Really disappointed in the last couple weeks, not just the outcome but how they lost.
Message to the team is that they're not where they thought they'd be, not to their standard, but none of that matters this week. Owe it to the senior class that has done so much to put them in a position to be successful moving forward. Everyone in locker room should feel a debt of gratitude and want to repay that by making senior day very memorable.
Short week difficult on players and coaches. Did not practice yesterday, just met. Formulated game plan last night and this morning so they can have a good practice this afternoon, a semblance of first and second down game plan for Tech.
Juwan Mitchell aggravated hamstring issue he's been dealing with in pregame.
Anthony Cook out. Cade Brewer out but should have him for bowl game.
Sam Cosmi sprained ankle, will be limited today.
Duvernay contusion on knee that swelled up, will be limited today.
Jalen Green ankle spain, questionable.
Keaontay Ingram improving.
Collin Johnson probably out until bowl game.
Overshown ankle sprain, will be limited today.
Whittington, re-MRI on his pelvic area. No abnormalities that they've found. Sent pics to doc in Philly, waiting for him to evaluate them. Last time they did it, he was cleared to play but Whittington has been in a lot of pain still.
Head is fine after the head-butting. If the nation had been paying attention, they'd know he did that 3 years at Ohio State and two years at Houston. He'd gotten away from it but was pumped up about the game, was a spur of the moment deal that hit him. But it's nothing new, has happened quite a bit.
On why he feels the offense has lost its effectiveness ... Told the staff they have good kids and they're going to want answers. When you play such a unique defense in back to back weeks, there is a fine line of saying "some of our base stuff is not going to be good, can't do X Y and Z" because they'll be in position, so you call other plays. There has to be some of that, or you're not going to move the ball. They thought the plan was great, asked Ehlinger and he felt great about it going in. They didn't do a good enough job as coaches of getting that plan executed. They have not done a good job as a staff of walking the line of making adjustments based on the uniqueness of the defensive structure, but still being able to execute at a very high level.
On play calling and how it's handled ... More than any other year, they put some on Sam and he's handled it very well. Nowadays, defenses check when the offense checks, so a lot of pressure checks have to come from the QB. They give Sam some pressure checks that he's done a great job with all year. A lot of the communication pre-snap is what are they in, press box has a much better view so there's communication there. In between series, there's talk of what's working and why and they have a mini-script for the next series. Third down throws a wrench in that when you're in third and long. Herman has final say so on play that's being called.
On recruiting this year and if the staff has done a good enough job of developing the talent they've brought in ... No. He hasn't, the staff hasn't, the players haven't, but at the end of the day the buck stops with him. In the off season, has to find a way to get guys better developed and put them in better positions to succeed. Players also have to decide to take necessary steps to be developed.
On the short week ... it's a hindrance in terms of having to game plan on late Sunday night after a road game, then having to practice on Monday which is normally an off day and a heavy class day for the players. Tuesday practice, will practice Wednesday morning like a normal Thursday. Kids can go home, report back Thursday late morning and have family Friday on Thanksgiving day. The travel squad players that will be in the hotel on Thursday night, they invite all the families to come to the hotel and have family Thanksgiving dinner. Thinks the kids and the families appreciate them allowing them to have some semblance of a Thanksgiving meal. Guys who won't be going to the hotel (non travel squad guys) can go home and not be back until Sunday or come back for game on Friday.
On developing players who were recruited by previous coaches ... They're past that. Have a small senior class, only about 10 scholarship guys and 5 of them are captains and the others have completely bought in so that process was years ago.
On who his mentor is and has he reached out to him ... Mack Brown would certainly be one because he knows Texas. Greg Davis. Having Larry Fedora in the building every day has been beneficial for him. His wife ... the circle is small. They've been good helps.
On having to play the bad cop role as a head coach and if he's done a good enough job of showing the players how much he cares ... His job is to protect the culture, not feelings. Any time you're not experiencing the success you want, the vocal minority gets a lot of the attention. Go ask Sam, CJ, Duvernay, Ingram, etc if Herman is the bad cop. Guys know and understand how much he cares about each and every one of the players and that's important to him. The one word that's so critical to understanding their program is parental. They're going to shower them with unconditional love, going to be there in times of need, provide them with every tool and resource to be successful. But they're also going to hold them to a very high standard. When that's not met, they're going to hold them accountable and teach them like a good parent how to not make that mistake again. When he was a teenager, his mom was not his friend, his mom was his mom. Feels that as coaches, sometimes that gets misconstrued. Their job is to be parental, with that comes a lot of love, sometimes tough love. The players for the most part have been very receptive to that love. Holding people to a standard that's set is not being bad cop, that's his job. It doesn't mean when he holds someone accountable for doing something that goes against what they believe in that he doesn't love them. Youth today gets that a little bit confused. Parents scold kids but you can't doubt the love. He'd caution anyone that believes that the vocal minority is the voice of the team because it's not. There are a lot of guys in the locker room that would do anything for the program, for coach Herman, for their position coach. Those assistant coaches, support staff, all have to have great relationships with players for this to succeed.
On if he feels they haven't squeezed enough talent out of top recruiting classes ... "Yes."
On how he manages that being partly due to coaches AND to players ... You evaluate. He's been on staffs where position coaches aren't getting the response from players they want. The coach says "that kid ...". It's not that kid, it's the coach. You're the one who does it for a living. They're never going to blame the kid. You recruited them and their personalities. It's the coaches' jobs to find the right buttons to push. If you're giving a kid tools and he's not using the tools, it's still your job to educate him on why it's important to use those tools. They have to figure out this off-season where they've failed in that area and make sure that doesn't happen again.
On the challenges of motivating the team this week ... Texas will get everybody's best shot. They know they'll get Tech's best shot and they'll be loose. Biggest motivation isn't about finishing with a winning record, it's about the people, paying tribute to the seniors.
On how shaken he is at 6-5 and if he's still the right man for the job ... He's not shaken. He's in big-time evaluation mode of everything throughout the program. He's not going to bury his head in the sand. It's his job to make sure they play to the level that's expected at UT. Is he the right man to do it? He believes he is. Not sure how else he was supposed to answer that.
On the impression the seniors have left on him ... They stayed when they got there and they were young, they bought in. A couple took longer than others, but for the most part this crew, when you say jump they ask how high? They don't ask questions, they're unbelievable soldiers for the program. They'll forever be indebted to them. And they're development. Collin Johnson from a soph to where he's played at last year and this year, Duvernay, Shackelford ... seniors have really developed from skill set standpoint but also emotionally and leadership.
On Thanksgiving week ... Thankful for the health of his family, thankful for the team and its fortitude. When the game last week was for all intents and purposes over, to get a fourth down stop and to go out there and want to score at the end, said a lot about the team's grittiness. Thankful for the people in his life that are honest with him and are there for him.
From the teleconference earlier on Monday ...
Couple notes, including an update on the Parker Braun stuff. Herman will have his normal PC at noon.
On if he worries about players losing faith in the offense … Yeah, he worries. They’re all responsible. They thought they had a better game plan for Baylor than they did for Iowa State, especially in the run game. They didn’t teach it well enough to execute properly. Any time you score 21 in one game, and basically three in the next. They talked at length as a staff … they’re 18-22 year olds, they’re going to want answers. The answers at this point from an offensive standpoint, on a short week against a multiple defense, they need to get back to basics, do what they do, run inside zone, counter, play action pass. Not overwhelm the kids on a short week. Game plans this season have been smaller and more compact than any season he can remember. They didn’t handle Baylor’s defensive speed and structure the way they had planned.
On if it surprises him that game plan has had to be more compact … No. Made a decision going into the season it would be smaller and they’d be good at what they were going to do. For the most part they have been that, but not the last couple games. But game plans have been similar size the entire season.
On if he’s talked to Parker Braun … He lost his composure, he started arguing with official. He was told to stop and he didn’t stop, rightfully got flagged for it. What will come of it? The whole OL will do some punishment after practice. Everyone has been instructed that nobody talks to referees aside from Herman. Braun forgot that rule and will be punished for it.
Message to the team is that they're not where they thought they'd be, not to their standard, but none of that matters this week. Owe it to the senior class that has done so much to put them in a position to be successful moving forward. Everyone in locker room should feel a debt of gratitude and want to repay that by making senior day very memorable.
Short week difficult on players and coaches. Did not practice yesterday, just met. Formulated game plan last night and this morning so they can have a good practice this afternoon, a semblance of first and second down game plan for Tech.
Juwan Mitchell aggravated hamstring issue he's been dealing with in pregame.
Anthony Cook out. Cade Brewer out but should have him for bowl game.
Sam Cosmi sprained ankle, will be limited today.
Duvernay contusion on knee that swelled up, will be limited today.
Jalen Green ankle spain, questionable.
Keaontay Ingram improving.
Collin Johnson probably out until bowl game.
Overshown ankle sprain, will be limited today.
Whittington, re-MRI on his pelvic area. No abnormalities that they've found. Sent pics to doc in Philly, waiting for him to evaluate them. Last time they did it, he was cleared to play but Whittington has been in a lot of pain still.
Head is fine after the head-butting. If the nation had been paying attention, they'd know he did that 3 years at Ohio State and two years at Houston. He'd gotten away from it but was pumped up about the game, was a spur of the moment deal that hit him. But it's nothing new, has happened quite a bit.
On why he feels the offense has lost its effectiveness ... Told the staff they have good kids and they're going to want answers. When you play such a unique defense in back to back weeks, there is a fine line of saying "some of our base stuff is not going to be good, can't do X Y and Z" because they'll be in position, so you call other plays. There has to be some of that, or you're not going to move the ball. They thought the plan was great, asked Ehlinger and he felt great about it going in. They didn't do a good enough job as coaches of getting that plan executed. They have not done a good job as a staff of walking the line of making adjustments based on the uniqueness of the defensive structure, but still being able to execute at a very high level.
On play calling and how it's handled ... More than any other year, they put some on Sam and he's handled it very well. Nowadays, defenses check when the offense checks, so a lot of pressure checks have to come from the QB. They give Sam some pressure checks that he's done a great job with all year. A lot of the communication pre-snap is what are they in, press box has a much better view so there's communication there. In between series, there's talk of what's working and why and they have a mini-script for the next series. Third down throws a wrench in that when you're in third and long. Herman has final say so on play that's being called.
On recruiting this year and if the staff has done a good enough job of developing the talent they've brought in ... No. He hasn't, the staff hasn't, the players haven't, but at the end of the day the buck stops with him. In the off season, has to find a way to get guys better developed and put them in better positions to succeed. Players also have to decide to take necessary steps to be developed.
On the short week ... it's a hindrance in terms of having to game plan on late Sunday night after a road game, then having to practice on Monday which is normally an off day and a heavy class day for the players. Tuesday practice, will practice Wednesday morning like a normal Thursday. Kids can go home, report back Thursday late morning and have family Friday on Thanksgiving day. The travel squad players that will be in the hotel on Thursday night, they invite all the families to come to the hotel and have family Thanksgiving dinner. Thinks the kids and the families appreciate them allowing them to have some semblance of a Thanksgiving meal. Guys who won't be going to the hotel (non travel squad guys) can go home and not be back until Sunday or come back for game on Friday.
On developing players who were recruited by previous coaches ... They're past that. Have a small senior class, only about 10 scholarship guys and 5 of them are captains and the others have completely bought in so that process was years ago.
On who his mentor is and has he reached out to him ... Mack Brown would certainly be one because he knows Texas. Greg Davis. Having Larry Fedora in the building every day has been beneficial for him. His wife ... the circle is small. They've been good helps.
On having to play the bad cop role as a head coach and if he's done a good enough job of showing the players how much he cares ... His job is to protect the culture, not feelings. Any time you're not experiencing the success you want, the vocal minority gets a lot of the attention. Go ask Sam, CJ, Duvernay, Ingram, etc if Herman is the bad cop. Guys know and understand how much he cares about each and every one of the players and that's important to him. The one word that's so critical to understanding their program is parental. They're going to shower them with unconditional love, going to be there in times of need, provide them with every tool and resource to be successful. But they're also going to hold them to a very high standard. When that's not met, they're going to hold them accountable and teach them like a good parent how to not make that mistake again. When he was a teenager, his mom was not his friend, his mom was his mom. Feels that as coaches, sometimes that gets misconstrued. Their job is to be parental, with that comes a lot of love, sometimes tough love. The players for the most part have been very receptive to that love. Holding people to a standard that's set is not being bad cop, that's his job. It doesn't mean when he holds someone accountable for doing something that goes against what they believe in that he doesn't love them. Youth today gets that a little bit confused. Parents scold kids but you can't doubt the love. He'd caution anyone that believes that the vocal minority is the voice of the team because it's not. There are a lot of guys in the locker room that would do anything for the program, for coach Herman, for their position coach. Those assistant coaches, support staff, all have to have great relationships with players for this to succeed.
On if he feels they haven't squeezed enough talent out of top recruiting classes ... "Yes."
On how he manages that being partly due to coaches AND to players ... You evaluate. He's been on staffs where position coaches aren't getting the response from players they want. The coach says "that kid ...". It's not that kid, it's the coach. You're the one who does it for a living. They're never going to blame the kid. You recruited them and their personalities. It's the coaches' jobs to find the right buttons to push. If you're giving a kid tools and he's not using the tools, it's still your job to educate him on why it's important to use those tools. They have to figure out this off-season where they've failed in that area and make sure that doesn't happen again.
On the challenges of motivating the team this week ... Texas will get everybody's best shot. They know they'll get Tech's best shot and they'll be loose. Biggest motivation isn't about finishing with a winning record, it's about the people, paying tribute to the seniors.
On how shaken he is at 6-5 and if he's still the right man for the job ... He's not shaken. He's in big-time evaluation mode of everything throughout the program. He's not going to bury his head in the sand. It's his job to make sure they play to the level that's expected at UT. Is he the right man to do it? He believes he is. Not sure how else he was supposed to answer that.
On the impression the seniors have left on him ... They stayed when they got there and they were young, they bought in. A couple took longer than others, but for the most part this crew, when you say jump they ask how high? They don't ask questions, they're unbelievable soldiers for the program. They'll forever be indebted to them. And they're development. Collin Johnson from a soph to where he's played at last year and this year, Duvernay, Shackelford ... seniors have really developed from skill set standpoint but also emotionally and leadership.
On Thanksgiving week ... Thankful for the health of his family, thankful for the team and its fortitude. When the game last week was for all intents and purposes over, to get a fourth down stop and to go out there and want to score at the end, said a lot about the team's grittiness. Thankful for the people in his life that are honest with him and are there for him.
From the teleconference earlier on Monday ...
Couple notes, including an update on the Parker Braun stuff. Herman will have his normal PC at noon.
On if he worries about players losing faith in the offense … Yeah, he worries. They’re all responsible. They thought they had a better game plan for Baylor than they did for Iowa State, especially in the run game. They didn’t teach it well enough to execute properly. Any time you score 21 in one game, and basically three in the next. They talked at length as a staff … they’re 18-22 year olds, they’re going to want answers. The answers at this point from an offensive standpoint, on a short week against a multiple defense, they need to get back to basics, do what they do, run inside zone, counter, play action pass. Not overwhelm the kids on a short week. Game plans this season have been smaller and more compact than any season he can remember. They didn’t handle Baylor’s defensive speed and structure the way they had planned.
On if it surprises him that game plan has had to be more compact … No. Made a decision going into the season it would be smaller and they’d be good at what they were going to do. For the most part they have been that, but not the last couple games. But game plans have been similar size the entire season.
On if he’s talked to Parker Braun … He lost his composure, he started arguing with official. He was told to stop and he didn’t stop, rightfully got flagged for it. What will come of it? The whole OL will do some punishment after practice. Everyone has been instructed that nobody talks to referees aside from Herman. Braun forgot that rule and will be punished for it.
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