Ketch's 10 Thoughts From the Weekend (Let me be crystal clear...)

[Bevotex]

I hope this is clear. I am done with this.

Adios pendejo! No dejes que la puerta te golpee en el culo en tu salida

 

[Alex Dunlap]

I wonder if, because so much attention was placed on Charlie being the first African American head coach when he was hired, that were he to be fired after 8-4 or 7-5 if the media wouldn't spin it like Ty Willingham at Notre Dame?

Ty Willingham deserved to be fired.

 

[A-Town 90]

Sunday reminded me of the good ol’ days of the 90s when the Cowboys would show up in an opposing stadium with as many of their fans as opposing fans and then just pummel the opposition in such a way that it basically turned into a stats game.

Dak got his. Zeke got his. Witten got his. Beasley got his. The defense got some. Basically, everybody got theirs with the exception of Dez.

Oh well. It ain’t the 90s all over again just yet, but damnit the first eight games of this season has been fun.

Maybe I’ll even give everyone permission to dream big before the season is over.

No, please. Just so much NO!

 

[jspirohorn]

If Strong stays, I'm still leaning towards renewing my Foundation dues and season tickets out of habit more than enthusiasm. If they raise prices, I'm gone. I'd rather go fishing in Florida twice rather than watch us split with Tech and Okie State at home.

 

[Bevotex]

If Charlie were fired after going 7-5, UT would face a total shitstorm in the national media. Like it or not, that is a huge factor here.

Mack was fired after a 8 win season don't remember any media schittstorm then. Why should this be different? Lets face it if Charlie had laid a goose egg this season and then fired there will be a media schittstorm. Stop giving a flying bucket of crap what the media says.

 

[SmilinJack]

I hope this is clear. I am done with this.

It isn't clear to me, Jim. I'm always interested in what you have to say. What is it that you are done with? This site?

 

[lilMAC]

My goal today is to be as crystal clear as I can possibly be.

It is my opinion after almost three seasons of covering Charlie Strong that his performance does not warrant a fourth season as the head football coach at The University of Texas.

It is my reporting and continued discussions with high-level sourcing within the Texas football universe that tells me as of Sunday afternoon, there’s probably a better chance of him returning at this point than being dismissed at season’s end.

It is my opinion that Strong is the worst coach in school history and the Michael Scott of college football. What I mean by that last part is that just like the former regional manager at Dunder Mifflin, much of what he does I can’t truly process, but there seems to be a method to his madness because he always does just enough to stay employed.

View embedded media

It is my reporting that tells me Strong currently has enough support among important Texas alumni and administration members that a 7-5 record will probably allow for a return in 2017 and as a result of that, the Longhorns now need to win only two of their final three games to accomplish that feat.

It is my opinion that outside of his success in recruiting in the last two classes, Strong has been a disaster in too many areas of his job, ranging from staff building to important decision-making to in-game management.

It is my reporting that tells me that all things being equal, the Texas administration would rather not have to eat more than $13 million after the season in replacing Strong and potentially all of his assistants if it doesn’t have to. The remaining portion of his contract, which I believe was poorly constructed, is so large that the idea of replacing Strong is almost a non-starter for some high-level administration members.

It is my opinion that Strong is the worst in-game manager of football that I have ever covered on a professional level and when it comes to clock management, he’s the Andy Reid of the college game.

It is my reporting that tells me that there are some high-level members of the Texas football universe that prefer change, but not enough of them and potentially not enough important people to offset the political aces and high-level donors that appear to be in Strong’s corner.

It has been my opinion for more than 12 months that the Longhorns needed to act swiftly in finding their next athletic director because of exactly the situation that exists.

It is my reporting that says the Longhorns aren’t likely to turn their attention to hiring a new athletic director until the spring of 2017.

It was my opinion at one point in September that it was okay to dream big about this team, based largely on the fact that I view the Big 12 as a dumpster fire without any teams good enough to serve as extinguishers. It was also my opinion coming into the season that if you set the over/under of Texas wins this season that the under was the smart bet to make.

I hope all of that is clear.

No. 2– The 7-5 argument ...

In a conversation with a high-level source a few days ago, the topic of a potential 7-5 record and its impact on the decision to potentially bring Strong back for 2017 came up.

“It shows progress...,” the source said.

At a very basic level, a 7-5 record this season would show progress based on the incredibly low standard set from the last two seasons. It would allow the team to qualify for a bowl game and it would assure that win or lose, the program would finish with a winning record.

“But…" the source continued.

Ah, yes. The dreaded “but” in the middle of the sentence. The rub for this conversation is that if you peel a layer back on the record and ask a few questions, the true level of progress accomplished this season is pretty minimal. No one would have argued before the season that wins over (ranked at the time as top-10 teams) Notre Dame and Baylor wouldn’t register as big-time wins because we thought those teams had a chance to be really good.

You can lift those wins up as major accomplishments if you want, but the reality is that Notre Dame is a 3-6 team that had as much trouble with Navy on a neutral field than it did the Longhorns, while the Baylor team the Longhorns edged at home just lost by 40 at home to a team with Kenny Hill as its quarterback.

In my opinion, the Longhorns haven’t played a single team that is better than pretty good and most of the schedule is just downright average at best. This is the worst set of teams in the history of the Big 12 and the Longhorns are just a middle of the pack team.

At least a year ago, Oklahoma proved to be a very good team, which made that victory count for something special.

What is UT’s best win this season? Beating the 3-6 Irish in overtime? Whipping 3-6 UTEP? That memorable rolling of 1-8 Iowa State? The win last week over a Baylor team that just lost by 40? Or Saturday’s win over 4-5 Texas Tech?

It has to be the Baylor win, right? A Bears team that might be 7-5 by the end of the season?

Is being average against average really any improvement at all?

My goodness, the bar for success is barely off the ground around these parts.

Charlie Strong is THE major impediment to the progress of the Texas Longhorns Football Program.

Plain and simple.

 

[lilMAC]

I hope this is clear. I am done with this.

 

[FTP Horn]

Stopped reading after #2.
What a joke.

If CS is to return then he should not be allowed any more staff changes. He should be out of mulligans after 3 years (unless someone is hired somewhere else of course).

 

[lilMAC]

If Charlie were fired after going 7-5, UT would face a total shitstorm in the national media. Like it or not, that is a huge factor here.

And no one would care when an actual decent coach began winning.

 

[Craben]

Charlie Strong is the worst coach in the history of the program. Absolute fact.

I'm still not sure I buy the hes back at 7-5 stuff especially if the loses are by a decent non fluke margin to WVU and/TCU. It's a gray area but I'm not sure the powers at be even know exactly what's going to happen from reading nuufaola earlier today and I doubt they are putting it out there for orangebloods (or any site)

You must've forgotten about David McWilliams, whose resume looked eerily like Herman's (before Herman's 3 disappointing games so far this season). After the former Longhorn player and UT coordinator won the conference his 1st year as a HC (at Tech), there was a much larger group of Longhorn fans clamoring for him to be hired in 1987 than there is for Herman now.

You don't seem to grasp that the biggest reason for retaining Strong is how unsure the decision-makers are that they can find and hire the right coach to replace him. They're not nearly as convinced it's Herman as some fans are. (An upset of Louisville could change that, while a beat-down by the Cards would give Herman 4 bad games this season and could make him less attractive.)

 

[UncleFelix]

I feel just defeated... I enjoy the wins, but I know Charlie isn't the solution. I want him to be, but he doesn't have the basic requirements to be a quality coach... Not sure if there are any better options available though. So we stick to the same mediocre formula?

My feelings as well. I enjoy the wins and will not root against my team, I like Charlie but he is in over his head. Unfortunately, I have this silly belief that The University of Texas should strive to be the best. Given more time, Strong will field a respectable team and, in the current conference, will win his share of games. However, Texas will not be elite or nationally relevant. If the bar for success is a program that can consistently be in the hunt for a spot in the play-offs, then Charlie isn't the guy to get us there. I am not a Hermanite; I just don't think Strong has the horsepower to to lead the program back to greatness or even the near-greatness we had during much of Mack's tenure.

In the end, the best argument to keep Strong another year may be the lack of a true AD to conduct the hiring process for a new coach. Not to criticize Perrin, for whom I have nothing but respect, there isn't an obvious choice right now to replace Strong and we need a true professional AD to lead the search for a new coach. Otherwise, we get Charlie 2.0 all over again. In the end, that may drive Fenves' decision and may allow him to retain Charlie for another year, using the lack of a true AD as cover, without butting heads directly with BMD.

We are swimming against the current in football as long as Texas is a member of bad conference. It is going to be increasingly difficult to convince elite athletes to play in the Big 12. I'm sure someone will say that elite athletes will always want to come to UT. That may be true if UT gets back to an elite level and dominates the league as the big dog in a weak conference. Personally, I think recruiting is headed back to the 90s when the biggest talents left Texas to go OOS. UT may be able to flip that as the dominant team in a weak conference. I just don't see Charlie taking us there.

 

[daflonghorn]

Ketch, you said:
No. 3 – All D’Onta, all the time ...
F. Warren has to be the favorite for the Doak Walker Award, right? Major favorite, right?

Man, that's just not right! You just insulted D'Onta and all his hard work this year

 

[FTP Horn]

The nightmare just begins if the wicked witch wins.

The nightmare begins no matter who wins.
A liar/crook and a unqualified buffoon are the choices. Sad times for America.

 

[lilMAC]

I'm not the biggest Strong fan in the world but you guys look bipolar going from dream big to worst coach ever in less than a month.

You're not real good with math, are you?

 

[UTinDC]

Ketchum, sounds to me like you need to take a year off and do something else. Your Trumpesque style is very unbecoming and tiresome. Come back refreshed and your outlook might be different.

 

[Sixth Street]

You must've forgotten about David McWilliams, whose resume looked eerily like Herman's (before Herman's 3 disappointing games so far this season). After the former Longhorn player and UT coordinator won the conference his 1st year as a HC (at Tech), there was a much larger group of Longhorn fans clamoring for him to be hired in 1987 than there is for Herman now.

You don't seem to grasp that the biggest reason for retaining Strong is how unsure the decision-makers are that they can find and hire the right coach to replace him. They're not nearly as convinced it's Herman as some fans are. (An upset of Louisville could change that, while a beat-down by the Cards would give Herman 4 bad games this season and could make him less attractive.)

What? Please go back and check David McWilliams coaching record at Tech and Texas. Similar to Herman? I hope that was a typo.

 

[CutaneousHorn]

Mack was fired after a 8 win season don't remember any media schittstorm then. Why should this be different? Lets face it if Charlie had laid a goose egg this season and then fired there will be a media schittstorm. Stop giving a flying bucket of crap what the media says.

Maybe I should. Something to think about.

 

[Bevotex]

@Ketchum would you agree/and possibly argue that it's somewhat beneficial to have the standards lowered a bit. Seems like the last decade we've let ourselves down too much "expecting" 10 win seasons to shoot out of our coaches behind. While I agree that 7-5 is a ridiculously low standard, it's not like this carnivals getting a makeover overnight. With that being said "this team will win 10 games next year, regardless of who the coach is." And I'll get sucked back into the glass case of emotion that has become our seasons.

Please go to your safe place

 

[CutaneousHorn]

And no one would care when an actual decent coach began winning.

Entirely possible. Everything blows over eventually. But in the short term, it might be quite rough for UT.

 

[Buda Horn]

BUY or SELL: Assuming Strong is back, the light switch on in-game decisions will finally go on or a mechanism (s) will be put in to address this major deficiency?

(Sell) Nope.

This is the issue I have with giving Strong any more time. Dude is 56 years old, and that old dog ain't learning any new tricks.

If Strong was a 40 year old first time head coach in year 3, I might be more willing to believe he could figure things out as he gets more seasoned. At 56, he is all he is ever going to be as a coach, and he's closer to losing the sharpness of his mind due to old age than he is to figuring things out. Sorry if offended, olds.

 

[CrowUT1]

Ketchum, sounds to me like you need to take a year off and do something else. Your Trumpesque style is very unbecoming and tiresome. Come back refreshed and your outlook might be different.

Most people like the news reported to them in terms of truthfulness and realism...others want live in their cocoon of rainbows and unicorns

 

[Ketchum]

Lol, wut?

I've listened and read Bomani talk about Strong's job performance and none of iy sounds like what you think he would say.

He's a Texas fan. Surely, you can find him discussing the matter in a way that exists in your mind if it actually exists, no?

 

[Ketchum]

Lol, wut?

I've listened and read Bomani talk about Strong's job performance and none of iy sounds like what you think he would say.

He's a Texas fan. Surely, you can find him discussing the matter in a way that exists in your mind if it actually exists, no?

 

[lilMAC]

When I left Austin after the Baylor game I came to realize after spending the Alumni weekend with guys that donate a lot, and I mean a lot of money to the school that Strong could manage to get to 7-5 they would consider that an improvement and enough of reason to keep him around for one more. The mindset is 4 years is a good run for a coach if he doesn't turn it around and the financial part of it is easier to digest after 4 years. Combine that with many believe that know Herman well enough that he's not going anywhere until after the 2017 season. Remember Herman makes 3 million a year and HIS buyout is not small either. Having said that a 6-6 season was considered just too much to be able to sell and Strong would have to go if he got to that. It's in Strong's hands but if he wins out he stays for sure. If he goes 7-5 he most likely stays. One very respected Texas Sports Hall of fame coach said that Strong's problem in coaching is not knowledge of what to do, it's his philosophy. Strong can't coach the way he's coaching with this young team. There were/are several other coaches that could have come in and gotten better results based on his opinion. He did mention, it could work. For example, saying that he's going out and putting the game on the defense to give them confidence. The problem is if they fail then it takes away more confidence. Telling them they should play hard they signed up for this. It was mentioned these kids are too young to understand those things without the leadership. In contrast at Alabama the younger players are more strictly told what to do and have strong senior leadership. Anyway, didn't mean to run on there, but that's what I learned last weekend. Thought it was interesting.

The inherent problem with that is that in 2 more years, all those players are gone, and who will be the "senior leaders" then? That philosophy only works when you have a team loaded with Jrs and Srs. Inevitably, there will be seasons when the team isn't thusly loaded.

 

[ArielC]

I'm not the biggest Strong fan in the world but you guys look bipolar going from dream big to worst coach ever in less than a month.

Nailed it Frank!Like a rudderless ship just going where the wind and waves point it

 

[Ketchum]

I wonder if, because so much attention was placed on Charlie being the first African American head coach when he was hired, that were he to be fired after 8-4 or 7-5 if the media wouldn't spin it like Ty Willingham at Notre Dame?

Willingham's teams were a little more successful, no?

 

[Ketchum]

I've been on board since 2001. When did soccer become part of the '10 Thoughts' posts? Have you always been a soccer fan or did you become one as part of a lost bet or something? Just curious. Another poster mentioned his dislike for it, but it doesn't bother me, just something I whizz by to get to the 10th thought.

Couple of years ago.

 

[lilMAC]

Entirely possible. Everything blows over eventually. But in the short term, it might be quite rough for UT.

Which is why it should have been done earlier in the season.

It would have already have been gone and the focus would be on the coaching hire.

 

[JinSOTEX]

You don't seem to grasp that the biggest reason for retaining Strong is how unsure the decision-makers are that they can find and hire the right coach to replace him

And you don't seem to grasp that's a pretty pathetic reason to hold on to a coach that very clearly (over 30 games proof) isn't an elite coach and after 3 years may not even be .500 at Texas overall. If what you say is even true that's pretty amazing as I'm sure those guys didn't become successful by making decisions based on fear of the unknown and the possibility you might get it wrong. We already know Strong isn't working. You move on and try again. DKR won 5 games the season before Texas hired him. These dumbasses would have never taken that chance I guess. There are no guarantees and if those people think you can't do something until there is a guarantee then Strong may be here 20 years until the next saban comes around and Texas can get him I guess. Meanwhile Herman prob goes to LSU and kicks our ass in recruting.

And lol at McWilliams being the same as Herman

 

[Bevotex]

Ketchum, sounds to me like you need to take a year off and do something else. Your Trumpesque style is very unbecoming and tiresome. Come back refreshed and your outlook might be different.

So in other words unless you're getting sunshine pumped up your rear, it's all Trumpesque. How Clintonesque of you.

 

[Ketchum]

"My goodness, the bar for success is barely off the ground around these parts."

Oh come off it with this ridiculous talking point already. Whether you agree with the premise or not, the argument from the pro-Charlie camp is that it is a young team with a brighter future. When you claim "people are happy with mediocrity and a 7-5 record...why do I care about winning so much more than other people?", you are misrepresenting the opposing view to fit your agenda.

am I?

 

[Ketchum]

@Ketchum would you agree/and possibly argue that it's somewhat beneficial to have the standards lowered a bit. Seems like the last decade we've let ourselves down too much "expecting" 10 win seasons to shoot out of our coaches behind. While I agree that 7-5 is a ridiculously low standard, it's not like this carnivals getting a makeover overnight. With that being said "this team will win 10 games next year, regardless of who the coach is." And I'll get sucked back into the glass case of emotion that has become our seasons.

The standards at a program like Texas should never change.

 

[Ketchum]

Any coach that was approached by Texas and then read this column would probably have to think long and hard about wanting this job.

lol... ok.

 

[ArielC]

I think that and the fact that another coach it's going to require a buyout, and Herman is not going anywhere next year. Coach O is getting hired at LSU, A&M is not firing Sumlin so Herman is going to stay in Houston after Louisville throttles them, go to a bowl game win it, coach up Kyle Allen have a good year next year then look hard at Texas.

A Houston win or exciting competitive game would be a game and mind changer for many