138775 feb14 ut horns by capspec

FIRST LOOK AT STRONG’S NEW STAFF

BIG 12 HOOPS REVIEW

ALAMO BOWL RECAP

COVERING UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SPORTS

GETTING TO KNOW CHARLIE STRONG

FEBRUARY 2014 WWW.HORNSILLUSTRATED.COM

MEET THE NEW TEXAS STAFF

$4.95 USA

(V. 21, NO. ) DISPLAY THRU MAR. 2014

STRONG Choice FANBASE WELCOMES CHARLIE STRONG AS NEW HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

FEBRUARY 2014

CONTENTS

Mack Brown coached his final game at Texas in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 30, 2013.

FEATURES

FOOTBALL

Game On For weeks, sports writers reported on possible candidates for the Texas head football coaching position. And for weeks, high-profile coaches denied the rumors. That is, until Charlie Strong’s name was thrown into the ring. On Jan. 6 the university officially introduced Strong as the 29th Texas head coach. Horns Illustrated reviews Strong’s resume and pinpoints the reasons why athletic director Steve Patterson and the selection committee made the right choice with Strong.

25 FOOTBALL Brown’s Last Stand The Alamo Bowl marked the final time Mack Brown would stand on the sidelines as the Texas head football coach. With so many hoping to send the legendary coach off with a bowl win, the team faced an immense amount of pressure to overcome No. 12 Oregon. And unfortunately, the Longhorns couldn’t grant the wish of their fans. Associate editor Steve Habel examines what went wrong in Brown’s final stand at the helm.

36 VOLLEYBALL The Man Behind the Team The 2013 season didn’t end as expected for the Texas volleyball team, which fell to Wisconsin in the Final Four. However, fans shouldn’t fret as Jerritt Elliott will return for his 13th year as head coach. When Elliott first arrived on the 40 Acres, he was tasked with returning the volleyball program back to national prominence. And he has accomplished that — along with so much more.

DEPARTMENTS M A RK YO U R C A LE N D A R

RO U N D U P

S P I RI T O F T HE M O N T H

M E D I A VO I C E S

T HE HA B E O N T HE HO RN S — Steve Habel

I N S E A S O N — Basketball, Volleyball, Golf, Swimming

HE A LT H & W E LLN E S S

FI N A L S C O RE

COVER PHOTO: New head football coach Charlie Strong in DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. PHOTO BY JIM SIGMON/UNIV. OF TEXAS

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FEBRUARY 2014

DON BENDER

COVERING UT SPORTS SINCE 1994 AUSTIN CORPORATE OFFICE: 512-626-8513 SUBSCRIPTIONS: 1-855-246-7677 E-MAIL: INFO@HORNSILLUSTRATED.COM

WEBSITE: WWW.HORNSILLUSTRATED.COM FACEBOOK: facebook.com/hornsillustrated TWITTER: @Hornsillus INSTAGRAM: horns_illustrated ADVISORY BOARD RICK G ROSS — TEX AN ME DIA TOM BUCK LEY — UT F ACULTY STEW ART RAMSER — RAMSE R M E DIA PUBLISHER J AMES SCHLEICHER ART & DESIGN DIRECTOR MARTHA GAZELLA-TAYLOR (UT-AUSTIN, BA ’91) MANAGING EDITOR CARISSA STITH (UT-AUSTIN, BA ’10) ASSOCIATE EDITOR STEV E HABEL CONTRIBUTORS STEPHEN W HITAKE R STEV E LANSDALE SARA BETH PURDY CARLO BLIG H PHOTOGRAPHERS DON BENDER J ESSE D ROH E N COPY EDITORS SARA BETH PURDY HABEAB KURDI DACIA RIV ERS RY AN B RIDGE S ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR

LISA REILEY (UT-AUSTIN, BFA ’97) ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

K ELLY W ONDERLIN K ELLY @HORNSILLUSTRATE D.COM ADVERTISING SALES

ANDREW SORRELL VIC E PR E S ID E N T B U S IN E S S D E V E L O P M E N T

LANCE ALDRIDG E T E C HN IC AL D IR E C TO R D IG IT AL M AR K E T IN G & SA L E S

TERRY MIDDLETON SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER

K ATIE G ROSS INF O@HORNSILLUSTRATED.COM REGIONAL DIRECTORS S OUTH C ENTRAL TE X AS SAN ANTONIO: J OHNNY WALKE R (UT-AUSTIN, BA ’ 98) NORTH C ENTRAL TE X AS DALLAS: CARLTON DIXON (UT-AUSTIN, BA ’ 98) S OUTH EAS T TE XAS HOUSTON: BRANDON ASSUNCAO ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: ALLY SO N WATSON MAILING ADDRESS P. O. BOX 50069 AUSTIN, TX 78763 COPYRIGHT© 2014 BY TEXAN MEDIA, L.L.C. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR PART IS PROHIBITED.

HORNS ILLUSTRATED IS NOT AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS. 6

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FEBRUARY 2014

CALENDAR MARK YOUR

FEBRUARY 2014

1/31–2/1

M/ W SWiMMing & Diving

UT at Arizona TBA, Tucson, Ariz.

FEBRUARY

BaSeBall

Alumni Game Noon

M BaSketBall

UT vs. Kansas 3 p.m.

W BaSketBall

UT at Baylor 6:30 p.m., Waco M tenniS

UT vs. Alabama 12 p.m. M/ W tr ack & FielD

Razorback Team Invitational 11 a.m. Fayetteville, Ark. Bill Bergan Invitational All-Day, Ames, Iowa

6–8

14–16

UH-Hilo Intercollegiate All Day, Kona, Hawaii

Texas Classic 14 – UT vs. Kentucky, 4 p.m., UT vs. IPFW, 6:30 p.m. 15 – UT vs. Louisiana Tech, 1 p.m., Seeded Match, 4 p.m. 16 – Seeded Match, 9:30 a.m.

M golF

M tenniS

UT at Michigan 5 p.m., Ann Arbor, Mich.

New Mexico Collegiate Classic All Day, Albuquerque, N.M.

7–9

14–17

Louisiana Classic Multiple Opponents, All-Day

ITA Indoor National Championship All-Day, Houston

SoFtBall

7–10

W tenniS

M BaSketBall

UT at Kansas State 12:45 p.m., Manhattan, Kan.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: JES SE DR OHEN, JESSE D ROHEN, BET HANY WALTER/UNIV. O F TEXAS

SoFtBall

UT at LSU 6 p.m., Baton Rouge, La.

2/28–3/1

UT at Kansas 6:30 p.m., Lawrence, Kan.

Houston College Classic 2/28 – UT vs. Rice, 7:05 p.m. 3/1 – UT vs. Houston, 3:35 p.m. 3/2 – UT vs. Sam Houston State, 10:05 a.m. Houston

M BaSketBall

BaSeBall

W BaSketBall

UT vs. Baylor Noon

UT at Iowa State 7 p.m., Ames, Iowa

W tenniS

M/ W tr ack & FielD

UT vs. UT Arlington 12 p.m. UT vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 6 p.m.

2/28–3/2

UT vs. Vanderbilt Noon

BaSeBall

UT vs. Iowa State 2 p.m.

UT vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 6 p.m.

9–11

M BaSketBall

UT vs. Texas Tech 7 p.m.

W BaSketBall

UT vs. Northwestern Noon

Fighting Nutria All Day

Northrop Grumman All-Day, Palo Verdes Estates, Calif.

UT vs. West Virginia 7 p.m.

Junior Krystle Henderson is ready to take on the rest of the Big 12 conference.

W roWing

W golF

UT at TCU 7 p.m., Fort Worth

M BaSketBall

W BaSketBall

M BaSketBall

M tenniS

ITA Indoor Team Indoor Championship TBA, Charlottesville, Va.

UT at Illinios Noon, Chicago, Ill.

BaSeBall

M/ W tr ack & FielD

M tenniS

Javan Felix and the men’s team are reaching new heights this season.

SoFtBall

UT at California 14 – 9 p.m. 15 – Doubleheader 3 p.m., 6:45 p.m. 16 – 3 p.m., Berkeley, Calif.

7–8

WHAT’S GOING ON IN LONGHORN SPORTS

UT vs. Oklahoma State 6 p.m.

W BaSketBall

UT at Kansas State 7 p.m., Manhattan, Kan.

UT at Iowa State 6 p.m., Ames, Iowa

W BaSketBall

UT at Oklahoma 6:30 p.m., Norman, Okla.

20–23 SoFtBall

Mary Nutter Classic Multiple Teams, Palm Springs, Calif

21–23

SoFtBall

BaSeBall

14–15

M golF

UT vs. UTSA 7 p.m.

M/ W tr ack & FielD

Iowa State Classic All-Day, Ames, Iowa Tyson Invitational All-Day Fayetteville, Ark.

UT vs. Stanford 21 – 6 p.m., 22 – 2 p.m. 23 – 1 p.m. Redstone Intercollegiate All Day, Humble

23–25 W golF

All-State Sugar Bowl All Day, New Orleans, La.

M tenniS

BaSeBall

UT vs. UT-Pan American 4:30 p.m. W BaSketBall

UT vs. TCU 7:30 p.m.

Big 12 Indoor Championships All Day, Ames, Iowa

SoFtBall

Texas Invitational 28 – UT vs. Louisiana at Monroe, 4 p.m., UT vs. Southern Mississippi, 6:30 p.m. 3/1 – UT vs. Texas Southern, 1 p.m., UT vs. Louisiana at Monroe, 6:30 p.m. 3/2 – UT vs. Texas Southern, 2 p.m.

M BaSketBall

INFORMATION SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

2/26–3/1

CHECK WWW.TEXASSPORTS. COM FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION

UT vs. Baylor 8 p.m.

M/ W SWiMMing & Diving

Big 12 Championships All Day

W tenniS

UT vs. Houston 2 p.m.

The Swimming and Diving teams — including Madisyn Cox — will host the Big 12 Championships Feb 26- Mar 1.

FEBRUARY 2014

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

ROUNDUP FEBRUARY 2014

PAT R ICK M ER E DIT H/UN IV . OF TE X AS

THE RESURGENCE OF TEXAS BASKETBALL // STRONG’S TO-DO LIST // TEXAS FAN LOYALTY

SCRATCHING OUT THE WILDCATS:

The Texas women’s basketball team defeated Kansas State in its home opener, 67-53. Paint play proved to be the difference in the ball game as the Longhorns outscored the Wildcats 50-14 inside the key. Junior forward Nneka Enemkpali led Texas with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Sophomore center Imani McGee-Stafford also registered double figures for Texas with 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting. The Longhorns finished with a 60.9 field goal shooting percentage while holding Kansas State to 27.5 percent shooting. Texas never lost the lead en route to its first win in a Big 12 Conference home opener since 2009 against Nebraska. The Longhorns’ second-highest shooting percentage of the season (60.9) limited rebound opportunities as Texas posted a season-low 34 rebounds to tie the Wildcats on the boards. Entering the game, Texas had outrebounded 11 of its 13 opponents. “Our team was ready to play,” head coach Karen Aston said. “They had a tremendous first half and we were good on the defensive end. We’re not going to blow anybody out in this league. We have to understand that and continue executing things down the stretch.” – ANDY GONZALEZ

FEBRUARY 2014

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FEBRUARY 2014

ROUNDUP

FOOTBALL

No Way, José NUMEROUS NAMES were mentioned in

the weeks leading up to Charlie Strong’s hire as the new Texas head football coach, but former baseball star José Canseco added one more to the list — himself. The 49 year old, best known for his open admittance of steroid usage, went on a Twitter spree with ideas of how to fix the Texas program. First, he wanted everyone to know he felt terrible for former coach Mack Brown. “So sorry to hear about Mack Brown. Hug for you buddy.” - José Canseco (@ JoseCanseco) It’s hard to believe, but Canseco knows football better than baseball. After all, if Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders could play both, he could too.

Coach Charlie Strong (left) will need to focus more on the game and less on the media if he plans to turn the football program around.

STRONG’S TO-DO LIST

OME PUNDITS say

the Longhorns need a culture change. They label Texas as soft and complacent. Charlie Strong will need to change those negative perceptions and to do so he’ll need to complete the following tasks.

himself with the off-field product. Strong has to be all about the game. In the arms race that is modern college football, the head coach’s first priority must be producing wins. He has to make it clear that football will come before the media.

the perception that Texas is Turn talent into first-round draft Z Change Z picks. soft. Between last season’s rash of missed tackAccording to Rivals.com, the Longhorns

les and getting pushed around in five losses this season, Texas has earned a reputation for being soft. The team lost those games by 19 points or more, including the unspeakable loss against BYU. Strong will need to bring the edge back to the team, starting on day one. about the game. Mack Brown was Z Be called a CEO throughout his tenure, troubling

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FEBRUARY 2014

produced a top-five recruiting class every year between 2009 and 2012. However, Texas is just 30-21 with only two first-round picks since 2010. A potential problem is that recruits aren’t seeing results. Former five-star quarterback Garrett Gilbert regressed at Texas, and the lack of high draft picks hasn’t acquitted the program of any fault.

He doesn’t plan on attending his interview unprepared either. Canseco has a plan of action for Texas moving forward. He quickly displayed his football knowledge, acknowledging the best way to build a football team is from the trenches. He also introduces a catchy hashtag — #Cansecohorns “First the lines are weak. It’s our foundation and must be stronger. I know what to do. #Cansecohorns” Who needs the Big 12 anyway? Canseco is all for a 15-team SEC. “Second what conference are we even in now? Just join the SEC already. #Cansecohorns” Lastly, Canseco just wanted to provide Bevo with a friend. “My goats could help Bevo.”

FROM LEFT: S USAN SI GMON/UNIV. O F TE XAS, TWITTER.COM

“Hey Steve, you need a huge name for a huge job buddy. I know football even better than baseball.”

HEADED IN A NEW DIRECTION:

FOOTBALL

LOYALTY PROGRAMS

FUTURE IMPACT

C LOCKWIWS E FR OM LEFT: JIM SIGMON/UNI V. OF T EXAS, COURT ESY ASHLEY CHANG, JIM SIGMON/UNIV. OF TEXAS, JESSE DROHEN

THE TEXAS FAN base was voted the fourth-most loyal in the country, tying with Florida and Auburn, according to the 2013 Discover Fan Loyalty Poll. Texas’ rival Oklahoma finished No. 1 in fan loyalty, followed by Nebraska and Ohio State. Rasmussen Reports conducted the poll — twice each month — and surveyed 1,500 fans per week following the slate of games.

1 2 3 4 7 9

OKLAHOMA NEBRASKA OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY TEXAS, FLORIDA, AUBURN GEORGIA, WISCONSIN FLORIDA STATE TENNESSEE

DID YOU KNOW? Charlie Strong’s deal starts at an annual base salary of $5 million per season and will increase by $100,000 annually starting in his second season. His contract also includes a payment for his $4.375 million buyout from Louisville — the first time Texas has paid a buyout in program history.

ROUNDUP

FEBRUARY 2014

THE END OF THE MACK BROWN ERA: Bennie Wylie

(left) will not return for a fourth season with the Longhorns.

BYE BYE, BENNIE

TRENGTH AND CONDITIONING coach Bennie Wylie announced his resignation from the Texas program via Twitter on Jan. 7. “Thanks Coach Brown for 3 great seasons! Good luck 2014 team, Coach Strong and Pat Moorer! Hook ‘em!” - Bennie Wylie (@BennieWylieUT) In his tweet, he also all but confirmed Louisville strength and conditioning coach Pat Moorer would follow new Texas coach Charlie Strong to Austin, filling the same role Wylie leaves vacant. Moorer received his coaching start in 1992 as Florida’s assistant strength and conditioning coach and became the head strength and conditioning coach in 1995. He also served as the personal trainer of Emmitt Smith’s — a former Gator running back — throughout his career. “The only thing I need to do with coach Moorer is stand him up here because he never smiles,” Strong said during his press conference. “He’s very intimidating.”

THE BEGINNING of the Charlie Strong era at Texas has been a bit bumpy. First, Red McCombs ripped Strong, and subsequently apologized for his comments. Now Texas is feeling the change elsewhere in its coaching staff and on the recruiting trail. The Longhorns lost defensive line coach Bo Davis, who left Austin to join Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama. And with his departure came the decommitments of several defensive line commits — most recently, 247Sports composite four-star defensive tackle Zaycoven Henderson. Upon his decommitment, Henderson tweeted about the departure of Davis. Henderson’s exit was joined by decommitments from Trey Lealaimatafao and Courtney Garnett. Lealaimatafao, a composite threestar from San Antonio, also mentioned Davis leaving before announcing that he’ll no longer be a Longhorn. Texas still boasts the No. 1 recruiting class in the Big 12 and the No. 12 class nationally with 21 commitments remaining for 2014. The Longhorns will have to replace one key defensive lineman — defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat — next season. Conveniently, their top commitment at the moment is four-star defensive end Derick Roberson. As Strong continues to settle in at Texas, wins on the recruiting trail will help to smooth the waters.

FEBRUARY 2014

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

BASKETBALL/DIVING

One Goal, One Team PLAYING FOR KEEPS: The Longhorns— including Connor Lammert (left)— are trying not to repeat their performance from last season — in hopes of saving Rick Barnes.

ACK IN THE PRESEASON, a sports writer explained how the culture of Texas basketball had changed. For whatever reason, the players weren’t invested in the program. Some players transferred and others applied for early entry to the NBA Draft. Everyone’s goals were different and Texas wasn’t at the center of any of them. But things changed this season. The players who wanted to leave left and were replaced by team-first players whose primary goal was to win basketball games at Texas. Sure, the roster isn’t great on paper and coach Rick Barnes’ future is still up in the air. But an 11-3 record with a win at North Carolina is a nice start to this seemingly make-or-break season for Barnes. “We refuse to have a season like last year,” sophomore Javan Felix said. “As far as coach being on the hot seat, we hear people talk about it. But it’s never talked about around the facility. We just go out there and play as hard as we can for him.” Texas is still projected to finish no better than 9-9 in the Big 12 — although the team has started 4-2 in Big 12 play—and recruiting remains a problem. So there’s a chance that athletic director Steve Patterson will conclude that the program needs new energy after this season. Either way, Barnes won’t go down without a fight. He has players fighting for him again. And they’re all pulling in the same direction and chasing the same dream.

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FEBRUARY 2014

AN ATTRACTIVE POSITION TEXAS BASKETBALL isn’t exactly known as a national power. Before last season, head coach Rick Barnes had made 14 straight NCAA tournament appearances but managed to reach only one Final Four in that stretch. Still, Sports on Earth ranked Texas as the No. 7 coaching job in the country for basketball. The website said the Longhorns are “a bit of a sleeping giant, but the same advantages they have in football apply here.” This ranking put the Longhorns ahead of traditional powers Michigan State, UCLA, Syracuse and Arizona. Those four schools have a combined 15 national titles between them. Texas is still seeking its first.

DI V I NG

DIVE MASTER SENIOR DIVER Maren Taylor claimed

her second meet championship and won the individual three-meter title on the final day of the USA Diving Winter National Championships. The women finished second in the final team standings, helping Texas win the meet’s combined (men’s and women’s) team national title.

Taylor accumulated 923.90 points through the three rounds of the threemeter competition and finished off the victory in the finals. Taylor totaled a meet-best 72 points on her first dive of the finals, an inward two-and-a-half somersault in the pike position. The Arlington, Va., native qualifies to represent the US at next summer’s FINA World Cup in Shanghai, China, where she’ll join freshman Murphy Bromberg, a platform diving qualifier. Taylor won the three-meter synchro event in the meet and remains in contention for an additional FINA World Cup berth to be announced next April. Texas junior Emma IvoryGanja won a bronze medal in the three-meter finals with her third-place total of 882.30 points. Bromberg added a runner-up finish alongside former Ohio State diver Cheyenne Cousineau in the synchro platform event with 569.61 points. – BRIAN KENDALL

FROM LEFT: PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS, BETHANY WALTER

FEBRUARY 2014

ROUNDUP

VOLLEYBALL/BASEBALL

ROUNDUP

FEBRUARY 2014

STAMP OF APPROVAL WONDER WOMAN: Ogbogu ranked second in the conference for hitting percentage this season.

CLOCK FROM LEFT: PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS, PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS, JESSE DROHEN

SUCCESS BY NUMBERS

UMBERS CAN REVEAL what worked and what didn’t for a team during the season. Here are five key numbers from Texas’ 2013 volleyball campaign.

The number of reception errors Texas had in the Final Four against Wisconsin. The Longhorns excelled all season in this area. They committed seven reception errors twice and both times resulted in losses. As head coach Jerritt Elliott said after the defeat, “It’s a serve and receive game.”

335:

The number of blocks on the year for Texas, good enough for sixth in the nation. The Longhorns’ blocking was a big reason for the team’s successful season. Texas’ three leading blockers — Molly McCage, Khat Bell and Chiaka Ogbogu — all return next year.

4-2:

Texas’ record on neutral courts this season. At home, the Longhorns went 13-0. On the road, they went 10-1. On neutral courts, the Longhorns struggled to find a comfort zone. Even Haley Eckerman noted that playing in Key Arena in the Final Four threw them off.

.252: .122:

Texas’ hitting percentage on the year against nonconference foes. In conference the Longhorns hit .325 but struggled against the better blockers outside of the Big 12.

Big 12 Freshman of the Year Chiaka Ogbogu’s hitting percentage in the NCAA tournament — after removing her dominating performance against American in the Sweet 16. Ogbogu ranked second in the Big 12 in conference play, hitting .386. Outside of the American game, though, she disappeared. Texas needs her to be a major factor next season.

THE TEXAS BASEBALL team has

been ranked 20th in the nation in a 2014 preseason poll released by Collegiate Baseball. Texas returns eight contributors from a pitching staff that ranked seventh nationally with a 2.61 ERA last season, including all three weekend starters in Dillon Peters, Nathan Thornhill and Parker French. Peters, a junior, was a secondteam All-Big 12 selection last season and compiled a 6-3 record with a 1.97 ERA. Thornhill, who racked up a team-high 60 strikeouts along with a 2.21 ERA last year, opted to return for his senior season after being selected by the Houston Astros in the 24th round of the 2013 MLB Draft. French, meanwhile, had a 2.68 ERA while logging 77 1/3 innings. Mark Payton, the team’s leading hitter last year and a 2014 preseason AllAmerican, headlines the list of offensive returnees. Payton ranked 12th nationally with a .393 batting average in 2013, while also recording team bests in on-base percentage (.483) and slugging percentage (.545). Texas returns six offensive starters in all. The Longhorns also welcome 13 newcomers to the program that made up the second-ranked recruiting class in the nation, according to Baseball America.

DILLON PETERS

FEBRUARY 2014

NATHAN THORNHILL

HARD BALL: The Longhorns are set to make an impact this season.

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

UTSA

TRACK & FIELD WHEN IT COMES TO winning conference championships, the UT San Antonio men’s track & field team has made it a habit. The Roadrunners have won a conference championship every year since 2006 when the team claimed the Southland Conference championship. When the men left the Southland Conference for the Western Athletic Conference in July 2012, they had won seven consecutive league championships. UT San Antonio’s streak didn’t end when they joined the WAC — the Roadrunners captured the 2013 indoor trophy before moving on to Conference USA. Whether the Roadrunners can win their ninth consecutive conference championship will be decided in Birmingham, Ala., between Feb. 28 and March 1.

REPEATING HISTORY

MAKING THEIR CASE: R.J. Perucki will help lead the Roadrunners as they attempt to win another conference championship.

BY STEPHEN WHITAKER

Jason Marshall and the Roadrunner baseball team surprised fans last season when they won the Western Athletic Conference tournament championship game. The Roadrunners defeated favorite Dallas Baptist 11-4. The victory gave UT San Antonio a ticket to its third-ever NCAA tournament berth (the program made appearances in 1994 and 2005). UT San Antonio’s time in Oregon was short lived, however; the Roadrunners fell to Oregon State in walkoff fashion and ran into a Texas A&M pitching buzz saw in the elimination game. This year will be the second season with Marshall at the helm and the second year the Roadrunners will play in a new conference. Conference USA includes baseball powerhouses Rice and Southern Mississippi, both of which will make the Roadrunners’ road to the NCAA Tournament much tougher than in previous years.

EAD COACH

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FEBRUARY 2014

CALENDAR FEBRUARY 2014 BASEBALL

14: vs. Saint Peter’s, 6 p.m. 15: vs. Saint Peter’s, 2 p.m. 16: vs. Saint Peter’s, 11 a.m. 18: vs. Houston Baptist, 6 p.m. 25: vs. Dallas Baptist, 3 p.m. 28: vs. South Dakota State, 6 p.m. SOFTBALL

8: vs. Lamar, 1 p.m./ 3:15 p.m. 9: vs. Lamar, Noon 12: at Texas, Austin, 7 p.m. 14: vs. Oklahoma State, 4:30 p.m. 14: vs. Wichita State, 7 p.m. 15: vs. Rutgers, 4:30 p.m. 15: vs. Colorado State, 7 p.m. 16: vs. Oklahoma State, 11:30 a.m. 19: at Texas State, San Marcos, 6 p.m. 21: vs. Bryant, 2 p.m. 21: vs. Omaha, 4:30 p.m. 22: vs. Bryant, 2 p.m. 22: vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi, 4:30 p.m. 23: vs. Omaha, 11:30 a.m. 28: at Louisiana Lafayette, Gulfport, Miss., 11 a.m. 28: at Mississippi State, Gulfport, Miss., 2 p.m. M BASKETBALL

1: vs. Louisiana Tech, 3 p.m. 13: vs. FIU, 7 p.m. 15: vs. Florida Atlantic, 3 p.m. 20: at Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Miss., 7 p.m. 22: at Tulane, New Orleans, La., 7 p.m. 27: vs. North Texas, 7 p.m. W BASKETBALL

1: at Louisiana Tech, Ruston, La., 6 p.m. 5: vs. FIU, 7 p.m. 8: vs. Tulane, 4 p.m. 12: at UAB, Birmingham, Ala., 7 p.m. 15: at Rice, Houston, 2 p.m. 20: vs. East Carolina, 7 p.m. 22: vs. Old Dominion, 7 p.m. 26: at UTEP, El Paso, 8 p.m. M GOLF

When the team takes the field for the first time this season — on Feb. 14 against Saint Peter’s — the Roadrunners will do it with a number of senior leaders. Among those leaders is shortstop R.J. Perucki, who led the team in 2013 with a .350 batting average, recorded 12 home runs and tied for a team-high 48 RBIs. Senior Michael Kraft will lead the team from the mound. The lefthanded pitcher finished 2013 with a 4.10 ERA, a team-high 62 strikeouts and a 5-5 record in 15 starts. As the 2014 season unfolds, the Roadrunners will see great performances from several members of the team. The question will be whether UT San Antonio will win enough games to earn an at-large berth if they don’t walk away as the conference champions this season.

11-12: UTSA Oak Hills Invitational, San Antonio, All Day 17-18: Rice Intercollegiate, Houston, All Day 21-23: Bayou City Collegiate Championship, Humble, All Day M GOLF

23-25: Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate, New Orleans, La., All Day M/W INDOOR TRACK &FIELD

28-3/1: Conference USA Championships, Birmingham, Ala. ALL EVENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE SEE WWW.GOUTSA.COM FOR UPDATED SCHEDULE

JEFF HUEHN/JEFF HUEHN PHOTOGRAPHY

FEBRUARY 2014

UTSA ROUNDUP

MAKING THEIR CASE: R.J. Perucki will help lead the Roadrunners as they attempt to win another conference championship.

UTA

FEBRUARY 2014

TRACK & FIELD

CALENDAR M EN’S BAS K ET BALL

WO M EN ’S BAS K ET BALL

6: vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, Noon 15: vs. Texas State, 7 p.m. 26: vs. Georgia State, 7:30 p.m.

BASEBALL

WO M EN ’S T EN N IS

1: vs. Midwestern State, 10 a.m. 8: vs. Dallas Baptist, 10 a.m. 8: vs. Stephen F. Austin, 2 p.m. 13: vs. Texas A&M-CC, 2 p.m. 9: vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, 10 a.m. 15: vs. Cameron, 11 a.m. 16: vs. TCU, 10 a.m. 21: vs. Texas- Pan American, Noon T RAC K & F IELD

7-8: Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational, Lincoln, Neb. All Day 24-25: Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championships, Birmingham, Ala., All Day S O F T BALL

COURTESY ELLMAN PHOTOGR APHY/UTA ATHLET ICS

HE UT ARLINGTON men’s basketball team capped off the non-conference portion of its schedule in dramatic fashion Dec. 21 with a 79-75 overtime win over Cal State-Bakersfield at College Park Center. UT Arlington was plagued by its inability to finish close games in the early portion of the season, losing four games by seven points or fewer. But head coach Scott Cross said the win over CSUB could serve as a turning point for the Mavericks as they prepare for the rigors of games against their Sun Belt Conference opponents. “For our guys to win a game in overtime — that’s a step in the right direction,” Cross said. “It gives our guys confidence.” Senior forward Brandon Edwards led the team with his seventh double-double of the season, scoring 23 points and adding 11 rebounds, while junior guard Lonnie McClanahan added 17 points and seven assists.

7: vs. Weber State, St. George, Utah, Noon 7: vs. Idaho State, St. George, Utah, 2:30 p.m. 8: vs. BYU, St. George, Utah, Noon 8: vs. Utah State, St. George, Utah, 2:30 p.m. 9: vs. Utah Valley, St. George, Utah, Noon 14: vs. South Dakota State, 1 p.m. 14: vs. Missouri State, 3 p.m. 15: vs. Central Michigan, 1 p.m. 15: Tournament Semifinals, 3 p.m./ 5 p.m. 16: Consolation Game, 10 a.m. 16: Championship Game, Noon 20: vs. Texas Tech, 7 p.m. 21: vs. Creighton, 6 p.m. 22: vs. Creighton, 4:30 p.m. 22: vs. UMKC, 7 p.m. 23: vs. Illinois, 11 a.m. 23: vs. UMKC, 1 p.m. 28: vs. Longwood, Tucson, Ariz., 10 a.m. 28: vs. Indiana, Tucson, Ariz., Noon BAS EBALL

14: vs. Stephen F. Austin, 3 p.m. 15: vs. Incarnate Word, 3 p.m. 16: vs. Oklahoma State, 3 p.m. 24: at TCU, Fort Worth, 6:30 p.m. 28: vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi, 6:30 p.m. M Golf

21-23: Wyoming Cowboy Desert Intercollegiate, Palm Springs, Calif. All Day ALL EVENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE SEE WWW.UTAMAVS.COM FOR UPDATED SCHEDULE

was named to the Louisville Slugger Pre-Season AllAmerican third team, as selected by Collegiate Baseball. Called “one of the better returning hitters in the nation” by UT Arlington’s head coach Darin Thomas, the Tulane transfer led the Western Athletic Conference regular-season champion Mavericks in batting average (.364, the third-highest mark in the WAC), RBIs (54) and home runs (8). He earned third-team Louisville Slugger All-American honors and fourth-team All-American honors from College Sports Madness last year and was named WAC Field Player of the Year and first-team All-WAC. SENIOR OUTFIELDER Matt Shortall

M EN’S T ENNIS

BY STEVE LANSDALE

more heavily represented than UT Arlington when the Southland Conference announced its All-Time Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track & Field Honor Roll. The men’s team included 101 student-athletes, 20 of whom were from UT Arlington; the school also claimed 16 of 74 spots on the women’s team. The only coach recognized for work with both the men’s and women’s teams was UT Arlington’s John Sauerhage.

NO SCHOOL WAS

FEBRUARY 2014

6: vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, 7:30 p.m. 15: vs. Texas State, 7:30 p.m.p.m. 27: vs. Georgia State, 7:30 p.m.

SHINING MOMENTS

UTA ROUNDUP

W BASKETBALL THE MAVERICKS’ women’s basketball team snapped a 10-game season-opening losing streak by riding a 26-0 first-half scoring run to a 75-64 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The win gave first-year head coach Krista Gerlich her first victory at UT Arlington. Senior forward Briana Walker led the Mavericks with 23 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, while senior guard Laila Suleiman added 15 points and junior guard Chauntandra Williams added 14. “We’ve had moments like this all season, but we haven’t been able to pull it off and put it together,” Gerlich said. “It was just a matter of getting over the hump.” Nine days after the win, Gerlich announced that 5’10” guard Jamaika Hughes was transferring to UT Arlington from Texas Tech. “We’re excited about her athleticism,” Gerlich said. “Her height and length at the guard position is going to be good for us. Defense is her specialty and we’re looking for her to get stops.” Hughes spent one semester in Lubbock before moving closer to home. The Fort Worth native averaged 14.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.7 steals and 4.5 assists as a junior at Kennedale High School before sitting out her senior season with a knee injury. Because of NCAA transfer rules, she’ll be eligible to begin playing for the Mavericks next season.

FEBRUARY 2014

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

SPIRIT OF THE MONTH / ALUMNI

SPI R I T OF T H E MON T H

IRON SPIKES

BY SARA BETH PURDY

HE IRON SPIKES take pride in the fact that they’re the official spirit organization for the Texas baseball team. Founded in 1994 by a group of men who wanted to make a difference at Texas and within the Austin community, the fraternal spirit organization is celebrating its 20th anniversary this semester. “This upcoming semester is a huge mark for us,” said Andrew Mills, the PR officer for the Iron Spikes. “We’re continuing to grow and we’ve seen so much success in the organization over the past 20 years. That’s not an easy thing to do being on such a populated campus with so many other organizations.” On baseball game day, the Iron Spikes host a tailgate — barbecue pit included — in the parking lot of UFCU DischFalk Field prior to the first pitch. They embody the Texas adage of “Come early, be loud, stay late and wear orange with pride.” They’re the first to arrive, last to leave and are always the loudest people in the stands. The high level of talent and the winning tradition of Texas baseball is what drove the Iron Spikes to support the team. “My favorite thing about our baseball team is the tradition,” Mills said. “You look at Augie Garrido and see a guy who has been at Texas for about 16 years and has the best résumé in all of college baseball. It’s fun to sit in the stands and watch him work his magic down on the field.”

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FEBRUARY 2014

In addition to supporting the Texas baseball team, the Iron Spikes are heavily involved in service activities. Though the organization requires a minimum amount of service each semester, most members do much more. “It allows us to strengthen our brotherhood while also giving back to the community that has given us so much,” Mills said. The Iron Spikes host the annual Spring Classic Softball Tournament, which benefits the Special Olympics and Texas. In addition, the organization is involved in the 40 Acres Fest, Project Reach Out and all events hosted by the University Volunteer Center. Within the community, the Iron Spikes are heavily involved in several service projects and organizations, including Neighborhood Longhorns, the Oak Springs Tutoring Program and the Special Olympics of Texas. The organization also has a fraternal component that has enabled the Iron Spikes to survive 20 years of membership. They participate in mixers with other organizations on campus such as the Texas Lassos, Texas Spirits and the Texas Sweethearts. They also host a biannual banquet and back to school party. “I joined the Iron Spikes because I wanted a way to make Texas’ campus feel smaller than it is, and I wanted a group of guys that I could call my best friends,” Mills said. “Little did I know at the time, but the Spikes have given me so much more than that.”

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? T.J. FORD BASKETBALL (2002-2003)

A TWO-YEAR

starter at Texas, Ford became one of the most decorated basketball players in school history. In fact, the Longhorns retired Ford’s No. 11 jersey on Feb. 8, 2004. The point guard led Texas to an appearance in the NCAA’s Sweet 16 as a freshman, earning National Freshman of the Year honors by the US Basketball Writers Association. Ford became the first freshman in NCAA history to lead the nation in assists (8.27 apg) and was the consensus Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year. He returned to lead the Longhorns to their first Final Four appearance since 1947 during his sophomore campaign and won the Naismith and Wooden Awards as the top player in college basketball. A consensus first-team All-American as a sophomore, Ford finished his collegiate career in second place on Texas’ all-time career assists list (527) and held the top two single-season assists marks in school history (273 in 2001-02 and 254 in 2002-03). Ford turned professional following his sophomore season and the Milwaukee Bucks selected him as the eighth overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. He played eight years in the NBA before retiring after the 2011-12 season. In 2013, the Longhorn Hall of Honor inducted Ford as part of its 57th class. Ford currently sponsors and coaches a Houstonbased AAU program — T.J. Ford Elite — that emphasizes basketball training and development, along with life skills and college preparation. He also continues to be heavily involved with the T.J. Ford Foundation, an organization created in 2004 to help participants achieve their academic, personal and civil goals. Ford and his wife, Candace, reside in Houston with their three children, sons T.J. and Austin and daughter, Peyton.

FROM LEFT: COURT ES Y IRON SPIKE, COURTESY UT ATHLET ICS PHOT OGRAPHY

FEBRUARY 2014

ROUNDUP

NO TIME TO WASTE

EOPLE COULD MISCONSTRUE Charlie Strong’s statements about recruiting in a number of different ways. “Let’s not get caught up in the five stars and in the four stars,” Strong said. “Let’s get caught up in the football players.” He’s not saying recruiting the best football prospects in the state of Texas is a bad thing. He’s talking about the difference between acquiring talent and building a team. Simply acquiring talent is what Texas has done the past few years. You see the repercussions of that method in the NBA and NFL when the front office people build dream teams that don’t live up to expectations. That’s something that failed Mack Brown in the latter years of his tenure. Highly ranked recruiting classes don’t do you any good if you don’t have a system in place on how to use that talent and don’t have the proper methods to develop players. In order for the Longhorns to win the majority of the big-time recruiting battles in Texas, they need to do a lot of work in the offseason and show some tangible results in the fall. What’s more realistic than expecting the new head coach and his staff to come in and strong-arm the state on the trail is for Strong to find his Colt McCoy. When talking about recruits in the Mack Brown era, I put McCoy in a category all by himself. Texas caught lightning in a bottle with McCoy because no one else had an idea that his ceiling would be so high, but Greg Davis identified McCoy early on. The bottom line to the McCoy story is that Texas hit a recruiting home run. That’s exactly what Strong needs to do, especially early in his tenure.

For Strong to have the kind of class in 2015 that Brown had in 1999, (his second year) he’ll need to record a lot of wins. Brown’s second signing class and his first full cycle on the trail — a group that featured in-state recruits such as Cory Redding, Rod Babers and Derrick Dockery — is the one that set the tone for more than a decade of recruiting dominance in the state. That kind of talent still exists inside the state. When talking about the Longhorn offensive line, commit Maea Teuhema, Fort Bend Marshall cornerback Kendall Sheffield and Mesquite Poteet linebacker Malik Jefferson — all five-star prospects — come to mind. There are potentially four other in-state recruits who could earn that status from 247Sports, showing the type of high-end talent the state possess in the next cycle. With the momentum Baylor and Texas A&M have generated with Heisman Trophies, top-five finishes and conference titles in recent years, Texas no longer has a stranglehold on the state in recruiting. The good news is Strong made some hires that can help Texas get back to that point, notably in hiring Chris Rumph as the defensive line coach and Chris Vaughn to help coach the secondary. Those two coaches are proven recruiters in the region for schools within the Southeastern Conference footprint, while running backs coach Tommie Robinson and linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary have developed a reputation for being good overall recruiters. Until Strong’s staff, which has been built in part on recruiting prowess, starts to make serious inroads in the state, evaluations will be key. Strong is already off to a good start as his first three commitments — 2014 junior college tight end Blake Whiteley, Arlington Bowie 2014 four-star safety/linebacker Edwin Freeman and offensive lineman Alex Anderson — will serve specific function on their respective sides of the ball. Watch the next eight months as Strong and his staff start weathering the storm when it comes to potentially landing some of the state’s top recruits in the class of 2015. Besides, the new Texas coaches can’t start brewing things by being thorough this spring. They’ll have to be until the on-field results make a Texas offer mean what it used to to the best of the best among the state’s schoolboys. — JEFF HOWE

FEBRUARY 2014

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

MEDIA VOICES CW: So you like the baseline you’re starting from?

CRAIG WAY FINDS OUT WHAT STRONG HAS IN STORE FOR THE LONGHORNS.

HE VOICE OF THE LONGHORNS, Craig Way, had a chance to talk to Charlie Strong just after his introductory press conference as the new Texas head football coach.

CRAIG WAY: As great an opportunity as this is, there’s always that family tug. What was the conversation like when you discussed coming to Texas with your family?

CHARLIE STRONG: I had to sit down with them

and make sure we were making the right decision. I asked them what they wanted to do and one MAN WITH A PLAN: of my daughters said, Strong has plans for building up the Texas program. “Dad, you can’t pass up that opportunity.” They loved the thought of coming to Texas. CW: I won’t ask you to compare, but at Louisville you certainly had things in mind about what needed to be done with that football program. How is Texas different?

enough in place. When you have enough in place, then you always have a chance. CW: What excited you the most about coming to Texas? CS: When you look at Texas, it’s the top program. Texas

is the top one percent, of one percent. When you’re given an opportunity to go run a program like Texas, you’re sitting there like, “Why would you not go run that program?” The resources are provided for you, and when you have the resources you always have an opportunity. CW: You made a strident point about the relationship with the high school football coaches in Texas. With over 13,000 coaches in this state alone, relationships are certainly a big thing. How would you describe the process for getting to know these guys? CS: I always look at like this: your program is going

to be built on high school players. You have to develop a relationship with the high school coaches because they’re the ones who’ll help you get those players into your program. That’s why the doors will always be open. I want them to know that this is their program also. Whenever they’re here or wherever they need me, I’ll be there. I want them to understand what we’re all about. CW: You talked about Florida and Texas being recruiting hotbeds. Do you anticipate, between you and your staff, that you’ll not only be able to build that rapport with the Texas coaches but also accrue talent on a year-in, year-out basis?

TWEETS JON MADANI (@ Zone_Madani) Duane Akina tells us @ am1300thezone that every cornerback he coached at Texas, except one, got paid to play at the next level... amazing! ROD BABERS @rodb314: If there

is mutual respect and consistency in enforcement of the new culture, along with a winning product as a result, it’ll work. CRAIG WAY @craigway1: Teams are clearly struggling to adjust to the rules enforcements for this season. An overtime game shouldn’t last two hours and 55 minutes. MIKE TAYLOR @miketaylorshow: Rule one when you’re a new boss: Lay down the rules. No. 2: weed out all non-hackers. Message: No bullshit or you’re gone.

CS: When I started at Louisville we went three straight

years without going to a bowl game. The focus was always about building a foundation back up because we were lacking. What is great about Texas is the tradition. The foundation has been laid and coach [Mack] Brown did an unbelievable job. Now the only thing I have to do is build on that foundation. At Louisville I had to get my own imprint and we had to build. The first year and second year we went 7-6, and then boom, we jumped to 11-2. This year we went 12-1. Every year was about building. Whereas here, I know it’s going to be a building process but the foundation is in place for me to build on. 20

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FEBRUARY 2014

CS: We’d love to. Your program is all about getting the

right people in the door and that can happen. I know there’s enough great players in this state, so let’s lock down this staff and then go cherry-pick the players we might be missing or were unable to recruit. CW: What is the message you want the players to understand? CS: For the players, they’re here to graduate — number

one. And then number two is to go win games and win championships.

JEFF HOWE @JeffHowe247: Strong is ready to sell UT. “When you get that degree it’s not going to say the University of Charlie Strong.”

FR OM LEFT : JIM SIGMON/UNIV. OF TEXAS, ALL O THER PHOTOS COUR TESY AM 130 0 THE ZONE

Front and Center

CS: I love where I’m starting from because I have

MEDIA VOICES

JOHNNY WALKER

REVIEW

HAT DO YOU THINK OF Charlie

Strong as the new head football coach?

I’m proud of Steve Patterson, the selection committee and the regents for selecting Charlie Strong. The best thing I heard was, “We selected the best man for the job.”

I think it’s great that he’s the first AfricanAmerican head football coach at Texas. As an African-American who played Longhorn football, I honestly never thought I’d see an African-American coach at Texas in my lifetime. I’m proud of the selection and the reasons the university chose Strong. It’s a great opportunity for him and a great transition for Texas fans.

FROM TOP LEFT : COUR TESY UT ATHLET ICS PHOT OGRAPHY, UT ATHLET ICS PHOT OGRAPHY

What are Strong’s biggest strengths?

His character. He puts an emphasis on the players’ earning an education and becoming strong leaders in the community. We put so much emphasis on coaching salaries and winning, but when you get a coach who focuses on education and his expectations of the players off the field — more so than on the field — that speaks volumes about the type of person he is and what he stands for. Strong has acknowledged the fact that he’s the first African-American coach but he doesn’t want that to have any effect on what he does or what he demands from his players. He’s definitely going to have the weight of the world on his shoulders, however I think his approach will make his job that much easier. What is required to transition to the Charlie Strong era of Texas football?

Strong needs to establish his expectations and the direction of the program. He also needs to win. I hate to put that much emphasis on wins and losses because

it doesn’t mean as much to me, but given the situation he’s in, those expectations will be high. He’s following a well-respected and loved coach (Mack Brown). He’s got some big shoes to fill and I don’t know how long people are willing to wait if he doesn’t come out and win. If Strong builds the reputation that everyone wants for Texas, then everything will take care of itself. If his passionate and driven attitude transfers over to the players, he’ll be able to turn the program around faster than what some people may think. The engine was running well. We just needed to change the spark plugs and get a little boost. I hope he receives 100 percent support from the fan base and is given the ability to turn the program around. What do you think of the coaching staff that he has assembled so far?

Because of his background and based on his hires, we know that Strong will place emphasis on the defense. He hired Vance Bedford,who played defensive back at Texas, as his defensive coordinator. He’s coached some of the best ranking defenses in the FBS, so there’s no question he’ll continue emphasizing a strong defense. We’re still waiting to see what direction he’ll go offensively. But if the defensive guys are any indication and with the hiring of Joe Wickline from Oklahoma State — who’s considered one of the best offensive line coaches in the business — we can expect the same type of exertion from the offense. Any predictions for next fall?

We’ll see enthusiasm and excitement on the sidelines. If they aren’t already, I think the players will rededicate to what’s expected of them on the football field and that’s something that we definitely needed. Strong is going to bring back that fire. And once that’s taken care of, I think everything else will take care of itself. Texas has the talent and the coaching staff that bodes well for having a winning program. The attitude just needed to change.

JOHNNY WALKER’S RESUME • Played football and baseball at Texas from 1987-90 • Two-time All-Southwest Conference • Caught the game-winning reception to beat Oklahoma in 1990

Johnny’s Prediction for next fall:

“Strong is going to bring back the fire. And once that’s taken care of, I think everything else will take care of itself. Texas has the talent and the coaching staff that bodes well for having a winning program. The attitude just needed to change.”

FEBRUARY 2014

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

{

Your Instagram photos could be featured on the Horns Illustrated Fan Photos page when you use the hashtag #horns illustrated

www.youtube.com/ user/ HornsIllustrated

www.facebook.com/ hornsillustrated Horns Illustrated asked our Facebook fans for their thoughts on the men’s basketball team based on their performance so far this season. Here is what you had to say: They’re so much fun to watch! They always try 100 percent. The running Horns are back! Football season is over so let’s move on to basketball and get behind this team and fill up the Erwin Center on Saturday nights! Hook ‘em. – Susan Craven Dixon They play hard. I like how the team is put together and they’re a much better freethrow shooting team than in the past. I’m looking forward to conference play – Eric Alston I like how they play. They play as a team. They listen to the coaches. There isn’t a player who thinks he’s better than the others. – Brenda Price They have the most potential in several years. We played great against Michigan State but lost it in the last 10 minutes. We beat North Carolina in North Carolina! We’re still not ranked but that’s OK. The sports writers’ disrespect can be motivating. – Matt Turner

DID YOU KNOW?

OVER 51K FACEBOOK LIKES https://www.facebook.com/ hornsillustrated Our “Reach” was over

1 MILLION

@hornsillus After Mack Brown announced his retirement, members of the sports media and former players shared their thoughts on Brown’s impact on the Texas football program:

“Sorry to hear that Mack Brown has made it official. He has stepped down after 16 years as head coach for the Longhorns.” – KIRK HERBSTREIT (@KirkHerbstreit)

“Someday there could be a fascinating 30 for 30 on the 2013 Texas Longhorns and the exit of Mack Brown.”

– BRUCE FELDMAN (@BFeldmanCBS)

during the week of 1/6-1/11 Averaged over

42K VISITS PER DAY

OVER 76K POST CLICKS We have over

5000

TWITTER followers: https://twitter.com/ HornsIllus/followers_you_follow

690

We have over INSTAGRAM followers

2400

You Tube Channel had views last month

http://hornsillustrated.com/

HAS OVER 38K FANS IN TEXAS

READ BY FANS IN 67 COUNTRIES The state of Maine has the fewest fans at just 5! Help us get the word out to those folks in Maine!

“To the very end, Mack has held the program and the kids above himself. The mark of a tremendous leader!”– JOEL KLATT (@joelklatt) “I like Charlie Strong as the new coach. I never understood the ‘CEO coach’ concept. The athletic director should be the CEO not the coach.”–J.C. DE LEON (@jcdeleon1)

“Very thankful to Mack Brown for all of the young men’s lives he changed at Texas. Few know about the impact he had on us as men.” – SAM ACHO (@TheSamAcho)

horns_illustrated

@Littlelindsayy: Check out this bowling ball signed by Mack Brown! 22

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FEBRUARY 2014

@Texas_Cheer arrived in Nebraska ready for the NCAA Lincoln Regional Volleyball Championship.

@utexasbaseball: Team practice in two days! #hookem

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: DON BENDER, D ON BENDER , JESSE DR OHEN, ALL OTHER PHOTOS COURTESY INSTAGRAM.COM AND RESPECTIVE PHOTOGRAPHERS

Social Buzz

MEET THE T-ASSOCIATION

The T-Association is an organization made up of former varsity athletics letter winners. An additional designation for the T-Association members is the T-ring, which is awarded to an athlete who lettered for 2 or more years, who did not compete the last 2 years of eligibility anywhere other than The University of Texas and who graduated from college. David McWilliams, former Longhorn head football coach, currently serves as the executive director for the T-Association. T-Association Mission - The T-Association’s mission is to create and maintain an enhanced atmosphere and structure whereby UT student-athletes become lifetime members of The University of Texas Athletics family and are welcomed, involved and encouraged to participate during and after their college tenure. TAPN Mission - The Letter Winner’s Professional Network exists to unite the members of the T-Association on a professional level by providing networking opportunities and a database of contacts, thereby furthering the opportunities, community, education and success of Longhorn Letter Winners. CONTACT INFORMATION: t-association@athletics.utexas.edu 512.471.6864

THE HABE ON THE HORNS BY STEVE HABEL

The New Man in Charge The new football coach makes a strong first impression.

HARLIE STRONG’S education had already reached full force a day after he walked onto the 40 Acres and assumed the reins of the Texas football program. Strong strode confidently into the Carpenter-Winkel Centennial Room on Jan. 6. He took his seat in the middle of the dais between UT-Austin President Bill Powers and Texas Athletic Director Steve Patterson for his introductory press conference as the 29th football coach in the history of the program. As Patterson, and then Powers, talked about the process of bringing Strong to Austin and feted the accomplishments that garnered him the job at Texas, Strong looked a bit overwhelmed as 27 television cameras, a few hundred invited guests and a horde of media scrutinized his every move. Then the time for Strong to talk, to tell the world how he felt about being in the seat that so many football coaches long for, finally arrived. After a bit of a ragged beginning while referring to his prepared speech, Strong nailed the rest of the event, saying all the right things in a tone that became more confident as the press conference went on. Strong spoke about what it means to be at Texas, how he and his staff will focus on making sure they “close the borders” to keep top recruits from leaving the state and said that the excellence of Longhorn football will be continued. He talked about welcoming former coach Mack Brown to practice and giving him unfettered access to the program. He confirmed his commitment to fostering the Texas high school coaches — a tradition Brown reestablished 16 years ago. “I would never feel like Mack Brown was looking over my shoulder,” Strong said. “Mack told me, ‘Don’t try to be like me.’ I need to be myself.” According to reports, Strong wasn’t Patterson’s first choice to take over the football program. Strong likely wasn’t his second or

third, but the new coach made sure everyone knew that he didn’t care how he got the job — he was just glad he did. “I don’t care if I was the 15th choice. All I know is that I’m the head coach at Texas,” he said. “Whatever choice I was, I’m here and ready to go to work.” At Louisville, football was the third-most visible sport, behind Rick Pitino’s national championship-winning basketball team and horse racing. But at Texas, football remains king, and being in the spotlight — and in the fishbowl — will be a change for Strong. “I was in that situation at Florida [where Strong was defensive coordinator under Urban Meyer] so I understand what it’s like,” he confirmed. Strong was most relaxed when talking about football, how he’d work with players to get the best out of them and how he expects toughness from his team across the board. “Success begins in the weight room,” he said. “You have to build your program on toughness. Players understand that.” Getting the Longhorns back to where they’re expected to be will take some work. Strong will need to exceed the success Brown achieved the past few seasons — including the campaigns that were considered ultimately unacceptable. If it’s change that Texas fans, Patterson and Powers wanted, Strong is certainly that — he’s diametrically different from Brown. Strong is young, aggressive and full of vigor. He knows he has something to prove with the opportunity he’s been given at Texas. If first impressions mean anything, he’s ready for the job. Only time will tell if Strong is the right man for the position. Just sayin’, ya know? The Habe is Steve Habel, Horns Illustrated’s Associate Editor. He was the magazine’s first staff member, in 1994, and has covered Texas sports ever since.

FEBRUARY 2014

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FOOTBALL REVIEW

Brown’s Last Stand THE LEGENDARY COACH’S CAREER ENDS WITH A DISAPPOINTING LOSS AGAINST OREGON. BY STEVE HABEL

to end this way for Mack Brown, the coach who led Texas to a national championship in 2005 and the cusp of another in 2009. But the hard times finally caught up with Brown in 2013. After 16 years at the helm, Brown’s final time striding the Longhorns’ sideline ended with a 30-7 loss to Oregon in the Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. Oregon’s all-everything quarterback, Marcus Mariota, accounted for 386 combined yards (253 passing and a career-high 133 rushing) in leading the 10th-ranked Ducks to a win that was even easier than the score indicated. Texas managed just 80 yards of total offense in the second half (and had only 236 for the entire game) while the Ducks squandered several chances to add to their lead in the first half. After halftime, Oregon — with Mariota limited with a lingering knee injury and suffering from cramps — took the conservative route and waited for Texas to make mistakes and fade away. The Longhorns did both. Questions abounded about Oregon’s ability to stop the run in the weeks prior to the Alamo Bowl, but Texas’ inability to pass the ball made the biggest difference in the loss. HINGS WEREN’T SUPPOSED

DON BENDER

A SAD FAREWELL:

Mack Brown ended his career as the Texas head football coach with a 30-7 loss to Oregon.

FEBRUARY 2014

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

After Longhorns’ running back Malcolm Brown gashed Oregon for 113 yards in just 18 carries in the first half, the Ducks crowded the line of scrimmage and dared Texas to throw the ball. Texas’ two quarterbacks — senior Case McCoy and true freshman Tyrone Swoopes — combined for just four completions and 25 yards passing after halftime. The Longhorns passed for just 56 yards in the game, with their longest pass play just 11 yards. “When we didn’t run the ball well on first and second downs in the second half, we ended up behind the chains and put our offense in bad situations,” offensive coordinator Major Applewhite said. “Running the ball when there was no room would’ve been counterproductive — we were looking to win, not just gain yards.” Texas’ performance in the Alamo Bowl was eerily similar to the way its offense played in the regular-season finale — a 30-10 loss to Baylor. In that game, McCoy passed for just 54 yards and the Longhorns had only 217 total yards. Combine the two games and Texas gained just 453 yards overall, passed for only 110 and scored just 17 points. Texas finished the season 8-5, matching its win total from 2011. In reality, McCoy did more to hurt his team than help it, throwing two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns. McCoy’s second pass of the game was picked off by Oregon’s Avery Patterson, who ran the ball back 37 yards for a score before many fans had found their seats. 26

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FEBRUARY 2014

DUCK DYNASTY: The Longhorns’ offense struggled against Oregon. On the defensive front, Texas limited the Ducks to one offensive touchdown, but quarterback Marcus Mariota accounted for 386 yards. The Ducks also scored twice on defense. (Top left) Quandre Diggs and (top center) Caleb Bluiett couldn’t contain Oregon from making plays; (opposite page) Case McCoy threw two pick-sixes; (above) Joe Bergeron assisted where he could, catching an 11-yard pass that ultimately led to the Longhorns’ lone touchdown.

game at the 8:28 mark of the quarter but couldn’t spur the Texas offense, which went three-andout on two straight possessions. Then in the fourth quarter, with Texas clinging onto hope and still down just two possessions, McCoy improvised while rolling to his left and lost sight of the Ducks’ Derrick Malone. Malone intercepted the pass in dead stride and returned it 38 yards for the touchdown that cemented Oregon’s win. “We had some drops in crucial situations and I didn’t make the passes I needed to for this team to win,” McCoy said. “No team is going to win when its quarterback throws two pick-sixes. Oregon did a great job of disguising coverage and I got confused.”

The Longhorn receivers did little to distinguish themselves, combining for five catches for 30 yards. Texas’ play-calling in the pass game was also circumspect, with four passes to its tight ends — including three to Geoff Swaim — and two that were dropped. The group had four combined catches in the Longhorns’ first 12 games. “Let’s face it — the game turned when we couldn’t do anything offensively in the final three quarters,” senior tackle Mason Walters said. “Oregon is too good of a team to hand us 14 points like we did with the interceptions and returns. Once we got behind, we had to pass the ball and we couldn’t. It’s a bitter pill to swallow because we played hard and our defense played well enough for us to win this game.”

After Oregon built a 10-0 lead on Patterson’s interception return and the first of three Matt Wogan field goals, Texas had its best drive of the game. The Longhorns moved the ball 79 yards in 16 plays (all – CASE MCCOY but three of them runs) to a McCoy 1-yard touchdown on a quarterback sneak. The play brought the Longhorns to within three points with 1:24 to play in the first quarter. That drive would account for more than a third of Texas’ offensive output in the game. Wogan added a 32-yard field goal with 12:30 to play in the second quarter, pushing the Oregon lead to 13-7. Late in the period, Brown got loose for a 40-yard run to get the Longhorns off their own goal line but the team faltered on three consecutive passes and gave the Ducks another chance to score before halftime. Oregon was more than happy to oblige, moving 88 yards in seven plays before scoring on a pretty shovel pass from Mariota to Josh Huff for a 16-yard touchdown. “That was a crucial point in the game because we had the chance to do something after Malcolm’s long run and we didn’t,” coach Brown said. “Then they scored so quickly and grabbed any momentum we built up in the first half.” On the first possession of the third quarter, Wogan added a 39-yard field goal that expanded the Ducks’ lead to 23-7. Swoopes entered the

T HIS SP READ CLOCKWIS E FROM LEFT: DON BENDER, D ON BENDER, J ESS E DROHEN, J ESSE DROHEN

“NO TEAM IS GOING TO WIN WHEN ITS QUARTERBACK THROWS TWO PICK-SIXES.”

FEBRUARY 2014

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

BY STEVE HABEL

players and coaching staff said they were disappointed at the way things ended in Mack Brown’s final gig on the 40 Acres. “We all love coach Brown and it’s tough to not get a win for him in his last game here,” said Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas’ All-American defensive end. “Coach Brown was never shy to show us that he loves us and that he cares about us more than football. It’s tough to see him go.” The university made plenty of tributes to Brown before, during and after the game. Bevo usually sports a halter with his name across his nose but wore a harness bearing the word “MACK” in honor of Brown. Brown said he didn’t have time to notice. Then the Texas band spelled out Brown’s name during its halftime performance, but the coach was still in the locker room, trying to figure out a way to stop Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. He said after the game that his wife, Sally, told him of that tribute. After time expired, the majority of the Texas fan base chanted Brown’s name and cheered when he led his team to the south end of the stadium. He raised his ‘Hook ‘em Horns’ high for the final time as the Texas coach. “Our fans have been great for 16 years,” Brown said in his final press conference. “Sally and I can’t even answer all the emails, texts, Facebook messages and tweets we’ve received the past two weeks. It’s been wonderful.”

AFTER THE GAME,

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FEBRUARY 2014

Texas defensive coordinator Greg Robinson claimed Texas would have a hard time finding a coach that brings as much to the table as Brown did in his time at Texas. “He has been everything to Texas for as long as I can remember,” Robinson said. “It’s hard to believe that he — and we as a coaching staff — are ending things here. It’s tough to end things this way. The total focus from coach Brown the past two weeks is for us to give all we had to beat Oregon and not let his leaving be a distraction.” As much as the players wanted to send their coach out on a winning note, Brown wanted to finish strong and leave Austin with a final great memory. “I’m disappointed in the game and that we lost,” Brown said. “With all the distractions this team has dealt with — me being one of them — they’ve done everything right for the past two weeks getting ready for Oregon. They tried as hard as they could tonight.” Brown said afterward he hasn’t even thought of what life will be like when he wakes up without a team to coach. “I’ll get up at 6 a.m. and watch a video [of this game] and be worried about somebody,” he said. “I told the players to stay out of trouble tonight, that I didn’t need a call. Since I’ve been here I’ve never really looked back. I want to be driven and move forward.” GOODBYES ARE NEVER EASY: (Above) Brown raises his “Hook ‘Em” sign for the final time as the head coach; (left) Jeffcoat and Brown say their farewells.

ALL PHOTOS THI S PAGE: D ON BENDER

THANK YOU, MACK

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FEBRUARY 2014

t t

Game

ON THE UNIVERSITY SENDS A STRONG MESSAGE ON BEHALF OF TEXAS FOOTBALL. BY STEVE HABEL

A WELCOME TO TEXAS: Strong

(pictured here with his daughters, Hailee and Hope, and his wife, Vicki) is the 29th coach for the Longhorns.

NEW ERA ON THE 40 ACRES began Jan. 6 when Texas introduced former Louisville head coach Charlie Strong as the new face of Longhorn football. With the announcement, Strong became the 29th head coach for the Longhorns and was instilled with the mantra to return the program to the sport’s upper echelon. Strong, 53, was a two-time Conference Coach of the Year at Louisville, where he posted a 37-15 overall record in four seasons. In 2013, he closed the season with a 12-win campaign and captured bowl wins each of the past three years. Strong is the only coach in Louisville history to win three bowl games; prior to his arrival the Cardinals had won just six bowl games in the program’s 100-year history. During the past two years, Louisville was one of the nation’s winningest programs, posting a 23-3 record (0.885). “I’m humbled [to have been chosen for the Texas coaching position], happy and proud,” Strong said. “We’ll always strive for excellence on the field. We’ll strive for excellence off the field. It’s never about me — it’s always about the young men. I want to make sure this is all about building them and making sure they represent this university the right way.”

FEBRUARY 2014

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

A NEW BEGINNING: UT-Austin President Bill Powers takes a moment during Strong’s introductory press conference to welcome him to the Longhorn family. Texas Athletic Director Steve Patterson conducted

Strong takes over the reins at Texas from Mack Brown, who stepped away as the Longhorns’ coach after 16 years on the 40 Acres. Brown’s final game at the helm was a bowl defeat in the 2013 Alamo Bowl on Dec. 30. “I’ve known Charlie Strong for a long time and Texas not only hired a tremendous football coach, but also a great man,” Brown said. “Charlie’s a man of integrity and character. I wish him the best. He’s had success everywhere he’s been and he’ll do a great job at Texas.” New Texas Athletic Director Steve Patterson handpicked Strong for the job, and UT-Austin President Bill Powers and a prestigious eight-person selection committee blessed his decision. “We have an outstanding president here, outstanding athletic director and we have the support staff,” Strong said. “When you have the right support around you, there’s no pressure. When you’re not prepared, there’s pressure. Go recruit the right people and continue to build on something great, and then that pressure eases for you.”

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FEBRUARY 2014

Strong was interviewed by Patterson in his Louisville home on Jan. 3 and selected after a number of other high-profile coaches — including Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher, UCLA’s Jim Mora, Jr. and Baylor’s Art Briles — said they weren’t interested in the job. “Charlie is the only one we offered the position to,” Patterson said. “We wanted somebody who was bright and an ethical leader, who was physically and mentally tough, who could recruit and evaluate talent.” “And then once that talent is here, we wanted someone who’s a great coach and teacher. Someone who can help our young football players grow both on and off the field,” he added. This season, Louisville is one of only six schools to rank among the top 28 nationally in both total offense and defense, and one of just eight to rank among the top 25 in scoring offense and defense. The Cardinals led the nation in total defense (251.5 yards per game), rushing defense (80.7 ypg), sacks (3.31 per game), fewest first downs allowed

(183), third-down conversion defense (26.7 percent) and punt return defense (1.15 yards per return). On offense, Louisville had the fewest passes intercepted (four), fewest turnovers lost (10) and the highest completion percentage (70.8). In 2012, Louisville posted an 11-2 record, claimed the Big East Championship and finished the year ranked 13th in the BCS Standings, USA Today Coaches Poll and AP Poll. The Cardinals capped the year with a 33-23 upset win over fourth-ranked Florida in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. In Strong’s first two seasons (2010-11), Louisville recorded identical 7-6 records and made appearances in the 2010 Beef `O’ Brady’s Bowl and the 2011 Belk Bowl. Louisville won just a combined two league games in the two seasons prior to his arrival. “This was a difficult decision because the University of Louisville gave me my first opportunity as a head coach,” Strong said. “They’ve been great to me and my family. It was hard to say goodbye but they know this

P REVIOUS S PREAD : JIM SIGMON/UNIV. OF TEXAS, THIS S PREAD, LEF T HAN D PAGE: JIM SIGMON/UNIV. OF T EXAS, R IGHT HAND PAGE ALL PHOTOS SUS AN S IGMON/UNIV. OF TEX AS.

Strong’s interview and with the support of the selection committee, chose Strong for the job over numerous other high-profile coaches.

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE: Strong will be evaluated closely during his first year as head coach, not only by the media but also by past coaches and former players. (Top left) Strong speaks to the media during his introductory press conference; (top right) AM 1300 The Zone’s Craig Way interviews the new coach; (lower left) Edith Royal and Strong; (lower center) David McWilliams and Strong; (lower right) Pam Willeford and Strong.

was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.” Prior to Louisville, Strong built an impressive résumé as an assistant coach in 31 years in collegiate coaching. His experience includes 11 seasons as a defensive coordinator in the SEC and four years as an assistant coach at Notre Dame. All totaled, Strong spent 15 seasons as an assistant at Florida during four stints, including seven years as the defensive coordinator, the last five of which were under current Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer. Strong was also on two of Lou Holtz’s staffs, spending the first two years of his Fighting Irish tenure under the Hall of Fame coach, as well as four more as defensive coordinator at South Carolina. Strong was a finalist for the Broyles Award — which is awarded to the nation’s top assistant coach — three times. As Meyer’s defensive coordinator from 2005-09, he helped the Gators win a pair of national titles — in 2009 against Oklahoma (2008 season) and 2007 versus Ohio State (2006 season). In that stretch, Strong coached 13 All-

Americans, a National Defensive Player of the Year, a Jack Tatum Award winner, two SEC Defensive Freshmen of the Year, two Thorpe Award finalists, two Nagurski Trophy finalists and the 2008 Chevrolet Defensive Player of the Year. He also developed seven first-round NFL draft picks and 18 players who were selected in the third round or higher. Outside of his time at Louisville, Florida and South Carolina, Strong’s career stops have included one season (1985) at Texas A&M as a graduate assistant before moving on to Southern Illinois as wide receivers coach from 1986-87. He then spent one season (1990) at Mississippi as wide receivers coach and four seasons (199598) as the defensive line coach at Notre Dame. A native of Batesville, Ark., Strong was a four-year letterwinner (1980-83) and threetime all-conference safety at Central Arkansas. He and his wife, Vicki, have a son, Tory, and two daughters, Hailee and Hope. “Coach Brown has left this program in great condition for me,” Strong said. “It’s so easy

that I’m going to be able to walk into a situation where it’s still about recruiting. It’s still about continuing to build on that tradition.” Strong will stick with the up-tempo offensive attack that has served him well at Louisville. “You want an up-tempo offense, one that’s aggressive,” he said. “You’d like to see it wide open, but it’s still all about just physical toughness. Can you go run the football? You know at the end of the day, you have to line up and run the ball, which is built within the toughness of your program.” Strong is also the first African-American head coach at Texas, in football or in any other men’s sport. “There’s always going to be a first somewhere, so this had to be the first,” he said. “Whenever there’s a first, we’re going to make it good. We’re going to do what we have to do, and we’re going to work to make it better. I don’t ever want to look at it as being the first. I want to look at it as I’m a coach and that’s the way I want to be treated.”

FEBRUARY 2014

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

Strong Staff Assembled BY JAMES SCHLEICHER Head coach Charlie Strong introduced his new coaching staff Jan. 14. The group of nine assistants has a combined 232 years of collegiate coaching experience. Four coaches have served as coordinators, two have head coaching experience and three spent time in the NFL. On the Texas front, five have experience coaching in the state and four have coached at the high school level. Two assistants are Texas Exes. Here’s a look at Strong’s coaching staff.

ALL PHOTOS THIS PAGE: COURTESY UT ATHLETICS PHOT OGR APHY

OFFENSE

DEFENSE

Joe Wickline: OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR/OFFENSIVE LINE

Vance Bedford DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR/SECONDARY

• Former offensive line coach at Oklahoma State and Florida • Thirty-three year coaching veteran (last 9 years at Oklahoma State) • Will call the plays for the Longhorn offense

• Lifetime Longhorn, played cornerback at Texas (1977-79, 1981) • Spent the past four seasons with Strong as the defensive coordinator at Louisville • Was a part of two National Championships, with Florida (2008) and Michigan (1997)

Shawn Watson ASST. HEAD COACH FOR OFFENSE/QUARTERBACKS

Chris Rumph ASST. HEAD COACH FOR DEFENSE/DEFENSIVE LINE

• Offensive coordinator at Louisville for the last two seasons (on Strong’s staff for the last three) • Extensive resume, with stops in the Big 12, Big Ten and Big East, and has head coaching experience • Tutored Teddy Bridgewater — one of the top quarterbacks in the nation — at Louisville.

• Defensive line coach at Clemson and Alabama, with National Championship experience • The 2013 Tide front helped limit opponents to just 286.5 yards of total offense to rank fifth in the nation, while surrendering just 13.9 points per game to rank fourth.

Les Koenning WIDE RECEIVERS

Chris Vaughn DEFENSIVE BACKS/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR

• Veteran coordinator at Mississippi State, Texas A&M and Alabama • Thirty three years of experience • Played wide reciever at Texas from 1977-80

• Coached at Memphis, Ole Miss and Arkansas • In 2012, the Tigers led Conference USA in total defense in league games, giving up just 331.6 yards per game.

Tommie Robinson RUNNING BACKS

Brian Jean-Mary LINEBACKERS/RECRUITING COORDINATOR

• Passing game coordinator/running backs coach at USC last season and previously served as an assistant with Miami (Fla.) and the Dallas Cowboys.

• Assistant head coach and linebackers coach with Strong at Louisville for the past four seasons

Bruce Chambers TIGHT ENDS

Pat Moorer HEAD STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH FOR FOOTBALL

• Only coach retained from Mack Brown’s staff • Seventeenth seasons at Texas (12th as the tight ends coach)

• Comes to Texas after four years on Strong’s staff at Louisville • Dir. of strength and conditioning, South Carolina (1999-2009) • Presented with the certification of Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association in 2006, the highest honor that can be achieved in the profession.

FEBRUARY 2014

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

STEERING THE HERD: Since Elliott’s arrival on the 40 Acres, the Longhorn volleyball team has won six conference titles and the program’s second national championship.

THE MAN BEHIND THE TEAM MEET THE COACH WHO TRANSFORMED TEXAS VOLLEYBALL. BY SARA BETH PURDY

arrived on the 40 Acres 13 years ago to bring Texas volleyball to the national stage and establish a premier program. “Jerritt has strengthened and re-energized our volleyball program since his arrival,” Texas women’s Athletic Director Chris Plonsky said when Elliott’s contract was extended. “He came to Texas at a point where the volleyball program needed to be re-seeded in every way. Jerritt and his staff have elevated our volleyball program nationally.” Before coming to Texas, Elliott coached at Southern California, including two years as the head coach. He cultivated several impressive recruiting classes and quickly made a name for himself as an elite coach. During his first year as the interim head coach for the Trojans, Elliott finished with a 13-5 conference record — the best finish by a first-year coach in Pac-10 conference history. 36

HEAD COACH JERRITT ELLIOTT

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FEBRUARY 2014

That season was his first season as a collegiate head coach. Elliott’s recruiting classes at Southern California were highly regarded and went on to earn two national titles after he left to coach at Texas. Elliott’s impressive résumé as the Longhorns’ head coach speaks volumes. At the end of the 2013 season, Elliott holds an overall 322-82 record at Texas. The Longhorns have finished in the top five in each of the past eight seasons with Elliott at the helm and have seen postseason action in all but one season. The team has reached the NCAA Championship match twice under Elliott. “You have to find a way to play just a little bit better than the other team,” Elliott said. “You have to find a way to win. You can’t look too far ahead — you’ve got to live in the moment.” Despite falling in the Final Four match to Wisconsin this past

ALL PHOTOS THIS SPREAD: PATR ICK MEREDIT H/UNIV. OF TEXAS

December, Elliott led the Longhorns through an impressive 2013 season. The team finished the season with a 27-3 record and an undefeated Big 12 regular season — the first in program history. With only three losses, this season was his second-best record as a head coach. In 2009, the Longhorns finished with a 29-2 season record. Elliott led the Longhorns to a national title in 2012, marking the second title in program history and Elliott’s first as a head coach. Texas defeated Oregon in a dominating 3-0 sweep in Louisville, Ky., in December of 2012. “This has been a long time coming and I’m so happy for Texas,” Elliott said after the championship victory. “But to see these girls’ faces — we’re so excited and proud of these ladies.”

In 2009, the Longhorns advanced to the NCAA championship match after an almost undefeated season, their only loss during the regular season coming against Iowa State. Texas dropped the championship match in five sets to a strong Penn State team that year. Elliott has led the Longhorns to six Big 12 Championship titles, including three straight in 2011, 2012 and 2013. In addition, he has also coached five Big 12 Players of the Year, including current Longhorn and All-American Haley Eckerman. Considered to be one of the best recruiters in college volleyball, Elliott has brought in six top-two recruiting classes. His 2011 class, which included Eckerman and junior Khat Bell, was ranked as the top recruiting class in the country that season. In his years at Texas, only one of his recruiting classes was not nationally ranked. Elliott is also a four-time Big 12 Coach of the Year, four-time AVCA Central Region Coach of the Year and two-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year. “He’s an unbelievable coach,” former Longhorn Heather Kisner said, “and an even better friend.” FEBRUARY 2014

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

M B A SK ET B A L L

Raising the Bar THIS YOUNG GROUP OF LONGHORNS IS EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS. BY STEVE LANSDALE

W 38

HEN A TEAM

begins a season amid a swirl of questions, fans immediately turn to built-in

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

explanations when, and if, results dip. Coaches point to players who are out or recovering from injuries, young players still learning the system or the daunting slate of nonconference games. Head coach

FEBRUARY 2014

Rick Barnes could easily use all three reasons. But the Longhorns didn’t force Barnes to reach for explanations. At the beginning of the season Texas faced a lot of uncertainties. How would Javan Felix respond to offseason hip surgery? Could any of the freshmen emerge and contribute early? Who would carry the load offensively? Of course, the best way to defuse criticism is to perform at a level that simply doesn’t allow it. Texas isn’t one of the nation’s elite programs just yet, but when the ball was tipped off for the season opener against Mercer, a precious few believed that the Longhorns could reach the upper echelon. And very few thought the team would perform like they have. As 2014 gets underway, Texas boasts a glistening 11-2 record, including a 5-1 mark in December games that included a victory at then-No. 14 North Carolina and an 8-1 record in home games. The Longhorns also received votes in the final top 25 of the Associated Press, ESPN and USA Today polls. Barnes said the Longhorns’ nonconference schedule — a stretch of games that included opponents such as Vanderbilt, Temple and Michigan State (the then-No. 5 Spartans were the only team to beat Texas in December) — has prepared them for the rigors of the games against Big 12 opponents. “We’ve seen a lot of different styles thrown at us both offensively and defensively,” Barnes said after Texas’ 66-44 win over Rice. “As

we get ready to head into conference play, people have made a conscious effort of playing a tight defense. We’ve gotten better.” The marquee game of the nonconference schedule was the Longhorns’ surprising 86-83 win over the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill. The win marked the team’s first victory over a nationally ranked opponent in nearly a year. The

RECOVERY ACT: After a disappointing

2012-13 season, the men are pushing forward to recover their spot among the elite. Javan Felix (left) and Demarcus Holland (above) are leading the way.

game boosted the team’s record to 10-1, marking its best start to a season since opening the 2009-10 season with 17 consecutive victories. Four players led the Texas offense with double-digit scoring performances — Isaiah Taylor had a team-high 16 points, Demarcus Holland and Jonathan Holmes scored 15 apiece, and Felix added 12. Holmes picked up his second double-double of the season —

ALL PHOTOS THIS SPR EAD: DON BEND ER

IN SEASON

and third of his career — when he tied Connor Lammert with a team-best 10 rebounds (a mark that established a new career high for Lammert). The Longhorns rode the wave of confidence back home to Austin, where they met a Michigan State team that is among the premier teams in the nation. Cameron Ridley and Taylor led the Texas offense with 17 and 16 points, respectively, but that wasn’t enough as the Spartans pulled away late for a 92-78 win. Barnes said after the game that the setback did nothing to diminish his affection for this year’s team. “I love my team — I really do,” he said. “They’re disappointed — you can tell, but they go about their business. This can be a baffling game sometimes. We had our best practice in maybe five years yesterday. As a coach, if I knew all the answers, I would tell you. This is a game where I can’t explain some of the things that happen. Our guys get out of character sometimes. It’s a game and it happens.” Despite the loss, Barnes took the opportunity to praise Taylor. The freshman from Hayward, Calif., is second on the team in scoring (11.8 points per game) and leads the Longhorns in assists (3.8 per game) and free throws made (56,

for a team-best 4.3 per game). Barnes said Taylor’s talent is obvious, but what’s more encouraging is how much he thinks the freshman guard can still improve. “He’s a terrific player but needs to [improve] his game planning,” Barnes said. “Because of what he does, that’s where he needs to adjust. He’s competitive and at times, he thinks he can just put his head down and go with it.” The men’s team is much better than almost anyone expected, especially on the defensive end of the court, where they’re holding opponents to under 70 points per game (69.5). Texas also enjoys a considerable rebounding advantage, pulling down an average of 43.5 boards per game, compared to 35.0 for its opponents. The Longhorns are also holding their own on blocked shots — the Longhorns are blocking an average 6.9 shots per game, compared to 3.0 for their opponents. The story of the 2013-14 season is far from complete but what can be said without argument is that the Longhorns are off to a good start. “At some point in time, over all of the games we’ve played, every guy on our team has had their moments,” Barnes said. “They should have the confidence to know that they can do what they need to do.”

W B A SK ET B A L L

A Season on the Brink EVEN WITHOUT A SET STARTING FIVE, THE WOMEN ARE ON THE BRINK OF TURNING AROUND THE PROGRAM. BY CARLO BLIGH

LTHOUGH

THE

DIFFERENCE

between Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 is a mere 24 hours, the jarring upheaval caused by transitioning from an old year to a new one leads many to dwell on the past and resolve to make changes for the future. This New Year also marked the switch from nonconference play to conference play for the Texas women’s basketball team. The Longhorns faced No. 11 Oklahoma State in their Big 12 opener

and looked to set standards for the future. Heading into the matchup, the team was 8-9 in conference openers. This year immediately presented an opportunity to create a clean slate for the program. Reflecting on the results from the nonconference matchups that ended with 2013, one question loomed for Texas fans: is this team still trying to figure out how to pull things together? The Longhorns have utilized eight different starting lineups in 12 games, a statistic that doesn’t readily lead to any easy answers about this team. Is this coaching staff extremely adept at scouting out opponents and adapting the starting lineup accordingly? Or is the lineup an experiment in progress while the coaching staff finds a way to win? All 14 members of the roster, from seniors to freshmen, are averaging 25 minutes of playing time per game, and everybody is claiming real estate in the scoring column. For coach Karen Aston, this shared contribution by the entire bench is a sign of progress.

FEBRUARY 2014

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

“That’s the most positive thing about our team right now — we have so much depth,” Aston said. “We have two point guards that are playing well.” Utilizing both Celina Rodrigo and Krystle Henderson in the backcourt, sometimes at the same time, has been a hallmark of this season. “Sometimes it’s been out of necessity foulwise and sometimes it’s matchups,” Aston explained. “They both can shoot the basketball and handle the ball well. Sometimes you can’t play the two of them together because of matchups, but I don’t feel uncomfortable with playing them together.” The unpredictable can lead to many lineup inventions out of necessity, especially when it comes to injuries. Senior guard Chassidy Fussell, an early season entrant to the Naismith Trophy Watch List, injured her knee against Idaho. She’s remained off the court until the Kansas game, which led to more starts for underclassmen such as freshman Kelsey Lang and sophomore Brady Sanders. The performances of the younger players haven’t been lost on their more seasoned counterparts. “The maturity of our younger players is better,” junior Nneka Enemkpali said. “You never know who’s going to step up.” Sanders certainly stepped up in the opener against Oklahoma State, scoring 10 points in the second half of the game. But even with her efforts, the Longhorns were unable to upset the Cowgirls, losing 67-61. Aston started sophomore guard Empress Davenport, Rodrigo, Sanders, Enemkpali and Lang. Texas is now 1-1 with this starting lineup. Without a static lineup and clear insight into the lineup’s weaknesses and strengths, one should evaluate the Longhorns as a whole. Does this team attack or

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

stay on the defensive most of the game? This season, the Longhorns ranked sixth in the nation in field goal percentage defense and seventh in scoring defense before the loss to Oklahoma State. They also led the Big 12 and were ranked 17th nationally in 3-point field goal percentage. Last season they finished last in the Big 12 when it came to 3-pointers. The Longhorns are rising up as a well-rounded team. And perhaps no example is more telling of this than a microcosmic view of Enemkpali. Entering Big 12 play, Enemkpali was ranked second in the conference in rebounding while leading Texas in scoring. She racked up four doubledoubles during nonconference play and has scored more than 20 points in three games. This PLAY MAKER: McGee-Stafford led

the Longhorns with a career-high 24 points and also grabbed 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season against Kansas.

well-rounded star is leading a team that’s hustling on both ends of the court and staying aggressive on both boards. With their defensive reputation intact, the Longhorns want to be known for scoring. “We’ve been looking into our offense and looking to where we need to get the ball and who needs to score at what time,” Enemkpali stated. “We’re more selfless this year, and it doesn’t really matter who scores, as long as we’re winning.” Against Oklahoma State the women showcased their defensive and offensive talents. In the first, half Texas shot 92.9 percent from the free-throw line. Enemkpali, Sanders and Imani McGee-Stafford scored in the double figures and five players shot over 50 percent for the game.

FEBRUARY 2014

On the defensive side of the court, Texas held the Cowgirls under their season scoring average (by 14 points), as well as their season averages in field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage, rebounds, assists and steals. But even with those statistics, the Longhorns couldn’t manage the upset. The early season showed incredible score lines, with Texas beating Sam Houston State 10948 and Texas State 96-42. Those wins gave the impression that Texas could handle the opposition like high school teams in an exhibition. But their matchups against ranked opponents have resulted in losses of heartbreakingly slim margins. No. 6 Stanford edged the Longhorns 63-54 and No. 3 Tennessee pulled off the win, 75-61. These losses are close enough to make one wonder if

the Longhorns are managing to hold on against ranked teams, or if they’re just one tweak away from big victories that could lead to a top-10 ranking. True to form this season, the conference opener against Oklahoma State didn’t give us any definitive answers about this team. The Longhorns lost, but barely. They led the game at times and in the end fell by a mere six points. Texas had a higher scoring percentage but lost on rebounds to the Cowgirls. Fortunately, there are many games left to finde the answers. “We still have a long way to go. There will be nights when starters won’t have it and they need players who will energize the team,” Aston said. “We’ve grown so much. These players are saying the right things in huddles and they want to win.”

THIS SPR EAD C LOC KWIS E FR OM LEFT: PATR IC K M ER EDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS, ALL OTHER PHOTOS COURTESY UT ATHLETICS PHOTOGRAPHY

IN SEASON

too and has made me work even harder to achieve even more success — both with the team and individually. This year we have a team that has the potential to win again. We had a tough fall with everyone trying to find his game, but there were good moments too. This team is similar in many ways to our team two years ago, and everyone has the confidence to win another championship.

M G OL F

Q&A:

Toni Hakula HAKULA HAS HIS SIGHTS SET ON ANOTHER SEASON FILLED WITH SUCCESS. BY STEVE HABEL

is the final player from Texas’ 2012 national championship golf team still on the 40 Acres. In the season and a half since the Longhorns won the title in dramatic fashion via a last-hole birdie in match play to beat Alabama, both Texas and Hakula have created many more memorable moments on the course. In the past six months, Hakula has finished second in the British Amateur Championship and, most recently, in the prestigious Patriot AllAmerica Invitational in Arizona. The junior from Finland lost the Invitational in a six-hole suddendeath playoff. He had two top-10 finishes in four tournaments during the fall portion of the Longhorns’ 2013-14 schedule. With the spring season ramping up, Hakula is playing his best golf yet as Texas looks to make a run at another team title. Horns Illustrated spent a few minutes catching up with Hakula at the first of the New Year. ONI HAKULA

How has playing in the British Amateur Championship and the Patriot All-America Invitational made you a better player? Getting into contention in these

tournaments has been a big step forward for me. Being in those situations has definitely made me a better player and it’s the only way to feel comfortable when the next opportunity comes. I learned what it takes to be successful. I’m not that nervous anymore when I have those big putts in the final holes, and knowing that I have a chance to win. I know I have what it takes and I know winning will come if I keep putting myself into contention.

What is golf like in Finland? Golf is growing in popularity, but it’s still quite a small sport in Finland. The weather plays a big part in when we can play since only half the year offers good playing conditions. I started playing golf when I was four so I’ve basically been playing my whole life. I played ice hockey for a long time and it’s definitely one of the big things I miss being in Texas. Golf, however, was always the frontrunner for me.

What are your strengths as a golfer? I’m mentally strong on the course and don’t get too emotional. I don’t let the setbacks during the round affect me. I’m also good with my short irons and my short game around the greens, so I usually make quite a few birdies in a round. What are your plans after college? I want to play professional golf after graduation — hopefully in the US. That has always been the dream. College had definitely helped me get closer to that dream and I’m excited to see what next year brings. I’m going to miss being on such a great team and I have a lot of great memories to take with me. Hopefully we can add even more this spring.

AN ENCORE PERFORMANCE:

Hakula looks to complete his collegiate career with a second national title.

What was the difference in winning and losing those tournaments? I need to learn to stay in the moment and not think too much about what will happen if I win. There was so much on the line for the winner, especially in the British Amateur [the winner receives an invitation to the British Open Championship and the following year’s Masters and U.S. Open] that it was hard not to think about it. My focus should be on the next shot and that’s all I can control and all I should think about. What kind of impact has Texas’ national championship had on the team? To win a national championship was incredible, truly a dream come true. Having accomplished that gave us the confidence that we can do it again. Winning the championship gave me a lot of confidence in my own game

FEBRUARY 2014

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

VOL L EY B A L L

Destiny Finds Another THE LONGHORNS EXIT THE NCAA TOURNAMENT SOONER THAN EXPECTED. BY SARA BETH PURDY

T 42

HE TEXAS VOLLEYBALL

team began its postseason with a 3-0 sweep of Texas State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The No. 1

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

Longhorns looked dominating in the win, outhitting the Bobcats .318 to .092. Big 12 Player of the Year Haley Eckerman finished with 14 kills and 19 digs, her eighth dou-

FEBRUARY 2014

ble-double of the season. Senior Bailey Webster finished with 13 kills and senior Hannah Allison added 28 assists and five kills. With the win, the Longhorns then faced former rival Texas A&M in the second round. In round two, the Longhorns defeated the Aggies 3-1. Eckerman finished the night with 20 kills while Webster finished with 18. On defense, the Longhorns finished with a season-high 18.5 team blocks. Allison finished with 45 assists. “This is a big win for us. Regardless of what seed you are, you don’t take things for granted, you don’t look past teams,” head coach Jerritt Elliott said after the win. “We know that it’s an honor to be in the round of 16 and we’re honored to represent our university and take that next step.” That next step took the Longhorns to the NCAA Lincoln Regional, where they faced American University and Nebraska. Texas earned a 3-1 victory over American in game one. American claimed the opening set 27-25, forcing the Longhorns to come back and take the next three sets for the win. Webster turned in 18 kills while junior Khat Bell totaled 16. The win sent the Longhorns to the Elite Eight match against Nebraska. In the regional final, the Longhorns swept No. 8 Nebraska, 3-0 becoming the first team to sweep the Cornhuskers in Lincoln since the 1980s. Webster led with 12 kills and a .500 hitting percentage while Eckerman finished with 14 kills. The duo combined for only three errors. Eckerman also added a doubledouble with 15 digs. Bell and freshman Chiaka Ogbogu had seven kills each and Allison had 37 assists. The Longhorns outblocked Nebraska 14-3, with sophomore Molly McCage leading with eight. With the win, the Longhorns punched their ticket to Seattle to face Wisconsin in their second-

BATTLE TESTED: With the help of Khat Bell, Texas outblocked Wisconsin 19-10.

straight Final Four appearance. The team fell to Wisconsin 1-3 in the Final Four, snapping a 10-match postseason win streak. The Badgers went up 2-0 over the Longhorns en route to their first national championship appearance in program history. After the intermission, the Longhorns survived a close and difficult third set 28-26 to extend the game to four sets. Despite leading the final set, the Badgers edged out the Longhorns, 25-23, to claim the fourth set and the match. Eckerman finished with 17 kills and 14 digs, her 11th double-double. Allison finished with a double-double with 33 assists and 11 digs. The loss ended the Longhorns’ attempt to defend their 2012 national title. Penn State went on to defeat Wisconsin in the National Championship game. Texas finished its 2013 season with a 27-3 record and a 23-match win streak — the second longest in program history. “Tough way to end the season,” Elliott said. “For whatever reason, we got on our heels right off the bat and couldn’t find a groove the entire night.”

THIS SPREAD CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS, PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS, JIM SIGMON/UNIV. OF TEXAS, BETHANY WALTER/UNIV. OF TEXAS

IN SEASON

SW I M M I NG & DI V I NG

Masters of Their Craft THE LONGHORNS ARE UPHOLDING THEIR REPUTATION AS SWIMMING AND DIVING’S POWERHOUSE. BY SARA BETH PURDY

T MEN’S

HE MEN’S SWIMMING and diving team opened the season with its annual Orange-White meet last September. White narrowly defeated Orange, 161.5-158.5, in a meet that places the Longhorns in direct competition with one another. Junior Clay Youngquist, sophomore Sam Lewis and freshman Will Licon each contributed two wins for the white team while sophomores Matt Ellis and John Martens posted one win apiece. For the Orange team, freshman Jack Conger headlined with two wins and senior Caleb Weir posted a win in the 50-meter freestyle. Freshman Michael Hixon claimed the one-meter diving event and sophomore Cory Bowersox took the three-meter diving event for the Orange team. Hixon captured his first win on the 40 Acres, fresh off his appearance in the FINA World Championships. The freshman teamed up with TexasEx Troy Dumais in the three-meter synchro event, earning a fifthplace finish. Following the OrangeWhite meet, the Longhorns hosted North Carolina on Oct. 17 in their dual-meet season opener. Out of 16 events, the Longhorns won 12 en route to a 171.5-126.5 victory over the Tar Heels. Sophomore Imri Ganiel, a London Olympian for Israel,

FRESH FACES: Jack Conger (top) and Michael Hixon (below) bring a world of experience to the men’s swimming and diving teams — even as freshmen.

claimed his first collegiate win in the 100-meter breaststroke. Freshman Will Glass also collected his first win in his college career when he out-touched North Carolina’s Patrick Myers in the 200-meter backstroke. Licon, Lewis, Conger, Weir and Martens also contributed individual wins with Texas claiming the 200-yard medley relay. The Longhorns then traveled to Bloomington, Ind., to face Indiana and Michigan. With a score of 204-96, the Longhorns defeated Indiana but fell to No. 1 Michigan 166-134. Hixon and freshman Mark Anderson went one and two in

phant, defeating all three teams. Youngquist, Licon, Conger and Martens all notched first-place finishes, helping Texas hold off Penn State to ensure a threeopponent sweep. In late November, Texas hosted the UT Diving Invitational, followed immediately by the Texas Invitational. Hixon won the one- and three-meter diving events, while Anderson and junior Will Chandler each earned top-five finishes at the UT Diving Invitational. At the Texas Invitational, Conger claimed the 400-yard freestyle and former Longhorn Michael McBroom won the

the one-meter diving event to open up the meet. “Michael Hixon’s intensity was exactly what we needed,” diving coach Matt Scoggin said. “It’s been infectious with the whole team. He’s headed in the right direction, along with the whole team.” All-American Youngquist finished the night with two wins, including one in the 200-yard freestyle. Conger — a gold medalist in the 200-meter backstroke in the 2013 World University Games — swept the backstroke events. The men then headed to Charlottesville, Va., looking for redemption after falling to the Wolverines. Texas faced off against Penn State, West Virginia and Virginia in the two-day meet. The Longhorns were trium-

1,650-yard freestyle. The Longhorns wrapped up their fall season by competing at the USA Diving Winter Nationals. Bowersox, Chandler and Anderson each placed in the meet. Hixon was named the Big 12 Men’s Diver of the Week twice during the fall season, once in November and once in December. Youngquist and Bowersox also picked up weekly Big 12 honors for their performances in the quad meet at Virginia. This spring the Longhorns host Auburn, Georgia and TCU before traveling to Arizona. Afterward, Texas will host the Big 12 Championships and the American Short Course Championships. At the end of March, the Longhorns will host the NCAA Championships in Austin.

FEBRUARY 2014

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

WOMEN’S TEXAS WOMEN’S swimming and diving opened up the 201314 season with a commanding 149-99 victory over Rice at home, sweeping all 16 events. Seniors Samantha Tucker, Lily Moldenhauer and Ellen Lobb, as well as juniors Kimmy Phillips and Skylar Smith, each notched individual victories over the Owls. Freshman Madisyn Cox also claimed two events to mark her first collegiate win. “I’m proud of our newcomers,” coach Carol Capitani said. “They’re doing things in practice they’ve never done before, so we’re expecting them to do things in meets they’ve never done before.” Junior Emma Ivory-Ganja won the one-meter diving event, competing only against her team-

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

mates since Rice didn’t field a diving team. Following Rice, the Longhorns joined the men’s team to host North Carolina, defeating the Tar Heels 171-129. Cox, along with fellow freshmen Tasija Karosas and Murphy Bromberg, accounted for seven of the Longhorns’ nine individual event victories in the win. The Longhorns then traveled to College Station, where they fell to former Big 12 rival Texas A&M. Big 12 Champion Moldenhauer led the Longhorns with two individual event victories in the 100-meter backstroke and 100-meter butterfly. Sophomore Meghan Houston swept the diving events with wins in both the one- and threemeter events. Texas held a 144-139 lead heading into the final event, the 400-meter freestyle relay. If the Longhorns won the relay, they would walk away victorious. Unfortunately, the Aggies cap-

FEBRUARY 2014

tured the win, adding 11 points to the scoreboard. Following the loss to the Aggies, the women bounced back with wins over Indiana and Michigan in a dual-meet in Bloomington, Ind. Tucker, Cox and Karosas each notched individual wins while Ivory-Ganja claimed first in the three-meter

POOL SHARK: As a freshman, Tasija

Karosa is already making an impact for the women’s team by capturing her own individual titles in the pool.

diving event. Houston claimed first in the one-meter event. Texas then traveled to Virginia for a two-day event against Penn state, West Virginia

ALL PHOTOS THIS SPREAD: PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS

IN SEASON

SPIN CYCLE: Taylor concluded the fall season by taking first place in the individual three-meter, platform and three-meter synchronized diving events at the USA Diving National Championships.

THIS SPREAD FROM LEFT: JIM SIGMON/UNIV. OF TEXAS, COURTESY UT ATHLETICS PHOTOGRAPHY

the 200-meter backstroke and Tucker placed fifth in the 100-meter freestyle. Junior Kaitlin Pawlowicz placed second in the 1,650-yard freestyle. The women concluded their fall season at the USA Diving Winter National Championships. Senior Maren Taylor won the individual threemeter title, while Taylor and Bromberg won both

the platform and three-meter synchronized diving events. For accolades during the last part of 2013, the Longhorns captured plenty. Tucker and Jaques were both recognized by the Big 12 with weekly honors. Ivory-Ganja was named the Big 12 Women’s Diver of the Week three times. This spring, the Longhorns host Stanford, Auburn, Georgia and TCU before traveling to Arizona. Texas will host the Big 12 Championships before traveling to Minneapolis, Minn., for the NCAA Zone “D” Diving Meet and the NCAA Championships.

and Virginia, where the Longhorns swept the meet. Tucker and Cox both claimed individual victories in the 200-meter freestyle and 400-meter individual medley, respectively. At the UT Diving Invitational, Ivory-Ganja took the three-meter event while Houston claimed the one-meter event. Bromberg finished first in the platform event. The Longhorns also had a productive threeday meet at the Texas Invitational with six topfive finishes. Karosas logged a personal best in

Horns Illustrated (ISSN 1096-2573), Volume 21, Number 2. Copyright © 2014 by Texan Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Published nine times a year (monthly in January, February, March/ April, May, June, July, October, November and December) in the United States by Horns Illustrated, 1505 Ridgecrest Drive, Austin, TX 78746. Subscription inquiries: Send new or renewal notices or change of address (send both old and new addresses) to Horns Illustrated, P.O. Box 50069, Austin, TX 78763. Allow 6-8 weeks for change of address. Subscription problems: Call 855-246-7677. Subscription costs: U.S. and its possessions, one-year basic rate, $49.95. Periodicals Postage Paid at Austin, Texas, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER – send address changes to Horns Illustrated - P.O. Box 50069, Austin, TX 78763. Tel. (512) 626-8513. Publisher disclaims all responsibility to return unsolicited editorial matter, and all rights in portions published vest in publisher. Letters to Horns Illustrated magazine or its editors are assumed intended for publication in whole or in part without permission from the writer. Any similarity between persons or places mentioned in the fiction or semi-fiction and real places or persons living or dead is coincidental. Single copies: $4.95 in U.S. FEBRUARY 2014

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FINAL SCORE

Exit — Stage Left

JIM SIGMON/UNIV. OF TEXAS

When everything finally ended, he wasn’t quite done. The scoreboard read Oregon 30, Texas 7. After 16 seasons, Mack Brown was no longer employed. But there were still obligations: interviews, handshakes and countless embraces. Brown congratulated the Ducks’ quarterback, Marcus Mariota, then first-year coach Mark Helfrich. And for one last time, he stood with the other Longhorns, extended his “Hook ‘em” sign and sang “The Eyes of Texas.” Once the song ended, he and his wife, Sally, headed for the locker room. “It’s been a wonderful 16 years,” he said during his final interview as the Texas head coach. “It’s best for Texas, for me and the players. We need to win more than eight games. I thought we had a chance to win all the games this year. It didn’t work. It’s my job to make that work.”

HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FEBRUARY 2014