Key Texas Booster Ticked Off Over Strong

[HuskyDogArt]

Of course Texas' decision was bound to tick off some of their boosters. But they went large on this one.

http://espn.go.com/college-football...bs-bashes-texas-longhorns-charlie-strong-hire



Longtime booster Red McCombs is not a fan of Texas' decision to hire coach Charlie Strong away from Louisville, calling it a "kick in the face" during a radio interview Monday.

"I think the whole thing is a bit sideways," McCombs said of the selection process during an interview with ESPN 1250 San Antonio. "I don't have any doubt that Charlie is a fine coach. I think he would make a great position coach, maybe a coordinator.

"But I don't believe [he belongs at] what should be one of the three most powerful university programs in the world right now at UT-Austin. I don't think it adds up."

McCombs, the former owner of the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Vikings and co-founder of Clear Channel Communications, said on "The Blitz with Dat Nguyen and Jason Minnix" that he was stunned to learn Strong was the choice to replace Mack Brown.

Texas named its McCombs School of Business after the benefactor, and he has a statue inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. McCombs has donated more than $100 million to UT and is a close friend to Brown.

Sounds like Burton...

 

[HuskyDogArt]

Who is Strong naming as his Offensive Coordinator?

GDL

 

[Jimdish255]

Seems like a great guy.

http://go.bloomberg.com/political-c...ophole-beneficiary-to-host-romney-fundraiser/

 

[Jax Husky]

Seems like a great guy.

http://go.bloomberg.com/political-c...ophole-beneficiary-to-host-romney-fundraiser/

I hope that isn't sarcasm because everyone should use every loophole they can to avoid paying double taxes on money they've already earned. That's all I'll say before this thread deteriorates further.

 

[LRock34]

That's the money quote on the racism angle. If he said that "Charlie is a great coach but here at TX we expect to hire someone with NCs or Superbowl wins and he just isn't at that level yet..." he would be fine.

When he says that a guy with more BCS wins in the last 2 years than TX has last 8 is only "a position coach" , he sounds stupid or racist. Based on his success, I don't think he is stupid.

I get that TX wanted Saban or Lombardi or Shula or Bear Bryant, but this is bad.

This.

He sounds like one of those old farts who believed black men didnt have the poise or intelligence to play QB. They make fine WRs and RBs but not QBs. Strong is a proven HC but this doosh says he would make a fine coordinator???

 

[tzznandrew]

I just don't see the alleged racism in Mr. McCombs' statement but I do see some pretty sad and disappointing responses to his comments from posters on this board.

Mack Brown's record was no more impressive than Charlie Strong's. Mack Brown was 80-69-1 at Tulane and UNC. He never won the ACC and came in 2nd only 3 times in 10 years. He did turn around the program (his first two years were 1-10) and he left them with a 10-2 and a 10-1 (left before bowl) record in the last two seasons. There's more of a track record with Mack Brown, but it's not like he was significantly more successful than someone like Strong. His best bowl appearance was the Gator bowl, which he went to twice.

Charlie Strong only has 4 years. But he was bowl eligible every year, won the league twice, and won the Sugar Bowl.

Look, what suggests racism to people is a certain combination: white, old southerner who suggests that a successful black man isn't good enough to run something, but instead, despite their success, is only good enough to assist someone.

Does that mean he meant it racially, or that racism even entered the man's thoughts? No. The article mentioned that he was good friends with Mack Brown, so I can imagine him being upset that a friend was sort of forced out, and they didn't replace him with someone like Harbaugh or Gruden, and that's that. But I get why it set people's antennae off: it's the sort of person and the sort of thing said for a very long time with the racial agenda.

 

[Waquoit]

He sounds like one of those old farts who believed black men didnt have the poise or intelligence to play QB. They make fine WRs and RBs but not QBs. Strong is a proven HC but this doosh says he would make a fine coordinator???

I parked next to an old-fart "Iron Duke" at the 1999 Final Four. We chatted a bit and he told us that each team could have one player that couldn't meet the normal Duke admission criteria. While that was fine for basketball, he lamented that it really hurt his first love, the football team. "That's why can never get a decent tailback" he said.

 

[Excalibur]

 

[JaYnYcE]

Wow. Guess ol' Red was pissed they couldn't get Saban. When you have a crapload of money like that I guess you don't have to worry about sounding racist. I think that card gets played too often, but this is one case where people might have a point if they call Red on it.

Red sounds like the CT HS FB coaches assn types who were defending Pasqualoni. Has he not seen what Sumlin is doing at A&M?

That wasn't racist nor did it sound racist.

 

[tzznandrew]

That wasn't racist nor did it sound racist.

Well, glad you clarified that. If it doesn't have a tinge of racism to your ear, it can't to anyone else's...

 

[DarthGrumpy]

And that just about sums up that while I am no fan of Strong and detest Longhorn pride, I hope Strong succeeds in Austin just to give the old boys in Texas a kick in the shins...or a foot or two higher.

 

[John]

Can't bring up UT without this..

this is worthy of its own thread, if not its own website.

 

[JaYnYcE]

Well, glad you clarified that. If it doesn't have a tinge of racism to your ear, it can't to anyone else's...

growing up in CT, I think I have an idea of what could be considered racist.

 

[CAHUSKY]

Can't bring up UT without this..

One of my buddies is UT alum who lives in Austin. His Facebook page is full of pics of lots of his female friends that look just like this. Something in the water down there for sure.

 

[CTPride]

Live in Dallas and McCombs is a known racist as well as many of the other big wig boosters at UT. Theres no doubt alot of the disappointment in strongs hire has to do with him not being as big a name as saban. But there is some pretty evident signs of racism and prejudice feelings at Texas.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Assuming it's racist mostly because he's white and Strong's black is a pretty big leap.

 

[tzznandrew]

growing up in CT, I think I have an idea of what could be considered racist.

I grew up in CT as well, and have family in the South. I was being perhaps a little too sarcastic in my initial response: just because any one person might not have read that quote and thought to themselves "racism" doesn't mean another was unjustifiable for hearing it.

I don't know what his motivations were, but the speaker, the tone, the message, and the subject all fit a model of racism. Doesn't mean it ultimately was--but I'm saying I can get why people would hear it that way.

 

[tzznandrew]

Assuming it's racist mostly because he's white and Strong's black is a pretty big leap.

It's not that a white person cannot say something negative about a black person without it being racist. It's context. And, as pointed out, it's the suggestion that a--so far--very successful black coach would be better served as an assistant. And it was said by a man born in 1927 in the South--which means that he was in his late 30s before the laws of his state at least nominally treated the two races equally.

Again, far be it from me to say what he meant, or call him a racist. But to not see why many people would hear racial undertones is shocking to me.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

growing up in CT, I think I have an idea of what could be considered racist.

Two words - police profiling.
It was a running joke throughout my high school, especially as one of my teammates on the soccer team was black (his dad was a big shot at the old P&W plant in North Haven) and he got pulled over by local PD at least every other month driving his dad's hand-me-down BMW.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

A prominent booster at Old State U not approving of the most recent head coaching hire. Sounds like UConn circa 2011 (after Randy left). For whatever reason, big shot boosters at both schools raised objections . . . racially motivated, too old, too mediocre, limited experience, whatever. PP, remember was the all time winningest Big East coach, had NFL experience and was respected by the Connecticut high school coaches. Strong has had great success at Bridgewater U.

My point? Time will tell.

PP was at a school that was cutting its teeth at the BCS level and on a fast forward trajectory. And, he wrecked it or at least set it back years. So Burton and other detractors had it correct in the first place. Strong is going to one of the blue blood programs of college football that has struggled of late (8-4? Struggling? Lol) and was demanding change.

So let's not make this a racial matter, McCombs is entitled to his opinion (whether there are others out there who agree with him for whatever reasons OR whether his opinion is hopelessly outdated and just plain wrong). Either way, Charley Strong can prove him wrong. If he's as good as some think, how do you then screw up Texas? He ought to be a legit - and perennial - contender for the playoffs starting almost immediately. Word? Don't screw it up, Charley. Prove 'em wrong. Don't be Texas's Paul Pasqualoni.

 

[J187Money]

Funny. I heard on the radio that lots of the boosters had Tomlin on the list. I guess they don't realize that he's black. I think they wanted to pull someone that would have been a "holy &*$" hire. Like luring Gruden out of retirement, or convincing Tomlin to leave the Steelers, etc. Strong is a great coach and I'm sure he will do just fine down there. But it isn't the type of hire that soothes egos.

 

[J187Money]

A prominent booster at Old State U not approving of the most recent head coaching hire. Sounds like UConn circa 2011 (after Randy left). For whatever reason, big shot boosters at both schools raised objections . . . racially motivated, too old, too mediocre, limited experience, whatever. PP, remember was the all time winningest Big East coach, had NFL experience and was respected by the Connecticut high school coaches. Strong has had great success at Bridgewater U.

My point? Time will tell.

PP was at a school that was cutting its teeth at the BCS level and on a fast forward trajectory. And, he wrecked it or at least set it back years. So Burton and other detractors had it correct in the first place. Strong is going to one of the blue blood programs of college football that has struggled of late (8-4? Struggling? Lol) and was demanding change.

So let's not make this a racial matter, McCombs is entitled to his opinion (whether there are others out there who agree with him for whatever reasons OR whether his opinion is hopelessly outdated and just plain wrong). Either way, Charley Strong can prove him wrong. If he's as good as some think, how do you then screw up Texas? He ought to be a legit - and perennial - contender for the playoffs starting almost immediately. Word? Don't screw it up, Charley. Prove 'em wrong. Don't be Texas's Paul Pasqualoni.

Exactly. And trust me, McCombs will love him if he brings Texas to the promised land.

 

[UConn Dan]

A prominent booster at Old State U not approving of the most recent head coaching hire. Sounds like UConn circa 2011 (after Randy left). For whatever reason, big shot boosters at both schools raised objections . . . racially motivated, too old, too mediocre, limited experience, whatever. PP, remember was the all time winningest Big East coach, had NFL experience and was respected by the Connecticut high school coaches. Strong has had great success at Bridgewater U.

My point? Time will tell.

PP was at a school that was cutting its teeth at the BCS level and on a fast forward trajectory. And, he wrecked it or at least set it back years. So Burton and other detractors had it correct in the first place. Strong is going to one of the blue blood programs of college football that has struggled of late (8-4? Struggling? Lol) and was demanding change.

So let's not make this a racial matter, McCombs is entitled to his opinion (whether there are others out there who agree with him for whatever reasons OR whether his opinion is hopelessly outdated and just plain wrong). Either way, Charley Strong can prove him wrong. If he's as good as some think, how do you then screw up Texas? He ought to be a legit - and perennial - contender for the playoffs starting almost immediately. Word? Don't screw it up, Charley. Prove 'em wrong. Don't be Texas's Paul Pasqualoni.

Difference between Burton/PP and McCombs/STrong is that Burton (and his son) actually had interaction with PP and knew first-hand how we would be as coach.

 

[tzznandrew]

Funny. I heard on the radio that lots of the boosters had Tomlin on the list. I guess they don't realize that he's black. I think they wanted to pull someone that would have been a "holy & $" hire. Like luring Gruden out of retirement, or convincing Tomlin to leave the Steelers, etc. Strong is a great coach and I'm sure he will do just fine down there. But it isn't the type of hire that soothes egos.

I think this is ultimately the real motivation behind his words.

 

[mcs333]

He felt he just wasn't ready for a top 3 HC positions. Won only 37 games, 23 in last three years with a VG QB in a second rate conference. He wanted someone with much more HC experience at a top U or pro's. Which is a valid point. His problem was with his condescending remarks that he would make a very good position coach or maybe a good coordinator. That's what made his remarks sound racist and way over the top.