Many have called for Mack Brown to be fired in light of Texas’ poor start to the season, and Longhorns legend Earl Campbell has joined the chorus.
Campbell, who won a Heisman Trophy at Texas in 1977, told FOX 26 in Houston that it’s time for the school to move on from Brown.
“Nobody likes to get fired or leave a job, but things happen,” Campbell told FOX 26. “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.”
USC fired Lane Kiffin as head coach on Sunday, the morning after the team lost at Arizona State 62-41. Texas was off in Week 5 of the college football season, but they beat Kansas State 31-21 the previous week to even their record at 2-2.
One of Campbell’s arguments is that coaches, like players, can sometimes become too old to do the job. He thinks that is the case with Brown, who is 62.
“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.”
Campbell drew on his personal experience for advocating the firing. He was at Texas when legendary coach Darrell Royal was fired and saw how the move helped turn around the program.
Even though getting rid of a legend is difficult, he thinks it needs to be done with Brown.
Campbell also suggested Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Jerry Gray as a replacement for Brown. Gray was an all-american defensive back at Texas and later a Pro Bowler in the NFL.
Brown has been adamant that he wants to continue as Texas’ coach. Brown’s lawyer has said he will sue anyone who tries to force out the coach.
Texas went 5-7 after losing to Alabama in the national championship game for the 2009 season. They went 8-5 and 9-4 in the two subsequent years and are 2-2 this season. After taking over in 1998, Brown won nine games in each of his first three seasons. Then he led Texas to double-digit win seasons every year from 2001-2009. The numbers would suggest it’s time for him to go.
