New OC

[Mitch Lovell]

To the fools who think Charlie is gone after this year, BREAKING NEWS that isn't happening but I think we all agree the OC needs to be changed who are some people realistically you would consider? I'm in the traylor camp let's give him a shot also he's one hell of a recruiter

 

[Sirhornsalot]

I would be happy with a Traylor promotion.

 

[DMAC]

Strong will wait until after the first game in 2016 to promote Traylor.  

 

[dillohorn]

I'm just still trying to wrap my head around a FOUR win season.

 

[DMAC]

I'm just still trying to wrap my head around a FOUR win season.

Progress?  Hope?  Signs of improvement?  

Im still trying to come to grips with being one of the worst football teams in Texas.  

 

[dillohorn]

Progress?  Hope?  Signs of improvement?  

Im still trying to come to grips with being one of the worst football teams in Texas.  

I'm not seeing any of the 3.

 

[Hiphopopotamos]

I doubt Strong is going to tie his Texas coaching career to promoting a guy who had never coached above the high school level until a year ago.  Maybe I'm wrong, and Traylor is Gus Malzhan, but I don't see Strong making that move.

I think its much more likely that Strong goes outside the current staff.  Watson will be gone, and I'm guessing the new OC brings an OL coach with him.  Hopefully Norvell is moved back to WR coach and Traylor stays on.

Strong has hired two OC's in his career:

Mike Sanford - He was Urban Meyer's OC at Utah and was hired based at least partly on Urban's rec.  Strong had no ties to him prior to hiring him.

Shawn Watson - Was promoted mid-season to replace Sanford and was retained as OC for the next 3 years at Louisville.  Hired as OC at Texas after Strong reached out (allegedly) to Herman.

This will basically be Strong's third swing.  He misses and he's out.

 

[DMAC]

I think Strong needs another year to be fair.  His best players are freshmen.  Therefore we should see improvement next year, if we dont then Strong is probably gone.  

My biggest concerns with this staff are:

1. Watson is my scapegoat.  The QB's Swoopes and Heard dont appear to have improved much if at all after 2 years under him.

2. Why isnt this staff playing some of these freshmen more.  Elliott, Newsome, and McNiel.  Hill and Davis started last game.  Invest in the future.  I mean seriously is Haines or Johnson that much better?  I dont think so.

 

[Hiphopopotamos]

I think Strong needs another year to be fair.  His best players are freshmen.  Therefore we should see improvement next year, if we dont then Strong is probably gone.  

My biggest concerns with this staff are:

1. Watson is my scapegoat.  The QB's Swoopes and Heard dont appear to have improved much if at all after 2 years under him.

2. Why isnt this staff playing some of these freshmen more.  Elliott, Newsome, and McNiel.  Hill and Davis started last game.  Invest in the future.  I mean seriously is Haines or Johnson that much better?  I dont think so.

Apparently the issue with Elliot is that he missed so much practice time with the toe that he's having problems getting lined up where he should be.  Charlie can't trust playing him and Locke out there together (even those two are likely our best Safeties right now) because they need someone to line those guys up.  Thats why you'll usually see those guys paired with either Haines or Hall.

McNeal is learning a new position - so it doesn't surprise me that he's mostly just on Special teams right now.  I agree that Newsome needs to see the field more.  I'm guessing that with the run-heavy offense, and with Daje already on the field, they don't think they have a place for Newsome.  I think we need to put as many play-makers out there on offense as we can - and Newsome is definitely a play-maker.

 

[DMAC]

Apparently the issue with Elliot is that he missed so much practice time with the toe that he's having problems getting lined up where he should be.  Charlie can't trust playing him and Locke out there together (even those two are likely our best Safeties right now) because they need someone to line those guys up.  Thats why you'll usually see those guys paired with either Haines or Hall.

McNeal is learning a new position - so it doesn't surprise me that he's mostly just on Special teams right now.  I agree that Newsome needs to see the field more.  I'm guessing that with the run-heavy offense, and with Daje already on the field, they don't think they have a place for Newsome.  I think we need to put as many play-makers out there on offense as we can - and Newsome is definitely a play-maker.

Makes sense.  

We should have a very strong secondary with some experience.  Hill, Davis, Boyd, Elliot and Locke is a talented group.

 

[Hiphopopotamos]

Makes sense.  

We should have a very strong secondary with some experience.  Hill, Davis, Boyd, Elliot and Locke is a talented group.

No doubt.  With a year of experience under their belt - this secondary next year is going to be ridiculous.  All of those guys (save Locke) are tall/long fast athletes.

 

[Bear19]

At least some of the people who think Charlie is gone are not fools. . I think they're wrong but they're not fools.

 

[Hookemfan91]

Who would be a great OC hire?

 

[tejasrulz]

At least some of the people who think Charlie is gone are not fools. . I think they're wrong but they're not fools.

Agree. I like Charlie and I think he gets at least one more year but fools is a pretty strong word.

 

[Mitch Lovell]

Well I'm just saying there is no way he's gonna be fired and I get it we want to win but why fire him and damage the recruiting class significantly

 

[Hiphopopotamos]

Who would be a great OC hire?

Sonny Cumbie would be a pretty great hire.

So would Kevin Wilson if Indiana fires him.

Mike Yurcich from Okie Lite is a pretty good candidate.

Tyson Helton at WKU is a younger guy who might be looking to move up.

Same with Sterlin Gilbert at Tulsa.

 

[North Texas Golfer]

I doubt Strong is going to tie his Texas coaching career to promoting a guy who had never coached above the high school level until a year ago.  Maybe I'm wrong, and Traylor is Gus Malzhan, but I don't see Strong making that move.

I think its much more likely that Strong goes outside the current staff.  Watson will be gone, and I'm guessing the new OC brings an OL coach with him.  Hopefully Norvell is moved back to WR coach and Traylor stays on.

Strong has hired two OC's in his career:

Mike Sanford - He was Urban Meyer's OC at Utah and was hired based at least partly on Urban's rec.  Strong had no ties to him prior to hiring him.

Shawn Watson - Was promoted mid-season to replace Sanford and was retained as OC for the next 3 years at Louisville.  Hired as OC at Texas after Strong reached out (allegedly) to Herman.

This will basically be Strong's third swing.  He misses and he's out.

Hip is right. It would be absolutely shocking if Charlie gave the OC to Traylor. I like Traylor but Texas can, and should, do much better. 

If Sterling Gilbert, the OC at Tulsa, is not at the top of the list or very close to it then whoever is making that call needs to get their head out of their ass. 

And, no, not everyone who thinks Charlie is gone is a fool. 

 

[Hiphopopotamos]

Hip is right. It would be absolutely shocking if Charlie gave the OC to Traylor. I like Traylor but Texas can, and should, do much better. 

If Sterling Gilbert, the OC at Tulsa, is not at the top of the list or very close to it then whoever is making that call needs to get their head out of their ass. 

And, no, not everyone who thinks Charlie is gone is a fool. 

Bonus with hiring Gilbert is that he would likely bring his Co-OC and OL coach with him (assuming Wickline has decided to leave) Matt Mattox.  Those two tore it up at Bowling Green and now at Tulsa the last two years.

Both of those guys got their start in Texas high school football and are under the Briles 'coaching tree'.

I hate the idea that fans think Texas can just money-whip any coach they want - but in this case I have to believe the 500k + (minimum) that an OC at Texas would make is significantly more than Tulsa is paying

From an AAS article last week:

A notion that would’ve seemed ridiculous in the past now seems practical — Texas may want to copy Baylor’s blueprint.

Briles‘ offense is working wonders for Dino Babers at Bowling Green (No. 3-ranked offense, 593 ypg) and for Philip Montgomery at Tulsa (No. 12, 520 ypg). Their coordinators, Bowling Green’s Sean Lewis and Mike Lynch, and Tulsa’s Sterlin Gilbert and Matt Mattox, hold the title in name only and do not call plays. The same is true of Briles’ son, Kendal, who defers to his father.

Gilbert, a former Texas high school coach, would make for an interesting selection. In 2008, he was named West Texas coach of the year after leading San Angelo Lake View to its first playoff win in 12 years. He left to be offensive coordinator at Temple High before joining Babers at Eastern Illinois, where Gilbert mentored quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who threw for 5,000-plus yards in 2013 and was drafted in the second round by the New England Patriots.

As the article mentions - the problem with Gilbert is that he doesn't currently call the plays.

 

[North Texas Golfer]

I think whatever Charlie does with the OC position for next year will make or break him as far as his future at Texas. The right person in that position will know how to put the pieces together. I don't think we've seen that with Watson or Norvell.