NYT article on Mack Brown

[Sooner Cal]

Mack is re-energized, but won't take his shirt off in front of his new S&C coach. Today's New York Times.

Someone can post the thread as I don't know how to do it.

[cvsooner]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/13/sports/ncaafootball/13texas.html

Here's a sample:

Brown Begins Overhaul of Texas Program
By PETE THAMEL

AUSTIN, Tex. — Mack Brown does not like late-night phone calls because they usually mean that something bad has happened to one of his Texas football players. So when his phone woke him well after midnight on Jan. 2, 2007, Brown dreaded answering.

But instead of bearing bad news, Brown’s stepson could barely contain himself. “You can’t believe Boise,” he told a sleepy Brown. “Unbelievable.”

Like many others, Brown turned off his television and went to bed after Oklahoma’s Marcus Walker seemingly sealed the Fiesta Bowl with a last-minute interception return for a touchdown.

Brown recalled the moment in a recent interview in his office, as he discussed the wholesale changes in the Longhorns’ program after their inexplicable 5-7 season. Brown came to the conclusion that blue-blood Texas needed to be more like blue-turf Boise State, which led to the hiring of the Broncos’ offensive coordinator, Bryan Harsin.

“I decided that I just love what they do and I can’t wait to see it at Texas,” Brown said.

As he enters his 14th season as the Texas coach, Brown faces more question marks than usual. To execute his makeover, Brown hired Harsin to be a co-coordinator with Major Applewhite, and Manny Diaz from Mississippi State as the defensive coordinator.

“I really wanted to start over,” Brown said.

“I wanted aggressive, young, out-of-the box, confident guys who would come in here and let Texas fans and our kids have fun again,” he added. We didn’t have fun last year, including me.”

[fwsooner22]

The act of a desperate man.....This is gonna be so much fun.

[TahoeSOONER]

I hope we drill both these new coordinators so bad I can hardly contain it.

I want blood and I want these two to understand that all the money in the world won't change the beatings that will continue for years to come.

[MR2-Sooner86]

I seriously think the Horns will want Harsin's head if he doesn't produce what they have in mind.

I mean Harsin called a good game against us but he's known for those two trick plays. THAT'S IT. I seriously think they're going to be expecting him to be double reverse, statue-of-liberty, trick option, fake tackle play us all over the Cotton Bowl and it's not going to happen.

Also, when he beat us in the Fiesta Bowl he had a senior team with a senior QB and RB to help lead. There are no signs of any of that in Texas right now. Also, how will it go with Applewhite being co-offco with him? Been a while since I've seen the game but I don't remember Boise being a "spread" team and given Applewhite's background that could cause problems.

[Quik Sand]

Gilbert at QB will kill any potency the Boise coordinator brings.

[MyT Oklahoma]

Mack who?

[Jacie]

Boise’s offense is high scoring, but it is not a spread offense, which has become popular in the past decade. Brown said part of the reason he hired Harsin was that he wanted to do something different. Texas will run a multiple two-back system with a fullback and a tight end and an emphasis on running the ball, which the Longhorns failed to establish last year.

Because this is sa*et we're talking about they should have the bodies on hand to evaluate but for sometime now the whorns have not had or at least used either a tight end or fullback to do anything other than block, so the challenge for them to implement the "Boise system" will be to start from scratch with these two positions.

Concerning their quarterback situation, they started spring practice looking at four guys, Gilby of course, Case McCoy, Connor Wood and David Ash. With a full season of experience, Gilby is the obvious front-runner but after the 2010 debacle neither Mack nor the fans will have a lot of patience with him. Expect the boo birds to get down on him if he throws a pick, puts the ball on the ground or if the offense doesn't score early and often. Information from the sa*et practices is scarce but from what I can glean, Case doesn't have the arm strength to throw a deep ball and Connor has been inconsistent. The fourth prospect, Ash, is a true freshman. Mack has little but bad memories of what happens (especially versus OU) when he replaces an experienced QB with a freshman (Chrissy and Vinnie) and might overrule Harsin/Applewhite if they dare to open the season with the new kid.

[MR2-Sooner86]

an emphasis on running the ball, which the Longhorns failed to establish last year.

So the next question, where are their runners? I didn't see anybody who really showed themselves to be anything special except maybe DJ Monroe. He wasn't bad but he barely saw the field and from my understanding had a hard time figuring out the offense.

I hear Gilbert isn't a bad runner but are they really going to let their QB go running all over the field again like they let Colt? It was obvious there wasn't a running game besides Colt but he got dinged up a few times in '07 and made their offense very one dimensional in '09.

So are Harsin/Applewhite going to let Gilbert try to be the next Colt? I highly doubt it. They better find somebody who can run because their passing game is awful.

[Leroy Lizard]

I'm not sure I want to be caught whistling past the graveyard. The Horns were very good in '09 and I consider '10 an anomaly. They could be very good this year.

I hope they suck, though.

[picasso]

Texas minus a dual threat QB = fail.

[soonerbub]

I'm ready to see us smash the Grape on a statue of liberty

[cvsooner]

I'm with Leroy on this one. I think 2011 will be an interesting year for them, and then in 2012, watch out. What happened at Texas in 2010 was analagous to us in 2005, in my book, only Bob and co. are a better coaching staff than Mack and co. But we still had some really close calls and could easily have wound up with a losing record ourselves.

Texas has the athletes if they'll buy into the new ideas Harsin and Diaz are bringing, and especially if they're willing to work with the new strength coach.

[agoo758]

I'm with Leroy on this one. I think 2011 will be an interesting year for them, and then in 2012, watch out. What happened at Texas in 2010 was analagous to us in 2005, in my book, only Bob and co. are a better coaching staff than Mack and co. But we still had some really close calls and could easily have wound up with a losing record ourselves.

Texas has the athletes if they'll buy into the new ideas Harsin and Diaz are bringing, and especially if they're willing to work with the new strength coach.

Funny thing is, if our OOC schedule was as week in 05 as theirs was last years, we are a ten win team on a down year. Same thing goes with us in 09.

[Widescreen]

I'm not sure I want to be caught whistling past the graveyard. The Horns were very good in '09 and I consider '10 an anomaly. They could be very good this year.

I hope they suck, though.

Honestly, they weren't that good in '09. They benefitted from a down year in the Big 12. If you recall, as poor as we played early in the year, we were a Colt TD-saving tackle away from destroying their season.

[Tigeman]

Everything I've heard says Boise's offense was totally petersen's baby. He even called the plays supposedly, ala Gundy. So it'll be interesting to see what harsin actually brings to the table.

Diez offense is blitz happy, every play, all game. Watching his team at MSU this year they got burned on big plays A BUNCH! He may get lit up in the big 12. He's lucky he wasn't here during the year of the quarterbacks. Us and the pokes will likely light this guy up. But we better protect LJ or he could end up like Sam.

All that being said it's Texas. Last year was a fluke. They'll be back next year just like we were last year after the 09' fluke. Don't overlook them. Hell they were 5-7 last year but we still barely got out of there. They'll be back to 9 or 10 wins next year and a top 12 ranking.

[Leroy Lizard]

Everything I've heard says Boise's offense was totally petersen's baby. He even called the plays supposedly, ala Gundy. So it'll be interesting to see what harsin actually brings to the table.

I don't care who called the plays. My question would be (if I truly cared): Who designed the offense? To me, that is far more important.

[Tigeman]

I don't care who called the plays. My question would be (if I truly cared): Who designed the offense? To me, that is far more important.

Petersen allegedly. I think the more important question though is how much of the offense did he pick up (I'll go with alot after a few years) and did he take a copy of the playbook with him (probably so).

[pweitkem]

Is it just me or does UT sound like they're about to go through the Schnellenberger era of Longhorn football? Team's not playing well, bring in a tough disciplinarian mindset, brag about how much weight the offensive line has lost, then get your *** handed to you in the second half of every tough game.

[47straight]

Is it just me or does UT sound like they're about to go through the that old drunk era of Longhorn football? Team's not playing well, bring in a tough disciplinarian mindset, brag about how much weight the offensive line has lost, then get your *** handed to you in the second half of every tough game.

Yup.

[sooneron]

Isn't there an article like this about :mack: every two-three years about how he's re-inventing himself and the team?

[Leroy Lizard]

mack needs to lay down on a couch.

[47straight]

Isn't there an article like this about :mack: every two-three years about how he's re-inventing himself and the team?

Yes. they're watching film. they're lifting weights. they've got an assistant coach taken off coaching just to check in on players (who got them sued for sexual harassment). they're going to a power running game. they're getting up early for off-season workouts. they're promoting a family atmosphere. they're getting tough. they're back to promoting a family atmosphere. they're back to getting tough. they're closing all spring practices to implement the system. they're televising the spring game.

[Partial Qualifier]

Yes. they're watching film. they're lifting weights. they've got an assistant coach taken off coaching just to check in on players (who got them sued for sexual harassment). they're going to a power running game. they're getting up early for off-season workouts. they're promoting a family atmosphere. they're getting tough. they're back to promoting a family atmosphere. they're back to getting tough. they're closing all spring practices to implement the system. they're televising the spring game.

Where do the "heart" t-shirts and the blocking sleds and the livestrong bracelets fit into all of this ?

[sooneron]

Someone should build a timeline on this - sort of like a wiki that way new re-inventions can be posted....