Whenever the future of a head coach is in jeopardy, there will be a daily dose of rumors. Those whispers mean reporters will spend a lot of time trying to verify the validity of what they heard. There are times when those rumors are verified. Other times, it just ends up being a wild goose chase.
We had a blend of both on Monday.
Here is a behind the scenes look at what occurred.
It was probably a little after 2 p.m. when a member of our staff was told by one of his sources that Texas football coach Charlie Strong had been fired and there was going to be a team meeting around 3:15 p.m. to discuss the change. This was a tip that made most of the staff apprehensive because that is one story you just cannot get wrong. If we ran that story without fully vetting it, the chaos and damage we caused would have been irreversible.
That is when we began working our phones. Our main goal was to figure out if Strong was still the coach or if he had been removed. Strong spoke during his regularly scheduled Monday press conference, and we didn’t have indication a coaching change was imminent. As we reached out to our sources, the first tidbit of news we received raised a red flag.
One source in the building told us Strong had a closed-door meeting with athletic director Mike Perrin, and he still had not emerged from that discussion. It was a very unusual activity on a Monday, and we began to question whether a move had been made. On the surface, it would explain the team meeting that was slated to occur in the afternoon. However, that was still a guessing game, and nothing concrete.
In fact, the meeting ran so long, we were informed this was not the typical meet and greet by Perrin.
A few minutes later, one of our sources informed us Strong and Perrin were in a preplanned meeting to make sure the coach fully understood what was expected of him. We were told Perrin was not supposed to remove Strong, but just have a lengthy conversation. In fact, three writers on our staff confirmed Strong and Perrin had a lengthy meeting on Monday.
At that point, a decision was made to publish only what we knew about the meeting between Strong and Perrin, but hold off on everything else. We believed there were still a lot of vetting that needed to occur, and none of us believe Strong had been removed. Since the purpose of the team meeting was allegedly to discuss a coaching change, we decided that tip needed to be investigated.
Not too long after our initial story ran, we learned UT told reporters our report about the meeting was inaccurate. The immediate response did make us wonder what was going on behind the scenes because we knew our information was correct. Considering nobody from the school contacted us to dispute our story, it became evident the swift attempt to discredit our report without going to the source (Orangebloods) meant we hit a nerve.
It was not long before we confirmed the meeting and why it was taking place through our sources. Clearly, the meeting was not to discuss the coaching situation. However, the lack of on-the-field success is why there was another team meeting.
Just so you know, we have spoken to more than a one high-level sources since Monday, and each person said they heard the same rumors about Strong’s future as we did.
Monday was a wild day at Orangebloods, and we are bracing ourselves for wilder times in the future. (Richardson)
******
San Antonio Express-News reporter Mike Finger originally reported there will be several “heavy hitters” in Austin to watch Texas host Baylor this week, a fact we were able to confirm. As Finger reported, the Longhorn Foundation advisory council and UT development board will meet on Friday, which is the main reason why there will be a large “power” presence at the game.
However, the tone of their meeting could influence president Greg Fenves’ end of the year decision about Strong’s future at Texas.
To be clear, the advisory council does not have any decision-making power. When I asked a person familiar with the council what kind of authority it had, I was told, “Only to the extent that Anwar Richardson owns a box, has 20 seats, gives money to the athletic department and you’re bent out of shape, and you’ve had enough of it. It’s that kind of influence. There’s nothing formal or anything with that group. It will give them a chance to bitch and moan.”
That being said, if the complaints are loud enough, or threats to withhold donations are substantial, it could affect Fenves.
Clearly, the football team has struggled the past three seasons, and there is a lot of speculation about Strong’s future in Austin. Texas athletic director Perrin and Fenves are expected to hear the airing of grievances. Ultimately, Fenves will decide Strong’s fate.
There will be plenty of opinions about the football program expressed to Fenves this week, and a loss against Baylor could reinforce those negative opinions about Strong.
By the way, one source told me they believe Strong will be allowed to finish the regular season, and that person did not want to predict if the coach will be replaced. However, I was told if Texas is blown out of any games this year, there is a chance Strong could be removed as head coach before the season finale . I was not given the plan if that occurred, but informed it could happen (Richardson).
******
Texas sophomore linebacker Malik Jefferson has struggled this year. Nobody can deny that.
Jefferson was “rotated” out of the lineup against Kansas State last week. Rotation might be the newest term for benched because it was clear coaches preferred to see Tim Cole instead of Jefferson. As many people have noticed, Jefferson is not having the same impact he had as freshman. I have a done a lot of digging this week, and nobody has been able to explain Jefferson’s lack of productivity this season.
However, it appears Jefferson is in jeopardy of not starting against Baylor on Saturday.
From what I have been told, Jefferson was informed on Sunday he will not start this weekend. That revelation rubbed Jefferson the wrong way. I was told the former 5-star recruit was angered by the demotion. Jefferson is a player who takes losing hard, and being demoted was embarrassing.
In a unique twist, I was told Jefferson is enjoying his best week of practice since he joined Texas. From what I was told, Jefferson has played angry and with a chip on his shoulder throughout the week. He is performing like a guy with something to prove, but also as a player who is angry with the staff.
“He told the coaches to go ahead and start somebody else, but when his name is called, just know he is going to prove you wrong,” a source told me.
I have been told Jefferson's status will be a game-time decision. He has looked so good during practice, there is a chance he will start against Baylor. As of Thursday, his status was still up in the air
In addition, freshman linebacker Jeffrey McCulloch is in the mix to receive more playing time on Saturday. McCulloch has looked good in practice, and might rotate with Anthony Wheeler. His playing time may not be determined until Saturday.
We will continue to monitor this situation between now and kickoff (Richardson)
******
When it comes to coaching searches - or in the case of Texas right now, potential coaching searches - you have to be very careful to not put the cart before the horse. While fans are understandably curious as to which coaches could land on UT's radar if Strong is not retained, it's a bit too early to start building up a coaching hot board.
When we have good information that some wheels are in motion, we'll pass along the news, but I personally prefer to stay out of wild speculation in my reporting and stick to the things I know.
What I can say with confidence right now is that the reports of some behind-the-scenes agreement with Houston coach Tom Herman are completely false. This story is nowhere near that point yet, but that doesn't mean Herman won't be a major player in this narrative in the coming weeks, if a change at the top is made.
In fact, I heard from a high-profile person with connections to the Texas program that there have in fact been lines placed in the water to get a feel for Herman's interest. That's not to say a decision with Strong (or with Herman) has been made, but people whose opinions matter have had discussions and have put out feelers to gauge the level of Herman's interest.
So what would Herman's level of interest be, if this story really picks up traction in the coming weeks? He's obviously not saying publicly, but a couple people in the coaching world who I spoke with this week reiterated that in their opinion, he'd have a high interest, and one person who has some valuable insight into the situation told me he still thinks Herman to Texas will be the direction this thing eventually goes. Even he admits that he's doing some projection on making that claim, but as he put it, there's interest from both sides and for the first time, that interest has been communicated through back channels. (Suchomel)
******
Here's a quick update on what some NFL sources are thinking about Texas junior RB D'Onta Foreman as we head into the homestretch of the season:
- It seems that NFL sources I've spoken to this week are in much more agreement about Foreman's draft stock than they were last year about Hassan Ridgeway's at this time. Answers about Ridgeway evaluations were all over the map. The sentiment is clear from scouts and sources with numerous teams about Foreman, though: 2nd or 3rd round.
- It is surprising to hear such a consensus this early, and it should be noted it's still very, very early. NFL personnel are most certainly on the very "high"-side of what I expected they might be in regard to Foreman at this point, though, since he seems to be being slept on nationally to some degree by the media.
- One NFC scout even said he could see Foreman going as high as the end of the first if he finished the season healthy after shouldering the load and showing he's capable of handling volume. "Even in a big year for running backs," he said. He also said that the combine would be big for Foreman as he anticipated him to test well in the speed department at least.
- From all indications from sources close to Foreman, he is not thinking about the NFL currently and is focused on the 2016 Texas season as the team's bell cow and best weapon. You have to figure that Foreman, though -- once the season concludes -- will seek feedback from the advisory committee and have a decision to make at that time if its evaluation matches what we're beginning to hear from NFL teams as their 2017 boards start taking on true shape. (Dunlap)
******
A couple brief notes based off some text message exchanges I had this week ...
On Monday, when rumors began swirling that something might be brewing with Strong, I checked with a key team source who told me he had not heard the news. In fact, this person said the only discussion inside the football team this week had been on finishing the season on a high note and tuning out distractions.
"All we're worried about right now is Baylor, and stacking together some wins," the source said. "We know it won't be easy. But I'm telling you, we're not that far off."
Also on Monday, I was communicating with a separate team source who had actually reached out to me to express his frustration with the state of the program. In the course of our back and forth, I asked if it was possible that the team had given up on the season after the most recent loss to Kansas State. This person echoed something I've heard from others - that the players work so hard in pre-season camp and things are so physical, that they're just mentally and physically worn out.
"They seldom look fresh," the person said, before I noted that many of the program's sophomore players have actually seemed to regress.
"There are too many competitive athletes for them to give up. It's not in their nature," the source responded. "This has been one (expletive) terrible roller coaster ride. They're beat down. If you don't rest an athlete's body, they will regress. I know this personally." (Suchomel)
******
Texas wide receiver commitment Damion Miller confirmed with Orangebloods on Wednesday night that he was planning to attend A&M's game against New Mexico State this weekend on an unofficial visit. Miller was scheduled to talk to the Texas coaches on Thursday night, so it's possible his plans change, but as of Wednesday night the visit was still on.
The John Tyler product has kind of run hot and cold with his commitment to Texas ever since he committed in June of last year. He's maintained that he's solid, but has always talked about visiting other schools. Recently, he's talked about liking what he's seen from the Texas offense, but with the Longhorns struggling to put up wins and some uncertainty with UT's coaching situation, it looks like Miller is wanting to keep the door open just a bit.
With two of UT's top receiving targets (Omar Manning, Jalen Reagor) recently committing to TCU, Miller's commitment takes on added importance for the Longhorns and it looks like Texas may have to work to hold onto the Rivals250 member.
******
The Longhorns will host a few top prospects at this week's game, headlined by LSU defensive back commitment Kary Vincent. A handful of 2018 prospects will also be at the game, including West Mesquite DB Dayven Coleman.
Coleman said he's been in touch with Texas Director of Player Peronnel Mike Giglio and the two have developed a good relationship. Giglio invited Coleman to the game and Coleman plans to sit with Dallas Carter DE Jarrell Cherry since the two know each other well. Overall, Coleman said he has hit it off well with the entire Texas staff.
"Most of the time, I talk to the DB coach, coach Bedford. We're really close. We talk a lot on Twitter," Coleman said. "They were recruiting Devodrick Johnson and I went down there my first time when he went. We've been talking since then. They send me mail all the time, crazy letters. I think I got like eight from Texas today."
Coleman is a bit behind in recruiting after his recent transfer to West Mesquite, but the offers should start pouring in soon now that teams are able to start seeing his junior film. There are a few specific offers Coleman is hoping come through.
"The offers I really want to receive is of course Texas, they're the home state team. Texas, TCU, Houston, Ohio State, Florida State," Coleman said.
The 6-2, 190-pound Coleman said he's hoping Texas can turn it around and finish with a decent season. He's heard the rumors of possible change in Austin, and said he'd just have to evaluate things if there is a shake-up in the coaching staff.
"Charlie Strong is a good coach, a good recruiter too. He's recruited a lot of good players," Coleman said. "Their 2016 class is really good. I guess it would just depend on who they would bring in after him." (Suchomel)
******
Our attempts to reach Matt Coleman, his family and Mohamed Bamba this week were as successful as hitters have been against Andrew Miller this year in the playoffs. Don’t read into that, though. Bamba hardly ever does interviews, and Coleman has gone quiet unless someone is able to get him in person like USA Basketball recently.
So, we dug around and connected with some sources that are tuned into the Duke side of things, hoops in Virginia, and more. Based on those conversations, the feeling around Duke about Coleman is more positive of late. But as one person pointed out, “that’s how it works after a recruit takes a visit.”
One person mentioned that Texas, specifically Shaka Smart, has built up such a strong trust factor with Coleman that it might be hard for Duke to completely overcome that. Texas has been there, literally, since the beginning and its pitch and who it has recruited at the position has never changed. That’s not lost on Coleman, from what we’ve heard. And he’s the one, ultimately, making the decision along with feedback from his family.
But if there’s a school that could overcome that coming in late, it would be Duke given it’s the blueblood, ACC power just down the road that needs a point guard.
Basically, if Texas can strengthen that feeling of trust and sell Coleman on the rest of the Texas program even more during an in-person official visit, it could come out of this weekend in better position. As it stands right now, though, not much has changed in terms of the overall vibe – this is still a very tough Duke-Texas battle.
Don’t underestimate the impact of someone the caliber of Mohamed Bamba taking an official visit the same time as Coleman. Good players want to play with other good players.
As for Bamba and Texas, we continue to hear that the interest is very real, and Texas presents an intriguing set of factors that could really appeal to the 6-11, five-star big man – world-class academics, the city of Austin and everything it offers, and a head coach that can connect in an intellectual way that most head coaches can’t. Bamba will, like Coleman, be accompanied by family members on his visit.
One thing is for certain: this is an enormous recruiting weekend for Smart and Texas, and the kind of weekend that could alter the landscape of the program moving forward. (McComas)
******
Wednesday evening at the Erwin Center, the Longhorn scrimmaged SMU in a secret, closed scrimmage. We haven’t been able to gather a lot of details yet, but a couple of sources passed along a similar message:
“It was what was expected,” said one source, who referenced that Texas’ youth, as expected, showed and that the talent showed as well. We haven’t been able to confirm any specifics, and won’t speculate. But did hear that sophomores Kerwin Roach and Tevin Mack didn’t participate. In a team photo posted on Twitter today, both Roach and Mack weren’t nursing any sort of visible injury. I wouldn’t be alarmed about it. For all I know, it might have been on purpose to get other guys extended looks. It’s just a scrimmage, and Roach was just at the Big 12 Media Day representing Texas.
Another person mentioned how SMU’s good, veteran presence was a good learning experience for the young Longhorns and that, “it went well overall”
We’ll pass along any additional info if we get it, but these top-secret closed scrimmages tend to be more about teaching, and are often on the ugly side. (McComas)
******
A small baseball tidbit to pass along: look for the Longhorns, now that offseason practice is over, to install new, burnt orange turf around the bases and to increase the size of the Longhorn logo in the outfield, and they’re making progress towards the upgraded practice facility that Pierce spoke about months ago during his introductory roundtable with some of the media. It’s very unlikely that bringing the fences in happens this year. However, we continue to hear that it’s likely to happen in the future after this season. (McComas)
We had a blend of both on Monday.
Here is a behind the scenes look at what occurred.
It was probably a little after 2 p.m. when a member of our staff was told by one of his sources that Texas football coach Charlie Strong had been fired and there was going to be a team meeting around 3:15 p.m. to discuss the change. This was a tip that made most of the staff apprehensive because that is one story you just cannot get wrong. If we ran that story without fully vetting it, the chaos and damage we caused would have been irreversible.
That is when we began working our phones. Our main goal was to figure out if Strong was still the coach or if he had been removed. Strong spoke during his regularly scheduled Monday press conference, and we didn’t have indication a coaching change was imminent. As we reached out to our sources, the first tidbit of news we received raised a red flag.
One source in the building told us Strong had a closed-door meeting with athletic director Mike Perrin, and he still had not emerged from that discussion. It was a very unusual activity on a Monday, and we began to question whether a move had been made. On the surface, it would explain the team meeting that was slated to occur in the afternoon. However, that was still a guessing game, and nothing concrete.
In fact, the meeting ran so long, we were informed this was not the typical meet and greet by Perrin.
A few minutes later, one of our sources informed us Strong and Perrin were in a preplanned meeting to make sure the coach fully understood what was expected of him. We were told Perrin was not supposed to remove Strong, but just have a lengthy conversation. In fact, three writers on our staff confirmed Strong and Perrin had a lengthy meeting on Monday.
At that point, a decision was made to publish only what we knew about the meeting between Strong and Perrin, but hold off on everything else. We believed there were still a lot of vetting that needed to occur, and none of us believe Strong had been removed. Since the purpose of the team meeting was allegedly to discuss a coaching change, we decided that tip needed to be investigated.
Not too long after our initial story ran, we learned UT told reporters our report about the meeting was inaccurate. The immediate response did make us wonder what was going on behind the scenes because we knew our information was correct. Considering nobody from the school contacted us to dispute our story, it became evident the swift attempt to discredit our report without going to the source (Orangebloods) meant we hit a nerve.
It was not long before we confirmed the meeting and why it was taking place through our sources. Clearly, the meeting was not to discuss the coaching situation. However, the lack of on-the-field success is why there was another team meeting.
Just so you know, we have spoken to more than a one high-level sources since Monday, and each person said they heard the same rumors about Strong’s future as we did.
Monday was a wild day at Orangebloods, and we are bracing ourselves for wilder times in the future. (Richardson)
******
San Antonio Express-News reporter Mike Finger originally reported there will be several “heavy hitters” in Austin to watch Texas host Baylor this week, a fact we were able to confirm. As Finger reported, the Longhorn Foundation advisory council and UT development board will meet on Friday, which is the main reason why there will be a large “power” presence at the game.
However, the tone of their meeting could influence president Greg Fenves’ end of the year decision about Strong’s future at Texas.
To be clear, the advisory council does not have any decision-making power. When I asked a person familiar with the council what kind of authority it had, I was told, “Only to the extent that Anwar Richardson owns a box, has 20 seats, gives money to the athletic department and you’re bent out of shape, and you’ve had enough of it. It’s that kind of influence. There’s nothing formal or anything with that group. It will give them a chance to bitch and moan.”
That being said, if the complaints are loud enough, or threats to withhold donations are substantial, it could affect Fenves.
Clearly, the football team has struggled the past three seasons, and there is a lot of speculation about Strong’s future in Austin. Texas athletic director Perrin and Fenves are expected to hear the airing of grievances. Ultimately, Fenves will decide Strong’s fate.
There will be plenty of opinions about the football program expressed to Fenves this week, and a loss against Baylor could reinforce those negative opinions about Strong.
By the way, one source told me they believe Strong will be allowed to finish the regular season, and that person did not want to predict if the coach will be replaced. However, I was told if Texas is blown out of any games this year, there is a chance Strong could be removed as head coach before the season finale . I was not given the plan if that occurred, but informed it could happen (Richardson).
******
Texas sophomore linebacker Malik Jefferson has struggled this year. Nobody can deny that.
Jefferson was “rotated” out of the lineup against Kansas State last week. Rotation might be the newest term for benched because it was clear coaches preferred to see Tim Cole instead of Jefferson. As many people have noticed, Jefferson is not having the same impact he had as freshman. I have a done a lot of digging this week, and nobody has been able to explain Jefferson’s lack of productivity this season.
However, it appears Jefferson is in jeopardy of not starting against Baylor on Saturday.
From what I have been told, Jefferson was informed on Sunday he will not start this weekend. That revelation rubbed Jefferson the wrong way. I was told the former 5-star recruit was angered by the demotion. Jefferson is a player who takes losing hard, and being demoted was embarrassing.
In a unique twist, I was told Jefferson is enjoying his best week of practice since he joined Texas. From what I was told, Jefferson has played angry and with a chip on his shoulder throughout the week. He is performing like a guy with something to prove, but also as a player who is angry with the staff.
“He told the coaches to go ahead and start somebody else, but when his name is called, just know he is going to prove you wrong,” a source told me.
I have been told Jefferson's status will be a game-time decision. He has looked so good during practice, there is a chance he will start against Baylor. As of Thursday, his status was still up in the air
In addition, freshman linebacker Jeffrey McCulloch is in the mix to receive more playing time on Saturday. McCulloch has looked good in practice, and might rotate with Anthony Wheeler. His playing time may not be determined until Saturday.
We will continue to monitor this situation between now and kickoff (Richardson)
******
When it comes to coaching searches - or in the case of Texas right now, potential coaching searches - you have to be very careful to not put the cart before the horse. While fans are understandably curious as to which coaches could land on UT's radar if Strong is not retained, it's a bit too early to start building up a coaching hot board.
When we have good information that some wheels are in motion, we'll pass along the news, but I personally prefer to stay out of wild speculation in my reporting and stick to the things I know.
What I can say with confidence right now is that the reports of some behind-the-scenes agreement with Houston coach Tom Herman are completely false. This story is nowhere near that point yet, but that doesn't mean Herman won't be a major player in this narrative in the coming weeks, if a change at the top is made.
In fact, I heard from a high-profile person with connections to the Texas program that there have in fact been lines placed in the water to get a feel for Herman's interest. That's not to say a decision with Strong (or with Herman) has been made, but people whose opinions matter have had discussions and have put out feelers to gauge the level of Herman's interest.
So what would Herman's level of interest be, if this story really picks up traction in the coming weeks? He's obviously not saying publicly, but a couple people in the coaching world who I spoke with this week reiterated that in their opinion, he'd have a high interest, and one person who has some valuable insight into the situation told me he still thinks Herman to Texas will be the direction this thing eventually goes. Even he admits that he's doing some projection on making that claim, but as he put it, there's interest from both sides and for the first time, that interest has been communicated through back channels. (Suchomel)
******
Here's a quick update on what some NFL sources are thinking about Texas junior RB D'Onta Foreman as we head into the homestretch of the season:
- It seems that NFL sources I've spoken to this week are in much more agreement about Foreman's draft stock than they were last year about Hassan Ridgeway's at this time. Answers about Ridgeway evaluations were all over the map. The sentiment is clear from scouts and sources with numerous teams about Foreman, though: 2nd or 3rd round.
- It is surprising to hear such a consensus this early, and it should be noted it's still very, very early. NFL personnel are most certainly on the very "high"-side of what I expected they might be in regard to Foreman at this point, though, since he seems to be being slept on nationally to some degree by the media.
- One NFC scout even said he could see Foreman going as high as the end of the first if he finished the season healthy after shouldering the load and showing he's capable of handling volume. "Even in a big year for running backs," he said. He also said that the combine would be big for Foreman as he anticipated him to test well in the speed department at least.
- From all indications from sources close to Foreman, he is not thinking about the NFL currently and is focused on the 2016 Texas season as the team's bell cow and best weapon. You have to figure that Foreman, though -- once the season concludes -- will seek feedback from the advisory committee and have a decision to make at that time if its evaluation matches what we're beginning to hear from NFL teams as their 2017 boards start taking on true shape. (Dunlap)
******
A couple brief notes based off some text message exchanges I had this week ...
On Monday, when rumors began swirling that something might be brewing with Strong, I checked with a key team source who told me he had not heard the news. In fact, this person said the only discussion inside the football team this week had been on finishing the season on a high note and tuning out distractions.
"All we're worried about right now is Baylor, and stacking together some wins," the source said. "We know it won't be easy. But I'm telling you, we're not that far off."
Also on Monday, I was communicating with a separate team source who had actually reached out to me to express his frustration with the state of the program. In the course of our back and forth, I asked if it was possible that the team had given up on the season after the most recent loss to Kansas State. This person echoed something I've heard from others - that the players work so hard in pre-season camp and things are so physical, that they're just mentally and physically worn out.
"They seldom look fresh," the person said, before I noted that many of the program's sophomore players have actually seemed to regress.
"There are too many competitive athletes for them to give up. It's not in their nature," the source responded. "This has been one (expletive) terrible roller coaster ride. They're beat down. If you don't rest an athlete's body, they will regress. I know this personally." (Suchomel)
******
Texas wide receiver commitment Damion Miller confirmed with Orangebloods on Wednesday night that he was planning to attend A&M's game against New Mexico State this weekend on an unofficial visit. Miller was scheduled to talk to the Texas coaches on Thursday night, so it's possible his plans change, but as of Wednesday night the visit was still on.
The John Tyler product has kind of run hot and cold with his commitment to Texas ever since he committed in June of last year. He's maintained that he's solid, but has always talked about visiting other schools. Recently, he's talked about liking what he's seen from the Texas offense, but with the Longhorns struggling to put up wins and some uncertainty with UT's coaching situation, it looks like Miller is wanting to keep the door open just a bit.
With two of UT's top receiving targets (Omar Manning, Jalen Reagor) recently committing to TCU, Miller's commitment takes on added importance for the Longhorns and it looks like Texas may have to work to hold onto the Rivals250 member.
******
The Longhorns will host a few top prospects at this week's game, headlined by LSU defensive back commitment Kary Vincent. A handful of 2018 prospects will also be at the game, including West Mesquite DB Dayven Coleman.
Coleman said he's been in touch with Texas Director of Player Peronnel Mike Giglio and the two have developed a good relationship. Giglio invited Coleman to the game and Coleman plans to sit with Dallas Carter DE Jarrell Cherry since the two know each other well. Overall, Coleman said he has hit it off well with the entire Texas staff.
"Most of the time, I talk to the DB coach, coach Bedford. We're really close. We talk a lot on Twitter," Coleman said. "They were recruiting Devodrick Johnson and I went down there my first time when he went. We've been talking since then. They send me mail all the time, crazy letters. I think I got like eight from Texas today."
Coleman is a bit behind in recruiting after his recent transfer to West Mesquite, but the offers should start pouring in soon now that teams are able to start seeing his junior film. There are a few specific offers Coleman is hoping come through.
"The offers I really want to receive is of course Texas, they're the home state team. Texas, TCU, Houston, Ohio State, Florida State," Coleman said.
The 6-2, 190-pound Coleman said he's hoping Texas can turn it around and finish with a decent season. He's heard the rumors of possible change in Austin, and said he'd just have to evaluate things if there is a shake-up in the coaching staff.
"Charlie Strong is a good coach, a good recruiter too. He's recruited a lot of good players," Coleman said. "Their 2016 class is really good. I guess it would just depend on who they would bring in after him." (Suchomel)
******
Our attempts to reach Matt Coleman, his family and Mohamed Bamba this week were as successful as hitters have been against Andrew Miller this year in the playoffs. Don’t read into that, though. Bamba hardly ever does interviews, and Coleman has gone quiet unless someone is able to get him in person like USA Basketball recently.
So, we dug around and connected with some sources that are tuned into the Duke side of things, hoops in Virginia, and more. Based on those conversations, the feeling around Duke about Coleman is more positive of late. But as one person pointed out, “that’s how it works after a recruit takes a visit.”
One person mentioned that Texas, specifically Shaka Smart, has built up such a strong trust factor with Coleman that it might be hard for Duke to completely overcome that. Texas has been there, literally, since the beginning and its pitch and who it has recruited at the position has never changed. That’s not lost on Coleman, from what we’ve heard. And he’s the one, ultimately, making the decision along with feedback from his family.
But if there’s a school that could overcome that coming in late, it would be Duke given it’s the blueblood, ACC power just down the road that needs a point guard.
Basically, if Texas can strengthen that feeling of trust and sell Coleman on the rest of the Texas program even more during an in-person official visit, it could come out of this weekend in better position. As it stands right now, though, not much has changed in terms of the overall vibe – this is still a very tough Duke-Texas battle.
Don’t underestimate the impact of someone the caliber of Mohamed Bamba taking an official visit the same time as Coleman. Good players want to play with other good players.
As for Bamba and Texas, we continue to hear that the interest is very real, and Texas presents an intriguing set of factors that could really appeal to the 6-11, five-star big man – world-class academics, the city of Austin and everything it offers, and a head coach that can connect in an intellectual way that most head coaches can’t. Bamba will, like Coleman, be accompanied by family members on his visit.
One thing is for certain: this is an enormous recruiting weekend for Smart and Texas, and the kind of weekend that could alter the landscape of the program moving forward. (McComas)
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Wednesday evening at the Erwin Center, the Longhorn scrimmaged SMU in a secret, closed scrimmage. We haven’t been able to gather a lot of details yet, but a couple of sources passed along a similar message:
“It was what was expected,” said one source, who referenced that Texas’ youth, as expected, showed and that the talent showed as well. We haven’t been able to confirm any specifics, and won’t speculate. But did hear that sophomores Kerwin Roach and Tevin Mack didn’t participate. In a team photo posted on Twitter today, both Roach and Mack weren’t nursing any sort of visible injury. I wouldn’t be alarmed about it. For all I know, it might have been on purpose to get other guys extended looks. It’s just a scrimmage, and Roach was just at the Big 12 Media Day representing Texas.
Another person mentioned how SMU’s good, veteran presence was a good learning experience for the young Longhorns and that, “it went well overall”
We’ll pass along any additional info if we get it, but these top-secret closed scrimmages tend to be more about teaching, and are often on the ugly side. (McComas)
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A small baseball tidbit to pass along: look for the Longhorns, now that offseason practice is over, to install new, burnt orange turf around the bases and to increase the size of the Longhorn logo in the outfield, and they’re making progress towards the upgraded practice facility that Pierce spoke about months ago during his introductory roundtable with some of the media. It’s very unlikely that bringing the fences in happens this year. However, we continue to hear that it’s likely to happen in the future after this season. (McComas)
