The kind of a-hole Charlie Strong inherits from Mack

[LongJim]

I thought this was a fairly thoughful take on Patterson's possible motivation:

"First, I don't think Patterson is a reformer. I doubt he watches Stossel or reads Upton Sinclair. I think that Patterson wanted the best guy and that Strong was the best available. Part of the story on some of the candidates has been told, and part of it has not been told (and will never will be).

Second, I don't think Powers has much power over Patterson in the hire. Patterson has a 1.5mm contract and intends on being a long timer. Powers is a short timer. And I don't think Powers would have coerced Patterson. Powers time is ending.

Third, the fact that a few of the top candidates are black is just a sign that the world has moved on. Black athletes dominate football and have historically been underrepresented in coaching. Well, these black athletes are growing up into coaches.

Fourth, if you look the schools that texas wants to be like, you look at stanford (and they have a successful black coach as well as a prior coach in harbaugh who is white and somebody we also wanted). And if you look at the impeccable record of Strong at Lville, you see winning and incredible academics. And if you look at Franklin, he is at Vandy, which is another clean program that is suddenly winning. So, I think we see a bunch of black coaches at stepping-stone programs, and we wanted one of them.

Last, maybe that is what Powers wanted down deep inside. But I don't think it was enough to tip the scales."

[Eagle1855]

There's a changing of the guard and culture taking place at UT right now, from the top down, and roles are similarly being redefined

Much of the Mr. Everything role that was viewed as a "requirement" for the Texas football coach position was created and embraced by Mack Brown; he was really, really good at it.

Now there's a younger AD in place who appears to be ably equipped to take up that part of the job and that allows for a more hard-nosed coach like Strong to come in and define his success by what he does on the field.

[Eagle1855]

It's the right course of action, but now the old money is being pushed into the sunset, and some of them don't like it. Total culture change from Patterson, and it needed to be done.

Ha, I was typing something similar. But I think this is dead-on.

Personal observation: there's a whole group of younger donors and boosters (like, ones born in the 1950s rather than the 1850s) that has a different way of thinking than those that came before them.

And that's why Patterson may end up being an underrated hire: he's a pro exec by pedigree. Thanks to the serious cash flow over the past few decades, that's basically what the UT job has become. Again, these are just my opinions.

And that more than fulfills my UT talk quota for the day/week/month.

[NorthTexan95]

Ha, I was typing something similar. But I think this is dead-on.

Personal observation: there's a whole group of younger donors and boosters (like, ones born in the 1950s rather than the 1850s) that has a different way of thinking than those that came before them.

And that's why Patterson may end up being an underrated hire: he's a pro exec by pedigree. Thanks to the serious cash flow over the past few decades, that's basically what the UT job has become. Again, these are just my opinions.

And that more than fulfills my UT talk quota for the day/week/month.

Exactly what I was thinking. Times are a changing at Texas. Patterson may turn out to be a terrific hire by Texas even if Strong doesn't work out like they hope.

[Rudy]

What is the culture shange? To become less arrogant and douchy? They're not doing a good job.

[Quoner]

Exactly what I was thinking. Times are a changing at Texas. Patterson may turn out to be a terrific hire by Texas even if Strong doesn't work out like they hope.

He seems to know how to handle the pro CEO role quite well: http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/john_canzano/index.ssf/2013/12/canzano_steve_patterson_and_te.html

[LongJim]

He seems to know how to handle the pro CEO role quite well: http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/john_canzano/index.ssf/2013/12/canzano_steve_patterson_and_te.html

That was a good read. Probably a lot of truth in it. Definitely some history between Patterson and that writer.

[wardly]

There are some "Cheetos" who swear that the Sabin's had looked at housing in Austin , were waiting for an offer,and that somehow Mac Brown kept it from happening. All I know for sure is that "Big Red" and some other deep pockets are pissed about not being included in the hiring process, and that if Strong doesn't make it,Patterson won't either.

[Baby Arm!]

If only Red had his own football team he could hire head coaches for... oh wait.

So Red, how'd those Viking hires work for ya???

[Mean Green Eagle]

Why would Gruden leave his cushy job? Doesn't he make $4 mil a year? And he doen't have to win, recruit, work insanely long hours, or kiss any donor's asses. He's be dumb to walk away from his gig.

[Christopher Walker]

Can we send people to Mars yet? I'm not asking if the colony is ready to be lived on. I just want to send some people there now.

There's a 1000+ volunteer shortlist out for the Mars One mission set for 2023...

[Got5onIt]

If Red really wants to piss UT off, he can cut his annual donation in half and scoot it over to lil' ol' UNTs way.

[mccox2]

That's unfortunate for Texas. They do have the best available coach on the market at this moment in time who actually wants the job. It's not fair to Strong that some booster(s) is going to create a divide within the fan base a couple days after hiring the coach. The bottom line is they have a quality coach and he is the coach at UT like it or not so be grateful that he saved UT the embarrassment from the "star search". It's going to take a little bit of time for him to adjust to the Big 12 but he'll adapt quick and get the program in the right direction.

[ragpicker]

If McCombs is so rich, why isn't he smart? I will be glad when all of these reactionary old coots fade away.

[Quoner]

If McCombs is so rich, why isn't he smart? I will be glad when all of these reactionary old coots fade away.

Could you imagine if we had that here?

[JesseMartin]

I think the funniest part about all of this is that some of the other guys were probably less interested because they didn't want to deal with the boosters' attitudes and the likelihood they'd call for the coach's head every time they lost a game (and tend to have the influence to do so), and when they got one willing to put up with it, at least one big booster is already being a tool towards him. If they don't change the culture as some of you have mentioned, the list of people willing to take the job will grow shorter until they have no choice but to hire Dodge. (Admit it, you know you like what I did there.)

[VideoEagle]

Could you imagine if we had that here?

Worse things could happen. McCombs not only paid for the building now housing the McCombs School of Business, he endowed a number of professorships as well. Imagine having an alum pay for a building so the university could use the state funds to build something else!

[drex]

Better beat Texas by more than one point or somehow it will be recorded officially as a Texas win....also, there are plenty of semi old coots positioning themselves to take the place of old coots....there will always be old coots at any major athletic department.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

What Texas needed was to have its defense (lack thereof) situation cleaned up. They hired on of the best, if not the best, coach in the country to do that.

It matters little at this point. Strong is the right man for the job, and he will have the 'Horns back in the national title mix next year.

[forevereagle]

What Texas needed was to have its defense (lack thereof) situation cleaned up. They hired on of the best, if not the best, coach in the country to do that.

It matters little at this point. Strong is the right man for the job, and he will have the 'Horns back in the national title mix next year.

Wow, next year? There is a need to change a lot at UT. Not sure that he can do it in one off-season. Good hire, but not sure that he is a miracle worker.

[meangreenthirteen]

What Texas needed was to have its defense (lack thereof) situation cleaned up. They hired on of the best, if not the best, coach in the country to do that.

It matters little at this point. Strong is the right man for the job, and he will have the 'Horns back in the national title mix next year.

I don't care if they hired Jesus, I just don't see this happening.

[meangreener]

What Texas needed was to have its defense (lack thereof) situation cleaned up. They hired on of the best, if not the best, coach in the country to do that.

It matters little at this point. Strong is the right man for the job, and he will have the 'Horns back in the national title mix next year.

So, you gonna root for UT or UNT at the game next year?

[LongJim]

So, you gonna root for UT or UNT at the game next year?

What does that have to do with having a discussion about news in college football?

[Mean_Green09]

Wow, next year? There is a need to change a lot at UT. Not sure that he can do it in one off-season. Good hire, but not sure that he is a miracle worker.

Agreed there is a lot that didn't go right for them on offense too. If you need an example go watch the Oregon game.

They don't have a QB

Their OL is soft and below avg

Their WRs are unproductive after Shipley. They lose their #1 Mike Davis

On offense it's all about Malcolm Brown for them. Gray is coming off a big injury.

Their DL depth is razor thin. Especially if Cedric Reed declares

Their LBs are some of the most undiciplined I've ever seen. Still they are really good athletes just need to be put in the right position

They lose their best CB and the rest are avg. I'd imagine their new DC Bedford who is a DB coach will have them playing at a higher level by next yr

Two matchups that we are better than them right now is:

UNT OL over the UT DL

UNT secondary over the UT WRs and passing game

[PlummMeanGreen]

A Denton source told me today that UT has had 2 four star commits to decomit in the last 24 hours.

Interesting...

GMG!