TOM HERMAN IS NO MACK BROWN, BUY SHIFT IN HIS FOCUS COULD POINT HIM IN THAT DIRECTION
Even as you’re reading this, Graham Harrell, Ennis’ favorite son, could well be on his way back to Texas to make sure the Longhorns’ offense runs every Saturday, not just semi-weekly.
Tom Herman also may lock up Chris Ash to be his defensive coordinator, part of a greater plan to keep Texas out of other people’s record books.
Once he makes his two big hires, Herman should then make an even bigger move:
Name himself CEO and get out of the way.
Before getting to Herman’s fitness for a job as big as Texas and whether he could even handle what Mack Brown managed so well, consider the obvious. Harrell might not take the job in Austin if he isn’t granted full autonomy. No big-time OC would settle for less. And make no mistake, Harrell has built himself a nice resume.
After playing for his father, Sam, at Ennis, then Mike Leach at Texas Tech, where he teamed with Michael Crabtree to blow up Texas’ 2008 national title hopes, Harrell hung around the NFL and CFL. Took a refresher course under Leach at Washington State. Made North Texas’ Mason Fine a Heisman topic. And in his first and maybe only season at USC, he took a third-string freshman quarterback and finished 18th in the nation in total offense.
Also managed to avoid being found guilty by association with Clay Helton, a neat trick at that.
And when I asked Hall of Famer Gil Brandt his opinion of Harrell, this is what he said:
“I like him a lot.”
Check.
Frankly, I don’t know as much about Ash, but by all accounts, the defenses have improved everywhere he’s gone. He believes in a simple concept requiring big corners who can play man coverage, freeing up safeties for run support. If Ash didn’t win much at Rutgers, well, not everybody’s a head coach.
Which brings us to Herman, maybe. Back when Texas actually had to fight off LSU for his services, which seems not a little ironic now, the new man showed up in Austin with impressive credentials. Not only did he direct Urban Meyer’s offense, he was an ace recruiter who’d posted two spectacular seasons as head coach at Houston.
Herman’s had his moments in his three years at Texas, but, other than beating Oklahoma and Georgia, few would dare call much of it spectacular.
Herman’s staff decisions have been questionable. For instance, if Tim Beck is good enough to be the OC, he ought to be good enough to call plays, or why carry the title? Herman’s ability to relate his message to his players has too often been a topic of concern. Along the way, he’s occasionally seemed less than presidential, if you will. Even silly. Mocking Drew Lock at a bowl game was not a good look.
Head-butting one of his own players looked like it really hurt.
Say what you want about Charlie Strong, but his players loved him and his dignity remained intact. Fred Akers was first class. Won a little, too. So did his eminent predecessor, whose qualifications need not be parsed here.
The only other coach to win a national title at Texas made his bones as a recruiter and CEO. Maybe no Texas coach, Darrell Royal included, was as well-equipped to handle everything the position of head coach at Texas entails. Mack Brown was good with boosters, good with the media, good in living rooms. He took care of everything up to and including the sideline. If Mack’s coordinators were good, Texas usually was golden.
This isn’t exactly going out on a limb, but it seems safe to say, three years in, that Tom Herman is no Mack Brown. A better offensive mind, probably. But not bright enough to dabble in the offense and still handle his head coaching duties. Few coaches at big-time schools can. Lincoln Riley comes to mind, obviously, but his defense hasn’t always pulled its weight, either. Head coaches who spend all their time looking over offenses generally neglect defenses as a result.
Anyway, Texas’ 7-5 record is one explanation for the turnover in coordinators. A better one is that this is what coaches do to give themselves another year.
Seven wins again won’t get it done for Herman. What’s the magic number? Eight? Nine? Matt Rhule just won 11, and he’s not done yet. Who knows where Baylor goes from here? Wherever it is, you’d better believe the Bears’ rapid rise from 1-11 three years ago will be a factor in Herman’s future. Especially if Rhule sustains what he’s started.
If Herman turns over the offense to his new OC, and the results are favorable, he can still be a success. As noted, he’s a good recruiter. But there’s a lot more to the job than he probably figured, a mistake common among most Texas coaches. Herman needs to see the big picture now, before he’s looking at it in his rear-view mirror.
https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/texas-longhorns/2019/12/03/tom-herman-is-no-mack-brown-but-a-shift-in-his-focus-could-point-him-in-that-direction/
