After a week of speculation, Texas coach Mack Brown resigns
After a week of back and forth, Texas coach Mack Brown has officially decided to resign.
According to Orangebloods.com, Brown, 62, informed his team Saturday afternoon. He will coach the Alamo Bowl against Oregon on Dec. 30.
"Sally and I were brought to Texas 16 years ago to pull together a football program that was divided," Brown said in a statement. "With a lot of passion, hard work and determination from the kids, coaches and staff, we did that. We built a strong football family, reached great heights and accomplished a lot, and for that, I thank everyone. It's been a wonderful ride
"Now, the program is again being pulled in different directions, and I think the time is right for a change. I love The University of Texas, all of its supporters, the great fans and everyone that played and coached here. I can't thank DeLoss Dodds enough for bringing our family here, and Bill Powers and the administration for supporting us at a place where I have made lifelong friendships.
"It is the best coaching job and the premier football program in America. I sincerely want it to get back to the top and that's why I am stepping down after the bowl game. I hope with some new energy, we can get this thing rolling again."
Texas will hold a press conference at 2 p.m. ET.
Earlier in the week, Chip Brown of Orangebloods.com cited two high level sources saying that Brown would step down by the end of the week. Brown refuted the report and said during the Alamo Bowl press conference on Thursday that he would speak with university president Bill Powers and athletic director Steve Patterson before making his decision. He did so on Friday and ESPN’s Holly Rowe reported that Mack’s would ultimately make the decision on his future.
Brown is 158-47 in his 16 seasons with the Longhorns. He is nine wins shy of tying Darrell Royal for the most wins in school history and is currently No. 10 on the FBS all-time coaching wins list.
Brown won 10 or more games for nine seasons from 2001-09 and coached his team to a BCS National Championship win in 2005 and a national championship appearance in 2010. It was after that 2010 championship loss to Alabama that things started to change at Texas. Brown has gone 30-20 since that game and 18-17 in Big 12 games.
Coming off a 9-4 campaign last year, Brown promised his team would win the Big 12 and play in a BCS bowl. Even though the Longhorns started the season 1-2, they rallied to win six straight, including a 36-20 win over rival Oklahoma. However, a loss to Baylor in the regular season finale cost the Longhorns the Big 12 title and put Brown squarely on the hot seat.
While Brown ends his Texas career with a downward trend, he leaves the Longhorns better than when he found them. With Brown at the helm, Texas played in two national championships, won two Big 12 titles, went to 14 bowl games and finish in the Top 15 a total of 10 times. Financially, Texas football produced $103.4 million in total revenue and $79 million in net income. It also became one of the premier recruiting destinations in college football.
Now the attention shifts to who will fills Brown’s shoes. Alabama coach Nick Saban, who was at the top of the Texas wish list, signed a contract extension with the Tide worth more than $7 million per year. Other potential candidates – Baylor’s Art Briles, Auburn’s Gus Malzahn, Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher and UCLA’s Jim Mora – also all signed big, new deals designed to keep them at their current schools.
But Texas has the money and the resources to attract the best possible coach, even one that’s already locked up. For the next few weeks, this will be one of the most scrutinized coaching searches in quite some time.
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is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!Follow @YahooDrSaturday
