What Dodds’ Retirement Means For Mack Brown
Sep 14, 2013; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Mack Brown (center) reacts against the Mississippi Rebels during the second half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Ole Miss beat Texas 44-23. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
Texas AD DeLoss Dodds really will retire this time.
Dodds, in his 32nd year as athletic director, will reportedly announce his decision on Tuesday.
Just a few weeks ago, Orangebloods.com reported that Dodds would retire. Both Dodds and the university debunked the report at the time.
One of the most influential athletic directors of all-time, Dodds’ accomplishments include making the Longhorns the athletic department with the largest budget. Dodds will go down as a historically strong fundraiser, having raised more than $360 million to the Longhorn Foundation since its inception in 1986. He also engineered the deal to land Texas the lucrative deal for the Longhorn Network.
Though Dodds will rightfully be the story tomorrow, the headline will quickly turn to what Dodds’ decision means for the future of Texas coach Mack Brown.
Just a month ago, Brown felt good about his team’s chances of reversing recent misfortunes.
Instead, three weeks into the season, the Longhorns were 1-2 with a humiliating loss at BYU and another blowout loss at home to Ole Miss. Brown fired defensive coordinator Manny Diaz after the BYU debacle – marking a move of desperation.
The Longhorns beat Kansas State last week and had a bye week before facing Iowa State on Thursday night. Then comes the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma.
Still, Brown has been at the helm for Texas’ plummet back toward the middle of what has been a declining Big 12. Longhorns fans have grown restless, as has at least one prominent former player. Superstar RB Earl Campbell called for Brown’s firing on Monday.
Recent firings of Lane Kiffin at USC and Paul Pasqualoni at UConn mean Brown is on what very well might be the hottest seat in the nation.
It will only grow hotter if the Longhorns don’t find ways to beat programs they have beaten up on for years – programs such as TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma State.
Of course, that’s easier said than done in 2013, when all three have the talent to contend for the conference crown.
Brown, we opined to start the season, didn’t have more than one four-loss season left in his career. The essence, of course, being that if Texas continued its streak of mediocrity it would necessitate change.
Four games into the season, he’s already halfway there before playing any of the aforementioned conference threats.
Dodds’ expected retirement doesn’t necessarily hammer the final nail into Brown’s coffin. It certainly doesn’t help.