Scoop27
09-19-2013, 12:38 PM
He's focused on trying to beat Kansas State this weekend.
That's what the man himself said during his weekly meeting with team beat reporters on Monday. That's also what sources are telling Horns247.
“None of the other stuff matters,” the source said. “Mack hears it but the negative will be negative. The only two things that matter to him at the end of the day are recruiting and winning.
“His only concern is that this team beats Kansas State.”
That's a tall order based on what history tells us. Mack is just 2-7 against Kansas State as the head coach at Texas. It's been ten years since the Longhorns defeated a Kansas State team and Texas has dropped five straight in the series, including last year's 42-24 loss in Manhattan that clinched a Big 12 title for Bill Snyder's team.
A source with direct knowledge of the situation told Horns247 that talk of Mack having meetings with men's athletics director DeLoss Dodds and university president Bill Powers about the on-field performance – or lack thereof – aren't true. The source stated the only person Mack speaks with on a daily basis is his lawyer and good friend Joe Jamail.
“Mack is a pretty private guy,” the source said. “His bosses know it's not where anybody wants it and that it's got to get fixed.”
Many Longhorn fans want it fixed with Mack not being a part of the solution.
The Longhorns are 1-2 for the first time since 1998 and the 44-23 loss to Ole Miss was the sixth straight loss the Longhorns have suffered at home to a ranked opponent. Additionally, the Longhorns have dropped 11 of their last 14 against ranked opponents since beating Nebraska on the road in 2010.
Since the end of the 2009 season the Longhorns are now 23-18 overall and head into Saturday night's tilt with the Wildcats sporting an 11-15 mark in conference play over that same stretch.
To compound matters further, Texas heads into Big 12 action having lost three straight to Oklahoma – including the last two games by a combined 80 points – two of its last three to Baylor, two of its last three to Oklahoma State, three in a row to Kansas State and has conference losses to Iowa State, TCU and West Virginia since the start of the 2010 season.
Chris Whaley said Mack hasn't hit the panic button in front of the players. Jackson Jeffcoat added on Monday that Mack has done his best to keep the team in a positive frame of mind.
Mack can't deliver those same messages to the fans to change how they feel. The list of dubious on-field achievements are all the proof fans need to lash out at the head coach in his 16th season on the sideline.
They did just that during the Ole Miss game when boos were heard as a Mack Brown clip played on the big screen at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium during a stoppage of play.
Mack's message to the fans is simple – take out whatever frustrations you have on him, but don't give up on the players.
“You don't have to like me,” Mack said on Monday. “I'm not happy with me. I'd boo me, too. Be mad at me but don't let that hurt the energy you bring to your team."
A source told Horns247 that one of Dodds' messages to Mack has been that the Longhorns have experienced a perfect storm for everything to go bad. Texas is dealing with injuries – Daje Johnson has been ruled out for the second straight game with ankle injury while David Ash (concussion) and Mike Davis (ankle) will continue to be evaluated.
Still, the source added, everyone knows the Longhorns have to find a way to break through in this adverse situation if they have any hopes of avoiding a disastrous season.
Mack know this team needs to perform.
“The only thing that's important is to beat Kansas State,” Mack said. “I'm going to do my best to help our assistants and our players beat Kansas State.
“There have been rumors around here for 16 years,” he added. “The only way you stop those rumors is by winning.”
That's what the man himself said during his weekly meeting with team beat reporters on Monday. That's also what sources are telling Horns247.
“None of the other stuff matters,” the source said. “Mack hears it but the negative will be negative. The only two things that matter to him at the end of the day are recruiting and winning.
“His only concern is that this team beats Kansas State.”
That's a tall order based on what history tells us. Mack is just 2-7 against Kansas State as the head coach at Texas. It's been ten years since the Longhorns defeated a Kansas State team and Texas has dropped five straight in the series, including last year's 42-24 loss in Manhattan that clinched a Big 12 title for Bill Snyder's team.
A source with direct knowledge of the situation told Horns247 that talk of Mack having meetings with men's athletics director DeLoss Dodds and university president Bill Powers about the on-field performance – or lack thereof – aren't true. The source stated the only person Mack speaks with on a daily basis is his lawyer and good friend Joe Jamail.
“Mack is a pretty private guy,” the source said. “His bosses know it's not where anybody wants it and that it's got to get fixed.”
Many Longhorn fans want it fixed with Mack not being a part of the solution.
The Longhorns are 1-2 for the first time since 1998 and the 44-23 loss to Ole Miss was the sixth straight loss the Longhorns have suffered at home to a ranked opponent. Additionally, the Longhorns have dropped 11 of their last 14 against ranked opponents since beating Nebraska on the road in 2010.
Since the end of the 2009 season the Longhorns are now 23-18 overall and head into Saturday night's tilt with the Wildcats sporting an 11-15 mark in conference play over that same stretch.
To compound matters further, Texas heads into Big 12 action having lost three straight to Oklahoma – including the last two games by a combined 80 points – two of its last three to Baylor, two of its last three to Oklahoma State, three in a row to Kansas State and has conference losses to Iowa State, TCU and West Virginia since the start of the 2010 season.
Chris Whaley said Mack hasn't hit the panic button in front of the players. Jackson Jeffcoat added on Monday that Mack has done his best to keep the team in a positive frame of mind.
Mack can't deliver those same messages to the fans to change how they feel. The list of dubious on-field achievements are all the proof fans need to lash out at the head coach in his 16th season on the sideline.
They did just that during the Ole Miss game when boos were heard as a Mack Brown clip played on the big screen at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium during a stoppage of play.
Mack's message to the fans is simple – take out whatever frustrations you have on him, but don't give up on the players.
“You don't have to like me,” Mack said on Monday. “I'm not happy with me. I'd boo me, too. Be mad at me but don't let that hurt the energy you bring to your team."
A source told Horns247 that one of Dodds' messages to Mack has been that the Longhorns have experienced a perfect storm for everything to go bad. Texas is dealing with injuries – Daje Johnson has been ruled out for the second straight game with ankle injury while David Ash (concussion) and Mike Davis (ankle) will continue to be evaluated.
Still, the source added, everyone knows the Longhorns have to find a way to break through in this adverse situation if they have any hopes of avoiding a disastrous season.
Mack know this team needs to perform.
“The only thing that's important is to beat Kansas State,” Mack said. “I'm going to do my best to help our assistants and our players beat Kansas State.
“There have been rumors around here for 16 years,” he added. “The only way you stop those rumors is by winning.”