Player Development

[GetHooked]

I'm really looking forward to watching our players develop under the new coaching staff.

I remember several BlowU fans on an old AAS board that never worried about our recruiting because they noted that Stoops would outcoach Mack and staff.

I also read comments about players being as good as seniors as they were as freshman ad nauseam.

When recruiting Bomar, Stoops commented, "how many championships has all that recruiting won?"

I never heard stuff like that when Royal was coach and I hope I never hear it with Strong at the helm.

 

[BevoBlake]

I'm completely buying into the idea that Strong and Co. are going to completely alter the mindset in the Locker Room. Development won't be simply hoped for, it will be expected. And with the addition of Pat Moorer, I absolutely believe that everyone on our team will be much better football players the day they leave the University of Texas than the day arrived. These guys are going to push these kids.

 

[Embrey]

If the Strong plan works what I believe we will see is a team that plays to and occasionally above its potential. What Strong is attempting to teach these young men is mental. The body is the slave of the mind. Once they have mastered mind over body they will be able to exercise their will rather than just their natural talent.

I expect we are going to lose some next year. I do not think it will be because we were not fit or prepared. It will be because the talent level has fallen over the last 4 or 5 years.

Imagine the reaction once high school players see the attitude of a revitalized Texas. We are going to whip your ass all over the field.

If Strong can make it through year 1 I believe talented players will form a line longer than that for Christmas Jordan's to receive an offer.

 

[streettopeschel]

if i don't hear the words 'soft', 'entitled' or 'country club' associated with our team this year, the charlie strong era will be off to a fine start imo.

 

[JimsTexas]

I'm really looking forward to watching our players develop under the new coaching staff.
I remember several BlowU fans on an old AAS board that never worried about our recruiting because they noted that Stoops would outcoach Mack and staff.

I also read comments about players being as good as seniors as they were as freshman ad nauseam.

When recruiting Bomar, Stoops commented, "how many championships has all that recruiting won?"

I never heard stuff like that when Royal was coach and I hope I never hear it with Strong at the helm.

GetHooked the OU fans need to talk about this topic a little more compared to Texas "When recruiting Bomar, Stoops commented, "how many championships has all that recruiting won?" How many times has stoops got to the big game only to get his ass handed to him by some lesser talent. I agree 100% with you that Stoops did out coach MB but even worse there teams just flat beat us up. But Stoops bowl record and the number of BCS games he has lost is not one Stoops could hang his cap on. MB did have an impressive bowl record. My friends y'all have a great week.

 

[Topstarr]

will be proud football players at Texas come football season

 

[GetHooked]

In all fairness Jim, they were playing in better bowls.

I read a post last week about Mack's record. Don't know if it is true because I'm too lazy to do the research.

A comment was made that Mack LOST 68% of the time to ranked teams. He was building those 10 win seasons on beating lesser teams.

That's a telling stat (again - if true). It also lends credibility to the snake oil salesman rap that Mack was getting toward the end.

 

[Baron Von Tejas]

"But Stoops bowl record and the number of BCS games he has lost is not one Stoops could hang his cap on. MB did have an impressive bowl record. My friends y'all have a great week."

Thanks to Stoops kicking MBTF to the curb, we got weaker competition which inflated our bowl win totals.

 

[echeese]

In all fairness Jim, they were playing in better bowls.
I read a post last week about Mack's record. Don't know if it is true because I'm too lazy to do the research.

A comment was made that Mack LOST 68% of the time to ranked teams. He was building those 10 win seasons on beating lesser teams.

That's a telling stat (again - if true). It also lends credibility to the snake oil salesman rap that Mack was getting toward the end.

The research is interesting. . .in the 10 win team period (1998-2009). . .Mack was actually 31-19 vs ranked teams (at time of play) .. .and TEXAS average SOS was in the Top 1/3rd of all teams. . .

From 2010 till last year the wheels came off and he was only 5-15 . . .so the reality was that including all games . ..he was over .500. . . but in the period you mentioned. . .we did very well .. .

Sorry. . . the idea we played easy schedules isn't valid but I find it funny how quickly many will run with BS. . .

I remember years ago talking about the problems with OL development and being told the only problem was scheme. . . .

PS,

While you can make all the excuses you want for Stoops. . .he might have been playing in "better bowls" but he was playing opponents he was heavily favored over (BSU WVU etc) and getting his ass handed to him .. . . .

 

[JimsTexas]

GetHooked I do some what agree I have never been happy when OU gets the best Of Texas. That is the reason It made me sick to see the OU football team just flat out right beat us up in some of those games. By getting our players in great shape and having them better prepared to play a game. I hope CS will never allow us to take a ride down that dirty old road again. My friends y'all have a great week.

 

[HornNdriftwood]

In all fairness Jim, they were playing in better bowls.
I read a post last week about Mack's record. Don't know if it is true because I'm too lazy to do the research.

A comment was made that Mack LOST 68% of the time to ranked teams. He was building those 10 win seasons on beating lesser teams.

That's a telling stat (again - if true). It also lends credibility to the snake oil salesman rap that Mack was getting toward the end.

Mack's overall winning % vs. ranked teams = 52.33%. He was 34-31 over his term at UT. So, nice try. Between the loss to ou in '04 and the Rose Bowl in '09, he was an incredible 18-3. Since then, there's been a huge fall off.

 

[HornNdriftwood]

Regarding the future, I think we will see less emphasis on finding good(nice) kids from solid 2-parent families. I don't think the new staff will shy away from recruiting kids from rougher backgrounds and broken homes. I believe CS has a confidence (and an acceptance, even relish, of the challenge) he can turn these kids, not just into good football players but good citizens.

Hook 'em.

 

[GetHooked]

The research is interesting. . .in the 10 win team period (1998-2009). . .Mack was actually 31-19 vs ranked teams (at time of play) .. .and TEXAS average SOS was in the Top 1/3rd of all teams. . .
From 2010 till last year the wheels came off and he was only 5-15 . . .so the reality was that including all games . ..he was over .500. . . but in the period you mentioned. . .we did very well .. .

Sorry. . . the idea we played easy schedules isn't valid but I find it funny how quickly many will run with BS. . .

I remember years ago talking about the problems with OL development and being told the only problem was scheme. . . .

PS,

While you can make all the excuses you want for Stoops. . .he might have been playing in "better bowls" but he was playing opponents he was heavily favored over (BSU WVU etc) and getting his ass handed to him .. . . .

Thanks Chuck. In the future, I continue to reserve the right to be lazy about doing research. lol

 

[GetHooked]

Mack's overall winning % vs. ranked teams = 52.33%. He was 34-31 over his term at UT. So, nice try. Between the loss to ou in '04 and the Rose Bowl in '09, he was an incredible 18-3. Since then, there's been a huge fall off.

Thanks driftwood. Not trying (even a little, lol)

My main beef with Mack was the ungodly blowout losses to OU. Those were excruciating. It got to the point where I never watched the OU games live. I used the DVR to record them. If we won, I would watch. If we didn't, I would delete.

 

[doc longhorn]

I'm really looking forward to watching our players develop under the new coaching staff.
I remember several BlowU fans on an old AAS board that never worried about our recruiting because they noted that Stoops would outcoach Mack and staff.

I also read comments about players being as good as seniors as they were as freshman ad nauseam.

When recruiting Bomar, Stoops commented, "how many championships has all that recruiting won?"

I never heard stuff like that when Royal was coach and I hope I never hear it with Strong at the helm.

I am a fan of sportsmanship. However, there are times when UT must show it's fan base, an opponent, and potential recruits, who has the dominant program. This is what Stoops has been capable of doing that Mack hasn't or wouldn't do. And that is lay the wood to us.

Mack was just too nice and, I don't believe, had the killer instinct that Stoops did!

I'm hoping that Strong has the same sense as Stoops and that is to crush an opponent when it's necessary and possible.

 

[coolhorn]

I'm not sure many around here remember it, but when UT lured Mack away from UNC, some of their fans predicted he would come in, improve recruiting, beat up on lesser talented teams, and have one or two teams and coaches he couldn't handle. The gist of the reaction here? Sour grapes on the part of the UNC fans...and maybe some of it was, but... When Mack was at UNC, Florida State under Bobby Bowden owned the ACC. My facts might be a little rusty, since we're talking almost twenty years ago, but I don't believe Mack ever beat Bowden, and best I remember, the 'Noles usually mud-holed the 'Heels. Mack at UT? Stoops didn't own Mack, but Stoops' teams gave the Horns some of their worst beat downs in decades. What I'm trying to say is...Mack is who the UNC fans told us he was. He recruited lights out until aggy finally figured things out and got lucky. He usually beat up on inferior teams. He won very few conference championships. He had a major cross to bear (Stoops) and he didn't handle that. He was the right choice at the time, and generally was a good head coach at UT, but he stops way short of being legendary.

I have no more idea than anyone else whether or not Charlie Strong will succeed at UT. Some things he can control. Some things, like UT's conference affiliation problem, are beyond his control. What I do see that I like is his push to improve the players he has, to make them tougher, and tougher-minded. I like it that Strong knows what kind of team he wants, what kind of offense and defense he wants to run, and that he seems to have hired assistants with teaching backgrounds. It's gonna take him some time to get his feet firmly on the ground, to realize just how different it is coaching UT as opposed to Louisville. It will take him time to make inroads with the Texas high school coaches and their players. I know he said he wants to win starting this next season, but I expect it to be a transition year, with him learning who his players are, and the players learning what the staff expects out of them. I don't expect instant gratification, but I do expect UT to field a football team that doesn't back down from anybody, a team that's well-coached and prepared to play, a team that doesn't beat itself. I think UT will beat the teams that they should, and if UT loses even this next season, it will be to a team that just has more talent...and there aren't that many teams on the schedule that should out-talent Texas.

I saw a post on another site where the poster said UT needs to take aggy seriously, and I agree. This is NOT your daddy's agricultural, or your big brother's. Their joining the SEC has reaped them benefits in recruiting and recognition, just as they planned. Agricultural is the hot school right now, and it's gonna take Coach Strong's best effort to turn that around. His best effort may not be enough...but that will be decided two or three years down the road.

I'm just saying in all of this that there won't be a sudden change for the better...there's too much work to be done in the next year for that. Culture change takes time. I want to see improvements this next season in attitude, in physicality, in game preparation. If I see those things, I think this next season will be a success, no matter what the record is.

 

[echeese]

Thanks Chuck. In the future, I continue to reserve the right to be lazy about doing research. lol

The more things change. . .the more they stay the same my friend. . . .



It is not hard to admit that our run from 2001 through 2009 was 2nd best in TEXAS history only to the 60's under DKR .. .the fact there is a 3 decade gap to me is what is inexcusable. . .

Just like it is not hard to admit (though painful) that the last 4 years have been putrid . . .

Frankly (trying to get back to the point rather than knee jerk whining) one of the biggest problems with the last 4 years has been the lack of good player development . .

 

[86MEHorn]

Frankly (trying to get back to the point rather than knee jerk whining) one of the biggest problems with the last 4 years has been the lack of good player development . .

And lack of an identity, both sides of the ball. We really do need an Xs and Os head coach now since coordinators will always use UT as a springboard (well, good ones).

Back to topic, it seems Moorer is already making an impact.

 

[doc longhorn]

The more things change. . .the more they stay the same my friend. . . .


It is not hard to admit that our run from 2001 through 2009 was 2nd best in TEXAS history only to the 60's under DKR .. .the fact there is a 3 decade gap to me is what is inexcusable. . .

Just like it is not hard to admit (though painful) that the last 4 years have been putrid . . .

Frankly (trying to get back to the point rather than knee jerk whining) one of the biggest problems with the last 4 years has been the lack of good player development . .

That gap is a direct result of BMD's and non-football people, interfering with the hiring process. As a politically driven school, this has always been UT's problem and always will be. It's true we have been lucky with a few hires - Royal comes to mind - but our history proves it has been the exception and not the rule. It's just the few successful coaches have obscured the dismal and mediocre coaching performances between them.