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Who takes over for Mack Brown? 
December, 14, 2013 Dec 14
8:21
PM ET
By Travis Haney | ESPN.com
Tom Pennington/Getty ImagesThe Texas job is one of the best in the country, at any level of football.
Mack Brown?s job status has been the dominating story in college football for more than a week in large part because of the waves his departure could create. But now that he has officially announced he'll resign, the conversation turns quickly to which candidates could succeed him.
Regarding how big those waves could be, we must, of course, note that one big name has been eliminated. I think for good.
Nick Saban will remain in Tuscaloosa, is going to be well-compensated to do so and said on Saturday that he "never considered" going to Texas. But many others would consider this job and would tell you it's one of the best in football -- college or NFL, mind you -- and offers plenty. Good location, a built-in recruiting pipeline and the checks will clear. Who could get the call?
Let's take a look at what they're looking for and who it could be.
What qualities will they be looking for?
Over the past couple of months, sources have given me a rough sketch of what the ideal Texas candidate would be.
? Brown?s office resembles something that a large ranch owner would have for a HQ. Rawhide is a decided theme. I believe there?s a saddle. Politically and in terms of image, Texas would like to have continuity with the next coach.
As I was told, they?d like for him to wear ?cowboy boots.? I think that was intended metaphorically, but it might have been literal. The point is, it?s difficult to see someone like Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin or Boise State head coach Chris Petersen (before he took the Washington job) being a fit, even though they possess qualities that could make them an effective head coach there.
? "TV star" might be a bit strong of a way to put it, but someone telegenic will be important with The Longhorn Network in town. Brown makes for good entertainment, and someone such as Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn, frankly, would not. That?s no offense to Malzahn. He would try, but he would loathe it. Loathing that part of the job doesn?t make him an ideal candidate.
So whenever thinking of a possibility, put him on a TV set. Does it fit? Is it something you would watch? That lens is necessary for the hire, not just in terms of the coach needing to be telegenic, but in terms of an ability to handle that part of the job (and not be overwhelmed or frustrated by it) and still produce a winning product on the field.
Which candidates make the most sense?
Several mentioned in connection to the job have recently come to agreements on contract extensions with their current schools. That includes Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher, Baylor head coach Art Briles, UCLA head coach Jim Mora and Auburn?s Malzahn.
It's tough to completely rule out that those extension agreements would take those coaches out of the running, should Texas identify one or more of them as a front-runner for the job. The ink dries slowly on new deals, and Texas? buyout piggy bank isn?t like other schools? buyout budgets. It?s unlikely those coaches would renege on their new contracts, but it just takes one.
With Fisher, though, could Texas wait until Jan. 7, the day after the Seminoles play in the BCS title game? Unlikely.
Here are a few more candidates to keep in mind:
Stanford head coach David Shaw: I'd be surprised if Shaw isn't contacted. This would be a strong move if Texas is interested in program stabilization. He would be an excellent front-door symbol for the program and school in very much the same way Brown was. Also, he can coach, and Stanford has shown the ability to recruit nationally under his and predecessor Jim Harbaugh's tenures.
But would the draw of the NFL be too strong for Shaw, who, like Harbaugh, has an NFL background? Texas is something akin to the NFL, but it?s merely a cousin if that?s where Shaw?s sights are set.
Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy: A year ago, Gundy flirted with Arkansas and Tennessee. Everyone tells me something is awry with Gundy and the administration, and it?s been that way for some time. He would listen.
With the help of resources still dwarfed by Texas, Gundy has made Oklahoma State a consistent winner. He?d do well at Texas. And he fits the above criteria.
The burning question with both Briles and Gundy, though, is if Baylor and Oklahoma State are seen as too far beneath UT?s blueblood sense of place. I?ve had more than one person say that Texas would ?never go for the coach at Baylor? or Oklahoma State.
Arizona State head coach Todd Graham: There?s supposedly some legal entanglement that would prevent Graham from going to UT without the ASU president?s consent, but I cannot imagine a means by which that would hold up. It seemingly stemmed from disgruntlement over former Sun Devils athletic director Patterson leaving ASU to become the new AD in Austin.
If Patterson can convince the board and the president that Graham is a solid fit, he could rise.
Graham would be the ideal TV candidate. But then there?s always the he-moves-around-a-lot narrative (he spent just one season at Pittsburgh before leaving for the Arizona State job) that might not resonate well with the Horns.
Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris: I highly doubt UT would go with a first-time head coach, but if it does, Morris, the Tigers' offensive coordinator, is the guy (even over Bama?s Kirby Smart). Morris coached Texas high school football from 1994-2009, including his last stop at Lake Travis High in Austin.
He?d have the offense and intrigue to sell tickets, and he could inspire just as Brown did when he arrived. The questions for Morris would be how he'd handle his first collegiate head-coaching job by being at a place as high-profile as Texas, and who he'd get to run his defense.
Brown's NFL angle: It can't be ruled out, with one big caveat. When Saban went from the Miami Dolphins to Tuscaloosa, it wasn't a case in which an NFL coach was trying a hand at the college level. No, it was a coach who thrived in the college game in some ways being rescued from the NFL and returned to where it felt like an almost certainty that he'd succeed. The NFL, and even the "Monday Night Football" broadcasting booth, isn't totally out of the question, but I think the search starts at the college level.
December, 14, 2013 Dec 14
8:21
PM ET
By Travis Haney | ESPN.com
Tom Pennington/Getty ImagesThe Texas job is one of the best in the country, at any level of football.Mack Brown?s job status has been the dominating story in college football for more than a week in large part because of the waves his departure could create. But now that he has officially announced he'll resign, the conversation turns quickly to which candidates could succeed him.
Regarding how big those waves could be, we must, of course, note that one big name has been eliminated. I think for good.
Nick Saban will remain in Tuscaloosa, is going to be well-compensated to do so and said on Saturday that he "never considered" going to Texas. But many others would consider this job and would tell you it's one of the best in football -- college or NFL, mind you -- and offers plenty. Good location, a built-in recruiting pipeline and the checks will clear. Who could get the call?
Let's take a look at what they're looking for and who it could be.
What qualities will they be looking for?
Over the past couple of months, sources have given me a rough sketch of what the ideal Texas candidate would be.
? Brown?s office resembles something that a large ranch owner would have for a HQ. Rawhide is a decided theme. I believe there?s a saddle. Politically and in terms of image, Texas would like to have continuity with the next coach.
As I was told, they?d like for him to wear ?cowboy boots.? I think that was intended metaphorically, but it might have been literal. The point is, it?s difficult to see someone like Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin or Boise State head coach Chris Petersen (before he took the Washington job) being a fit, even though they possess qualities that could make them an effective head coach there.
? "TV star" might be a bit strong of a way to put it, but someone telegenic will be important with The Longhorn Network in town. Brown makes for good entertainment, and someone such as Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn, frankly, would not. That?s no offense to Malzahn. He would try, but he would loathe it. Loathing that part of the job doesn?t make him an ideal candidate.
So whenever thinking of a possibility, put him on a TV set. Does it fit? Is it something you would watch? That lens is necessary for the hire, not just in terms of the coach needing to be telegenic, but in terms of an ability to handle that part of the job (and not be overwhelmed or frustrated by it) and still produce a winning product on the field.
Which candidates make the most sense?
Several mentioned in connection to the job have recently come to agreements on contract extensions with their current schools. That includes Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher, Baylor head coach Art Briles, UCLA head coach Jim Mora and Auburn?s Malzahn.
It's tough to completely rule out that those extension agreements would take those coaches out of the running, should Texas identify one or more of them as a front-runner for the job. The ink dries slowly on new deals, and Texas? buyout piggy bank isn?t like other schools? buyout budgets. It?s unlikely those coaches would renege on their new contracts, but it just takes one.
With Fisher, though, could Texas wait until Jan. 7, the day after the Seminoles play in the BCS title game? Unlikely.
Here are a few more candidates to keep in mind:
Stanford head coach David Shaw: I'd be surprised if Shaw isn't contacted. This would be a strong move if Texas is interested in program stabilization. He would be an excellent front-door symbol for the program and school in very much the same way Brown was. Also, he can coach, and Stanford has shown the ability to recruit nationally under his and predecessor Jim Harbaugh's tenures.
But would the draw of the NFL be too strong for Shaw, who, like Harbaugh, has an NFL background? Texas is something akin to the NFL, but it?s merely a cousin if that?s where Shaw?s sights are set.
Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy: A year ago, Gundy flirted with Arkansas and Tennessee. Everyone tells me something is awry with Gundy and the administration, and it?s been that way for some time. He would listen.
With the help of resources still dwarfed by Texas, Gundy has made Oklahoma State a consistent winner. He?d do well at Texas. And he fits the above criteria.
The burning question with both Briles and Gundy, though, is if Baylor and Oklahoma State are seen as too far beneath UT?s blueblood sense of place. I?ve had more than one person say that Texas would ?never go for the coach at Baylor? or Oklahoma State.
Arizona State head coach Todd Graham: There?s supposedly some legal entanglement that would prevent Graham from going to UT without the ASU president?s consent, but I cannot imagine a means by which that would hold up. It seemingly stemmed from disgruntlement over former Sun Devils athletic director Patterson leaving ASU to become the new AD in Austin.
If Patterson can convince the board and the president that Graham is a solid fit, he could rise.
Graham would be the ideal TV candidate. But then there?s always the he-moves-around-a-lot narrative (he spent just one season at Pittsburgh before leaving for the Arizona State job) that might not resonate well with the Horns.
Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris: I highly doubt UT would go with a first-time head coach, but if it does, Morris, the Tigers' offensive coordinator, is the guy (even over Bama?s Kirby Smart). Morris coached Texas high school football from 1994-2009, including his last stop at Lake Travis High in Austin.
He?d have the offense and intrigue to sell tickets, and he could inspire just as Brown did when he arrived. The questions for Morris would be how he'd handle his first collegiate head-coaching job by being at a place as high-profile as Texas, and who he'd get to run his defense.
Brown's NFL angle: It can't be ruled out, with one big caveat. When Saban went from the Miami Dolphins to Tuscaloosa, it wasn't a case in which an NFL coach was trying a hand at the college level. No, it was a coach who thrived in the college game in some ways being rescued from the NFL and returned to where it felt like an almost certainty that he'd succeed. The NFL, and even the "Monday Night Football" broadcasting booth, isn't totally out of the question, but I think the search starts at the college level.
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