Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Mack Attack - Brown Gets Another Raise

Big bucks for Brown

Brown earned raise from Regents

By: Ryan Killian

Posted: 8/29/07

Mack Brown wasn't born yesterday. He was born 56 years ago yesterday.

So it's safe to say knows a good deal when he sees one, and it's even safer to say he got a good one Tuesday. His raise from the Board of Regents nets him an extra $150,000 for the coming season. Additionally, he's got another $100,000 coming to him this weekend. Then there's that $1 million "retention bonus" in 2009 and another one in 2010 for double that.

It's a mind-numbing amount of money, but he's earned it. Texas is reaping a bountiful financial harvest, and Brown's football program is responsible for a nice portion of those revenues. Brown, whose success since 1990 is bested by only Florida State University's Bobby Bowden, isn't the top paid coach in the sport. He's not even the highest paid coach in the Big 12 conference. That honor goes to Oklahoma's Bob Stoops, who, with maximum bonuses, could have made $3,450,000 last year.

Before Brown, the last head coach to lead the Longhorns to a national title was Darrell K. Royal in 1970. He was a legend, and everyone after him a disappointment - until Brown. Since 2001, Texas has won at least 10 games every year. The team has had nine straight bowl appearances, and if they can win a measly six games this year they'll earn a school-record 10th straight.

He's not having this success in an empty stadium, either. No, he's packing them in there as tight as they'll fit. Extra bleachers are in one end zone to accommodate them, and the other end zone is being revamped to fit in even more.

Those fans have money, and it's that money that's driving this whole thing. Remember, Brown's salary comes from athletic revenues. Your tax money isn't being used to enhance his stocks portfolio or buy him a 1,500-count Egyptian cotton bed spread. No money's being taken from the state's coffers and stuffed in his wallet.

He's literally earned this dough.

In 2006, Brown was eligible to make $2,474,345 more than Steve Roberts, his counterpart in Saturday's opener. But that's just the way things work in college football, and the final score will likely reflect the teams' differences.

To keep the top talent, you've got to have the top coaches. To keep the top coaches, you've got to pay top dollar.

Brown's incentives were also modified Tuesday. Winning the Big 12 Championship is now worth $100,000. Winning the national title is worth almost half a million bucks. It's another reminder that the goal here is winning.

If that's not enough of a reminder, it should be noted that his compensation in the event of a termination was also altered. They love him now, but they'll ditch him like an ugly girl at prom if he dares to lose too often.

In Tuesday's motion Vice Chairman Cyndi Taylor Krier did "further move that the Board finds, as required by state law, that this proposed contract change is in the best interest of UT-Austin."

I second that motion.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

U-Wire Top 10

Ranking college football teams seems to have become part of the job for sportswriters, and new polls pop up every day.
I don't see anything wrong with that, especially not when I get to vote in one. 28 voters, each from a separate D-1 school paper, made their picks. And here's what we came up with.

***

For the Texan, I wrote today about why giving Mack Brown a raise was a good thing. Once it's published, I'll probably post it here as well.
There was one argument against the raise that I didn't address: some would charge that the incredible amount of revenue gained by the football program should be put into hiring better teachers and improving UT's academics in general.
That's fine, but the way I see it, giving away what they've earned is liking plugging the rectum of an incredible dog that lives off his own droppings because you can't stand the smell. Sure, you'll get rid of the stench, but eventually your pet will die or demand a regular feeding.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Kyle Russell to Stay at Texas

After earning All-American status and hitting a team-record 28 longballs last season, Kyle Russell has opted to return for another year of college baseball. Standout catcher Preston Clark made the same decision, a year after being named a first team All-Big 12 selection.

Both players already have their sights set on Omaha and the College World Series, somewhere they haven't been in the last two years.

"Obviously, I wouldn't have chosen to come back if I didn't think we could do extraordinary things next season," Russell said.

If they do make it to Omaha, third baseman Bradley Suttle and pitchers Adrian Alaniz and James Russell will miss out. The trio all signed professional contracts, and Alaniz has already picked up a handful of wins for the Class A Vermont Lake Monsters and been named an All Star.

The Longhorns had seven of their recruits selected in the draft including Brandon Workman in the third round, but only Taylor Groat, and eight round selection by the New York Yankees, signed a deal by the August 15 deadline.

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Monday, August 13, 2007

Texas QB Sprains MCL

John Chiles is now Texas's back up quarterback, at least until Sherrod Harris recovers from a sprained MCL he suffered in practice.
Texas head coach Mack Brown said that Chiles and Harris had been neck and neck while competing for the back up job, and the pair were taking the same amount of snaps. Now Chiles will be practicing with the second team, and G.J. Kinne will be with the third team.
"We really believe John has decided that he wants to play, and he wants to play quarterback," Brown said.
The Longhorns are hoping that Harris will be back by the time the season starts, but it looks as if Chiles will likely be the guy doing mop up duty under center if Texas gets out to any big leads.

After years of stability on the offensive line, the Longhorns are young all across the front, and Brown admitted that the running game had suffered. Things are improving though, he said and today's performance was their best day yet.
"It's so unusual to have young offensive linemen that you're preparing to play," Brown said.
Chris Hall, a sophomore guard out of Irving has been one of the brightest spots. After playing in seven games last season, he'll likely be a big part of any succes Texas has on the ground.