So I was browsing through the transcript from the Muschamp press conference since I didn't catch it live, and came across this nugget:
i've always said that mack is a great coach, but he needs a couple of ***-kicker coaches to bring the attitude. it sounds like we may have at least one now.
I think it is important to bring people on who compliment your strengths and augment your weaknesses. Mack definitely needs some *** kickers.
D-Coords can set the tempo for their guys much easier than anyone else though. It was is way easier to motivate defenders to fly to the ball and take people's heads off when they arrive by shouting and being high energy. Moptivating O-Line's is much tougher IMO and takes both finesse and intensity. Mack did a great job I thought, bc when he blows his lid, as a player, you know its on. His reserved attitude makes his yelling far more effective, whereas coaches who yell alot kind of lose that effect after a while. Muschamp seems to me to be far mroe intense during the game, and mathcing your player's level like that can really breed a sense of one amongst the defensive unit as a whole. I'm really excited for the future of Texas football.
Mike Tyson, Mack also showed signs of emotion many times during the Holiday Bowl game...........have never seen him like that before!!
I think there were signs of Mack's frustration and efforts to lift the team all season. He aged this year and he was anything but complacent. The OSU sideline was the first real public view of his anger, in the press conference the week following he talked about yelling at coaches and threatening their jobs when the team was not performing. Further evidence of Mack's fiercer attitude can be found in the way practices were conducted before the bowl. I worried it was mostly talk and the team would be flat for the game, but Mack proved me wrong. The team came out like tigers. Mack followed through with coaching changes. I believe we got just what we wanted on defense but what many thought Mack wouldn't have the heart to do. And he moved quickly. I think Mack had never had to deal with an MNC team hangover before. We played pretty well for much of 2006 before falling flat at the end. Team effort remained largely flat for many games in 2007 and I was afraid we were becoming the team we were in the later 80s where we played like we thought the presence of our jerseys would win games. But no. Mack may be having his greatest time as a coach since his first year here. My bet is that he keeps it up. Hiring Muschamp and Applewhite brings youth to the staff as well as new blood. That was another complaint about the coaching staff. I don't like criticizing fellow Longhorn fans, but many of the persons who had legitimate complaints about Mack seem unable to give him credit for what are pretty remarkable new tricks for a dog they thought may be getting too old. To you, I say enjoy the confirmation of your thoughts about the team and let go of your habit of scorn. Watch and wait, we seem to be on the right track. Maybe I'm a pumper, I don't think so but who knows? I'm optimistic about these new coaches and Mack's new approach. I want to see it carried into next season. I'm old enough that the time passes a little faster than for the young guys, but I have that feeling I did when I was a student--- September can't get here fast enough. Hook 'em, my friends
I don't attend practices, but blowing people up in practice and doing it in games, when it actually counts, are two very different things. IIRC, there was little fire or aggression in the last two aggy games, both of which we should have won, going away. Assuming you are saying that the Horns are fiery on the practice field, what happens between Thursday afternoon and Saturday? I refuse to believe that the aggys have had superior talent, so the practice excellence should carry over to gameday. Some Ting Wong here. Hook'em
Just like how if you pretend you have insight into the program enough times, someone might believe you?
I like what Roma hit on. Your coach cannot be Jekyll & Hyde and Mack was that to some degree this year. Hank Stram, Joe Gibbs, Tony Dungy, Mack Brown, and others are the same kind of coach; don't get really upset and kind of nurture more than breathe fire. Then you have coaches like John Madden, Bob Stoops, and John Gruden who are extremely stern if not overtly stern. My point is Mack had to be a sweet kiss and breathe fire which is not him and even though a lot of us wanted some fire from him, too much can be confusing and send mixed signals. Mack knew we needed an attitude shift to get things rolling again so he went and hired an awesome DC. Mack will always be the "gotta give'em credit" coach...but he got Muschamp to kick a little ***. The off-season sucks but it will suck a lot less now due to Mack's progressive changes.
I agree that a team's attitude is a reflection of the personality by which they are coached. I think that the "soft" label that Texas has been given in the past has been a reflection of the staff. However, Mack seems to have ratchetted up his attitude a bit this season. We won the MNC with Chizik's tough attitude (and VY's greatness), so Muschamp's attitude will be much appreciated.
Roma, That was an excellent post and I agree!! Mack, contrary to hornfans beliefs, has not become complacent and wants to win another MNC. He is not afraid to hire the best coaches out there. He gets a lot of flack for GD, but GD is one of the best out there and now we have Major coming in to be groomed. If anyone thought Mack was afraid to hire his possible successor then the hiring of Major just destroyed that. Mack is the man and we will kick some tail for years to come.
The Defense being fired up is the DC's job. Anybody that's played football on the defensive side knows this. Hell, when you play defense you probably only see the HC occasionaly during practices and during the game speeches. The defenses attitude is 100% a reflection on the DC, not the HC. On the offensive side it's not beneficial to be fired up. Many would argue that the opposite is true. That a relaxed offensive team is the best. Look at the all time great offensive teams. UT in 2005, USC 2004-2005, the St. Louis a couple of years ago, the Pats this year. Those Offenses are relaxed, not fired up.
I'm tired of how often the yelling in the Okie State game gets brought up. Right after that OSU rammed the ball down our throats for another TD. It wasn't until near the end of the 3rd quarter that our defense started playing well.
Stat, The point is not about yelling being the key to good play, the point is about Mack's response to the play on the field. He ceased clapping and trying to keep spirits up and started showing his raw anger at the level of play. After the OSU game was when he said he yells at his coaches when the team is not performing. He also said he didn't understand why it took three quarters to find a way to slow down OSU. The point is that people were indeed being held accountable. Accounts were settled before the bowl game and with the coaching changes.
