College Football 2011: 10 Reasons Why Mack Brown is the Best Big 12 Coach Ever
To date, although he's only won just one National Championship with Texas, Mack Brown can be considered by many as the best Big 12 coach of all time.
His career at Texas showcases an amazing title run in 2005 with Vince Young, but Brown offers so much more in terms of records and production of great NFL talent.
Brown began his career at Texas in 1998 and has racked up wins while making Texas a football powerhouse and recruiting monster. His coaching career is far from over at UT, and although the Longhorns were 5-7 in 2010, they'll be back on top of the college football world very soon.
Besides his National Championship, why else should Brown be considered the best Big 12 coach ever? Let's take a look.
NFL Talent
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With a number hovering around 50, the University of Texas leads the NFL in active players to date.
With stars like Jamaal Charles, Cedric Benson, Derrick Johnson and Casey Hampton, the burnt orange is well-represented in the NFL because of Mack Brown.
He does an unbelievable job grooming his players for the next level, as only five players have left early for the NFL under Brown; considering he has coached the team for 13 seasons, it's amazing how small of a number that is.
Texas won't ever stop producing great NFL talent, as guys like Colt McCoy, Jermichael Finley and Brian Orakpo are on the rise.
10-Win Machine
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From 2001-2009, the Texas Longhorns won at least 10 games under Mack Brown every season. That's a record streak in the Big 12.
Also, aside from Florida State's streak of 14 consecutive 10-win seasons from 1987-2000, Brown's accomplishment is second all time.
Brown has raised the standards for winning to a whole new level at Texas.
Bowl Game Appearances
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Since he began his tenure at Texas, Mack Brown's teams appeared in a bowl game every year except 2010.
In those 12 consecutive years, Brown went 8-4, an extraordinary mark. To cement the argument even further, he appeared in 18 consecutive bowl games dating back to his days at North Carolina.
The postseason is now expected from Texas, and Brown does his best to take the football program there every year. He's accomplished so much in so little time (compared to other coaches around the NCAA) at Texas.
Recruiting Vince Young
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ESPN labeled Vince Young the 10th-best college football player of all time.
He won a National Championship under Mack Brown in 2005, beating USC in remarkable fashion during the fourth quarter.
Young is the only player in college history to run for 1,000 yards and throw for 3,000 yards in one season. He left early for the NFL, but in Young's years at Texas, he helped polish Brown's reputation.
It's safe to say that since Colt McCoy didn't win a national title, Young is the best quarterback in Big 12 history.
Ruling the NFL Draft
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It's already been mentioned that Mack Brown has coached a plethora of talent to the NFL level, but how many of his players were quality guys?
Since his tenure at UT began in 1998, Brown has seen 19 of his players drafted in the first round. It's an amazing feat and goes to show how great of a coach he really is.
In total, 55 Texas players have been drafted (42 in the first four rounds) to the NFL since 1998.
Brown gets paid $2.5 million a year, which is more than most NFL coaches. As a recruiting figurehead, most Texas fans probably don't mind.
Beating Big 12 Rivals
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He lost to Oklahoma the first five seasons at UT, but Mack Brown has a 27-15 record against those same Sooners, plus Texas A&M, Arkansas and Texas Tech.
Brown's record against Big 12 rivals will probably improve with time since he'll be at Texas for a lot longer, and it's unlikely for the team to repeat a season like 2010.
Even though Oklahoma has gotten the best out of Texas in Brown's career, OU coach Bob Stoops doesn't have the same postseason success.
The Red River Rivalry will be reignited in 2011.
Coaching Awards
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To accompany his National Championship, Mack Brown was awarded the NCAA Football Coach of the Year.
You figure Brown would have more than one of these awards, but on a divisional standpoint, he's been named Big 12 Coach of the Year twice (2005, 2008).
Brown will probably coach the Longhorns for the remainder of his career, and since Texas is always loaded with great players, he'll win more personal awards.
Wins and Losses
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In 13 seasons at Texas, Mack Brown is 133-34. To give the reader an idea, Brown has won about 80 percent of his games with the Longhorns.
When it's all said and done, Brown will probably be one of the winningest coaches in college football history. He's 60 years old, and 200 wins at Texas will probably happen if he coaches another 7-8 seasons.
There won't be any debate about his Hall-of-Fame status when Brown is done at Texas.
He's a Champion
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Having won a National Championship in 2005 with Texas, Brown is already legendary.
He lost the 2009 title game without Colt McCoy against Alabama, but it didn't hurt his resume in any way.
The Longhorns last won a championship in 1970 before Brown helped the school win another, a drought of 35 years.
Some of Brown's coaching staff has left Texas for other positions at different schools, but Brown himself will groom Garrett Gilbert and have them threatening for another title soon.
Quarterback Success
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Mack Brown has coached two of college football's all-time great quarterbacks in Colt McCoy and Vince Young.
Young was as dynamic as they come with his ability to throw downfield and attack defenses with his legs, and he single-handedly won Texas a National Championship against USC in 2005.
As for McCoy, he won more games than any other player in college football history (45). He never won a title, although he made it to the game and suffered an injury.
It's not hard to understand that quarterback is the most important position on the field and usually determines a team's success. The fact that Brown has had two greats play for him consecutively in a decade is a testament to his recruiting skills. Brown can sell his school better than anyone, and his players love him to death.
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