History doesn't favor lame-duck coaches for UT, A&M
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, November 22, 2007
No doubt, Texas-Texas A&M is one of the most significant rivalries in college football. For one Friday every late November, the game even trumps loyalty to families and friends based on whether someone's preferred hand sign hooks or gigs.
But tradition also suggests that the game's outcome rarely helps a potential lame duck coach fighting to keep his job.
No doubt, Texas-Texas A&M is one of the most significant rivalries in college football. For one Friday every late November, the game even trumps loyalty to families and friends based on whether someone's preferred hand sign hooks or gigs.
But tradition also suggests that the game's outcome rarely helps a potential lame duck coach fighting to keep his job.
That doesn't bode so well for A&M's Dennis Franchione, who may be coaching his final game as the leader of the Aggie football program.
In the past half-century, there have been a total of 12 coaching changes from both schools. Jackie Sherrill, who was forced out at A&M in 1988 because of NCAA issues, is the only coach from either team who won his final game against the archrival.
The main reason the game doesn't save an embattled coach is that the rivalry — college football's third-longest — features so few upsets. The results have kept the season's status quo, and the lack of drama makes it easier for the athletic directors to write up a pink slip.
The series dates back to 1894, with Texas owning a 73-35-5 record over the Aggies. A&M knocked off the favored Longhorns last year, 12-7. Before 2006, Texas had won six straight games over the Aggies and eight of the past 10.
Another reason the outcome doesn't figure into a coach's future is because by late November, the termination decision already has been made.
"Had I won that (last) game," said former Texas coach David McWilliams, "I don't think it would have mattered."
McWilliams already had set a meeting with UT athletic director DeLoss Dodds before his team traveled to College Station for the 1991 season finale. Although he'd been given a five-year contract extension in 1990, McWilliams was planning to resign even before the Longhorns' 31-14 loss.
A&M's R.C. Slocum, who participated in 30 Texas games, coached his last one in 2002. He said this week he had no idea that the 2002 Longhorn game would be his final one as a coach.
Five days before the Aggies traveled to Austin, A&M freshman Brandon Fails collapsed in his dorm room and died hours later at a local hospital. Slocum was the one who told Fails' parents their son had passed away. He said he spent the rest of the week preparing for Texas and planning a funeral.
The Aggies lost by 30 to Texas. By that Sunday, Slocum was recruiting in Dallas, visiting the homes of several of his 18 commitments when he received the news he'd been fired.
He doesn't believe a win would have made a difference.
"Probably not," Slocum said. "The things I've heard since then, they already had made the deal (with Franchione)."
The turnaround was even quicker the last time Texas hired a coach in 1997. John Mackovic — Mack Brown's predecessor— coached his final game for the Longhorns, a 27-16 loss to A&M. His termination came less than 24 hours after the team buses arrived in Austin from College Station. Brown was hired and introduced to fans within six days.
There are differing plotlines for Friday's game. Brown, who received a new contract and a $250,000 raise in August, is hoping his team wins its 10th game of the season. A victory could put Texas into the Big 12 title game and make the Longhorns an attractive at-large candidate for a BCS berth.
Meanwhile, the Aggies' theme is whether they can make a bowl game and whether Franchione would be there to coach them.
For much of the past month, Franchione has denied that he's already agreed to a buyout of his contract. So it's unknown whether Friday's game will be his last as an Aggie.
He could be like former Texas coach Fred Akers, who in 1986 ended his post-game press conference following a 16-3 defeat to A&M by telling a group of local reporters that he'd see them next season.
Two days later, Dodds called a news conference. It took him about three minutes to announce that Akers was gone.
In the past half-century, there have been a total of 12 coaching changes from both schools. Jackie Sherrill, who was forced out at A&M in 1988 because of NCAA issues, is the only coach from either team who won his final game against the archrival.
The main reason the game doesn't save an embattled coach is that the rivalry — college football's third-longest — features so few upsets. The results have kept the season's status quo, and the lack of drama makes it easier for the athletic directors to write up a pink slip.
The series dates back to 1894, with Texas owning a 73-35-5 record over the Aggies. A&M knocked off the favored Longhorns last year, 12-7. Before 2006, Texas had won six straight games over the Aggies and eight of the past 10.
Another reason the outcome doesn't figure into a coach's future is because by late November, the termination decision already has been made.
"Had I won that (last) game," said former Texas coach David McWilliams, "I don't think it would have mattered."
McWilliams already had set a meeting with UT athletic director DeLoss Dodds before his team traveled to College Station for the 1991 season finale. Although he'd been given a five-year contract extension in 1990, McWilliams was planning to resign even before the Longhorns' 31-14 loss.
A&M's R.C. Slocum, who participated in 30 Texas games, coached his last one in 2002. He said this week he had no idea that the 2002 Longhorn game would be his final one as a coach.
Five days before the Aggies traveled to Austin, A&M freshman Brandon Fails collapsed in his dorm room and died hours later at a local hospital. Slocum was the one who told Fails' parents their son had passed away. He said he spent the rest of the week preparing for Texas and planning a funeral.
The Aggies lost by 30 to Texas. By that Sunday, Slocum was recruiting in Dallas, visiting the homes of several of his 18 commitments when he received the news he'd been fired.
He doesn't believe a win would have made a difference.
"Probably not," Slocum said. "The things I've heard since then, they already had made the deal (with Franchione)."
The turnaround was even quicker the last time Texas hired a coach in 1997. John Mackovic — Mack Brown's predecessor— coached his final game for the Longhorns, a 27-16 loss to A&M. His termination came less than 24 hours after the team buses arrived in Austin from College Station. Brown was hired and introduced to fans within six days.
There are differing plotlines for Friday's game. Brown, who received a new contract and a $250,000 raise in August, is hoping his team wins its 10th game of the season. A victory could put Texas into the Big 12 title game and make the Longhorns an attractive at-large candidate for a BCS berth.
Meanwhile, the Aggies' theme is whether they can make a bowl game and whether Franchione would be there to coach them.
For much of the past month, Franchione has denied that he's already agreed to a buyout of his contract. So it's unknown whether Friday's game will be his last as an Aggie.
He could be like former Texas coach Fred Akers, who in 1986 ended his post-game press conference following a 16-3 defeat to A&M by telling a group of local reporters that he'd see them next season.
Two days later, Dodds called a news conference. It took him about three minutes to announce that Akers was gone.
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