Monday Morning with Sean: Post-WVU
Charlie Strong. (Will Gallagher/IT)
Ultimately, the fans are right.
My father used to always say, “You don’t have to be an apple to recognize one.” Mike Leach never played football. Lou Holtz played very little but none of note. Both are very accomplished coaches with Holtz obviously being a Hall of Fame coach.
If you played high school football in the great football state of Texas, you understand the game. I have met so many fans in this state that take more than a cursory interest in the game of football.
Does it become unhealthy? Yes.
Does it end up annoying coaches, players, media members, and people that study football for a living? Yes.
But fans understand the game and that is why I love the great conversations that I have with the fans that can put their ‘intense fandom for a certain team’ down and just talk ball.
As Red (Morgan Freeman) said in Shawshank Redemption, “There’s a harsh truth to face.”
Ultimately the fans, in general, are usually right. Fans may have a shorter fuse and want to make moves faster than feasible according to contracts, seasons, and public relations, but the fans are usually right because they are loyal to the school and not to an individual.
Charlie Strong has to think about his job, obviously, at the University of Texas. He also has strong ties to offensive line coach, Joe Wickline, maybe his closest personal friend on the staff. He is close with former play-caller and QB coach Shawn Watson. He is close with other coaches that might be under consideration for replacement.
The fans are right about the amount of change that needs to happen on the offensive side of the ball.
Since David Ash got hurt in the first game of the 2014 season, most of the conversations about this Texas offense has been based around what could or should be done as opposed to what the offense was doing.
While I do not believe that every coach on the offensive staff should be replaced, there needs to be large level changes.
The fans are right. The fans demanding for the 2-back sets more on offense are right. The fans that are irritated with the running back rotation between D’Onta Foreman and Johnathan Gray are right. Foreman averaged 5.5 yards per carry after the 65-yard touchdown on Saturday. It is not just about big runs.
The fans that want to see DeShon Elliott on the field are right.
The fans that are sick of blowouts are right.
The fans that support Charlie Strong and understand what he is trying to do are right.
The fans are also right when they demand that Texas be better and do better.
The fans are usually ahead of the coaching staff.
Let’s see if Strong catches up before it is too late.
