Earl Campbell thinks it's time for Mack Brown to go

Texas football coach Mack Brown has had plenty of detractors the past few seasons. With the talent the Longhorns have on the team there are some that say the team is underachieving and that maybe a change is needed on the sidelines.

Former Longhorns legend and 1977 Heisman trophy winner Earl Campbell is amongst the critics and thinks it's time for Brown to be replaced.

Campbell told Fox 26 in Houston that it's about time for Brown and Texas to part ways.

"Nobody likes to get fired or leave a job, but things happen," Campbell said. "I'd go on record and say 'yes I think it's time.'

"I'd just say this, I take my hat off for USC for what they've done. They didn't mess around with it. They just said 'let's do it now.'  I think at some point our university's people are going to have make a decision."

"Some people get too old," Campbell said. "If players get too old to play a game, why can't a coach get too old to coach it."

"If we're going to make a change I would like to say that we got one in the house, Jerry Gray, who's getting in the College Football Hall of Fame," Cambell said. "I think that would be a good place to start."

"Very hard because Coach Brown is a very good man," Campbell said. "I just hope he doesn't stay...he's done some great things. The program, he brought it back, and we don't need it to get run down where somebody has to start all over again, maybe Jerry Gray."

"I was part of a class in 1974 and I played for Coach Darrell Royal," Campbell said. "We had the same players, but our junior year, I don't know, we just couldn't do anything right. Then he left our football team and retired.

"Coach Fred Akers came in, who coached me as a freshman at running back. We had the same players, I'm telling you. Coach Royal leaves. Coach Akers comes in. We win the Heisman and we lost to Notre Dame for the National Championship.

"So sometimes a change is good. I think this is what we're up against at the university. Nobody wants to say that, but somebody has to break the ice and say 'yes it's time.' "

Campbell wasn't saying it to be malicious. But coming from someone like Campbell and the ties he still has to the school, it has to sting a little.  

I don't think Texas would pull a USC and fire Brown before the midway point of the season but if he suffers another blowout loss to Oklahoma the wheels might start turning. Especially seeing what their longtime rival Texas A&M has done since moving to the SEC.

I think the Texas brass will see how things play out before making a move. If Texas somehow wins the Big 12, it'll be hard to get rid of Brown unless he decides to walk away on his own. The only way an in-season fring happens is if the Longhorns suffer a debilitating loss to the Sooners.  

Texas fires defensive coordinator Manny Diaz

A few short years ago defensive coordinator Manny Diaz was a hot name. His Mississippi State defense had manhandled Michigan and the electrifying Denard Robinson in the Gator Bowl.

Diaz parlayed his one year success with the Bulldogs into the Texas Longhorns defensive coordinator job and big things were expected with Diaz and all the blue chip talent in Austin.

Today Diaz has been relieved of his duties as defensive coordinator and has been replaced by former coordinator Greg Robinson who was an analyst at the Longhorn Network. This was after BYU shredded the Longhorn defense for 550 yards on the ground in a 40-21 loss to the Cougars. The Longhorns gave up 679 yards altogether.

 “Our performance on defense last night was unacceptable, and we need to change that,”Mack Brown said. “Greg will be here tonight and get with the staff and players to start preparing for Ole Miss. He will be running our defense immediately. We’re very fortunate that Greg has been around, watched all of our practice video and has a good scouting report moving forward. His familiarity with the staff and players should make for a smooth transition. He knows this place, did a terrific job in leading our defense before, and I’m excited to have him back on the field. We’re back at it and working hard to beat Ole Miss this weekend.”

Robinson last run with the Longhorns ended in 2004 when he took the Syracuse job. Robinson also served as Michigan's defensive coordinator for two seasons in which he was unfairly blamed for their performance despite having to coach a 4-2-5 scheme shoved down his throat.

“This is a tough deal for everyone involved, but I love The University of Texas, and Coach Brown has been wonderful to me,” Robinson said. “I’ll do anything I can to help him, so when he called, I told him I’d be there today. I know the staff, have a lot of respect for them and am excited for the challenge moving forward. I’ve been around the team a lot, watched all of their film and have been self scouting and scouting opponents since I came on board in July. Because of Longhorn Network, I’ve also been able to see these guys for two to three years and am very familiar with the personnel.”

Hopefully for Brown, Robinson can get this defense playing up to it's potential. If not it may be Brown whi gets the pink slip.