Makovic was a cerifiable nut case who got his game plans from delusions he had while he was sleeping. He was a total joke. He didn't get fired because of 1 bad season, he got fired because in the six years he was at UT he had 3 really f'n bad seasons including his last season and exactly 1 season with more than 8 wins. In the 6 years he was at UT he finished int the top 20 exactly 1 time and never finished in the top 10. That is why he got fired. That and because the guy was a nut.
That's silly. He took over a total mess of a program that regularly had losing records. 1992: 6-5; his first season - not much to say here 1993: 5-5-1 against an extremely difficult schedule with 4 ranked non-conference opponents; this was an improvement over the previous year 1994: 8-4; conference title - improvement over previous year 1995: 10-2-1; conference title - improvement over previous year 1996: 8-5; conference title in a much more difficult conference. It's would be like Louisville going from the AAC to ACC and beating FSU next year to win the conference. The Big 8 teams were far and away superior to the SWC. 1997: distaster - fired Each each was an improvement over the previous year until 1996, which was still a great year, and then 1997 which was a disaster. You're judging Mackovic based on today's expectations instead of the reality of where Texas was at the time.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Texas very interested in UCLA's Jim Mora. UT & reps of Mora had conversations today sources told <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter">@AdamSchefter</a></p>— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) <a href="https://twitter.com/McMurphyESPN/statuses/418875369874157569">January 2, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
That record sucked. Period. This is the University of Texas not Texas Tech or Baylor. Moral victories mean squat. Six seasons is more than enough time to put enough talent on the field to have more than 1 single season in the stinking top 20. Only 1 season in the top 20. You know what the 6 years of John Mackovic reminds me of? The last 4 years of Mack Brown. The Big 12 south and the SWC were pathetically weak during Mackovic's reign. OU was a shell of who they were with some of the worst coaching hires of all time. The real power was in the north with Colorado, Nebraska and KState. A&M was the best team in the SWC during the last years of that conference. UT was lucky not to have to play all of those guys in the Big 12 North. That disaster of a year you referred to in 97 included losses to a sorry ass Baylor team, TT and a bunch of other suck ass non ranked teams. 1996 The Big 12 South sucked, and Colorado was the only team they played from the North until the Big 12 Championship Game. UT Non-Conference Schedule had 1 really tough team on it, Notre Dame. In Mackovic's 3rd season he should have had his guys situated and he should have been somewhat consistently good and they should not have gotten their asses handed to them by the Virginia (not all that good that season). And of course we all know the team just got worse not better. RC Slocom and the Aggies were regularly ranked in the top 20 during Mackovic's reign but not UT. The Aggies regularly kicked Mackovic's but when he was at UT winning 4 out of 6 contests. During the time that Mackovic was the UT coach (only finishing in the top 20 once) the Aggies only finished outside the top 20 once and were a top 10 team 3 times and finishing ranked 11 once. Mackovic was a complete failure. So what that he improved on David McWilliams record. McWilliams was a failure to. Don't judge Mackovic against McWilliams. In 6 seasons there is no reason not to have more than 1 top 20 ranked team. None. And there certainly was no reason to go 4 and 7 in your last season. How in the world could you defend that clown of a coach.
Now that Chip has reported it, I agree, it's smoke (no fire). <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Multiple sources tell <a href="http://t.co/Pb827xg41z">http://t.co/Pb827xg41z</a> Texas' coaching search focus now squarely on UCLA's Jim Mora.</p>— Chip Brown (@ChipBrownOB) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChipBrownOB/statuses/418901588892086272">January 3, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I'd be underwhelmed by Mora, but I could see it being a realistic outcome if you take out all the extension-signers and assume none of the fantasy NFL candidates are realistic (the Harbaughs, Gruden).
Yeah Chip is reporting a new guy everyday. Yesterday Briles, today Mora. No way Patterson operates that way. Pretty sure Chip is being used as misdirection. This hire is going to play a huge role in defining Pattersons tenure as AD
On a side note, if it's really true that interest in Briles has ended after the Fiesta Bowl loss, then whoever's doing the evaluating is fairly stupid. Not that they should or shouldn't be interested, but they shouldn't be making a 5-10 year decision based on one game's performance.
Mora has done wonders turning around UCLA, and has been pulling top kids from Texas in the process. We could do a lot worse than him.
I think Mora is an interesting candidate. Since most of the top tier coaches are locked up, UT may have to take a more sizeable risk than they're used to, or what they expected to. Mora has had early success and is young enough he could be a lifer candidate, but he is a significant flight risk for the NFL.
I think there are several coaches that could have a lot of success at UT. James Franklin is someone I think certainly deserves consideration. High energy guy that is an up and comer if UT wants to go that way. I'm guessing he doesn't have the skins to garner serious consideration but he would be an interesting choice if they don't make an offer to one of the high profile coaches.
So if we hire Franklin next week, will it be because we didn't make an offer to one of the high profile coaches? Bucky Godbolt and Aaron Hogan on Austin's The Horn radio said that the consulting firm UT hired recommended Charlie Strong. It was the same firm that recommended Patterson to UT. They didn't say how they knew that. Hope it didn't come from Chip Brown. UT's intrest in Jim Mora is also being reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter.
UCLA coach Jim Mora has signed a new six-year contract to stay with the program, the school announced Tuesday. (link)
