Way back on October 1, when we could still reasonably plan to play golf without the worry of it being dark by 5 p.m., Texas billionaire donor Red McCombs reportedly voiced support for head coach Charlie Strong. The development was newsworthy enough because of all the rumors swirling about the people that really run Texas football… the folks with deep pockets… which included a lack of support for Strong since Day 1.
Way back on November 20, Texas interim athletic director Mike Perrin voiced support as well.
The funny thing about support, though, is that it’s like anything else in life: It’s a cute thing to say, but it renders itself meaningless unless there’s actual action behind it.
At the moment, though probably for not much longer, Texas football and its opening offensive coordinator position look like either one of the most inept human-resources snafus, or that the support was nothing more than lip service: “Take me back, baby, and I swear, I’ll change. But I’m meeting the guys down at the bar tonight, so … see ya tomorrow.”
Tulsa — yes, Tulsa — offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert has reportedly opted to not join Texas’ coaching staff in the offensive coordinator capacity, one that would figure to be a significant jump in pay.
What’s more, Gilbert was a CO-offensive coordinator at Tulsa, so not only was it a jump in pay, but a jump in responsibility and status. Nationally, about 0.000007 percent of people on this planet would turn down a promotion that includes a massive pay hike as well as a bump in status.
Reports leaked out that it was about not being able to get the deal done in time, which is somewhat asinine at a place like Texas, considering that your local Mom and Pop restaurant can get a hire processed in a decent amount of time. Again, how much of it is true is known by a small population of humans.
The thing about support, though, is that Strong isn’t actually getting it. He’s getting the lip service that makes it sound like it’s there, but when the rubber meets the road, Texas can’t hire an offensive coordinator from Texas Christian, nor can it from Tulsa, apparently.
The landscape of college football has certainly changed. The blue bloods are not able to just point and click as they once were. It comes down to job security nowadays, and within the coaching community, there’s wondering as to what type of support Strong has: If he produces another mediocre season which shows a mild degree of improvement, is it enough, or will you be looking for a job again?
That is where Texas is failing Strong at this point.
Rumors cascaded through Texas that Strong not being the establishment choice when he was hired, credentials be damned. For whatever reason, he wasn’t the desired chip to move the Texas Longhorn Franchise forward.
Still, he was hired, and at that point, you either get on board or you resign yourself to the prolonged mediocrity that comes along with not being all in on a product, person, or idea.
Texas will find an offensive coordinator soon enough. Will Strong find the support, though — and not through lip service, but through action?
There’s a Brad Paisley country song out now called “Country Nation.” He goes through a litany of college schools and their mascots, but in the first chorus, it goes “We’re Mountaineers. Volunteers. The Tide the Rolls, we’re Seminoles, we’re the Herd of Longhorn Steers…”
The herd seems fractured, undone by the guise of support versus the action of it. Texas football isn’t getting its optimal opportunity to succeed, and when that division and fracturing ends, Texas will rise again. ETA: Unknown.
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