Say it ain't so Earl, say it ain't so.

[MyT Oklahoma]

http://tracking.si.com/2013/09/30/earl-campbell-mack-brown-must-go/?sct=cf_t2_a2

Texas legend Earl Campbell thinks it’s time for Mack Brown to go

A Texas Longhorns football legend thinks it’s time for a change at head coach. Former Texas running back Earl Campbell told FOX 26 that it’s time for UT to replace head coach Mack Brown.

The 1977 Heisman Trophy winner under coach Darrell Royal said Texas administrators should move on from Brown. The Longhorns are 2-2 this season, and have turned in three straight disappointing seasons under Brown.

“Nobody likes to get fired or leave a job, but things happen,” Campbell said. “I’d go on record and say, ‘Yes I think it’s time.’”

Campbell said Brown’s legacy at Texas, including winning the 2005 national championship, puts the university in a tough spot.

“Very hard because Coach Brown is a very good man,” Campbell said. “I just hope he doesn’t stay. … He’s done some great things. The program, he brought it back, and we don’t need it to get run down where somebody has to start all over again.”

He congratulated USC for putting an end to consecutive sub-par seasons by firing Lane Kiffin on Sunday.

“I’d just say this, I take my hat off for USC for what they’ve done. They didn’t mess around with it. They just said, ‘Let’s do it now.’ I think at some point our university’s people are going to have make a decision.”

Campbell said Brown, 62, might be too old to be the CEO of the extremely profitable, but underperforming Texas football program.

“Some people get too old,” Campbell said. “If players get too old to play a game, why can’t a coach get too old to coach it?”

The member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame has Brown’s replacement already in mind: former UT All-American defensive back and Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Jerry Gray.

“If we’re going to make a change I would like to say that we got one in the house, Jerry Gray, who’s getting in the College Football Hall of Fame,” Cambell said. “I think that would be a good place to start.”

In a Monday news conference, Brown said he was “disappointed in Earl’s comments” about his needing to leave, but “he’ll always be welcomed here.”

[cherokeebrewer]

I imagine the Tyler Rose is much more welcome on campus than Mack at this point...

[virginiasooner]

Let's not jump on this bandwagon too fast -- they can fire Mack AFTER Red River, not before.

[winout]

Have some decency to handle these matters in private. The guy did bring you your first NC in like 30 years, Dude.

[badger]

You see, people? This is what happens when you tease people too much.

Sam Bradford, we are all very ashamed* at the amount of Sooner teasing you did to poor old Earl in the Heisman House.

oZeTOfGXTeI

*proud

[Landthief 1972]

Would Jerry Gray be their Boo Blake hire?

[cherokeebrewer]

Would Jerry Gray be their Boo Blake hire?

No way they hire Gray as the head coach...

[ashley]

Earl should have stayed out of this. It is already a deal that Mack is gone. He should have been about this. He has no clout with the big cigars anyway.

[bluedogok]

Have some decency to handle these matters in private. The guy did bring you your first NC in like 30 years, Dude.
He has expressed his opinion much in private as well as many other players, many of the big money donors (who aren't named Joe and Red) have as well. Sometimes when you feel like the department heads aren't listening, you feel like you have to rock the boat.

[stoopified]

DKR is dead, Dodd is retiring, and now Mr. Texas Football :Earl Cambell has come out against him. Stick a fork in Mack, he's done.

[KantoSooner]

Bluedog, you're absolutely right. And lest any whippersnappers out there misunderstand: IT IS ALWAYS A BAD IDEA.

[8timechamps]

I just watched the piece on CFB Daily about this. First, they played the clip where Earl said "Yes, I'll go on record as saying Mack needs to go.". Then, they showed a clip of Mack (assuming it was from today, as he was addressing what Campbell said), and he said "Well, one of our guys talked to him (Earl) last night, and I think things were taken out of context..."

What?!

There is no way, to take a clip of Campbell saying what he said, out of context. I guess Mack was trying to deflect, but good grief, really?!

[Wishboned]

I just watched the piece on CFB Daily about this. First, they played the clip where Earl said "Yes, I'll go on record as saying Mack needs to go.". Then, they showed a clip of Mack (assuming it was from today, as he was addressing what Campbell said), and he said "Well, one of our guys talked to him (Earl) last night, and I think things were taken out of context..."

What?!

There is no way, to take a clip of Campbell saying what he said, out of context. I guess Mack was trying to deflect, but good grief, really?!


I'll answer that for Earl.

[Herr Scholz]

Two things:

1) Earl did express his opinion "in house" to no avail. Sometimes the only way to affect change is to express things publically. He's earned the right to express his opinion of the UT program as he sees fit IMO. And he's right btw, Mack definitely needs to go.

2) Mack is in full propaganda mode at this point. Rod Babers just resigned as a UT broadcaster because he's been "too critical" of the UT defense this year (I don't know how one could be too critical of this defense). Mack was trying to strong arm Babers into not being critical and Babers said I quit. Pitiful by Mack. He's hanging onto his position by his fingernails and if he's not careful, he's going to really do some damage to his legacy here.

[KantoSooner]

Herr,
let me recount a short story. During the Japanese warring states period, the three leading warlords vying for power were brought in to solve a problem the emperor was having. Apparently he had been given a wonderous bird that sang most beautifully... but alas, the bird would no longer sing. Warlord 1 was asked for his advice. 'Kill the bird', he advised. Warlord 2 was asked. 'Make the bird wish to sing', was his reply. Warlord 3 was then called upon. He paused and then suggested, 'Wait'.

The third warlord was surnamed 'Tokugawa' and his family got to rule Japan for close to 600 years.

I feel the same way about Earl. Mack is gone. Earl's voice will neither hurry that along nor cause it in the first place. He gained nothing. And the UT football family ended up looking that little bit extra tawdry and in disarray.

Likewise any subordinate who feels it necessary to cut around an obstructive superior. Do you think you are gaining points with the boss's boss? You are not. You are identifying yourself as a troublemaker and potential threat. You have painted the bullseye on your own forehead. And you think your boss will forget? Do not kid yourself. Finally have you helped the organization? Really? You think your boss and his boss were not aware that things were not going well?

Thus you are always best served by refraining. This is spoken from someone who didn't refrain. Several times. Regretted it each and every time.

[Aries]

That's an interesting story and generally probably excellent advice. In this case though, I suspect it's just a situation where Earl was asked a question about his opinion and answered it. Not sure there's much to criticize there.

Plus, Billy Sims gets criticized occasionally and half a dozen people on this board will respond something like "He's Billy Sims. He's earned the right to say whatever he wants."

I kind of feel the same way here. He's Earl Campbell, he's earned the right to say whatever he wants about UT.

[Herr Scholz]

Finally have you helped the organization? Really? You think your boss and his boss were not aware that things were not going well?

I hear you and you make good points about being tactful in situations like these but to this point, have you not watched UT football the past 4 years? Personally, I don't think Dodds and Mack were going to leave unless absolutely forced out. If I were making $5.3M/yr like Mack, they would have to drag me kicking and screaming out of that gig so I don't begrudge him. He makes $100K PER WEEK for this mess. But it's time to go and the only way I see that happening is to be open and clear about it in public IMHO because the back channels and good old boy UT network certainly wasn't moving on it.

[KantoSooner]

You make a good point that it has taken waaaaaaaaaay too long for the big cigars to move on this. I"m not sure Earl speaking out makes/made much difference, and though he's certainly earned it, I feel the same way I do about Spencer Tillman speaking out. I like Spencer ever so slightly less than I did before he dirtied his hands. And Billy Sims? Hell, he's just crazy. Love him though I do, the man is certifiably nuts. And I desperately want to spend an afternoon sitting in a fishing boat getting blind on bourbon and shooting the **** with him.

[thecrimsoncrusader]

Let's not jump on this bandwagon too fast -- they can fire Mack AFTER Red River, not before.

He'll announce his retirement the week of the OU/TX game. He's going to try to pull a Spike Dykes ala 1999. That was a low class thing to do.

[OUmillenium]

Ugh, I was at that game.

[olevetonahill]

You make a good point that it has taken waaaaaaaaaay too long for the big cigars to move on this. I"m not sure Earl speaking out makes/made much difference, and though he's certainly earned it, I feel the same way I do about Spencer Tillman speaking out. I like Spencer ever so slightly less than I did before he dirtied his hands. And Billy Sims? Hell, he's just crazy. Love him though I do, the man is certifiably nuts. And I desperately want to spend an afternoon sitting in a fishing boat getting blind on bourbon and shooting the **** with him.

Dont know If Billy would remember me or not But he has sipped some juice with me LOL

[8timechamps]

I have no problem with former players expressing concern/thoughts on the program. I just think the fans get a little overly excited when it happens. When a guy that played in the 60's starts expressing concern over the way the team looks now, then you have to take it with a grain of salt. I respect his opinion (because he's earned that), but I don't view it as any more "expert" than anyone on this board (well, maybe a few).

In this case, Earl was only saying what everyone knows. I can't imagine, anyone that isn't personally tied to Brown, making an argument for keeping him if the season goes the way we all think it will.

[ashley]

UT has paid earl $100,000 a year since he retired for doing nothing.. He should have said anything in public. Too many pain pills I suspect. An employee should have said nothing for publication.

[8timechamps]

UT has paid earl $100,000 a year since he retired for doing nothing.. He should have said anything in public. Too many pain pills I suspect. An employee should have said nothing for publication.

I didn't realize he was still on the dole from UT. In a normal employee/employer relationship, I'd say "go for it", and if you get fired, you'll know why. In the case of Campbell/College Athletics, he probably shouldn't have chimed in. A "I'm sure things will get worked out" would have been better than what he said.