Texas Longhorns: Bob Stoops
AUSTIN, Texas -- Each week, Sean Adams looks at a few topics around the Texas Longhorns and college football.
First down: Why early offers are perfect
Texas has started offering younger prospects than it ever has before. The Longhorns are doing the right thing. If they want to be in the conversation for some of the best high school players in the country, they must be in that first group of identified schools that are in communication with the player.
First down: Why early offers are perfect
Texas has started offering younger prospects than it ever has before. The Longhorns are doing the right thing. If they want to be in the conversation for some of the best high school players in the country, they must be in that first group of identified schools that are in communication with the player.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Inspired by Florida's "#ComePlayWRFortheJoker" campaign, our recruiting writers looked at other ways schools can sell themselves on the trail. Here's a look at recruiting pitches for the Big 12:
Baylor Bears
What they’re selling: The new 45,000-seat, $250-million on-campus stadium that will open in 2014. Recruiting is an arms race, and players like fancy stadiums and locker rooms, and Baylor’s upgrade puts them finally on the same level playing field as everybody else in the Big 12.
What they're missing: Help on defense -- specifically at defensive line and defensive back.
Iowa State Cyclones
What they’re selling: Paul Rhoads. He grew up miles from the campus and has helped turn around Iowa State with a physical and fundamentally sound style of football.
What they're missing: A true home-run threat at receiver.
Kansas Jayhawks
What they’re selling: Charlie Weis. He’s taken risks (juco infusion), repaired relationships with area high school coaches and widened KU’s recruiting pool.
What they're missing: Wins. When you’ve won only one conference game in three years, a little bit of everything is missing.
Kansas State Wildcats
What they’re selling: Bill Synder. The plan has worked for years in Manhattan. K-State doesn’t care how many stars a player has attached to his name, a player only earns an offer from K-State unless Snyder personally signs off on it after a lengthy review. It’s a plan that produced a No. 1 BCS ranking and a Big 12 championship in 2012.
What’s missing: I’ve been told by coaches for years that the most difficult position to recruit is defensive tackle. That’s why you often see even average defensive tackles rack up double-digit offers, and finding good depth at defensive tackle has been very difficult to do at K-State.
Oklahoma Sooners
What they’re selling: Oklahoma is proud of its football tradition, and few schools can match the Sooners’ track record for success, facilities and ability to prepare you for the next level.
What they're missing: A renewed focus on evaluating players. It’s what differentiated Bob Stoops’ staff when they started, and it’s how they found players like Sam Bradford, Josh Heupel, Juaquin Iglesias and Donald Stephenson. All at the time were considered to be three-star recruits but wound up being impact players for the Sooners.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
What they’re selling: Their ability to evaluate and develop offensive talent.
What they're missing: Elite players in the Lone Star State. With the best facilities in the conference, it might be just enough to get kids to visit.
Texas Longhorns
What they’re selling: Few in the nation can offer up the type of atmosphere, fan base, tradition and total student-athlete package like Texas can.
What they're missing: A true a difference-maker at quarterback. The last two Heisman Trophy winners have come from Texas high schools, and the Longhorns didn’t recruit one heavily and recruited the other as an athlete.
TCU Horned Frogs
What they’re selling: The Horned Frogs recruit to their style of smash-mouth play on both sides of the ball and don’t care how many stars a recruit has. It hurts them some in the recruiting rankings, but it helps them win a lot of ball games.
What they're missing: BCS conference depth. Heading into their second season in the Big 12 after a 7-6 season, the biggest thing the Horned Frogs need to do is to build the roster to be able to compete year in and year out in the BCS conference.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
What they’re selling: The Red Raiders went through a transition that brought Kliff Kingsbury to Lubbock, and the early reception has been nothing short of positive.
What they're missing: The Red Raiders have never had issues putting up points on people, but under Tommy Tuberville and Mike Leach there was little defense being played.
West Virginia Mountaineers
What they’re selling: WVU is a force in the Atlantic region, can recruit well in Pennsylvania and is arguably one of the best schools at identifying offensive talent in the JC ranks.
What they're missing: The 2014 class will have to be all about rebuilding in Morgantown, as the needs are mounting while several impact players have moved on.
Baylor Bears
What they’re selling: The new 45,000-seat, $250-million on-campus stadium that will open in 2014. Recruiting is an arms race, and players like fancy stadiums and locker rooms, and Baylor’s upgrade puts them finally on the same level playing field as everybody else in the Big 12.
What they're missing: Help on defense -- specifically at defensive line and defensive back.
Iowa State Cyclones
What they’re selling: Paul Rhoads. He grew up miles from the campus and has helped turn around Iowa State with a physical and fundamentally sound style of football.
What they're missing: A true home-run threat at receiver.
Kansas Jayhawks
What they’re selling: Charlie Weis. He’s taken risks (juco infusion), repaired relationships with area high school coaches and widened KU’s recruiting pool.
What they're missing: Wins. When you’ve won only one conference game in three years, a little bit of everything is missing.
Kansas State Wildcats
What they’re selling: Bill Synder. The plan has worked for years in Manhattan. K-State doesn’t care how many stars a player has attached to his name, a player only earns an offer from K-State unless Snyder personally signs off on it after a lengthy review. It’s a plan that produced a No. 1 BCS ranking and a Big 12 championship in 2012.
What’s missing: I’ve been told by coaches for years that the most difficult position to recruit is defensive tackle. That’s why you often see even average defensive tackles rack up double-digit offers, and finding good depth at defensive tackle has been very difficult to do at K-State.
Oklahoma Sooners
What they’re selling: Oklahoma is proud of its football tradition, and few schools can match the Sooners’ track record for success, facilities and ability to prepare you for the next level.
What they're missing: A renewed focus on evaluating players. It’s what differentiated Bob Stoops’ staff when they started, and it’s how they found players like Sam Bradford, Josh Heupel, Juaquin Iglesias and Donald Stephenson. All at the time were considered to be three-star recruits but wound up being impact players for the Sooners.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
What they’re selling: Their ability to evaluate and develop offensive talent.
What they're missing: Elite players in the Lone Star State. With the best facilities in the conference, it might be just enough to get kids to visit.
Texas Longhorns
What they’re selling: Few in the nation can offer up the type of atmosphere, fan base, tradition and total student-athlete package like Texas can.
What they're missing: A true a difference-maker at quarterback. The last two Heisman Trophy winners have come from Texas high schools, and the Longhorns didn’t recruit one heavily and recruited the other as an athlete.
TCU Horned Frogs
What they’re selling: The Horned Frogs recruit to their style of smash-mouth play on both sides of the ball and don’t care how many stars a recruit has. It hurts them some in the recruiting rankings, but it helps them win a lot of ball games.
What they're missing: BCS conference depth. Heading into their second season in the Big 12 after a 7-6 season, the biggest thing the Horned Frogs need to do is to build the roster to be able to compete year in and year out in the BCS conference.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
What they’re selling: The Red Raiders went through a transition that brought Kliff Kingsbury to Lubbock, and the early reception has been nothing short of positive.
What they're missing: The Red Raiders have never had issues putting up points on people, but under Tommy Tuberville and Mike Leach there was little defense being played.
West Virginia Mountaineers
What they’re selling: WVU is a force in the Atlantic region, can recruit well in Pennsylvania and is arguably one of the best schools at identifying offensive talent in the JC ranks.
What they're missing: The 2014 class will have to be all about rebuilding in Morgantown, as the needs are mounting while several impact players have moved on.
Over the last few months, ESPN Watch List receiver Armanti Foreman has taken visits to schools, even while committed to Oklahoma.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Oregon State presents opportunity for Texas
December, 6, 2012
12/06/12
12:15
PM CT
By
Carter Strickland | ESPN.com
Mack Brown, one year later, is walking to the beat of the same drum.
"I really believe we are headed in the right direction."
"The future looks very bright."
"I’m fortunate to be at a place where the standards are very high and we are going to fight to get back to those standards."
It’s the rinse-and-repeat cycle that has become the Texas football coach’s life these past few years. This time Brown uttered the catch phrases of a building/in-transition/stagnant/once-proud program at the introductory press conference from the Valero Alamo Bowl on Thursday morning.
Win or lose, the above statements will be the mantra of an offseason in which no answer could serve as the right one because the season to prove such statements ended at Kansas State. The only way for Texas to interrupt or cease the battered use of these well-worn phrases is to win.
Oregon State presents that chance. The Beavers are No. 13 in the BCS and even with a loss would probably not slip out of the top 25.
That might be why Brown said Texas is "lucky" to have the opportunity to play a higher ranked team in the bowl. A win hands Texas at least a modicum of legitimacy that the incredibly long-term plan might be working. Or, at the very least, a brief reprieve from the skepticism that it is not.
"I really believe we are headed in the right direction."
"The future looks very bright."
[+] Enlarge
Fred Brooks/Icon SMIMack Brown and the Longhorns are 21-16 over the last three seasons.
Fred Brooks/Icon SMIMack Brown and the Longhorns are 21-16 over the last three seasons. It’s the rinse-and-repeat cycle that has become the Texas football coach’s life these past few years. This time Brown uttered the catch phrases of a building/in-transition/stagnant/once-proud program at the introductory press conference from the Valero Alamo Bowl on Thursday morning.
Win or lose, the above statements will be the mantra of an offseason in which no answer could serve as the right one because the season to prove such statements ended at Kansas State. The only way for Texas to interrupt or cease the battered use of these well-worn phrases is to win.
Oregon State presents that chance. The Beavers are No. 13 in the BCS and even with a loss would probably not slip out of the top 25.
That might be why Brown said Texas is "lucky" to have the opportunity to play a higher ranked team in the bowl. A win hands Texas at least a modicum of legitimacy that the incredibly long-term plan might be working. Or, at the very least, a brief reprieve from the skepticism that it is not.
Instant Analysis: Oklahoma 63, Texas 21
October, 13, 2012
10/13/12
3:24
PM CT
By
Jake Trotter | ESPN.com
DALLAS -- Oklahoma beat Texas every which way en route to a dominant 63-21 victory at the Cotton Bowl.
It was over when: Backup quarterback Blake Bell plunged over the goal line for his fourth touchdown to put OU ahead 36-2 three minutes before halftime. The rout was on from there.
Game ball goes to: OU fullback Trey Millard, who had his best offensive performance as a Sooner. Known more for his blocking, Millard led OU with 119 yards receiving and a touchdown on five catches. He also rushed for 45 yards on three carries.
Stat of the game: The Sooners produced both their longest rush and longest pass in the history of the Red River Rivalry. Damien Williams’ 95-yard touchdown put OU up 13-2 late in the first quarter. Millard’s 73-yard reception -- in which he a hurdled a Texas defender -- set up the Sooners’ fourth touchdown.
Turning point: Late in the first quarter, Texas punter Alex King pinned OU inside its own 5-yard line. But Williams broke free along the sideline and, with a key block from teammate Kenny Stills, raced 95 yards for a touchdown to put the Sooners up 13-2. Texas failed to generate any momentum the rest of the game.
Unsung hero: Sooners defensive coordinator Mike Stoops, whose game plan completely shut down the nation’s sixth-highest scoring offense. Texas was held to just 74 rushing yards, and quarterback David Ash was forced into three turnovers.
What it means: The Sooners are right back in the thick of the Big 12 title race, and maybe the national championship picture, too. Voters are likely to take notice of OU’s dominant Red River performance. With back-to-back losses, Texas will have its work cut out getting off the mat after getting destroyed by its biggest rival.
Stats that matter: Texas vs. Oklahoma 
October, 10, 2012
10/10/12
10:30
AM CT
By
Carter Strickland | ESPN.com
Numbers, it's said, rarely lie. With that thought in mind, HornsNation -- with a healthy assist from the ESPN Stats and Info crew -- will dig into the numbers each week and pull three stats that could play a significant role in the outcome of Texas' game. This week the focus is on the Red River Rivalry as Texas is headed to Dallas to take on Oklahoma.
1. 190
With all the talk about how well or poorly Landry Jones is or isn’t playing at quarterback for Oklahoma, one stat lost in the shuffle is that the Sooners are in the top four in rushing in the Big 12. Led by Damien Williams’ 85.3 yards per game, OU has piled up 190 rushing yards per game. Now while that is not quite the 300 per game Oklahoma State has averaged it still should be a concern for Texas given what the Longhorns have given up on defense as of late. After holding its first opponent to 69 rushing yards, Texas has allowed 211 rushing yards per game. In the last two games, Texas has allowed 199 yards rushing to OSU’s Joseph Randle and then 207 to West Virginia’s Andrew Buie. Even against Ole Miss Texas’s defense allowed a single back to victimize it. Jeff Scott had 95 yards on eight carries or 11.7 yards per carry.
1. 190
With all the talk about how well or poorly Landry Jones is or isn’t playing at quarterback for Oklahoma, one stat lost in the shuffle is that the Sooners are in the top four in rushing in the Big 12. Led by Damien Williams’ 85.3 yards per game, OU has piled up 190 rushing yards per game. Now while that is not quite the 300 per game Oklahoma State has averaged it still should be a concern for Texas given what the Longhorns have given up on defense as of late. After holding its first opponent to 69 rushing yards, Texas has allowed 211 rushing yards per game. In the last two games, Texas has allowed 199 yards rushing to OSU’s Joseph Randle and then 207 to West Virginia’s Andrew Buie. Even against Ole Miss Texas’s defense allowed a single back to victimize it. Jeff Scott had 95 yards on eight carries or 11.7 yards per carry.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Host of Big 12 backs ready for big returns
August, 28, 2012
8/28/12
1:45
PM CT
By
David Ubben | ESPN.com
The 2011 season was unkind to Big 12 running backs from Ames to Austin, but nobody suffered a worse injury than Texas Tech's Eric Stephens.
"He tore pretty much everything," coach Tommy Tuberville said of his back, who also dislocated his knee. Doctors gave the swelling in Stephens' knee more than a month to calm down before operating.
Saturday, he'll finally make his return to the field. Tuberville says he'll likely start, with a target of 10-15 touches.
"We discussed that. It could be less or could be more. It just depends on the situation, how he’s doing, how he reacts," he said.
Stephens performed well in fall camp after suffering the injury early last season, derailing a likely 1,000-yard season that would have been Tech's first since 1998. The only noticeable difference now is Stephens is a little overweight and looks about 90-95 percent of his usual self.
"That’s not the knee problem, he just hasn’t played football in a long time," Tuberville said. "I don’t think physically there’s a problem at all. I’m sure he’s more than 100 percent ready to go with the knee. ... I’ve never had a serious injury like that, but I can just imagine being a major college running back and getting hit all around high and low for the first time in 10-11 months, it’d be awful tough mentally."
The offseason was rough on Iowa State's Shontrelle Johnson mentally, too. Doctors doubted whether he'd return to the game after suffering a neck injury last year against Texas. He missed the spring, but doctors cleared him just before fall camp and his long-awaited return is set for Saturday afternoon against Tulsa.
"Shontrelle’s done an excellent job and had zero ill effects coming back from neck surgery this offseason," Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads said. "He’ll be on the field early. If camp is any indication, we think he’s ready to go."
Oklahoma senior running back Dominique Whaley suffered an ugly broken ankle when a player landed on the back of his legs in a win over Kansas State. He'll be on the field early for the Sooners after earning the starting job once again.
"In my mind he looks to be back to what Dom always was, that's explosive, strong, fast," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. Whether he's 100 percent or not, maybe only he and the good Lord really know. But he sure looks it to me. I'm hopeful that will be the case."
Oklahoma rival running backs Joe Bergeron and Malcolm Brown of Texas were banged up with various minor injuries last season, but a renewed focus on health, diet and fitness has hopes high that the duo will be able to stay on the field in 2012.
The running back whose status is most in doubt? West Virginia's Dustin Garrison. The sophomore led the Mountaineers in rushing as a freshman, but suffered an injury later than any other Big 12 back. He tore his ACL in preparation for the Mountaineers' 70-33 win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl.
Soreness led coaches to give him a few days off last week, but if he doesn't respond well to practice this week, he could redshirt in 2012, ceding the starting spot to bigger back Shawne Alston, a senior.
"The plan all along has been get him to game week and then get him out there and see what happens," Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen said.
"He tore pretty much everything," coach Tommy Tuberville said of his back, who also dislocated his knee. Doctors gave the swelling in Stephens' knee more than a month to calm down before operating.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Sharon EllmanTexas Tech RB Eric Stephens tore both the ACL and MCL in his left knee late last season.
AP Photo/Sharon EllmanTexas Tech RB Eric Stephens tore both the ACL and MCL in his left knee late last season."We discussed that. It could be less or could be more. It just depends on the situation, how he’s doing, how he reacts," he said.
Stephens performed well in fall camp after suffering the injury early last season, derailing a likely 1,000-yard season that would have been Tech's first since 1998. The only noticeable difference now is Stephens is a little overweight and looks about 90-95 percent of his usual self.
"That’s not the knee problem, he just hasn’t played football in a long time," Tuberville said. "I don’t think physically there’s a problem at all. I’m sure he’s more than 100 percent ready to go with the knee. ... I’ve never had a serious injury like that, but I can just imagine being a major college running back and getting hit all around high and low for the first time in 10-11 months, it’d be awful tough mentally."
The offseason was rough on Iowa State's Shontrelle Johnson mentally, too. Doctors doubted whether he'd return to the game after suffering a neck injury last year against Texas. He missed the spring, but doctors cleared him just before fall camp and his long-awaited return is set for Saturday afternoon against Tulsa.
"Shontrelle’s done an excellent job and had zero ill effects coming back from neck surgery this offseason," Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads said. "He’ll be on the field early. If camp is any indication, we think he’s ready to go."
Oklahoma senior running back Dominique Whaley suffered an ugly broken ankle when a player landed on the back of his legs in a win over Kansas State. He'll be on the field early for the Sooners after earning the starting job once again.
"In my mind he looks to be back to what Dom always was, that's explosive, strong, fast," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. Whether he's 100 percent or not, maybe only he and the good Lord really know. But he sure looks it to me. I'm hopeful that will be the case."
Oklahoma rival running backs Joe Bergeron and Malcolm Brown of Texas were banged up with various minor injuries last season, but a renewed focus on health, diet and fitness has hopes high that the duo will be able to stay on the field in 2012.
The running back whose status is most in doubt? West Virginia's Dustin Garrison. The sophomore led the Mountaineers in rushing as a freshman, but suffered an injury later than any other Big 12 back. He tore his ACL in preparation for the Mountaineers' 70-33 win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl.
Soreness led coaches to give him a few days off last week, but if he doesn't respond well to practice this week, he could redshirt in 2012, ceding the starting spot to bigger back Shawne Alston, a senior.
"The plan all along has been get him to game week and then get him out there and see what happens," Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen said.
Podcast: Maisel with big names from Big 12
July, 27, 2012
7/27/12
2:45
PM CT
By ESPN.com staff | ESPN.com
Ivan Maisel talks to some players 
from the Big 12 including Bob Stoops, Landry Jones, Geno Smith, Jackson Jeffcoat, Joseph Randle and Arthur Brown.
from the Big 12 including Bob Stoops, Landry Jones, Geno Smith, Jackson Jeffcoat, Joseph Randle and Arthur Brown.
After talking to new Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby, it seems like the conference is in really good hands going forward. The former Stanford athletics director is all things you want in a person that will lead your conference through television contract negotiations, possible conference expansion and positioning the conference on the national landscape of collegiate sports.
As for the conference members, the hype surrounds newcomers West Virginia and TCU as well as the usual suspects: Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas State and Oklahoma State.
Each team has question marks and issues and anyone who thinks they have a clear-cut conference winner is off their rocker.
As for the conference members, the hype surrounds newcomers West Virginia and TCU as well as the usual suspects: Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas State and Oklahoma State.
Each team has question marks and issues and anyone who thinks they have a clear-cut conference winner is off their rocker.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
The Big 12 hasn't done a great job when it comes to membership longevity, but the guys on the sidelines in a headset? Few leagues have been better when it comes to the game's longest-tenured coaches.
The two coaches who have been in the league the longest? They're the guys who happen to be among the best and among those blessed with the greatest amount of resources, too.
Mack Brown came to Austin as John Mackovic's replacement in 1998. The former North Carolina coach had a solid pedigree as the head Tar Heel, and set out to man one of college football's sleeping giants.
A year later, a young whippersnapper named Bob Stoops left his post as defensive coordinator on Steve Spurrier's staff to grab the reins of another sleeping giant in college football: Oklahoma. Not bad for a guy who'd never been a head coach before, eh?
Both inherited losing teams and quickly turned them into contenders. More than a decade later, they're still doing it.
Along the way, each collected a national championship (and a loss or two in the title game). Stoops conjured up some Sooner Magic for an unbelievable turnaround in 2000, winning a national title after going just 7-5 in his first season. His quarterback from that team? Stoops has been around long enough to see Josh Heupel climb the coaching ranks and become his co-offensive coordinator and playcaller.
In 2005, it was Texas' turn. Transcendent star Vince Young, the greatest player to put on a jersey in Big 12 history, carried the Longhorns to Brown's only national title, but he did it in the middle of one of the most impressive stretches in college football history. From 2001 to 2009, Texas won at least 10 games every year in the midst of a growing league that also boasted powers like Nebraska and Oklahoma.
They've been around the block a few times, but only two coaches in all of college football have been at their current posts longer: Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer and Troy's Larry Blakeney.
Care to get less than technical about the issue? Kansas State's Bill Snyder trumps them both, having held his post for two decades, the only head-coaching job he's ever held since leaving Hayden Fry's staff at Iowa back in 1989. Snyder retired in 2005, but returned to "calm the waters" at K-State after a rocky three seasons with few highs and more lows under Ron Prince.
His first time around, Snyder did the impossible, turning "the worst job in America" (according to a now infamous Sports Illustrated story) into a place you could win a Big 12 title and play in BCS bowls. Snyder did the former in 2003, upsetting Stoops' highly favored Sooners, and played in the Fiesta Bowl in 1997 and 2003.
Snyder's break technically disqualifies him for the title of longest-tenured, but everyone knows what he's done for the program.
Stoops, Brown and Snyder have proved over the better part of the past two decades that you can make a comfortable, secure home in the Big 12. No other league in America has a better, more durable trio of coaches who have become the faces of their respective programs.
The two coaches who have been in the league the longest? They're the guys who happen to be among the best and among those blessed with the greatest amount of resources, too.
Mack Brown came to Austin as John Mackovic's replacement in 1998. The former North Carolina coach had a solid pedigree as the head Tar Heel, and set out to man one of college football's sleeping giants.
A year later, a young whippersnapper named Bob Stoops left his post as defensive coordinator on Steve Spurrier's staff to grab the reins of another sleeping giant in college football: Oklahoma. Not bad for a guy who'd never been a head coach before, eh?
Both inherited losing teams and quickly turned them into contenders. More than a decade later, they're still doing it.
Along the way, each collected a national championship (and a loss or two in the title game). Stoops conjured up some Sooner Magic for an unbelievable turnaround in 2000, winning a national title after going just 7-5 in his first season. His quarterback from that team? Stoops has been around long enough to see Josh Heupel climb the coaching ranks and become his co-offensive coordinator and playcaller.
In 2005, it was Texas' turn. Transcendent star Vince Young, the greatest player to put on a jersey in Big 12 history, carried the Longhorns to Brown's only national title, but he did it in the middle of one of the most impressive stretches in college football history. From 2001 to 2009, Texas won at least 10 games every year in the midst of a growing league that also boasted powers like Nebraska and Oklahoma.
They've been around the block a few times, but only two coaches in all of college football have been at their current posts longer: Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer and Troy's Larry Blakeney.
Care to get less than technical about the issue? Kansas State's Bill Snyder trumps them both, having held his post for two decades, the only head-coaching job he's ever held since leaving Hayden Fry's staff at Iowa back in 1989. Snyder retired in 2005, but returned to "calm the waters" at K-State after a rocky three seasons with few highs and more lows under Ron Prince.
His first time around, Snyder did the impossible, turning "the worst job in America" (according to a now infamous Sports Illustrated story) into a place you could win a Big 12 title and play in BCS bowls. Snyder did the former in 2003, upsetting Stoops' highly favored Sooners, and played in the Fiesta Bowl in 1997 and 2003.
Snyder's break technically disqualifies him for the title of longest-tenured, but everyone knows what he's done for the program.
Stoops, Brown and Snyder have proved over the better part of the past two decades that you can make a comfortable, secure home in the Big 12. No other league in America has a better, more durable trio of coaches who have become the faces of their respective programs.
Sometimes, e-mails from you all deserve their own posts.
This is one of those e-mails. We took a look at what each program in the Big 12 would look like without the program's winningest coach this week, but Cal in Chelsea, Okla. was left clamoring for more. He writes:
Great idea, Cal. We provided the total wins with and without each coach, but how do the win percentages compare? Here's that ranking of which current coaches are above the line currently.
1. Gary Patterson, TCU (+.25)
Interesting numbers, and proof that we're in a very good era for the Big 12. Only one coach isn't above the curve for his program? Amazing. What else stuck out to you?
This is one of those e-mails. We took a look at what each program in the Big 12 would look like without the program's winningest coach this week, but Cal in Chelsea, Okla. was left clamoring for more. He writes:
Expanding on your Programs Without Winningest Coaches article, I think it would be great to see the winning percentages of each team vs. the winning percentages of their coach.
Great idea, Cal. We provided the total wins with and without each coach, but how do the win percentages compare? Here's that ranking of which current coaches are above the line currently.
1. Gary Patterson, TCU (+.25)
- Patterson is 109-30, for a win percentage of .784. That's .25 higher than TCU's all-time percentage of .534. However, it's also important to take into account Patterson's competition (Mountain West) vs. past TCU coaches (Southwest Conference). To me, that's what makes what Bill Snyder's done (as well as its longer sustained success) more impressive. Still, though.
- Snyder is 159-83-1 at Kansas State for a win percentage of .656. That's .217 higher than K-State's all-time winning percentage of .439. Crazy.
- Holgorsen is 10-3 at West Virginia, a win percentage of .769. That's .168 higher than WVU's percentage of .601 all-time. However, he's done it for only one season.
- Gundy is 59-30 all-time for a win percentage of .663. That's .160 higher than Oklahoma State's all-time win percentage of .503. Gundy's three wins from being the winningest coach in school history, and he's taken the Cowboys to new heights.
- Stoops is 139-34 at Oklahoma for a win percentage of .803. That's .085 higher than Oklahoma's all-time win percentage of .718. The bar is really, really high, and Stoops is clearing it.
- Brown is 141-39 at Texas for a win percentage of .783. That's .067 higher than Texas' all-time percentage of .716. Like Stoops, Brown is excelling even for a place known for excellence.
- Rhoads is 18-20 for a win percentage of .474. That's .016 higher than Iowa State's all-time winning percentage of .458.
- Briles is 25-25 for a win percentage of .500. That's .003 higher than Baylor's all-time winning percentage of .497.
- Weis hasn't coached his first game at Kansas, but the Jayhawks have won 50.5 percent of their games all-time. The bar is set.
- Tuberville is 13-12 at Texas Tech for a win percentage of .520. That's .042 below Texas Tech's winning percentage of .562. He's the only coach on our list to have a worse win percentage than his program all-time.
Interesting numbers, and proof that we're in a very good era for the Big 12. Only one coach isn't above the curve for his program? Amazing. What else stuck out to you?
The Big 12 coaching hot seat has been pretty quiet lately, but Kansas' Turner Gill heated his up in a hurry by losing the final 10 games of 2011 and failing to win a conference game. It's pretty difficult to get fired after two seasons in college football, but going 5-19 and winning one conference game in two seasons is a good way to do it.
Losing six games last season by 30 points or more helped, too.
So, what's the hot seat in the Big 12 look like heading into 2012? Here's what CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd says, followed by my comments:
Art Briles, Baylor
This is what a 10-win season and Heisman winner at Baylor does. You could easily make the case that Briles is now a living legend in Waco.
Paul Rhoads, Iowa State
Rhoads led ISU to an amazing second bowl game in three years, and capped off the season by signing a 10-year extension to his contract. Big upsets (Nebraska '09, Iowa/Texas '10, Oklahoma State '11) have put ISU on the national college football map, too.
Charlie Weis, Kansas
Weis is a newcomer with a fresh slate at KU. Expectations are low, which may aid him in the short run.
Bill Snyder, Kansas State
You don't fire a coach whose name is on the highway entering the city. Moving on ...
Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
Stoops didn't shy away from national championship expectations last year, but the Sooners fell well short, all the way to three losses and the Insight Bowl. There's no reason to believe that was the start of a program decline, though.
Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
Gundy loves Oklahoma State, and OSU loves him even more than ever after giving the program its first-ever Big 12 title and returning a team that should easily make a bowl game in 2012. These two are stuck together for the long haul.
Mack Brown, Texas
Totally disagree with this one. How does an improvement from five wins to eight wins equal a rise in seat heat? This is the year where Texas has some more expectations, and if the Longhorns stumble to 6-7 wins, Brown will be feeling a lot of heat entering 2013. It'll only come from the fans to start, but the administration will be forced to listen if the Longhorns can't climb back near the top of the Big 12 heap.
Gary Patterson, TCU
Where's MC Hammer on those rare occasions when he's needed? Welcome to the Big 12.
Tommy Tuberville, Texas Tech
Tuberville might even be pushing a four in my book. He's had lots of legitimate excuses for Tech's recent slide, most notably injuries. That said, patience is wearing thin, even in the face of record contributions and outstanding recruiting classes. Tech needs wins now.
Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia
Holgorsen doesn't have enough capital built up to the point where a couple rough seasons wouldn't faze the fan love he's feeling, but WVU is doing everything to move in the right direction, and winning a Big East title and BCS game in your first season earns a whole lot of love from the Mountaineer faithful.
Losing six games last season by 30 points or more helped, too.
So, what's the hot seat in the Big 12 look like heading into 2012? Here's what CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd says, followed by my comments:
Art Briles, Baylor
- 2011: 2.0 (safe, but you never know)
- 2012: 0.5 (Can't be touched)
This is what a 10-win season and Heisman winner at Baylor does. You could easily make the case that Briles is now a living legend in Waco.
Paul Rhoads, Iowa State
- 2010: 1.0 (Very safe, change unlikely)
- 2011: 0.0 (Can't be touched)
Rhoads led ISU to an amazing second bowl game in three years, and capped off the season by signing a 10-year extension to his contract. Big upsets (Nebraska '09, Iowa/Texas '10, Oklahoma State '11) have put ISU on the national college football map, too.
Charlie Weis, Kansas
- 2011: 2.0 (safe, but you never know)
Weis is a newcomer with a fresh slate at KU. Expectations are low, which may aid him in the short run.
Bill Snyder, Kansas State
- 2010: 0.5 (Can't be touched)
- 2011: 0.5 (Can't be touched)
You don't fire a coach whose name is on the highway entering the city. Moving on ...
Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
- 2010: 0.0 (Can't be touched)
- 2011: 0.5 (Can't be touched)
Stoops didn't shy away from national championship expectations last year, but the Sooners fell well short, all the way to three losses and the Insight Bowl. There's no reason to believe that was the start of a program decline, though.
Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
- 2010: 1.0 (Very safe, change unlikely)
- 2011: 0.0 (Can't be touched)
Gundy loves Oklahoma State, and OSU loves him even more than ever after giving the program its first-ever Big 12 title and returning a team that should easily make a bowl game in 2012. These two are stuck together for the long haul.
Mack Brown, Texas
- 2010: 2.0 (safe, but you never know)
- 2011: 2.5 (safe, but you never know)
Totally disagree with this one. How does an improvement from five wins to eight wins equal a rise in seat heat? This is the year where Texas has some more expectations, and if the Longhorns stumble to 6-7 wins, Brown will be feeling a lot of heat entering 2013. It'll only come from the fans to start, but the administration will be forced to listen if the Longhorns can't climb back near the top of the Big 12 heap.
Gary Patterson, TCU
- 2010: 0.0 (Can't be touched)
- 2011: 0.0 (Can't be touched)
Where's MC Hammer on those rare occasions when he's needed? Welcome to the Big 12.
Tommy Tuberville, Texas Tech
- 2010: 1.5 (Very safe, change unlikely)
- 2011: 3.5 (On the bubble, feeling pressure)
Tuberville might even be pushing a four in my book. He's had lots of legitimate excuses for Tech's recent slide, most notably injuries. That said, patience is wearing thin, even in the face of record contributions and outstanding recruiting classes. Tech needs wins now.
Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia
- 2010: 1.5 (Very safe, change unlikely)
- 2011: 0.5 (Can't be touched)
Holgorsen doesn't have enough capital built up to the point where a couple rough seasons wouldn't faze the fan love he's feeling, but WVU is doing everything to move in the right direction, and winning a Big East title and BCS game in your first season earns a whole lot of love from the Mountaineer faithful.
AP Photo/Mike FuentesMack Brown and Bob Stoops have one major thing in common -- they win Big 12 games.Some coaches are hated because they simply win too much. For the Big 12, it seems like that's the only reason why any coaches earn the hatred from fans.
For the most part, the coaches in the Big 12 are a civil bunch, with hardly a heated rivalry between them that inspires hate from the fans.
Nobody catches more flack for winning than Bob Stoops and Mack Brown. That's what happens when you win and do it for a long, long time.
Stoops has been accused more than once of running up the score in some of those wins, and when you look back on the 2008 season, it's easy to see why some might feel that way. The Sooners memorably scored 60 points in five consecutive games leading up to the national title, and scored at least 52 points in four more games.
The "leaving starters in" debate is a timeless one, and I tend to fall on the side of, "If you don't like it, stop them." Others don't, and Stoops catches the flack for it.
Simply put, Big 12 teams love beating OU and Texas more than any other school, and those winning traditions are the biggest reason why.
Stoops and Brown also have to deal with the incessant chorus from fans who argue that coaching at Oklahoma and Texas is simple: You get the best players, and you get the best record, regardless of your coaching acumen.
That couldn't be further from the truth. Brown and Stoops both inherited losing teams, and turned them into perennial winners who do recruit well and sign the best players in the Big 12 every season. To think that happens automatically is silly. You need good coaches to make it happen, and Brown and Stoops have personified that, even if Brown hasn't won as big as some expect with the type of talent Texas reels in.
In this debate, though, I'd argue Stoops and Brown aren't alone. In recent seasons, they've been joined by none other than Art Briles at Baylor.
The former Texas high school coach is quick with one-liners that earn the media's favor, but he talks about doing big, big things at Baylor. Things like Big 12 titles and telling players they can win Heisman trophies.
To those on the outside, it sounds like crazy talk.
Then, he goes and inches closer to those goals. He achieved the second one last season, and does anyone want to rule out a Big 12 title for the Bears?
The same people who want to do that probably would have done the same for Oklahoma State. Mike Gundy equaled or surpassed his win total in every season at Oklahoma State.
Briles has done the exact same, even while losing Robert Griffin III in a four-win campaign in 2009.
He won seven games the following year, and did the unthinkable by winning 10 games in 2011. Losing RG3 is a big blow, but he's stocked his team with loads of offensive talent, and signed five-star talents like safety Ahmad Dixon and running back Lache Seastrunk.
It's a new day at Baylor, and thanks to Briles, the Bears will soon be playing in a new stadium, too. As much as the rest of the Big 12 wants to pretend BU will go back to the same ol' Baylor without RG3, Briles will soon prove that no such thing's going to happen in Waco.
A word of advice on how to view the trio? Don't hate. Appreciate.
Dead heat for Big 12's most disliked coach
May, 22, 2012
5/22/12
2:00
PM CT
By
David Ubben | ESPN.com
Hey, you stay at the top long enough, people get tired of seeing you there.
Such is life as Mack Brown and Bob Stoops.
This year, we asked who got you fired up the most, and Brown and Stoops ran away with the poll.
Stoops hauled in 39 percent of the vote, while Brown checked in with 37 percent.
They couldn't be any more different in personality, but they have one big thing in common: They win. If a coach kept beating your team, you wouldn't like it much, either.
Stoops got the OSU faithful fired up last season when he needled them for recognizing a co-Big 12 South title in 2010. He's won the biggest of any coach in the Big 12, and until the past two seasons, Brown had won with the most consistency.
That streak of nine consecutive 10-win seasons came to a screeching halt with a 5-7 campaign in 2010, leading more than a few to question Brown's coaching prowess. Could he be as effective at another school? What if you plopped him right in the middle of Ames? Would you still be impressed?
And at Texas, which has all the resources -- both financial and recruiting -- anyone could ever want, shouldn't a coach win more than one national title in 14 seasons?
Maybe that's fair. Maybe it's not. Only eight coaches currently coaching college football even have one national title. Stoops and Brown are both in that group.
The duo has outlasted every other Big 12 coach. No one in the league has been at their current schools longer. (Yes, Bill Snyder's three-year sabbatical disqualifies him.)
Before last season, Snyder was the only coach to swipe a Big 12 title from Brown and Stoops since 2001.
Hate them if you must. Pardon them if they don't stop winning long enough to notice.
Such is life as Mack Brown and Bob Stoops.
This year, we asked who got you fired up the most, and Brown and Stoops ran away with the poll.
[+] Enlarge
James D. Smith/Icon SMIA recent poll ranks Mack Brown, left, and Bob Stoops as the most disliked coaches in the Big 12.
James D. Smith/Icon SMIA recent poll ranks Mack Brown, left, and Bob Stoops as the most disliked coaches in the Big 12.They couldn't be any more different in personality, but they have one big thing in common: They win. If a coach kept beating your team, you wouldn't like it much, either.
Stoops got the OSU faithful fired up last season when he needled them for recognizing a co-Big 12 South title in 2010. He's won the biggest of any coach in the Big 12, and until the past two seasons, Brown had won with the most consistency.
That streak of nine consecutive 10-win seasons came to a screeching halt with a 5-7 campaign in 2010, leading more than a few to question Brown's coaching prowess. Could he be as effective at another school? What if you plopped him right in the middle of Ames? Would you still be impressed?
And at Texas, which has all the resources -- both financial and recruiting -- anyone could ever want, shouldn't a coach win more than one national title in 14 seasons?
Maybe that's fair. Maybe it's not. Only eight coaches currently coaching college football even have one national title. Stoops and Brown are both in that group.
The duo has outlasted every other Big 12 coach. No one in the league has been at their current schools longer. (Yes, Bill Snyder's three-year sabbatical disqualifies him.)
Before last season, Snyder was the only coach to swipe a Big 12 title from Brown and Stoops since 2001.
Hate them if you must. Pardon them if they don't stop winning long enough to notice.
A playoff? What do Big 12 coaches think?
April, 24, 2012
4/24/12
12:00
PM CT
By
David Ubben | ESPN.com
The BCS brass -- aka conference commissioners -- are set to meet again this week to discuss the future of college football's postseason. On Monday, several Big 12 coaches took a swipe with their input on what, if any, changes should be ushered into the game.
Last year's SEC rematch in the BCS Championship Game -- and Oklahoma State's snubbing -- rubbed plenty of folks the wrong way, and Texas coach Mack Brown was the most adamant about bringing change. He's not sure what he wants, he just wants something else.
"I'm hoping it's something different than what we've got now. I'm not really sure what I think would be best," Brown said on Monday's Big 12 coaches teleconference.
For now, it looks like all eight- and 16-team playoff options are off the table, but the BCS as it currently stands had Brown fired up.
"I don't like our current system. I don't like the fact that last year two teams played twice. I do not feel like the BCS really gives credence to, really, strength of schedule," he said. "We've had some teams play in the BCS that played some poorer teams and still had an opportunity to play. I don't like the fact that we compete between BCS and non-BCS, as far as who plays. I understand that that's the money cycle, but I'd rather see the best teams play at the end."
TCU, who will join the Big 12 in 2012, went undefeated in 2010 and beat Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl but was denied a chance at playing fellow undefeated Auburn, which took home the national title.
"I'd rather have different means to evaluate the best teams in the end," Brown said. "I think the best teams should play at the end. That's more fair to the coaches, that's more fair to the players and that's more fair to the fans."
One problem for some in the process? Nobody can seem to agree on what to call a new postseason, even if it's four teams playing for the right to be called champion.
"I'm not for a playoff, because it would ruin the bowl system, and I don't believe it would be good for student-athletes," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said.
However, later on, he expressed his preference for the plus-one, which could just as easily be referred to as a playoff.
"I'd like to see the plus-one," he said. "If they do so, I'd like to see the four teams that qualify as the per se 'playoff teams' participate in two of the BCS bowls and then rotate it every two years, which bowls are hosting the playoff teams and which ones aren't, and then the plus-one after it."
Stoops often looks back fondly on his bowl week experiences as a defensive back at Iowa and doesn't want to rob future players of a week in the sun during winter with light practices, red-carpet treatment and a week spent solely with teammates.
"Anything that eliminates the bowls would in the long run not be positive for college football," Stoops said.
As for the elder statesman of the Big 12 coaches, Bill Snyder? He's staying out of the argument.
"I don’t have any startling estimations in regards to what will happen and don’t really have any major preference as far as playoff versus the system," Snyder said. "I can’t imagine it’s getting into an eight or 16-team playoff."
Last year's SEC rematch in the BCS Championship Game -- and Oklahoma State's snubbing -- rubbed plenty of folks the wrong way, and Texas coach Mack Brown was the most adamant about bringing change. He's not sure what he wants, he just wants something else.
"I'm hoping it's something different than what we've got now. I'm not really sure what I think would be best," Brown said on Monday's Big 12 coaches teleconference.
[+] Enlarge
Sarah Glenn/Getty ImagesPerhaps no coach in college football wants a change to the BCS system more than Texas' Mack Brown.
Sarah Glenn/Getty ImagesPerhaps no coach in college football wants a change to the BCS system more than Texas' Mack Brown."I don't like our current system. I don't like the fact that last year two teams played twice. I do not feel like the BCS really gives credence to, really, strength of schedule," he said. "We've had some teams play in the BCS that played some poorer teams and still had an opportunity to play. I don't like the fact that we compete between BCS and non-BCS, as far as who plays. I understand that that's the money cycle, but I'd rather see the best teams play at the end."
TCU, who will join the Big 12 in 2012, went undefeated in 2010 and beat Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl but was denied a chance at playing fellow undefeated Auburn, which took home the national title.
"I'd rather have different means to evaluate the best teams in the end," Brown said. "I think the best teams should play at the end. That's more fair to the coaches, that's more fair to the players and that's more fair to the fans."
One problem for some in the process? Nobody can seem to agree on what to call a new postseason, even if it's four teams playing for the right to be called champion.
"I'm not for a playoff, because it would ruin the bowl system, and I don't believe it would be good for student-athletes," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said.
However, later on, he expressed his preference for the plus-one, which could just as easily be referred to as a playoff.
"I'd like to see the plus-one," he said. "If they do so, I'd like to see the four teams that qualify as the per se 'playoff teams' participate in two of the BCS bowls and then rotate it every two years, which bowls are hosting the playoff teams and which ones aren't, and then the plus-one after it."
Stoops often looks back fondly on his bowl week experiences as a defensive back at Iowa and doesn't want to rob future players of a week in the sun during winter with light practices, red-carpet treatment and a week spent solely with teammates.
"Anything that eliminates the bowls would in the long run not be positive for college football," Stoops said.
As for the elder statesman of the Big 12 coaches, Bill Snyder? He's staying out of the argument.
"I don’t have any startling estimations in regards to what will happen and don’t really have any major preference as far as playoff versus the system," Snyder said. "I can’t imagine it’s getting into an eight or 16-team playoff."
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.