Texas Longhorns: Patrick Suddes
Longhorns working to correct special teams
May, 2, 2013
May 2
10:00
AM CT
By
Carter Strickland | ESPN.com
AUSTIN, Texas -- Seven games into the 2012 season, Texas thought it needed a shift in its coaching assignments.
The kickoff coverage team, heralded in the first two weeks of the season for its stellar play, had gone stagnant in the eyes of the coaches. So to shore up what was considered a weak link with five games remaining, Texas coach Mack Brown shifted defensive coordinator Manny Diaz and defensive backs coach Duane Akina to kick coverage duties.
Things got worse. Texas went from allowing 20.8 yards per return to 26.7 yards per return. Throw out the first two games against Wyoming and New Mexico in which Texas only allowed 12.6 yards per return against overmatched opponents and the numbers are only slightly better -- 23.9 yards per return allowed prior to the change as opposed to 26.7 after the switch.
But there will not be another switch made prior to the 2013 season. Brown said he expects Diaz and Akina to take care of kick coverage. Although he does expect the results to be better. That was part of the reason why Brown brought in his former player Everett Withers to take a look at Texas’ special teams and point out a few things. Withers, who played for Brown at Appalachian State and coach defensive backs at Texas from 1998-2000, is now co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State.
The kickoff coverage team, heralded in the first two weeks of the season for its stellar play, had gone stagnant in the eyes of the coaches. So to shore up what was considered a weak link with five games remaining, Texas coach Mack Brown shifted defensive coordinator Manny Diaz and defensive backs coach Duane Akina to kick coverage duties.
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Bob Levey/Getty ImagesDefensive backs coach Duane Akina helped coach the Texas kickoff coverage team late last season.
Bob Levey/Getty ImagesDefensive backs coach Duane Akina helped coach the Texas kickoff coverage team late last season.But there will not be another switch made prior to the 2013 season. Brown said he expects Diaz and Akina to take care of kick coverage. Although he does expect the results to be better. That was part of the reason why Brown brought in his former player Everett Withers to take a look at Texas’ special teams and point out a few things. Withers, who played for Brown at Appalachian State and coach defensive backs at Texas from 1998-2000, is now co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State.
Longhorns have big recruiting weekend 
April, 1, 2013
Apr 1
8:00
AM CT
By
William Wilkerson | ESPN.com
AUSTIN, Texas -- Overcast skies cast a welcomed escape from the sun over the weekend in Austin. While they never opened up to supply the city with much-needed rain, a perfect storm did in fact unfold on the University of Texas.
The unique combination and location of the Texas Relays and the Longhorns’ spring game supplied coach Mack Brown, director of player personnel Patrick Suddes and the rest of Texas’ staff the perfect opportunity to entertain recruits and give them a taste of what takes place in the state’s capitol.
The unique combination and location of the Texas Relays and the Longhorns’ spring game supplied coach Mack Brown, director of player personnel Patrick Suddes and the rest of Texas’ staff the perfect opportunity to entertain recruits and give them a taste of what takes place in the state’s capitol.
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Roundtable: Changes to Texas recruiting
March, 15, 2013
Mar 15
8:00
AM CT
By
Max Olson and
William Wilkerson | ESPN.com
Every Friday, HornsNation recruiting writers William Wilkerson and Max Olson answer a question about the Longhorns.
This week’s question: If you were new Texas director of player personnel Patrick Suddes, what would your first order of business be in your new position?
This week’s question: If you were new Texas director of player personnel Patrick Suddes, what would your first order of business be in your new position?
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Mack Brown was eager to answer the question Friday morning as he introduced the man charged with running Texas’ entire recruiting operations going forward.
How quickly will Texas benefit from the hiring of Patrick Suddes?
“Today, very honesty,” Brown said. “We are already starting to fix things today. And the staff gave Patrick a list of 10 things this morning that we all discussed yesterday as a staff and that we want him to do immediately.”
Some steps will take time. The strongest video department in college football won’t be built in a day. Nor will a staff of expert scouts and evaluators.
But the Longhorns’ newly hired director of player personnel does have a lot on his plate now, and in only a few days he already is starting to make an impact on UT recruiting. We don’t know what’s on that list of 10 immediate fixes, but here’s a look at five issues Suddes faces now that he’s running the show.
How quickly will Texas benefit from the hiring of Patrick Suddes?
“Today, very honesty,” Brown said. “We are already starting to fix things today. And the staff gave Patrick a list of 10 things this morning that we all discussed yesterday as a staff and that we want him to do immediately.”
Some steps will take time. The strongest video department in college football won’t be built in a day. Nor will a staff of expert scouts and evaluators.
But the Longhorns’ newly hired director of player personnel does have a lot on his plate now, and in only a few days he already is starting to make an impact on UT recruiting. We don’t know what’s on that list of 10 immediate fixes, but here’s a look at five issues Suddes faces now that he’s running the show.
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AUSTIN, Texas -- Patrick Suddes is doing exactly what he wants to do.
Texas coach Mack Brown said the school received more than 100 applications to be the football program's director of player personnel. He said they interviewed four candidates before hiring Suddes.
Suddes is going to be a success because being a personnel director is what he wants to do. That concept is not as simple as it seems.
Texas coach Mack Brown said the school received more than 100 applications to be the football program's director of player personnel. He said they interviewed four candidates before hiring Suddes.
Suddes is going to be a success because being a personnel director is what he wants to do. That concept is not as simple as it seems.
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Texas hires player personnel director
March, 8, 2013
Mar 8
12:58
PM CT
By
Carter Strickland | ESPN.com
AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas, long perceived to be the leader in recruiting, started to realize it was anything but.
Sure the Longhorns were still getting stellar classes. But the methods on which they relied in gathering information and, subsequently efficiently distributing and disseminating that information were archaic.
"We have been kind of mom-and-popping it here for a long time," Texas coach Mack Brown said.
The times changed with the hiring of Patrick Suddes as Texas’ director of player personnel Thursday. Suddes has been put in charge of modernizing the flow of information from prospective players, high school coaches and Texas’ current coaches as well as building a department to take advantage of social media and other recruiting assets that have become larger players in the game in the past five years.
Sure the Longhorns were still getting stellar classes. But the methods on which they relied in gathering information and, subsequently efficiently distributing and disseminating that information were archaic.
"We have been kind of mom-and-popping it here for a long time," Texas coach Mack Brown said.
The times changed with the hiring of Patrick Suddes as Texas’ director of player personnel Thursday. Suddes has been put in charge of modernizing the flow of information from prospective players, high school coaches and Texas’ current coaches as well as building a department to take advantage of social media and other recruiting assets that have become larger players in the game in the past five years.
Texas hires Suddes as director of personnel
March, 7, 2013
Mar 7
5:42
PM CT
By
Carter Strickland | ESPN.com
AUSTIN, Texas -- Mack Brown’s theory of "If you can’t beat them, hire them" has continued.
The Longhorns on Thursday hired Patrick Suddes, associate director of football operations at the University of Alabama. Suddes will be Texas’ director of player personnel, the school announced. Suddes is Texas’ second hire in the last three years from Alabama, as Brown hired away defensive line coach Bo Davis away from Alabama in 2011. Suddes had spent the last six seasons at Alabama, including the last five as associate director of football operations.
At Texas, Suddes will be charged with overseeing the recruiting process and creating new multimedia avenues for Texas to reach out and stay in contact with recruits and coaches.
In describing what he was looking for when Texas listed the position on Feb. 21, Brown said: "What we feel like it needs to be is as good a recruiting coordinator as there is in the country and that would mean a guy that can look at the new rules and see, what can we send out, and be the best. One time we were the best in our media guides and one time we were the best in our website. Right now I don't think we are, and that's who this person we think needs to be.’’
Suddes will also coordinate Texas football camps and the annual clinic for high school coaches.
The Longhorns on Thursday hired Patrick Suddes, associate director of football operations at the University of Alabama. Suddes will be Texas’ director of player personnel, the school announced. Suddes is Texas’ second hire in the last three years from Alabama, as Brown hired away defensive line coach Bo Davis away from Alabama in 2011. Suddes had spent the last six seasons at Alabama, including the last five as associate director of football operations.
At Texas, Suddes will be charged with overseeing the recruiting process and creating new multimedia avenues for Texas to reach out and stay in contact with recruits and coaches.
In describing what he was looking for when Texas listed the position on Feb. 21, Brown said: "What we feel like it needs to be is as good a recruiting coordinator as there is in the country and that would mean a guy that can look at the new rules and see, what can we send out, and be the best. One time we were the best in our media guides and one time we were the best in our website. Right now I don't think we are, and that's who this person we think needs to be.’’
Suddes will also coordinate Texas football camps and the annual clinic for high school coaches.
ABOUT HORNSNATION
Sean Adams
Sean Adams has covered the Texas Longhorns and college football for the last 12 years as a writer and radio host. Sean co-hosts "The Big Show" with Erin Hogan each afternoon on ESPN Austin 104.9 The Horn. He lives with his family in Round Rock, Texas. Email him at thisean@gmail.com.
Max Olson
Max Olson joined ESPN in 2012 after covering the University of Nebraska for the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald and high school and college sports for the World-Herald and Rivals.com. Olson is a University of Nebraska graduate and lives in Austin, Texas. Email him at maxolsonespn@gmail.com.
Carter Strickand
Carter Strickland joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering the University of Georgia for Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the University of Oklahoma for The (Oklahoma City) Oklahoman and Washington State University for The (Spokane, Wash.) Spokesman-Review. Strickland lives with his wife and family in Austin. Email him at cstrickland70@gmail.com.
William Wilkerson
William Wilkerson joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering high school sports, college sports and the Texas Rangers over four years at the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram. William is a University of Texas graduate and lives in Austin. He can be reached at wilkerson.espn@gmail.com.