It's been three years since the Longhorns of Texas have had a winning season, with a 6-7 finish followed back-to-back years of 5-7 under Charlie Strong dating back to 2014. In 2013, Mack Brown led Texas to an 8-5 finish, including a loss in the Alamo Bowl.
Brown, who put together an impressive career record of 158-48 in Austin, offered some advice to new head coach Tom Herman about succeeding at the head of one of the most iconic programs in college football, via Sports Day of the Dallas News.
"I told Tom, you may have good players, you've got a good staff, but this team needs to learn how to win. And until you do that, winning is not easy. It's really hard."
"When people are winning all the time it looks easy, but it's really not. So I think the big question for Texas is 'When can they get the mindset to finish in the fourth quarter and start winning some of those games they're losing?'"
Of course, Herman joined Mack Brown's Texas staff as a graduate assistant back in 1999, as Brown was gearing up for his second season leading the program. Needless to say, there is a unique familiarity with one another given that previous history, giving Herman a great resource as he gets Texas back on track.
Herman added that getting the Longhorns back on top will be good for the state of Texas as a whole, and the Big 12 conference. On a personal note, I'd add that it's great overall for college football when historic programs like Texas, Oklahoma, USC, Ohio State, Michigan, Alabama, Auburn, etc. are all winning big.
"This area needs it, the state needs it, but also the Big 12 needs it. Oklahoma played great last year and they were a team that has been in the mix in the end. Texas has not been for a number of years. College football and the Big 12 need Texas back in the mix."