During the week before Texas played Baylor, rumors swirled about Longhorns head football coach Mack Brown announcing his retirement following his team’s regular season finale this past Saturday. Jake Lebahn, a radio host in Topeka, Kan., said he was told Brown would retire from a source in the coaching world.

“I promise you this, when I do retire, it won’t come from a tweet in Topeka, Kan.,” Brown said after the 48-24 defeat Saturday. “I plan on coaching for a long time.” Longhorns short on bowl experience.

With freshmen and sophomores taking up half of the starting spots on the Texas depth chart, there aren’t many players that have played in a bowl game before. Only 11 of Texas’ starters have ever participated in a bowl game, six of whom have played in more than one. Senior tight end Blaine Irby caught one pass for three yards in the 2007 Holiday Bowl, making him the only Longhorn on the roster with Holiday Bowl experience.

“We just had a defensive meeting and I asked our defense to stand if they have never been to a bowl, and three quarters of the team stood,” said defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. “When we think of programs, we think of tradition and history, but when you look at our football team with as many first and second year football players as we have, those guys have never been to a bowl game.”
Texas not taking bowl appearance for granted.

After missing out on postseason play last year, the Longhorns appreciate their invitation to the Holiday Bowl more than they normally would. Prior to 2010, Texas strung nine-consecutive 10-win seasons together. The question was never if the Longhorns would play in a bowl game but how good of a bowl game they would play in. Texas is bringing a different attitude to San Diego this year.

“I think we took it for granted last year,” said senior tight end Blaine Irby. “Getting those six wins to be eligible to go to a bowl game is really hard to do now with college football and how competitive it is.”

Printed on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 as: Mack Brown denies retirement rumors