Chris Low: The current state of football affairs in Texas

[jbcarol]

JamesLeeTX ‏@jamesleePAT Dec 18

@ChipBrownHD @thatsean wonder if they want and need that numbing effect now #Aggiedumpsterfire

[jbcarol]

Brian Davis ‏@BDavisAAS 22h22 hours ago

Texas icon Joe Jamail passes away in Houston, per multiple UT school officials. http://www.hookem.com/2015/12/23/texas-icon-joe-jamail-passes-away-in-houston/ ...

Billionaire Joe Jamail to the Statesman in 2008: "You know there are no vaults where I'm headed, up or down. We're only giving money."

Mack Brown releases a statement on friend Joe Jamail's death.



Charlie Strong on the passing of Joe Jamail.

[jbcarol]

Brian Davis ‏@BDavisAAS Dec 25

Our @AutulloAAS examines the top 10 stories in Texas athletics in 2015. Talk about a wild, wild year.  http://www.hookem.com/story/a-d-change-tops-biggest-texas-stories-of-2015/ ...

As it turned out, 2015 wasn't the greatest of years for Texas athletics.

In March, athletic director Steve Patterson fired basketball coach Rick Barnes, who a year earlier was inducted into Texas' Hall of Honor. Six months later, Patterson was then fired, though some may argue his dismissal was the best thing to happen to Texas in the past 12 months.

Bevo died. So did Joe. The football team lost seven games, but at least their fans could numb the pain by drinking alcohol at games. An investigation was launched into academic misconduct. It'll wrap up in 2016.

[jbcarol]

Five years ago, ESPN signed a 20-year, $295 million contract with the University of Texas, broke ground on the swanky studio, and agreed to absorb LHN production costs pegged at an estimated $26 million a year...

But it has, bringing into question the wisdom of ESPN's sizable investment in the only single-school, around-the-clock sports network in the country, which thus far has lost $48 million, according to SNL Kagan, a media research firm...

"Those were bigger numbers than even Notre Dame was getting from NBC," said former Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne. "I was stunned. What Texas did was extraordinary, and I suspect I was a little jealous."

But from the beginning, LHN had problems: Not enough cable providers signed up in the first three years. LHN did not offer any major football games — only the lowest "third-tier" matchups such as Kansas or Rice. And a steady diet of what is left — volleyball, soccer, softball, swimming, golf and campus academic events — never was enough to excite even the most loyal Longhorn.

Rival coaches said LHN would give the Longhorns a big advantage in recruiting high school athletes. (Texas once planned on televising Texas high school football games, but the NCAA rejected the idea.) Journalists warned that LHN would become a public relations arm for the most lucrative college athletic department in the nation and that ESPN's solid journalism reputation — honed on tough stories such as steroids in baseball and NFL head trauma — would be damaged by LHN's conflict of interest.

[jbcarol]

ESPN Stats & Info ‏@ESPNStatsInfo 12h12 hours ago

Oklahoma's loss in the #OrangeBowl looked a lot like its only other loss this season



Tejas actually rushed for more than Clemson v. OU.

[jbcarol]

EJ Holland ‏@EJHolland247 1h1 hour ago Orlando, FL

Four-star Beaumont Central RB Devwah Whaley has committed to Arkansas. Will still visit Texas on January 15. #HookEm

[jbcarol]

Gabe Bock ‏@GabeBock 3h3 hours ago

A&M chancellor Sharp on alcohol at events: "Our athletic program has not reached the point where we require the numbing effects of alcohol."

Ralph Haurwitz ‏@ralphhaurwitz Jan 6

Of $1.8 million in revenue from football stadium alcohol sales last year, #UT netted $812,798.30.

[jbcarol]

Brian Davis ‏@BDavisAAS Jan 8

Kevin Mortesen, hired in Sept. to oversee Texas media relations department, has resigned after only four months. http://www.hookem.com/2016/01/08/texas-communications-chief-leaving-after-4-months/ ...

Kevin Mortesen, the communications specialist hired in September to oversee the Texas athletics media relations department, has resigned after only four months and will return to California, he told the American-Statesman.

Friday was Mortesen's last day in the UT offices in the north end zone of Royal-Memorial Stadium.

"After much consideration and thought and emotion, my wife and I have decided that it's in the best interest of our family that we begin the process of moving back to California," Mortesen said. "I truly appreciate having had the opportunity the come to the University of Texas and be part of the Longhorns' athletic department.

"I'm confident that the communications team will continue to serve the student-athletes, coaches and media in an excellent manner," he added.

Before coming to Texas, Mortesen was a vice president for communications at DineEquity, the company that owns Applebee's and IHOP restaurants. He was announced as UT's Chief Communications Officer on Sept. 8 and began work full-time at Texas in October.

[jbcarol]

Brian Davis ‏@BDavisAAS 19h19 hours ago

Former Texas OL coach Joe Wickline headed to West Virginia, per @mikecasazza. And Wick going lawsuit free.

[DeltaBoy]

Texas is turning into a dumpster fire. Their whole athletic program is in disarray.

[jbcarol]

Berry Tramel ‏@BerryTramel Jan 14

David Boren would like to end The Longhorn Network http://bit.ly/1RH7h4N

David Boren has his sights set on something bigger than conference expansion or a Big 12 title game. The OU president is focused on what started this whole "psychologically disadvantaged" Big 12 in the first place.

The Longhorn Network.

On Wednesday, day the NCAA voted to allow the Big 12 to stage a football championship game even without divisional play or at least 12 members, Boren released a statement to the OU Daily, the campus newspaper.

"The Big 12 is disadvantaged when compared to the other conferences in three ways. We do not have at least 12 members, we do not have a conference network and we do not have a championship game. I think that all three of these disadvantages need to be addressed at the same time. Addressing only one without addressing all three will not be adequate to improve the strength of the conference."

What Boren is talking about is the end of Bevo TV.

[jbcarol]

The 2016 Fabulous 55: Is Texas becoming SEC country?

The final unveiling of the American-Statesman's 2016 Fabulous 55 ignites a debate that's been firing since Texas A&M decamped for the SEC in 2012.

6 members of the Fab 55 — the Statesman's 27th annual list of the state's 55 top recruits — are pledged to an SEC school. That's just two shy of the Big 12's total of 18. Subtract the six players heading to A&M, and the SEC has commitments from 10 Fab 55 honorees — and counting? —

LSU, which has long been a player in the state, has as many Fab 55 commitments (four) as Texas and TCU.

Ole Miss, a relative newcomer inside these borders, has landed the state's top player, Allen offensive tackle Greg Little, as well as one of Little's teammates, cornerback Jaylon Jones, who is ranked No. 31. The Rebels might not be done; they are thought to be the favorites to sign Manvel safety Deontay Anderson (No. 5).

For the fourth year in a row, Alabama will sign a top-10 player on the list. In 2013, the Tide flipped massive Fort Worth Arlington Heights tackle A'Shawn Robinson from Texas, and in the past two years they signed defensive backs Tony Bown (Beaumont Ozen, 2014) and Kendall Sheffield (Fort Bend Marshall). This year, Bama has locked up sixth-ranked Kendell Jones, a defensive tackle from Killeen Shoemaker.

A look at recruiting lists shows the SEC has pledges from 18 Texans, not counting those committing to A&M. Ole Miss and LSU have four apiece, followed by Bama and Missouri with three each. Arkansas has two, and Florida and Vanderbilt have one apiece.

In 2011, SEC teams signed 10 Texans.

[jbcarol]

CollegeFootballTalk ‏@CFTalk 39m39 minutes ago

Ex-Texas QB legend, current UT employee Vince Young charged with DUI #collegefootball http://wp.me/p14QTT-1x0n

Depending on how things play out in the coming days, Vince Young's return to Texas could end up being a relatively short-lived one.

According to multiple media outlets, the former Longhorn quarterback was arrested late Sunday night in Austin and charged with driving while intoxicated.  Young was pulled over by an officer in the Austin Police Department after he was observed driving erratically in his 2016 Chevy Silverado.

UT announced in August of 2014 that Young had been hired to serve as a development officer for program alumni relations in the university's Division of Diversity and Community Engagement. The school stated that Young "will help raise money to support DDCE programs that address the educational challenges of first-generation college students and students from low-income backgrounds."

The university has declined to comment on what if any impact this will have on Young's position, which pays him in excess of $100,000 annually.

They take care of their Young.

[jbcarol]

Brian Davis ‏@BDavisAAS 48m48 minutes ago

Okla. President David Boren: "I'm not out to embarrass Texas." Hey, Greg Fenves, I hope you are ready for war. http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/109392/next-three-months-could-determine-future-of-big-12 ...

David Boren, longtime politician, correctly senses that Texas is the weakest its been politically in decades.

Oklahoma president David Boren, one of the Big 12's most influential power brokers, has resorted to calling the conference "disadvantaged."

Later this week, the Big 12's presidents, chancellors and athletic directors will congregate at the conference office in Irving, Texas, to kick off what figures to be a defining three months. League leaders are set to meet again in May.

These won't be the usual routine discussions about rules and budgets. Instead, these talks could set the course for the future of the Big 12, and, perhaps, whether the conference ultimately has a future at all.

On one side, Boren has made his aims clear. He wants a conference championship game. He wants to expand back to 12 members. And, above all, he wants a conference network...


"I'm not out to embarrass Texas," Boren said. "I'm not out to make them financially worse off. This isn't any kind of motivation to do anything to Texas that makes them worse off. I just think we've got to think about ways to transition away from that, that will keep them whole and be fair with them."

One myth percolating about the Big 12 is that it's destined to dissolve, no matter what steps the league takes. But the truth is this: As long as Texas and Oklahoma are committed to making the Big 12 last, the conference will continue to exist.

This week, we'll begin to find out just how willing the two schools that first dreamed up the Big 12 are to making it work.

[DeltaBoy]

Charlie looking at a descent Class this week.

[opineonswine]

Charlie looking at a descent Class this week.

Though no where near where Mac was with almost ALL of his classes.  He won't make it at Texas, IMO.

[jbcarol]

 ESPNU ‏@ESPNU 27m27 minutes ago

Every Texas fan right now



Longhorns began the day with the No. 32 class. They are now up to 18th.

[jbcarol]

ESPN Stats & Info ‏@ESPNStatsInfo 43m43 minutes ago

Texas' ESPN class rank by hour:
Start: 32nd
8:50 am ET: 31st
9:50 am: 25th
10:50 am: 18th
11:50 am: 11th     
21-spot jump is largest today

[DeltaBoy]

It looking up with this Class.

[jbcarol]

Bruce Feldman ‏@BruceFeldmanCFB 3h3 hours ago

Charlie Strong closed with a flurry on a Top 10 class... now the question is, how patient will #Texas brass be? http://foxs.pt/209hrdA

Texas became the story of Signing Day, closing the 2016 signing class with a flurry like UT never had before. For years when Mack Brown signed all those Top 5 classes, there never was much Signing Day drama or intrigue. This year, though, was much, much different.

This group on paper is stacked with defensive studs and seems like a good follow-up to what proved to be a terrific first full class for Strong in 2015. UT started six true freshmen -- twice as many as anyone else in the Big 12. One of the gems of that class was a former three-star recruit, Connor Williams, a one-time tight end primed to be a star left tackle. He's started the entire year for Texas.

... It'll be fascinating to see if -- and when -- things come together on the field in Austin.

[jbcarol]

Brian Davis ‏@BDavisAAS 2h2 hours ago

Wow. Texas announces that the Thanksgiving game vs. TCU now on Friday, Nov. 25, instead of Thursday.

There is truth here. A&M-LSU had double the TV ratings over Texas-TCU in 2014.

[jbcarol]

Bruce Feldman ‏@BruceFeldmanCFB 43m43 minutes ago

Crazy thing about #Texas having just 1 player invited to NFL Combine.. Horns 2012 recruiting class had 28 guys & was ranked No. 2 back then.

[jbcarol]

Brian Davis ‏@BDavisAAS  45m45 minutes ago
Source says Texas has no reason to believe Chris Vaughn did anything improper with Horns. Issues are all Ole Miss related.

[jbcarol]

Texas Longhorns@HornsDigest

Sources tell @ChipBrownHD that #Longhorns WR coach Jay Norvell is moving on: http://www.scout.com/college/texas/story/1642000-sources-another-longhorns-coaching-move ...

Sources tell HornsDigest that Longhorns wide receivers coach Jay Norvell is moving on to Arizona State with Todd Graham.

Norvell interviewed with Graham at ASU in December.

This is the second coaching move in just a few hours time for the Longhorns as it was announced late Thursday that defensive back Chris Vaughn's employment agreement with Texas would not be renewed.

Two sources close to the situation told HornsDigest.com Vaughn's dismissal was the result of Vaughn's connection to NCAA violations that occurred while Vaughn was at Ole Miss.

Vaughn was the defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator at Ole Miss from 2008 to 2011 under Houston Nutt...

[jbcarol]

Brian Davis ‏@BDavisAAS  Feb 13
Houston Nutt on Chris Vaughn: 'There's not one crooked bone in his body.' Claims Vaughn was a "scapegoat." http://www.hookem.com/2016/02/13/houston-nutt-on-chris-vaughn-theres-not-one-crooked-bone-in-his-body/ ...


Texas announces Anthony Johnson, a former Longhorn himself, will be the team's new running backs coach.

[jbcarol]

Anwar Richardson ‏@AnwarRichardson 1h1 hour ago

Texas will hire former Indianapolis Colts assistant Charlie Williams to coach receivers at Texas, according to sources

Jay Norvell left on Thursday. Charlie Strong hired Charlie Williams to coach WRs on Monday. Strong don't chase them, he replaces them

[jbcarol]

 Bryson Pumper ‏@B_Ech0ls15 16h


Brian Davis ‏@BDavisAAS 16h16 hours ago

Brian Davis Retweeted Bryson Pumper

Texas CB Bryson Echols announces he's graduating and will transfer. Good luck to him. 

[jbcarol]

Chris Otts ‏@christopherotts  1h1 hour ago Louisville, KY
New: Texas coach Charlie Strong asked to testify in Louisville trustee's divorce case, by @JasonRileyWDRB http://www.wdrb.com/story/31273057/texas-coach-charlie-strong-asked-to-testify-in-louisville-trustees-divorce-case ...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — An attorney for University of Louisville trustee Jonathan Blue has asked a judge to compel Texas football coach Charlie Strong, the former Louisville coach, to testify in Blue's divorce case with wife Tracy Blue...

Oldfather requests Strong produce his cell phones -- "for the purpose of downloading all text messages" – his phone bills from 2012 to present, and all correspondence exchanged between Strong and Tracy Blue and with anyone else about her.

In addition, Oldfather requests "the Movado watch given" to Strong by Tracy Blue and all clothing and jewelry she gave to him. The motion also requests Strong's calendars from 2012 to present and all records of his air travel, including tickets and flight confirmations.

[DLUXHOG]

Here's a photo of Tracy and Charlie..... (there might be more to this story than we know......)

[jbcarol]

William Joy ‏@WilliamWAVE3 18h18 hours ago

As part of the settlement, all motions and subpoena for Charlie Strong have been remanded @wave3news

Kirk Bohls ‏@kbohls 18h18 hours ago

Charlie Strong's focus on spring football just got enhanced.

[jbcarol]

Mark Schlabach ‏@Mark_Schlabach Feb 28 Georgia, USA

Mark Schlabach Retweeted T.J. Moe

I didn't like Revenant. It was like spending three hours watching Texas' passing game.

https://twitter.com/shirlero/status/704134438863683584

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/coachingsearch/status/712731574169706497

[jbcarol]

Brian Davis ‏@BDavisAAS

Addressing faculty, Texas coach Charlie Strong bubbles with confidence.  http://www.hookem.com/story/addressing-faculty-texas-coach-charlie-strong-bubbles-with-confidence/ ...

Charlie Strong: He feels good about UT future. When turnaround happens, "we are going to steamroll everyone. That's going to happen."

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@Carvell_AJC 3h3 hours ago

Recruiting Rewind: You won't believe what Texas fans did to Rahsaan Thornton after he committed to LSU http://sec.news/22RQWjD

[jbcarol]

Brian Davis ‏@BDavisAAS Mar 31

Texas QB Jerrod Heard has suffered shoulder strain, per @LonghornNetwork. Injury is "not serious." Should be ready for 2016 season.

[jbcarol]

Ryan Autullo@AutulloAAS

FINAL: A&M Corpus Christi 5, Texas 0. Longhorns dip to 12-17.

[jbcarol]

A&M Passes Texas To Become Biggest Athletic Department

10 SEC schools are in the top 20.

[jbcarol]

Mandel: Eyes of Texas are fixed on Charlie Strong's Longhorns

Charlie Strong's 'Horns may be coming off a 5-7 season, but the doom and that's hovered over Austin the past several seasons is quietly morphing into cautious optimism thanks to a precocious freshman quarterback and an ascendant young offensive coordinator.

"We needed to give our fans something. We needed to give them hope," said Strong, who went 11-14 in his first two seasons. "The new offense, the change, it gave them a shot of juice."

Since replacing longtime Texas icon Mack Brown in 2014, Strong has endured a wildly turbulent initiation.

On the field, a dearth of veteran talent coupled with an interminable void at quarterback led to embarrassing losses and maddening inconsistency. Texas last season beat College Football Playoff participant Oklahoma and Top 15 foe Baylor (albeit with a receiver playing quarterback) but also lost 38-3 to Notre Dame, 50-7 to TCU and, most gallingly, 24-0 at 3-9 Iowa State.

Meanwhile, off the field, there was the mutiny against Strong's former AD Steve Patterson, a lawsuit involving his former co-offensive coordinator, Joe Wickline, a player tweeting from the halftime locker room and various other soap opera headlines.

Strong had barely begun his second season before the calls for his head began...

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/zach_barnett/status/728223800282611712

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/BrentZwerneman/status/740616005676716033

[jbcarol]

Stewart Mandel ‏@slmandel 12h12 hours ago

Stewart Mandel Retweeted

Starting to think Texas fans spend more time on Baylor message boards than Baylor fans...

[jbcarol]

Bruce Feldman ‏@BruceFeldmanCFB 23h23 hours ago

HUGE pick-up for Charlie Strong & #Texas getting Devin Duvernay, the speedy WR who had been #Baylor's top recruit in its 2016 class.

[jbcarol]

The numbers are working out for Charlie Strong

[jbcarol]

Chris Low ‏@ClowESPN 22h22 hours ago Connecticut, USA

Charlie Strong thinks OL signee Patrick Hudson could be as good, if not better, than freshmen All-Americans Connor Williams and Patrick Vahe

Charlie Strong told me freshman QB Shane Buchele has a chance to be Texas' starter in the opener, "and I wouldn't be afraid if he was."

Texas will run more tempo under new OC Sterlin Gilbert, but Strong said they're still going to run it. "You can't throw it all the time."

[jbcarol]

Brian Davis Verified account
‏@BDavisAAS

If Texas splits the last two, Charlie Strong seals his fate as the coach with the worst losing pct. in UT history.

[chiefhawg]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/columnist/dan-wolken/2016/11/17/college-football-insider-texas-charlie-strong-texas-am-kevin-sumlin/94043570/

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/aldotcomSports/status/800781343219130368

https://twitter.com/ChipBrownHD/status/800755149798944768

https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/800878513398091776

[DLUXHOG]

Article on the front page of DMN Sports Day print edition this morning said: "College Football in the state of Texas?   It's in a state of decline".... lol

[jbcarol]

Mark Schlabach ‏@Mark_Schlabach 15m15 minutes ago Georgia, USA

If Houston's Tom Herman agrees to become LSU's new coach, what will Texas do about Charlie Strong? http://www.espn.com/espn/now ...

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/ChipBrownHD/status/802364632572821504