go to a Bowl game

SS

Oh snap! :D

Leroy Lizard

1/17/2011, 01:57 AM

Its more than just Josh Turner they're are quite a few of the new recruits that were hanging in after all that's happened this year because of Akina.

I would be shocked if they lost more than one recruit over this, and mildly surprised if they lost any at all.

sendbaht

1/17/2011, 02:04 AM

I going to figure out a way for my computer to refresh every few minutes so I don't miss a coach either coming or going at Texas. Never seen a school with such turn over. The place is like clownsville.

oudavid1

1/17/2011, 03:59 AM

Josh Turner was rumored to be pretty close to Akina. Perhaps he will waiver on his commitment?

Its more than just Josh Turner they're are quite a few of the new recruits that were hanging in after all that's happened this year because of Akina.

http://i53.tinypic.com/2du9y6u.jpg

SoonerNutt

1/17/2011, 10:59 AM

Mad Dog Madsen

1/17/2011, 11:04 AM

Bring on Josh Turner!

Sabanball

1/17/2011, 11:39 AM

MI Sooner

1/17/2011, 11:57 AM

Something has to be going on internally at Texas for all the assistants to be jumping ship. Usually most are flocking there, NOT doing what they can to get out. Then again, Akina did coach at Arizona for 14yrs.

I haven't paid that much attention to the assistant turnover at Texas, but before this, there were guys fired and Muschamp left for HC at Florida, right? Were there other defections? That doesn't a voluntary mass exodus to me. Plus, after all the speculation that they'd lose a bunch of recruits, haven't they held on to pretty much everyone?

Whether or not the coordinator hires will work out remains to be seen, but they were fairly accomplished/high-profile hires with good current jobs and likely had other options, weren't they? This may signal total disarray, but if two new coordinators only lead to the loss of one position coach, I don't know that there's anything out of the ordinary.

Herr Scholz

1/17/2011, 12:28 PM

I'm thinking Akina wants to be a DC and realized his ship had sailed at UT and he saw the youth movement in the staff. Plus he's comfortable in AZ. Definitely lots of turnover this offseason. All new blood. This one might actually cost us some recruits though (a couple of CBs to be precise).

OL McWhorter - fired (called retirement)
DL Tollison - fired (called retirement)
OC Davis - fired (called resignation)
WR Kennedy - left to be WR coach at CU
DB Akina - left to be DB coach at AZ
DC Muschamp - left to be HC at FU
S&C Madden - lost football S&C duties

Only 3 out of 10 assistants will be the same on the UT staff this upcoming season. Still looking for an O line coach and now DB coach. Also, don't know yet who will head up the special teams.

RB Applewhite - now co-OC
TE Chambers - same
DE Giles - same

texaspokieokie

1/17/2011, 12:40 PM

WOW, look who's back !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Herr Scholz

1/17/2011, 12:43 PM

Just crawled out of the bottle. ;)

Seamus

1/17/2011, 01:01 PM

Did you enjoy the bowl season, Scholz?

stoopified

1/17/2011, 01:18 PM

olevetonahill

1/17/2011, 01:27 PM

Dienhart didn't say the Mike Stoops' Arizona, maybe it means the Arizona Cardinals? I have no idea why Akina would go to the UofA, but the Cards makes more sense since that's actually a promotion.

Its Def. Mikes Cats

http://forum.goazcats.com/showthread.php?p=1531266#post1531266

BigTime1

1/17/2011, 02:15 PM

I would be shocked if they lost more than one recruit over this, and mildly surprised if they lost any at all.

I don't know if they'll leave or not but I'm just sayin there was at least 4 recruits maybe more who's reasoning for staying after the muschamp ordeal was akina was still there and they weren't all db's.

toast

1/17/2011, 02:21 PM

It's being reported that the ol coach for osu has declined ut's offer and will stay in stillwater.

Herr Scholz

1/17/2011, 02:59 PM

Did you enjoy the bowl season, Scholz?

I watched the Rose Bowl and national title game. That's about it. I did, however, win my fantasy league this year, so that kept me busy. In retrospect, I'm not sure the 2010 college season happened at all. I don't recall.

adoniijahsooner

1/17/2011, 03:07 PM

I watched the Rose Bowl and national title game. That's about it. I did, however, win my fantasy league this year, so that kept me busy. In retrospect, I'm not sure the 2010 college season happened at all. I don't recall.

Been a weird season indeed. Too be honest I hate seeing Texas uncompetitive and kissing Iowa State and Baylor's feet.

Herr Scholz

1/17/2011, 03:09 PM

Too be honest I hate seeing Texas uncompetitive and kissing Iowa State and Baylor's feet.
I enjoyed it. Good times.

toast

1/17/2011, 03:17 PM

I enjoyed it. Good times.

On the bright side, at least the ut players now know things like isu's colors, mascot name, where Ames is, etc.

TheHumanAlphabet

1/17/2011, 03:24 PM

So has anyone pinpointed whether the AZ spoken of is AU or the NFL team as soemone mentioned earlier? The Chronicle basically reposted the same earlier story with the same mention of Arizona, though no indication it was a Wildcat or Cardinals.

Also, is Mad Dog still at UT (mentioned not S&C coach?) or is he going to the Puffs?

Herr Scholz

1/17/2011, 03:47 PM

Mad Dog is the S&C coordinator for all UT sports and asst Athletic Director. He's still in that role. The new guy Benny Wylie will be in charge of football only and was actually hired by Madden. The thinking is Madden got stretched pretty thin by a lot of duties as well as had some complacency.

And it's definitely the Wildcats Akina's going to.

Mad Dog Madsen

1/17/2011, 04:14 PM

Widescreen

1/17/2011, 05:25 PM

The thinking is Madden got stretched pretty thin by a lot of duties as well as had some complacency.

Sorry, but Madden has never been stretched thin by anything.

Leroy Lizard

1/17/2011, 06:25 PM

The thinking is Madden got stretched pretty thin...

Bwahahahaha!!!!!!

utex74

1/17/2011, 07:41 PM

It's Jerry Gray. I've liked this guy for a long time. Don't thnk we lose any recruits over this and I look forward to what he can bring to the secondary.

Austin -- Former Texas great Jerry Gray, a 23-year veteran of the NFL as a player and coach, has returned to his alma mater to join the Longhorns staff as assistant head coach and defensive backs coach, head coach Mack Brown announced Monday. Gray spent nine seasons as a player in the league and 14 years as an assistant coach, including five as a defensive coordinator.

"This is truly an exciting opportunity for me and my family," Gray said. "Not very many guys get the chance to come back and coach where they played and to do that at a place that is as special as Texas. It's just an unbelievable opportunity. I've enjoyed getting to know Coach Brown, and I've been so proud watching everything they've been accomplishing since he took over, and to have a chance to be a part of that is a dream come true."

The arrival of Gray gives Texas three members of the coaching staff who played for the Longhorns, including Co-Offensive Coordinator Major Applewhite and Defensive Ends Coach Oscar Giles.

"We're excited to bring back one of our own in Jerry Gray," Brown said. "He is a member of the Texas High School Hall of Fame, the Longhorn Hall of Honor and is one of the great defensive backs and players to come out of The University of Texas and this state. He went on to be a Pro Bowl player for many years in the NFL and then to becoming one of the league's best defensive coaches.

"Jerry brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our program having spent 14 years coaching in the NFL, including five as a defensive coordinator, and helping develop our own Earl Thomas this past year in Seattle. We've all had a chance to get to know Jerry over the years on his visits back to Austin and really look forward to him joining our staff. I know our guys will be excited to move forward with such a great Longhorn."

A four-year letterman at defensive back from 1981-84, Gray is one of only seven Longhorns to earn two-time consensus All-America honors, as he did in 1983 and 1984. He earned unanimous honors as a senior and is still one of only 20 players in UT history to accomplish that feat. He was also a two-time Southwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 1983-84. Inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor in 1996, Gray is also a member of the Texas All-Time Team and All-Decade Team for the 1980’s.

"I'm really looking forward to getting back on campus and working with the guys," Gray said. "I enjoy the teaching part of the game and am excited to be able to pass down to the young guys everything I've learned being in the NFL for a long time as a player and coach. The things I like to focus on are technique and helping them better understand the game. Effort and the mental part of the game is the difference in the great players in the NFL, and I think I can help them see that. If they understand what to do and why they're doing it, they'll develop as a player and play faster for our defense. When you're dealing with young people, it's important to understand that they all learn differently. I've always prided myself in being a players' coach and working with each individual. I need to be smart about how I coach each of these young guys and prepare them to be the best player they can be."

Gray finished his career ranked second on the UT career interceptions list and still stands third with 16, just one behind record holders Noble Doss and Nathan Vasher. He is also tied with Vasher and three others for second on the single-season interceptions list after pulling in seven in 1984. He shared that record until S Earl Thomas set a mark with eight in 2009. Gray also finished his career fourth on the career fumble recoveries list and still stands eighth with six recoveries.

"Believe me, I've been around this game for a while, and I've looked around in college and the NFL, and you're not going to find a more respected guy than Coach Brown," Gray said. "When this opportunity came up, I talked to a lot of guys around the league and in the college game about it and they all said to take it. They said that because of the respect everyone has for Coach Brown. He's a guy everyone wants to coach with like Coach (Bill) Walsh was in the NFL, and Coach (Mike) Holmgren and (Bill) Belichick are in the NFL. Everyone is looking at what he does and how he does it at Texas. Coach Brown sets the standard."

Gray spent last season as defensive backs coach with the Seattle Seahawks, where he helped Thomas make an immediate impact as a rook in the NFL. During the regular season, Thomas started all 16 games, ranking ninth in the league and second among rookies in interceptions with five. He was also fifth on the team with 76 tackles.

Gray joined the Seahawks after serving in the same capacity for the Washington Redskins for four seasons from 2006-09. In 2009, The Redskins ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in total defense, passing defense and fewest passing TDs allowed. The secondary was led by veterans Carlos Rogers, Fred Smoot and DeAngelo Hall, along with LaRon Landry. Rogers led the team with 12 passes defended, while Hall had four INTs, Landry was fourth on the team in tackles with 90 and Smoot added six passes defended.

In 2008, the Washington defense also ranked in the top 10 in both total defense and passing defense. Rogers had a team-high 24 passes defensed with two INTs and 56 tackles. Hall finished the season with two INTs in just seven games as a Redskin after being acquired midseason and had assumed a starting cornerback position by season's end. Landry was fourth on the team in tackles also that year with 65 and had two INTs with 11 passes defended, while Sean Springs added seven passes defended and an INT.

In 2007, the Redskins’ secondary was diminished by the loss of Rogers to injured reserve following Week 8, but still managed to hold opponents to 214.0 passing yards per game. Springs and Smoot combined for 129 tackles (114 solo), five interceptions and 29 passes defensed, while Landry was second on the team with 95 tackles. Sean Taylor led the team with five INTs and had nine passes defended.

Gray spent five years in Buffalo as the Bills defensive coordinator from 2001-05. In 2004, Gray led a defense that finished second in the NFL in total defense and in the top five in the league in fewest touchdowns allowed (29), yards allowed per game (264.2), passing yards allowed per game (164.0), sacks registered (45) and led the league with 39 turnovers forced.

He orchestrated a major defensive turnaround in 2003 when his unit finished the year ranked second in the NFL in total defense (second against the pass, eighth against the run). His defense also ranked fifth overall in points allowed in 2003.

Prior to joining the Bills in 2001, Gray spent the previous four seasons as an assistant with the Tennessee Titans, including the last two as defensive backs coach. He helped Tennessee finish as the NFL’s No. 1-ranked pass defense and total defense in 2000, and also guided CB Samari Rolle and S Blaine Bishop to All-Pro selections.

Gray originally started with the Titans as the defensive assistant/quality control coach in 1997 before being elevated to the defensive backs position. He broke into the coaching ranks in 1995 as the defensive backs coach at Southern Methodist.

A nine-year veteran of the NFL, Gray was a first-round pick (21st overall) in the 1985 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. During his career, he played with the Rams (1985-91), Houston Oilers (1992), and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1993). He was a four-time Pro Bowler at cornerback (1986-89) with the Rams, and finished with 28 career interceptions. He posted a season-high eight interceptions in 1986, just his second year in the NFL. He was also named the NFL’s Defensive Back of the Year in 1989 and earned MVP honors in the 1990 Pro Bowl.

A native of Lubbock, Texas, Gray earned a bachelor's of science degree in speech communications from UT. He lettered in football, basketball and track at Estacado High in Lubbock, was inducted into the Texas High School Hall of Fame in 1995 and recently named to the All-Time Texas High School team.

Gray and his wife, Sherry, have two sons, Jeremy and Jayden. Jeremy just finished his redshirt freshman season as a defensive back at SMU.

C&CDean

1/17/2011, 07:55 PM

So now you've got a sand aggie for a DC?

BAAHWWAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

utex74

1/17/2011, 08:10 PM

So now you've got a sand aggie for a DC?

BAAHWWAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Grew up in Lubbock. I grew up in Amarillo and even spent two years in OKC. Your point escapes me.

If we can only hire people born in Austin and you can only hire people born in Norman it would make for very interesting, and boring, coaching staffs.

101sooner

1/17/2011, 08:17 PM

Grew up in Lubbock. I grew up in Amarillo and even spent two years in OKC. Your point escapes me.

If we can only hire people born in Austin and you can only hire people born in Norman it would make for very interesting, and boring, coaching staffs.

Oh the irony.

soonerfromgeorgia

1/17/2011, 09:32 PM

Not just coaches,

http://timesenterprise.com/sports/x233315145/Arthur-Johnson-heading-back-to-Texas

utex74

1/19/2011, 01:27 AM

Not sure of the point. I think both of our programs, and all good programs, always seek the best talent in the country. Then we get to watch and see if the right choices were made. It is the off-season!

Leroy Lizard

1/19/2011, 01:31 AM

Texas announced Johnson’s position as assistant athletics director for football operations, the same title he held there from 2001-05. Johnson said he expects to eventually hold the title of associate athletic director for football operations...

So will we call him Madam Johnson?