Reports that Mack Brown had stepped down as the football coach at Texas proved to be premature, but ultimately appear to be true.
In the meantime, Texas and Alabama will wait to see what Nick Saban decides. The Alabama coach has long been the Longhorns’ dream successor for Brown, but it is unclear if it is even close to realistic.
Saban has said his plan is to retire in Tuscaloosa, but an ESPN report on Wednesday says the four-time BCS champion (one with LSU, three with Alabama) has had a contract extension on his desk since Friday that he has yet to sign. This has led to some anxiety for officials at Alabama, which lost to Auburn in the Iron Bowl, costing it a chance at three straight national titles.
On Tuesday, Brown denied an Orangebloods.com report that he already left his position.
“I’m in Florida recruiting,” Brown told 247Sports.com. “If I had decided to step down I sure wouldn’t be killing myself down here. I have not decided to step down.”
But he doesn’t seem to be long for the Longhorns. Most reports have him stepping down either before or after Texas’ Dec. 30 Alamo Bowl game against Oregon.
The Associated Press reported Saban’s agent Jimmy Sexton told Texas officials in January that Texas was the only school he would consider leaving Alabama for, and his success with the Crimson Tide had put him under “special pressure.”
Saban shot down the report, and his wife, Terry, recently shot down the rumors in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
“We’re staying,” she said. “We’re not going anywhere.”
Other potential candidates could include Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher, NFL broadcaster Jon Gruden and Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien, among others.
Brown won the national championship at Texas in 2005, with a memorable Vince Young-led victory over USC. His troubles began with a 5-7 season in 2010, snapping a streak of nine consecutive campaigns with double-digit wins. Texas has failed to win 10 games each of the last four years, after it had never won less than nine games under Brown.
Texas is 8-4 this year, rebounding from a 1-2 start as Brown switched defensive coordinators, replacing Manny Diaz with Greg Robinson after Texas allowed 550 yards rushing in a 40-21 loss to BYU.
But the Longhorns suffered a pair of blowout losses in two of their final three games, including a 30-10 setback to Baylor with the Big 12 title on the line. Brown has gone just 18-17 against Big 12 rivals over the last four years.
Recruiting is at the heart of the problem. The 62-year-old Brown and his staff whiffed on the last two Heisman Trophy winners, former Baylor star Robert Griffin III and Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, both of them Texans. They also were unable to land Florida State phenom Jameis Winston, this year’s Heisman front-runner who said he wanted to attend Texas but never received a scholarship offer.
Brown was extremely successful for more than a decade and a half, compiling a 158-47 record, winning 10 bowl games, six Big 12 South titles, three conference crowns and the 2005 BCS national championship.