By Carter Strickland
CornesNation
Archive
Let’s get this out of the way at the top: Bob Stoops beat Mack Brown. Many times. The Texas coach’s record stands at 5-8 against Oklahoma.
If that’s how you want to measure Brown or any coach — by career bracket — then go ahead and stop there.
But that’s not a myopic window to look through or a thin yardstick to hold against Brown and his career at Texas.
Brown deserves a step back. A rational outlook with long glances left and right towards the past and the future. This is a mandate that cannot be conquered at 100 yards. It takes 40 acres and beyond to understand what Brown — and his ability not just to coach but to build, manage and evolve — has done for Texas.
It was a program that had failed to produce results for more than two decades. Of course the logo was iconic. The university as a whole was in good health, one of the largest in the country. Harley Clark’s hooks were welcome everywhere. And there were times when Texas resurged – Mackovic in 1995, McWilliams in 1990, Akers in 1977 and 1983.
What Brown did was ensure that Texas endured. He rebuilt the foundation of the program that was first started by Darrell Royal. He did it with those who were already invested in the program, the players, the boosters, the fans and Royal at his side. What Brown did was understand that there was an inherent pride in being a Texan and being part of the state’s university. That he understood this as an outsider from Cookeville, Tennessee, is a testament to his insight into realizing that Texas is more than just a man on a sideline in one game a year.
Yes, it is and was Brown’s job to coach on that sideline. But he, far better than his predecessors, realized that his job was also to train and harness the passion of Texas. This is where the state’s untapped resources were. The fact that Brown had the charisma, foresight and selflessness to bring the football program back to the people allowed him to build a brand that not only succeeded on the football field, but managed to become the most valuable in all college sports.
The fact that there have been victories, so many victories, along the way is a testament to his ability to coach but also to manage, two qualities that are essential to success but not always present in college football.
If Brown, his skills and his program ended there, it’s a career that would be considered an unqualified success in every way. But the fact that Brown’s career hasn’t always been a success has allowed everyone to see what might be the most overlooked but essential element of Brown’s leadership abilities.
What Brown showed in the aftermath of 2010 was a desire for change, after 12 years of unprecedented success. Perhaps, cynics would say, self-preservation was a motivator. But Brown had the cache, and frankly the money, not to worry about the future.
What he also had was the self-awareness that allowed him to understand that he had to put his ego aside and do what was best for the program. This type of introspection and quick reaction sucks in much of the business world. This was not the case for the Texas CEO.
Brown was willing to change who he was and how he did things to improve the program.
Today, the program is better off, as it always has been under Mack Brown.
