COLUMN: Basketball following football's familiar script...
1) Basketball following football...
The Longhorns are following a familiar script.
After making a change at the top of their football program in early January, Texas, around three months later, did the same in basketball. Like football, the change was executed swiftly. Okay, so there wasn’t that failed pursuit of Urban Meyer. But you get the point. And like football, a vision was pitched to Texas of a loaded coaching staff and a larger support staff that puts one of UT’s advantages, resources, to full use.
The vision Steve Sarkisian pitched to Texas became a reality. The new Texas football coach hired a very impressive, versatile staff that checked all the boxes - recruiting, development, game-planning and in-game coaching, experience, Texas ties. And then Sarkisian and company added so many support staff/program people I lost count a long time ago. For the first time in perhaps ever, the Longhorn battleship is fully operational and ready to use all its expensive toys.
Soon, UT’s basketball program could be operating similarly.
It’s obvious, if you didn’t notice when Chris Ogden immediately showed up to Austin the next day and Ulric Maligi and strength coach John Reilly shared the same flight as Chris Beard to Austin, the new Texas hoops coach didn’t just sell a vision of himself or basketball strategy over some McDonald’s breakfast in Plainview, Texas. He had a detailed vision of Texas Basketball using every little, or big, thing it could to become a dominant, championship force.
Sarkisian arrived from the place doing exactly that in football. As for Beard, it would be tough to find a larger basketball staff and operation than what he had at Lubbock where the athletics department gave him everything he wanted. So, in many ways, you could argue Beard comes from a similar situation. And now he’s going to attempt to execute the enhanced version at Texas.
Yes, enhanced. Undoubtedly, such a statement will put Lubbock on tilt, but the truth is undeniable. That’s why Beard left. It wasn’t because he was a Longhorn. Rather, it’s because he knows no one has ever been able to maximize Texas Basketball. And maybe because he’s a Longhorn, he understands that better than anyone in his position. Now, he’s here to try and so far his vision is becoming reality.
2) Good staffs cost money…
And from what I’ve heard, the money Texas is going to spend on its basketball staff will blow away what it was spending under Shaka Smart...
READ THE REST OF OUR COLUMN AND DISCUSS THE LONGHORNS INSIDE THE 40 ACRES
Happy to say this week's column is again brought to you by The Timothy Center. The father-son duo of Doctors Jimmy and Josh Myers, both big Longhorn fans, are doing some great counseling work in the Austin area, especially during such a trying time mentally for many as we all are dealing with a global pandemic.
Drs. Jimmy & Josh Myers are the father/son owners of The Timothy Center here in Austin. Both are rabid UT fans, and both could use counseling themselves due to all the stress that this love of the Horns has generated.
The Timothy Center is unique in that it is the only Christian counseling facility in the Austin area that provides one-on-one counseling, couples therapy, an Intensive Outpatient programs for those teens and adults needing more concentrated help, medication management services, and one of the largest sexual addiction treatment programs in the central Texas area.
Another aspect of the Timothy Center is that all of these services are covered by most major insurance policies. Faith-based counseling, faith-based medication management, all covered by insurance is as rare in this area as an undefeated season by…well, you get the idea.
We have offices in south Austin, north near the outlet mall between Round Rock and Georgetown, and our main office about a mile north of the Arboretum on Jollyville Rd. Of course, right now, with the pandemic still raging, all of our adult services can be accessed in an online format.
If you should ever need our services, just give us a call at our main number 512-331-2700 or check out our website at www.timothycenter.com.
Not an Orangebloods member? We have an unbelievable, limited-time deal for Longhorns fans. Sign up now and get FREE ACCESS until August 1. No gimmicks, no hoops to jump through. Come inside, see what you think and we're confident you'll want to stick around for the long haul.
- New users, click HERE to sign up with the promo code.
- Returning free users and past subscribers ... sign in first, and start here to use the promo code.
Don't miss this opportunity to get FOUR MONTHS FREE of Orangebloods.com.
---- OrangeBloods.com- PREMIUM ACCESS FREE TRIAL until August 1, 2021. (Please read the terms of service. This offer can not be combined with any other offer in the Rivals network. **Your subscription will auto-renew at [$9.95 per month/$99.95 per year] until you cancel. To avoid being charged at the rate above, you must cancel before the promotion period ends. New subscribers only. You will not be charged until 08.01.21.