40 Acres Sports

As has been rumored for days, former Longhorn quarterback [tag]Major Applewhite[/tag] is officially coming back to Texas as a assistant head coach and running backs coach. He replaces Ken Rucker on the staff, who moved into a position in the athletic department this week. There will be a press conference tomorrow morning at 10 am.

Some quotes from [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] from the official release:

“We’re really excited to have Major back,” Brown said. “He was a great player for us and we saw him growing into a terrific coach as a graduate assistant here for two years. He’s had a chance to go work at a few other places, gain some great experience and will be a tremendous addition to our staff. Having your coaches become head coaches and your ex-players join your current staff are two of the best feelings a head coach can have, so this is a very rewarding day for our staff.”

“We always knew when Major was playing that he was a student of the game and would be a terrific coach one day. He’s living up to that. Major’s an energetic, enthusiastic and intelligent young coach who has always been a tremendous leader. We think he can have a great impact on our guys, our program and in recruiting.”

And from Major…

“It’s exciting to be a Longhorn again,” Applewhite said. “The opportunity to come back to my alma mater, working with Coach Brown, Coach Davis and all the great coaches, many that I know and have worked with before, is special. Having the chance to be with all of them the last couple of days, to see their passion, to be a part of the expectations they’ve built and see how they’re all on the same page and heading in the same direction is really exciting to be a part of. It’s not just about being back in Austin, which is great because I love everything about this place, but the challenge Texas football presents, the familiarity I have with the program and Coach Brown’s philosophy that I believe so strongly in. That’s ultimately why this was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.”

“I had the chance to play and start my coaching career here. I was fortunate enough to be a part of the group that helped build the foundation of what Coach Brown has developed into the winningest program in the nation over the last 10 years. The back-to-back BCS wins, the National Championship and seven straight 10-win seasons make Texas a really special place to be right now.”

“Coach Brown’s program is built on great coaching, great players and championship football. To be able to come back and contribute to that and try to accomplish the goals that we have for ourselves now is a challenge that really excites me.”

Welcome back Major.

Muschamp’s fast track leads through Texas. Expectations for the 2008 defense are sky high.

Big 12 is second in CNNSI’s conference power rankings. Might be number one if it wasn’t for Iowa State’s suckage.

Brandon Foster named to ESPN’s All-Bowl team. Senior corner’s big Holiday Bowl getting some deserved notice.

Rick Barnes vows to fix what’s ailing his Horns.D.J. Augustin needs to carry this team and he didn’t Saturday.

Major’s got his major reasons. Didn’t have enough input over scheme and working for Nick Saban sucks.

It’s not officially a done deal yet but there is a lot of smoke that former Texas QB [tag]Major Applewhite[/tag] will soon rejoin the Longhorn family as a member of the coaching staff. The rumor that the two sides shared a mutual interest has actually been pretty persistent since the middle of week but things really heated up today.

First came the word around lunch time from Orangebloods that despite Applewhite’s denials last week, he was very much still in the picture to join the Texas coaching staff. Then the big news this afternoon out of Alabama, not only was he a candidate but Major was coming in for an interview with [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] on Tuesday. The interview has since been confirmed by several sources.

I’ve got no inside sources but I think Tuesday’s meeting is more of a contract negotiation than a job interview. It’s not like Mack and Major need to get to know each other. This is a discussion about what Major’s role on this staff will be, his future opportunities, and of course money. Applewhite has been an offensive coordinator for the last two seasons and he wouldn’t be moving on, even to Texas, without at least the co-coordinator title and likely a succession plan in place to take over the job completely. By the 2010 season [tag]Greg Davis[/tag] will have retired and Applewhite will be the Texas offensive coordinator.

The people at the AAS apparently agree that only formalities, they’re calling it a “done deal.” I think and hope they’re right. This would be the second huge hire that Mack has made in the last two weeks that not only reinvigorates this team and coaching staff, but possibly sets up the of the program for years to come.

Major is one of the brightest young coaches in college football and a fantastic recruiter, Longhorn fans should be very excited about 2008 and beyond.

NCAA Ban on text messaging recruits will remain in place. Excellent decision that makes Ron Zook cry.

5A Texas Football.com has released their awards for the 2007 season and several future Longhorns have made their list. Just like last year, Leander safety [tag]Blake Gideon[/tag] is receiving state accolades and 5A Texas Football.com has named him their Defensive MVP. The kid may not be highly rated recruit but he just makes plays and he’s been one of the best players in the state’s highest classification the last two years.

Here’s the rest of the future Horns who made their list:

Derry, Marcus Griffin, Killebrew, Okam and Sweed will participate in various post-season All-Star games. First one is the Hula Bowl on January 12th.