We are the Joneses - The Official Texas Longhorns Athletics Thread

[Numpsay]

Don't believe OB.

And yes Patterson was a real issue as AD.

Herman is going to get what he wants. He made sure they agreed to that before signing to coach here.

And Bedford is in line to receive one of those personnel staff positions if he wants it.

 

[...o3]

@rantanamo @-o3- @dtownreppin214 @macpat

:potus2::potus2::potus2:...satam, i see what you're doing, big homie. you saw i posted that i'm done with this football organisation, but you keep tagging me in this thread. my hate for these people (not the kids on the team) is already at a toxic level, and you're trying to make it worse.

 

[Spade]

@dtownreppin214 Ketch is on his bullshyt:

I'm seriously thinking about not renewing my 9.95 with Ketch. macpat is going to tell me I shouldn't anyway.

 

[satam55]

if what I'm reading is right, Herman is basically a hardass ceo coach (typical Meyer/Saban)

so that will mean a few transfers... but conference championship seasons right?... right?

I don't consider either Meyer or Saban a CEO coach. tOSU runs Urban Meyer's offense. Bama run Saban's defense. UT will be running Herman's offense, so Herman isn't a CEO Head Coach either.

Sumlin is a CEO Head Coach at A&M. Les Miles was a CEO Head Coach at LSU. Mack Brown was a CEO Head Coach at Texas.

On IT today, Nahlin hosted a big Q&A thread with a UH source of his about how Tom Herman ran his program at UH. The way he talks about Herman, you'd think he's the 2nd coming of Saban.

I'l post some of his responses in this thread later.

 

[DAlbert]

On IT today, Nahlin hosted a big Q&A thread with a UH source of his about how Tom Herman ran his program at UH. The way he talks about Herman, you'd think he's the 2nd coming of Saban.

I'l post some of his responses in this thread later.

I've been reading

idk man I got this feeling that Herman is going to come up short

even at Iowa State he's always had a running QB

I have no clue how this is going to work out

 

[dtownreppin214]

On IT today, Nahlin hosted a big Q&A thread with a UH source of his about how Tom Herman ran his program at UH. The way he talks about Herman, you'd think he's the 2nd coming of Saban.

I'l post some of his responses in this thread later.

been hearing the same thing about his attention to detail. post them quotes tho.

 

[satam55]

On IT today, Nahlin hosted a big Q&A thread with a UH source of his about how Tom Herman ran his program at UH. The way he talks about Herman, you'd think he's the 2nd coming of Saban.

I'l post some of his responses in this thread later.

been hearing the same thing about his attention to detail. post them quotes tho.

Spoiler

Breakdown of Herman's Operation: Insider Q&A

if you really want to know how Herman operates I'll answer a few questions and trust me I've seen it !!!

Seems to be a I want your respect, not to be your friend kind of guy. How or did he earn the respect of the Houston players?

It'll take a couple of seasons but definitely

How does he use GAs and QC guys who aren't named assistants? Is that a big part of his operation?

Those guys are treated just like coaches and they're expected to perform at a high level everyday

Also, curious what the role of the guy he brought with him from UH who functions as sort of the CEO of football operations is. Is that primarily organizational?

Yes sir that's his right hand man, he filters everything before it's gets to Herman

How many non coaching assistants do you expect him to hire. Do you think he will hire as many has Saban has at Alabama?

yes without a doubt

What's something unique to how Herman operates his strength and conditioning program? I guess specifically, what makes it different from Strong's?

Not sure what Strong did but the stadium lights will be on at 345 and at 4 these guys better be ready to go hard every rep he won't settle for anything less

Seems to be a I want your respect, not to be your friend kind of guy. How or did he earn the respect of the Houston players?

He's not their friend Strong had players coming into the office those days are OVER

Talk about instilling toughness.

What's something unique to how Herman operates his strength and conditioning program? I guess specifically, what makes it different from Strong's?

I guarantee their will be guys transferring

Lovo and McKnight.

Tom views these two as important as him and his title.

Can you give the board insight into their specific roles besides just title and why he feels the way he does about them? I think they're two names that are very important to his operation/process and beneficial for the board to understand.

McKnight spends more time with the players than anybody so he knows who's meeting Herman's standards especially during the summer when the coaches don't have access to the players McKnight is mini Herman

How involved will Herman be in the offensive play calling? Is he the type that will let the OC run the show and just offer suggestions when need be? Or will he be more heavily involved?

Herman lets the OC do his thing, he's heavily involved in special teams

Who were the top recruiters on UH staff with Herman?

Naviar is the guy

Tell us about the strength & conditioning program, keeping players accountable to workouts, etc.?

He'll identify team leaders and they'll be held accountable for a certain group of players

Tell us about the strength & conditioning program, keeping players accountable to workouts, etc.?

Workouts are brutal!!!these guys aren't ready

Seems to be a I want your respect, not to be your friend kind of guy. How or did he earn the respect of the Houston players?

By asking them to do everything for their brothers and not for him!!! These Texas players will not be in cliques everyone is equal under Herman there are no favorites

Do you have any idea what the initial impression of our current roster is on the new staff, in terms of talent, fitness, toughness?

The team isn't physically or mentally tough and he'll break these guys down even more

Does he just let Todd have carte blanche on defense or does he actively participate in defensive coaching/gameplanning?

Orlando runs it

Loving all this toughness talk.. almost makes me want to reup!

It's not just talk my kid is on the Houston roster it's 100 percent real!!!

When Coach Herman took over at Houston how much attrition did you experience?

He weeded out about 12 players

What would you say is Herman's biggest weakness/blind spot?

He won't let up when it comes to injuries it's full go all the time

Obviously a lot of things point to Herman being successful here at Texas, but what is his biggest shortcoming as a head coach?

Not very media friendly but he'll act his way through it

@CougarHorn Thanks for taking the time to do this. Have any idea what Tom thinks of the Big 12 relative to other conferences? If UT had to change conferences, where do you think Tom would like to go? Why?

Is Tom ready for the high flying offenses in the Big 12 and defending them effectively on a week to week basis?

He's more than ready

I'm curious where that thought is rooted. Is it because of the difficulty of the work (working out at 4, going hard every rep) that they aren't used to? Is it because some guys' just won't buy into his personality apart from the work being done? Or is it something else?

He'll weed out the guys not buying in and that's what he wants

What is your take on the Houston staff members that are on board or expected to be part of the staff. In order Orlando, Applewhite, Naviar, Washington, Meekins, the oline coach( I can't rember his name), and Giles. I know alot about Major and Oscar of course but I would be very interested in your take on them.

Great guys and they know what Herman wants so this transition is easy for them the players better be ready to work

Apologies if this question was asked as I'm gonna read the thread now: What was the most inpressive trait to you about Herman, whether it was recruiting, generating excitement, motivation, anything iyo.

Also from what you recall who were the studs on his staff. Studs as in recruits talked them up the most and their position always played well.

He knows how to motivate his players to play through all adversity

Curious what the reaction of the UH roster was to him leaving: happy, upset, indifferent?

He absolutely lied to the players!!! Even as late as last Saturday he told them he was staying

How did Coach Herman handle the constant innuendo that he was leaving for another job?
Do you think his players resented his leaving? Did he ever openly address the possibility of
leaving in a team meeting setting?

He handled it by constantly saying he was only interested in Houston but his agent was working for him behind the scenes

I have read a lot that makes me think that not only the players and the media, but the UT fans as well, will have to get used to Herman's modus operandi. Would you say that there is a learning curve for the fans, when compared to our past two coaches?

No need they'll win day one

Do you think Herman will try to lure some of his former Ohio State coaches to Texas if one of the coordinators get the head gig at UH?

No I don't think so

is there something to worry about re Herman winning the "big" type of games but then losing to inferior opponents? Is this more of an outlier or maybe a habit he has of putting more emphasis on certain games than others?

Trust me he's already game planning for USC!!!

 

[satam55]

Part 2:

Spoiler

Thank you for the insight. Does Coach H understand that some players have previously given their utmost and will continue to do so of their own volition, but may not believe they need to "prove themselves" to the new staff in some other/new particular fashion? It is possible that some players of worth could be turned off by a psychological motivation approach that they perceive as unwarranted.

Rooting for the team and the new staff.

He could care less about what they gave for him it's all about what they do now

What's your favorite story of the Herman tenure that we wouldn't have heard?

Sending Applewhite all the way to Tyler to check Greg Wards weight and sending Herman a picture of the weight

I seriously doubt are guys are physically weak. Herman may be tougher on them than Strong/Moorer, but it's not like Herman just took over Mack's roster here.

Just watch it'll be a totally different team nobody will punch Texas in the mouth like TCU, K State and other teams did

I have read a lot that makes me think that not only the players and the media, but the UT fans as well, will have to get used to Herman's modus operandi. Would you say that there is a learning curve for the fans, when compared to our past two coaches?

Without a doubt

Thanks for your replies, @CougarHorn. What was the feeling in the Coug's locker room about the Texas squad? Around the time of the ND game, a radio commentator made the comment that the Horns were NOT the best team in Texas. I would figure the Cougs would have been more than ready to take on Strong and the Longhorns.

Houston kids thought Texas was soft

What is your take on the Houston staff members that are on board or expected to be part of the staff. In order Orlando, Applewhite, Naviar, Washington, Meekins, the oline coach( I can't rember his name), and Giles. I know alot about Major and Oscar of course but I would be very interested in your take on them.

They're all aligned as Herman would say

What's your favorite story of the Herman tenure that we wouldn't have heard?

He locked the locker room door with a huge chain bcuz the players left locker room dirty

With your knowledge of the UH roster, can you compare the Texas roster for comparative talent?
The story here on IT was injuries played a huge role in the UH losses this season...is that your take as well?
What was the impact of Herman taking over at UH in terms of talent, coaching up, execution, etc, to get UH to a 22-4 record in 2 seasons there?

Thanks for your time here...

Way more talent on the Texas roster no reason Texas doesn't become relevant on the national stage again

I seriously doubt are guys are physically weak. Herman may be tougher on them than Strong/Moorer, but it's not like Herman just took over Mack's roster here.

Yeah I agree with this. Let's give ourselves some credit here - most people on this board watched hours and hours of Texas football this year. I personally didn't see instances where the team quit, mentally or physically. They looked out of it in OT vs Kansas and maybe the second half of TCU. Were they underprepared ? Sure. And there's always a way to improve toughness (which is what Herman is trying to do), but I doubt he's been able to diagnose a toughness issue in the five days since he left Houston, even if there is one.

You missed a bunch of Texas games this year, but I don't blame you.

Examples, maybe? Kansas is the only viable answer here. Every other game was close and we lost due to youth, not being prepared or bad game management.

Texas lost to more talented teams. Houston beat more talented teams convincingly. Do you simply attilribute that to scheme?

Youth played a part of this, along with the upper-classmen having zero history of actually succeeding at Texas. There is no mantle being passed on to the under-classmen right now, which leads to less aggressive play, imo.

When they show up knocking the shyt out of people next year it's not going to be because they became juniors and sophomores.

Strong's Natty defense that was very, very young played with their hair on fire.

Just sayin, I watched a fair few Houston games and every Texas game and there's no question which team was tougher and more physical.

It's not even a debate, the question now becomes can they mold Texas in that UofH image while deploying vastly superior talent (though that defense has at least four NFL guys on it).

Houston is entirely tougher and more aggressive than Texas. Maybe Texas wasn't soft, but they weren't tough enough and that's what matters.

What are a few of the differences that you believe we will see in Texas next season that are a result of a tougher/more physical team?

Louisville and Memphis were the only Houston game where I saw a significant part of it so my impressions of them are almost all based on those games and most differences that stuck with me were on the defensive side.

Houston looked like an aggressive defense when they were lined up. Much of the time Texas looked passive when lined up on defense. I suspect that impression was created by Houston not playing a significant distance off the line of scrimmage. I guess I like corners somewhat in press coverage and LBs ready to step in the hole at the LOS.

One thing to me is that many of our players appeared to be mentally unprepared for the next play when the prior play ended. It was typical for us to play fast tempo teams that snapped the ball quickly. Yet I constantly saw players get up and slowly walk toward their position as if the other team was going to huddle and then having to hastily run to that position when it seemingly dawned on them that the other team was about to snap the ball. It was almost like they were surprised that the offense was going to snap the ball that quick.

I expect a more confident team and that this will be noticeable watching the players on the field.

My biggest issue is getting off blocks. Texas was too passive and accepted them -- this was more in the back seven. We'll see LBers attacking downhill and trying to run through shoulders rather than around them. CB's will be shedding blocks better. That's just want to. Most WR's don't want to block.

We'll see guys finishing tackles rather than letting up when they think somebody else has him. They'll run into piles rather than stand around them.

We'll hopefully see real confidence on the field rather than Twitter bravado.

Eric, do you have the number of Mack's players that left because of Charlie's purge before the start of 2014 season? Coug mentioned 12 left UH shortly after TH arrived. Might be insightful or give us some data points to start from.

\m/

8-9. I don't count Sanders and Meander.

But this was in August and for rules violations, not because they couldn't hack Spring. It was a smart move on Strong's part so he could take a much larger 2015 class.

How did Coach Herman handle the constant innuendo that he was leaving for another job?
Do you think his players resented his leaving? Did he ever openly address the possibility of
leaving in a team meeting setting?

Never openly addressed it and the players felt like he lied to them

Thank you for the insight. Does Coach H understand that some players have previously given their utmost and will continue to do so of their own volition, but may not believe they need to "prove themselves" to the new staff in some other/new particular fashion? It is possible that some players of worth could be turned off by a psychological motivation approach that they perceive as unwarranted.

Rooting for the team and the new staff.

If they don't buy in they will not be a part of the team

I seriously doubt are guys are physically weak. Herman may be tougher on them than Strong/Moorer, but it's not like Herman just took over Mack's roster here.

What they went through with Strong is nothing compared to what's about to happen

Thanks for your replies, @CougarHorn. What was the feeling in the Coug's locker room about the Texas squad? Around the time of the ND game, a radio commentator made the comment that the Horns were NOT the best team in Texas. I would figure the Cougs would have been more than ready to take on Strong and the Longhorns.

Felt they could beat Texas

Hey @CougarHorn, as an ex Cougar Letterman let me ask you your opinion on Herman's recruiting druther's; based on your son being a Cougar; do you think Herman puts as much into a kid's mental make-up as he does their athletic ability.

I know that athletic ability is a must, but does he value mental toughness as much as athletic ability when on the croot'n trail? I would think he does.

Mental toughness before anything else!!! I will say this on the team charter linemen sit in first class he says he wants to be around tough guys

How close were the UH players to Levine, and how did they handle the transition from Levine to Herman?

Hated Levine couldn't be trusted

How close were the UH players to Levine, and how did they handle the transition from Levine to Herman?

They had no idea how tough it would be, under a Levine it was easy

With your knowledge of the UH roster, can you compare the Texas roster for comparative talent?
The story here on IT was injuries played a huge role in the UH losses this season...is that your take as well?
What was the impact of Herman taking over at UH in terms of talent, coaching up, execution, etc, to get UH to a 22-4 record in 2 seasons there?

Thanks for your time here...

Texas has more talent but they weren't better coached

How close were the UH players to Levine, and how did they handle the transition from Levine to Herman?

Not close to Levine at all no tears shed when he left

I watched UH play a lot this year, and that was one tough ass team. Now, injuries bit them in the ass against Navy and SMU, big-time. I'm hopeful that the better depth here will help ameliorate that.

Is Kyle Allen the project starter for UH next year?

Yep

Sounds like Herman let's his assitants coach their position groups and demands their groups perform on a championship level every day , or they are they are held to account. I am all for the carrot and the stick approach. But there must be the possiblity of the reward. Respect once earned needs to acknowledged or the season becomes to long. Coach Herman obviously knows what he is doing 13-1 in 2015 and 9-3 in 2016. This points to his players buying in to his tough love approach in a big way.

The reward is wins nothing else

So sounds like he is pretty hard on the kids, and was getting results from it. What were the players thoughts of playing for him? Its not always a bad thing to have a hard ass as your coach. I was listening to Darren Woodson on the radio today and he says all he remembers is coaches who were tough on him and pushed him at every level, and hardly remembers the ones who were friendly. Felt he was a better player for it.

Once he got rid of the guys not buying in the kids loved the guy no matter how hard it was

Does Herman delegate easily or tend to micro-manage? I understand his standards are high but just wondering about style.

Delegates

You mention Herman lets his OC and DC do their thing and that TH himself is "heavily involved in special teams." Say some more about his work with special teams. Scheming, tricks (fake punts, FG's), supervising practice of ST's? How much use of starters on ST's?

Thanks for doing this for us.

Starters will play on special teams if necessary I would expect to see it

Tom Herman has coached in a lot of places...
Based on the different coaches he coached with, who influenced him the most?
I'm talking head coaches but if there were fellow coordinators or even position coaches, that works too...

He is an Urban Meyer clone

This sounds good and all but Herman laid his eggs also this season. He had a couple of gross losses.

Lots of injuries. 4 of 5 Oline starters were out for SMU, I believe. Could be due to his "crazy" practices.

More injuries in practices than any game

I only have two question for you.
1. Will he teach this defense how to fricken tackle, correctly? Hit them, wrap them up and put them on their A$$es.
2. Will he hold accountable those that keep making penalties at criticle times in a game? I get so sick of watching a good drive being put together and more than likely about score points only to be killed by some stupid holding, false start or some other stupid lack of concentration and discipline. Always on a 3rd and 2 or 3.

Tackling will improve 1000 percent!!! They do it everyday in practice throughout the season

Why couldn't Coach Strong get these guys to play with the same passion as his 2008 UF Defense?

They played with passion. Strong often had them in the wrong place.

 

[Numpsay]

I call bullshyt on a lot of that. I watched a lot of both UT and UH games, neither team came across tougher than the other, and there were games UH looked entirely unprepared in both Ws and Ls.

 

[Dr. Narcisse]

Hope Herman finds his mobile QB. That offense didn't look good without Ward on the field.

 

[dtownreppin214]

@satam55 good stuff bro. I guess every site is selling the narrative that texas is soft again not just unprepared. i'm not sure i buy that, but i do believe the thought that the players grew too close to strong. i see this dynamic a lot with black coaches where players view them as the homie instead of as a superior. when those lines get blurred you're done as a coach. some of these players came here strictly b/c of the relationship factor with coach strong. i bet we see a lot of attrition when they realize herman isn't going to rock with them like that.

 

[Dr. Narcisse]

@satam55 good stuff bro. I guess every site is selling the narrative that texas is soft again not just unprepared. i'm not sure i buy that, but i do believe the thought that the players grew too close to strong. i see this dynamic a lot with black coaches where players view them as the homie instead of as a superior. when those lines get blurred you're done as a coach. some of these players came here strictly b/c of the relationship factor with coach strong. i bet we see a lot of attrition when they realize herman isn't going to rock with them like that.

I'll say it again.

If Strong had a QB none of this matters. The defense isn't that tough? Welcome to the Big 12.

First mistake was Watson as his OC. That cost him two years. Then just not having a QB ready to go.

A solid QB would have got Strong at least two more years. A good one and he'd been set.

Strong was kicking players off the team. No matter how close they got to him there still was respect. Strong's failures are from what happened day one on the job (Watson) not any built relationships with players.

 

[Numpsay]

Losing Ash and Espinosa basically on Day 1 certainly didn't help matters. Ash wasn't a world beater, but he was average enough and infinitely better than Swoopes at that time. Charlie was really snake bitten is entire tenure here.

 

[DAlbert]

I didn't like the idea of not going after JUCO qb, but thought it was probably smart to not rock the boat with Shane. As we figured, however, Shane started collecting injuries as soon as the Cal game

but yeah from the start Strong was done with that staff

 

[satam55]

That spin though.