Red McCombs bashes Texas hire [Charlie Strong]

ESPN.com ^ | January 7th, 2014 | Max Olson

[Third Person]

Longtime booster Red McCombs is not a fan of Texas' decision to hire coach Charlie Strong away from Louisville, calling it a "kick in the face" during a radio interview Monday.

"I think the whole thing is a bit sideways," McCombs said of the selection process during an interview with ESPN 1250 San Antonio. "I don't have any doubt that Charlie is a fine coach. I think he would make a great position coach, maybe a coordinator. "But I don't believe [he belongs at] what should be one of the three most powerful university programs in the world right now at UT-Austin. I don't think it adds up."

McCombs, the former owner of the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Vikings and co-founder of Clear Channel Communications, said on "The Blitz with Dat Nguyen and Jason Minnix" that he was stunned to learn Strong was the choice to replace Mack Brown. He publicly lobbied last week for Texas to hire former NFL coach and ESPN analyst Jon Gruden.

"I think it is a kick in the face," McCombs said. "Beyond the fact of what actually happened. We have boosters that have a lot of knowledge about the game. When we decided to go get Mack -- from the time we decided to go get Mack to about 30 hours later to have a press conference here and it was done -- we had a lot of input before we went after him. "So I don't know what the big rush was. I was kind of pleased that [Texas athletic director Steve] Patterson already said that he'd like to get it done in the middle of January. That seemed logical to me. I'm a team player, but I think they went about it wrong and made the selection wrong."

[Third Person]

McCombs has donated over a $100 million to UT. Strong is in for some fun at Texas.

[nickcarraway]

McCombs is a total idiot.

[jimbo123]

Strong is going to do well at Texas. McCombs is having a Karl Rove moment and it will pass.

[Las Vegas Ron]

Red McCombs was a huge auto dealer back in the early 90’s. I sold advertising to him.

[nickcarraway]

McCombs is claiming they should get Jon Gruden to coach. Gruden had zero interest in coaching in the NFL, let alone college. If McCombs wanted to buy the right to control Texas football for $100 million, he should have a contract in advance. Nut job.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

:: McCombs is having a Karl Rove moment ::

Depends on who’s ear he has...consistently.

Nothing like having a high-dollar booster undermine your tenure BEFORE you arrive.

[jimbo123]

MCCOMBS, B J
SAN ANTONIO,TX 78201 MCCOMBS ENTERPRISES 3/22/13 $5,000 American Crossroads

MCCOMBS, B J
SAN ANTONIO,TX 78201 MCCOMBS ENTERPRISES 6/3/13 $5,000 American Crossroads
MCCOMBS, B J

SAN ANTONIO,TX 78201 MCCOMBS ENTERPRISES 12/4/12 $5,000 American Crossroads

MCCOMBS, B J
SAN ANTONIO,TX 78201 MCCOMBS ENTERPRISES 4/30/13 $1,000 Boehner, John (R)

[SomeCallMeTim]

I like Charlie Strong.. but, I agree with McCombs. What was the rush? No one else was going to hire Charlie away?

I wish they had waited to talk with Gus Malzahn, or Mike Gundy.

I don’t think, they followed the “process” that THEY laid out.

[nickcarraway]

So he’s a lefty.

[SomeCallMeTim]

Well... let me distance myself from Red’s comments about Charlie only being worthy of being a coordinator.

Charlie Strong has earned respect as a HEAD COACH. Was he the BEST coach Texas could hire?? I guess, time will tell.

[piytar]

McCombs is a fool. Strong will be a great coach. Problem is he won’t cowtown to old alumni. Instead, he’ll build an awesome program. (Sucks for me: I’m a Buckeye and not a UT fan, but that’s what is going to happen.)

[jimbo123]

Texas hired a new athletic director to drain the swamp and take back their athletics department from McCombs and others like him and their cronies at the school and in the media. Massive stink at Texas athetics over there and taking out McCombs is a good first start and sends a message.

[Third Person]

So McCombs is an "idiot" and a "lefty", but is he a racist as well?

Charlie Strong's heroic fight to overcome Texan racism. That's going to be the story line here.

[nickcarraway]

These coaches get snapped up quickly. Strong could have been gone if they waited.

Malzahn? You have to be crazy to think he was available.

[nickcarraway]

Having a bunch of overentitled alumnis controlling a football program does not lead to wins.

I thought Texas was crazy when they started spreading rumors that they were going to hire coaches that were not realistic. But hiring Strong seems like a smart move.

[nickcarraway]

Well, it makes you wonder.

[SeminoleCounty]

Only a fool or an idiot would hire Jon Gruden over Charlie Strong...and as a UCF alum I am no fan of Strong either

There is a reason why Jon Gruden is still doing TV and not coaching....he has a bad rep as being two faced...players will not play for him

Also...Gruden handled Phil Simms son Chris so horribly at Tampa Bay...Phil probably has everybody on speed dial if there is any thought of hiring Gruden

[MuttTheHoople]

Texas has destroyed their own program through their own arrogance and stupidity. When they created the Longhorn Network, they thought they had a National following and that the other Big 12 schools would have to join on to "Big Brother". Well, Texas A&M said "ewscray this" and joined the SEC. Now A&M controls the State of Texas in football recruiting and the situation will only get better (A&M has an Ivy-League level endowment and isn't afraid to outspend everyone)

In the meantime, Texas keeps falling further and further behind. Strong is an excellent hire, but idiot boosters like Red MacCombs and Joe Jamail have "Jerry Jones Syndrome" and want to control the team.

[nickcarraway]

Gruden could probably get a half dozen NFL jobs. He doesn’t want to coach. He would not take a job in college. Unless Texas was planning on hiring Gruden at gunpoint, it’s crazy to perpetuate that he was a candidate for that job.

[vetvetdoug]

I remember Red McCombs when he had a simple dealership/car lot in San Antonio back in 1967. Ford.