Holiday Bowl 2011: Mack Brown Extension Talk Stinks of a Trick to Fool Recruits

The Texas Longhorns have a bowl game this week against the California Golden Bears. While the game should provide some great entertainment, there has been very little talk about the contest that takes place tomorrow.

That's because all of the attention has gone to head coach Mack Brown, and everybody is wondering what will happen to him at the end of the year.

Mack Brown has been the coach of Texas since 1998 and has done a fabulous job since he has taken over. But in the last two seasons he had a combined record of 12-12. Last season was his first losing record since 1989 and he failed to reach a bowl game.

There has been a lot of talk about whether the coach with a 220-108-1 overall record should be fired or if he'll even consider retirement at the end of the year.

Now those talks have changed from him possibly receiving an extension to his contract.

"Mack's comfortable with what he's doing right now, think he's very comfortable," Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds said. "He's enjoying it. I've been around him 14 years, and he seems to be into it. Everything I know points to him being happy and wanting to do it for a while."

Brown may be comfortable and still enjoy coaching football but it's extremely hard imagining the university giving him an extension at this point. Especially with the outcome of the last two below par seasons.

Besides, Brown just received a raise a couple of years ago that made him one of the highest paid coaches in college football at $5 million a season. That contract runs through year 2016. I just don't see a coach who is 60 years old and struggling the last couple of years receiving an extension on top of that.

At least not right now.

The Longhorns currently have the top recruiting class this season, with top players committed at nearly every position. You have to believe that this is just a ploy to trick those recruits.

If Brown leaves, those recruits will likely follow and chose another top program that was on their list. If the university is able to convince them that he's staying and is able to silence those rumors for a while, the recruits will have nothing to worry about.

What happens to the Texas head coach is still a mystery, but talks about an extension to an already large contract is just nonsense. 

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]