January 16, 2008

It's a Done Deal

Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman is reporting that Major-to-Texas is as good as a sure thing. News 8 Austin also reported that the UT Athletic Department has removed the open Running Backs Coach position from its website, indicating that the position has officially been filled. Texas policy requires that at least 5 business days pass between posting an available position and filling it, so the announcement will not come until at least 5 PM today--although most folks believe it will happen tomorrow morning.

Regardless, this is good news for Texas in terms of the future security of the program, as well as recruiting and offensive creativity right now. We wish football season started tomorrow.

Update, 1-16 at 6:00 PM: Peter at Burnt Orange Nation has finally had enough of the Alabama craziness that we referred to yesterday. Check out his post from today as the story has become more definite, which is most interesting because it is an opportunity to see, in real time, our fellow Texas fans learning what we as Southerners and SEC fans have always known: even smart, rational Bama fans are incapable of being smart and rational sometimes.

Update, 1-16 at 9:00 PM: A few points jump out at us about the Major hiring:

1) Mack Brown has managed to IMPROVE his recruiting ability, Major Applewhite plus Ken Rucker plus Will Muschamp has to be one of the most impressive recruiting tandems (to go with Mack Brown) in the country. Darrell Scott...come on down...?

2) The running back position cannot be Major's strongest subject. That having been said, nobody can expect Major to stay in that position for long. He's bound for bigger things on the Texas coaching staff.

3) In two short weeks Mack has gotten two of college football's fastest rising young coaches for his staff.

4) In today's BON column linked above, Peter mockingly sums up the Alabama argument as:
Nick Saban wasn't sure he trusted the young Applewhite to be his Offensive Coordinator without any help.
He therefore brought in Joe Pendry to assist.
After one season, he'd seen enough to know Major Applewhite couldn't do the job.
Actually, that sounds exactly like something Nick Saban would do.

5) Finally, and most importantly, Mack has been proactive about getting a positive vibe going already for the offseason and 2008 regular season. As poor and reactive (is that the right word?) as last offseason was, this offseason could not have started better for those players that have stayed to play.

11 comments:

JBRATER said...

Is he going to take the week off when y'all play Oklahoma?



SNAAAAAAAAAAP!

Abram said...

Come on, man--everyone gets that week off.

JBRATER said...

dissapointing. You could have so easily made a michigan-osu joke there. You must have temporarily lost your sharp wit due to major euphoria. Also, what is with Texas and qbs with funny first names? James Brown? Major Applewhite? Colt Mcnotasgoodasbrennan?

JMA said...

Major went 2-1 against OU, and in his only loss he had to play with Chris Simms who was allergic to Oklahoma.

Also, people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

JBRATER said...

oh, i thought he sucked against them. Nevermind. And it's too late for the um reference now.

Adam said...

This isn't really pertinent, but I needed some forum to say how excited I am that Laurinaitis and Jenkins are returning.

We now have a more than realistic shot at establishing the collegiate version of the Buffalo Bills!

p.s. Is silvermintz engaged? I heard that somewhere.

Abram said...

Surely you couldn't watch the Georgia game and still believe that Brennan is better than McCoy?

That said, the Texas QB names are AWESOME.

Abram said...

And yeah, Laz, Silvermintz is engaged

JBRATER said...

http://michiganzone.blogspot.com/2008/01/ohio-state-bills.html

It almost makes losing to them every year worth it.

Anonymous said...

10 comments! I think that's the most ever for a kind of catty, kind of amiable discussion over a virtually forgotten quarterback who last threw the ball over half a decade ago. Yay!

JMA said...

Virtually forgotten by whom? Certainly not Texas fans, especially those that weren't lucky enough to be in school with VY and only have Simms/Applewhite to fall back on when they remember their "good ole days".