Let’s say your right Clob. Maybe Texas did want a black coach. You were considering James Franklin along with Charlie Strong. Idk of Franklin would of succeeded here either but he wouldn’t of been as bad as Charlie Strong. So the wanting a black coach weather you agree with it or not is not why Texas is where it is today. The fact is you could of hired Franklin and maybe you wouldn’t of been where you want to be you’d be better than you ended up. So the wanting a black coach even if it’s true. Has nothing to do with why Texas is bad.
and this next part isn’t directed at you necsssrly because I know you were advising against Herman just like I was. But many of the people who argue Charlie wasn’t qualified and only got the job because Texas wanted a black coach. We’re chasing Tom Herman for 2 years who was probably less qualified(the same at best) as Charlie Strong was. That’s why the “racism” card was played by some because in there mind if Charlie wasn’t qualified for Texas there is no way Herman is but it seemed as though the red carpet was rolled out for Herman
So even if Texas wanted a black coach because they wanted to make a “liberal statement you still could of made a better hire than what they made. You could of hired James Franklin, could of made a giant offer to mike Tomin, hell could of hired Herm Edwards who is doing a nice job at ASU. There are any number of guys you could of hired who would of been better than Strong and more qualified so even if they were dead set on getting a black coach that isn’t why they made a bad hire.
There's a lot to unpack here.
I agree that we could have hired a better coach than Charlie and if you look back at the beginnings of my posting career on here, I BEGGED the AD to back the money truck up to Mike Tomlin's house and pay him whatever he wanted. But Tomlin still believed the Steelers had a shot at another title--- so he wasn't leaving.
I also BEGGED for Tony dungee. He's a great man with a great eye for talent and a truly professional touch to everything he does. But he was too enamored with being Obama's phone buddy and going to state dinners at the White House. He wasn't giving that up.
Then McCombs got involved. On a Thursday he announced to the new AD that he was sending his Citation X to Tampa to pick up Jon Gruden on the following Monday morning to do a private meeting with him in San Antonio. Patterson was furious at McCombs and on Friday, Patterson hastily named Charlie the new coach, to spite McCombs and the big money donors. It had been decided BY Patterson before he ever took the job that he would hire at least one black coach for either basketball or football. Once Barnes started to falter, he got the chance to hire two. I agreed with the Shaka hire at the time, but disagreed with the Charlie hire. Both have turned out to be disasters.
Patterson was brought in as a carpet bagger from the north simply because he went to law school here and ties to professional sports teams and had previously been the AD at Arizona State, where he failed miserably there as well.
So why bring him in? A failed NBA GM at Portland and a failed Arizona st athletic director?
Because there was an agenda. Texas, years ago, had admitted students to law school that were NOT qualified and passed over white students that were far more qualified and did it under the guise of "affirmative action".
The school was sued for this and a decade plus later the case finally went to the Supreme Court where it was struck down and Texas was made to look stupid for doing this. They lost in crushing fashion. It was a gut punch to the social justice crew at Texas. They felt as though they had egg on their face and their "cause" lost ground.
So in some fvcked up mind game sort of way, they convinced themselves they had to save face.
Then along came Patterson and their opportunity.
They chose Steve because he believed it was time to hire coaches of color. Not based on merit-- but based on color. And this decision cost them as well.
And now here we are. The choice of the university to hire based on race instead of merit has backfired to the point that it has carried over to the next Staff and the infection has now spread to the players. Patterson made it about race and his legacy carries on.
Don't believe me? Have a look over at Alabama. Alabama is a state mired in terrible race relations. The worst only behind Mississippi. How are things going over at Bama? Are their players worried about a school song that may or may not be mired in a questionable racial past? Are their players looking for some part of Alabama's racist past to hold up to the masses and make a spectacle of? Are they protesting George Wallace standing in the doors of the administration and not allowing a young black girl to come to school there only to have the national guard and president of the United States intervene?
Nope.
Bama is getting busy with the business of winning football games. Because at Bama, we don't let the fat kid come out of the stands and play QB simply because he's a fat kid of color that "never got a chance in life". Bama has a merit based system-- just like we SHOULD have.
But Steve Patterson sacrificed a merit based system for a socially woke system, just so he could stick it to people (big money donors) that he didn't like.
It's not Charlie's fault he sucks as a head coach. It's not Charlie's fault he failed here. It's not Charlie's fault he was chosen. It's Patterson's fault.
Steve Patterson's legacy will live at the University for decades if the ship is not righted soon. That legacy will be one of failure, mired in good intentions gone awry.