Six For Saturday: DeLoss Dodds, Luke Axtell and more

1. On the outside, DeLoss Dodds has never been a worrier. He's always in control, the picture of calm.

When everyone else is bouncing off the walls about something, Dodds is the one cracking a one-liner and turning a tense moment into something light.

But don't you just know his stomach is in knots about this football season? Like a guy who is all in with a pair of 7s, hoping to draw something on the turn or the river that makes his hand bulletproof?

After the Texas baseball season ended with a last-place finish in the conference standings for the first time since 1956, the ONLY thing that can lift morale in the athletic department is a big year from football.

Period.

No offense to the women's volleyball team or men's golf team.

And when we talk big year in football, it's BCS or Big 12 title or both. Or bust. That's the bar.

We all know if football is doing well at Texas, it can serve as cologne for a lot of body odor. If football is underperforming the way it has the past three years … AND basketball and baseball are limping, too, then we get where we are now:

Limbo. Anger turning to apathy. And Longhorns wondering, "When will it end?"

So don't be surprised to see Dodds, who turns 74 in August, out at 7-on-7 workouts this summer making sure David Ash has enough Gatorade (and zip on his passes).

Don't be surprised to see Dodds working with Kendall Sanders on route running (and how to find a social life anywhere other than College Station).

Don't be surprised to see Dodds refereeing cage matches in the locker room between DT Malcom Brown and all comers (possibly a rematch with OG Mason Walters).

Dodds has always been a hands-off athletic director. He doesn't micromanage. He hires a coach, tells them not to cheat and how Austin came make players and coaches soft and comfortable and turns them loose to figure out the rest.

Other athletic directors are constantly in their coaches ears. Sending text messages every time they hear a player at another school is thinking of transferring.

That's not Dodds. He is constantly supporting his coaches. In fact, I'm trying to think of the last time Dodds fired a coach.

A quick check of resumes shows swimming coach Eddie Reese has been at Texas since 1979; track coach Bubba Thornton has been at Texas since the 1995-96 school year; Augie Garrido and golf coach John Fields have been at Texas since 1997; Mack Brown and Rick Barnes since the 1998-99 school year; and tennis coach Michael Center since the 2000-01 school year.

So by my count, the last time Dodds had to replace a coach was tennis coach Dave Snyder in 2000.

That's 13 years ago.

And Dodds has no interest in firing anyone currently. Not with one more school year to go until he retires.

So don't be surprised to see Dodds rubbing Mack Brown's shoulders for good luck or holding for extra points in practice. For Dodds to finish off a 32-year career at Texas, he needs football to do exactly what you want … to rock the Big 12 and beyond in 2013.

2. When Dodds ultimately steps down, it will be uncertain times for his successor. And you wonder how that will affect Texas' ability to land a top athletic director.

If Bill Powers, who is 66 and could be a year away from retirement himself, is allowed to name Dodds' successor, there's a good chance Texas' new athletic director will be working for a new president within a year or two.

You always want to know who you're going to be working for as a coach or athletic director.

Would a top-flight AD such as West Virginia's Oliver Luck or Arizona State's Steve Patterson leave current jobs for the uncertainty of potential administration changes at Texas?

My gut instinct is yes. That Texas' position as one of the ultimate haves make the athletic director job too good to pass up, no matter who might possibly replace Powers as president.

3. Speaking of baseball, I love Augie Garrido. I really do. What a great guy, fun to hang out with. And his record speaks for itself (all-time leader in victories and five national titles). But, let's be honest, the guy has led a charmed life on the 40 Acres.

For the most part, Garrido's recruiting was handled by Tommy Harmon during Augie's first 16 years on the job, allowing Garrido to spend most of his off-seasons in Newport Beach, Calif., where he is still affectionately known as "The Mayor."

That can be overlooked when you're winning.

When Texas missed the postseason last year for the first time since 1998, Garrido dumped Harmon after 23 years in the UT program, dating to Harmon's days with Cliff Gustafson.

Garrido brought in former Longhorn Tommy Nicholson to help improve the hitting and, allegedly, the morale (after reports that Harmon's personality was grating on the team and on pitching coach Skip Johnson).

So now what?

Texas didn't win a single Big 12 series this year and was the only conference team not to qualify for the Big 12 Tournament. On Friday night at TCU, Garrido, Corey Knebel and Skip Johnson for arguing calls with umpires, in a 9-3 meltdown loss to the Horned Frogs.

Who's fault is all this? Mack Brown?

At 74 and earning just less than $1 million annually, Garrido says he's not ready to step down yet. Well, does anyone think Augie is going to spend less time in Newport Beach, Calif., this offseason?

Unless Garrido is willing to put in the time other baseball coaches do, then most will assume Garrido is probably just in it for the money for one more year.

No one is going to look at next year's basketball team and think anything more than, "Please find a way to make the NCAA Tournament."

4. I'm watching Texas softball coach Connie Clark and how she manages her pitching this postseason.

This year's softball team is easily Clark's best since Cat Osterman was on campus. The Longhorns are the No. 4 seed in the NCAA postseason and anything short of the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City will be a disappointment.

With that said, Texas beat Army 5-0 on Friday and finds itself with a real battle on its hands today in the second game of NCAA Regional play against South Carolina.

Clark tends to rely too heavily on senior Blaire Luna (26-5, 1.17 ERA) and not enough on senior pitcher Kim Bruins (10-0, 1.57 ERA).

In most series this season, Luna would pitch Game 1, Bruins Game 2 and Luna Game 3.

In both Big 12 series losses this season - to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State - Clark pitched Luna in all three games and refused to trust Bruins, who is an ace herself.

You can't win in the postseason unless you have two aces. Period. And Texas does. Clark had better trust Bruins to help carry the load, or Clark will fall short of expectations just like she did last year in losing in regional action in Austin to Oregon.

In Game 1 versus Army, Clark used Luna for three innings and Bruins for four innings. Bruins got the win to improve to 10-0 after giving up just two hits.

That's a positive sign.

Clark will undoubtedly go the distance with Luna today. But if Luna struggles, and Texas loses, Clark's tendency is to go back to Luna until she rights herself. Clark doesn't need to do that. She has Bruins, who hasn't lost all season.

Clark needs to remember Bruins is 10-0 for a reason. She's an ace, too.

5. The list of student-athletes who have completed their degrees in 2013 includes Vince Young, Case McCoy, A.J. Abrams, Roderick Anderson and, gulp, Luke Axtell.

I have to admit I was surprised to see Axtell's name. The guy was a freshman at Texas in 1997-98 and was part of a contingent of players who complained to DeLoss Dodds about Tom Penders.

According to sources, Penders told his secretary to fax Axtell's grades to Bill Schoening, then at KVET radio, to show Axtell was struggling in school. Penders denied any involvement. Then-Penders assistant Eddie Oran took the blame for the grades-faxing fiasco to protect Penders' secretary, who was having complications with her pregnancy at the time.

Oran, a loyal, salt-of-the-earth guy, figured Penders would reward him by making him an assistant coach at his next stop - George Washington. But Penders didn't. Oran was left out in the cold. And Axtell transferred to Kansas, where he seemed more interested in making music than setting screens and boxing out.

Texas ultimately tried to make things right with Oran by giving him the play-by-play job on Texas basketball radio broadcasts. Oran also is an owner of Hoops Austin, which builds basketball and sport courts, and serves as a scout for the Brooklyn Nets.

Penders is now out of coaching.

We'll see what's next for Axtell …

6. Odds and ends …

****I have to say I called the Spurs in 6 over Golden State and the Grizzlies over the Thunder. And I'm going to take the Spurs to beat the Griz in 7.

The Griz presented a tougher defensive matchup for the Thunder because Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince could defend Kevin Durant. But the Spurs are a harder matchup for the Griz because of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

Still, the Spurs will have to get a couple big games from guys like Danny Green and Gary Neal.

Unsung hero of the Golden State series for the Spurs: Kawhi Leonard, who averaged 14 points and 9.2 rebounds in the series after averaging 11.9 points and 6 rebounds during the season.

****Kevin Durant says no season is ever a wasted year.

But you have to think Durant is looking at the Thunder roster and instead of thinking OKC is the No. 1 challenger to the Miami Heat that OKC may now require some key roster moves to claim that designation.

****Phil Jackson's book trumpets Michael Jordan over Kobe Bryant. Are you surprised?

****Dirk Nowitzki, who has made $204 million in his 15-year NBA career and is slated to earn $22.7 million next season, now has to promise potential free agents like Chris Paul or Dwight Howard he'll take a big ol paycut to make room for them if they come to Dallas.

That's because Mark Cuban broke apart a world champion before ever having a chance to defend its title, because Cuban thought he'd get Derron Williams or Dwight Howard two seasons ago.

Ugh.

****The NHL playoffs are unreal. Sidney Crosby had a hat trick (3 goals) in a 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators Friday night.

****Ron Washington is catching heat for allowing Yu Darvish to throw 130 pitches in his showdown with Detroit's Justin Verlander. I wouldn't worry about it. I've seen very few signs that Darvish (7-1) is human this year.

****The more I read about Bills DE Mario Williams trying to get this $785,000, 10-carat engagement ring back, the more I believe his ex-fiancee. The dude sounds like he has issues.

****It's hard to think of Chad Johnson as entertaining anymore. There is a warrant for his arrest for failing to report to his probation officer after pleading guilty to head-butting his ex-wife during an argument last September.

****Former Texas A&M running back Mike Goodson , signed as a free agent by the New York Jets, has been charged with drug possession and weapon charges. Just what Rex "Ringmaster" Ryan needed for his circus.

****There were character questions about Seattle Seahawks DE Bruce Irvin coming out of West Virginia, and now he has been suspended four games for reportedly taking performance enhancers. That's why Seattle went and got pass rushers Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett this offseason.

****Rob Gronkowski may need back surgery. Where will he go in fantasy drafts this year?