First look at newest Longhorns has Herman smiling
Coach ‘feels like it’s Christmas in August’ on eve of fall practice
AUSTIN — “I feel like it’s Christmas in August,” Texas coach Tom Herman cheerfully announced Thursday afternoon inside the Ricoh Stadium Club at Royal-Memorial Stadium.
And like a sugar-crazed kid fueled by candy canes and cookies, Herman was ready to rip into everything under the tree. But instead of jolly Saint Nick, the man supplying gifts and good tidings was strength and conditioning coach Yancy McKnight.
“We get an opportunity to see in some of these new freshmen some bright, shiny new toys, and we get an opportunity in some of these veterans to see some revamped, remodeled, refurbished toys with Yancy and his crew,” Herman said. “Yancy and his crew are as good as there is in the country. I say that without hyperbole and exaggeration. The things our guys are able to do compared with what they were able to do just a year ago is incredible, incredible.”
Coaches love to tout the offseason development of their players, and Texas is no different. But Herman also praised the chemistry and cohesion among his coaching staff, which enters Year 2 with no departures and one new arrival in offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator Herb Hand.
Quarterback battle looms
He downplayed any potential drama regarding who will emerge as the team’s chief playcalling architect in 2018, instead selling it as a collaborative effort between himself, Hand, offensive coordinator Tim Beck, and every other offensive coach on staff.
“We’re all responsible for the offense,” Herman said. “As an offensive coordinator, you’re a manager of the room, the staff room, you’re a scripter of practice, you’re a designer of practice, if you will. This is what we need to do this period, this is what we need to do there.
“The game planning really is a group effort. Then even on game day, there’s a lot of ideas that are being thrown around, a lot of adjustments that are being thrown around, a lot of different ways of going about it on game day.”
When asked the Quarterback Question, Herman mostly demurred as he has throughout the year. Sophomore Sam Ehlinger will take the first snap when practice begins Friday, but junior Shane Buechele and even freshman Cameron Rising will see time with the first-team offense.
But the real race is between Ehlinger and Buechele. And it’s “pretty neck-and-neck.”
“I think the sooner the better, for sure,” Herman said of when he would like to select a starter. “But as I’ve said before, coaches really don’t make that decision. The players themselves make that decision when they separate themselves, when the team starts to gravitate, when the ball moves more when you’re in there versus when the other guy is in there.”
Ranked 21st in coaches poll
Texas slotted in at No. 21 in the preseason Amway coaches poll released Thursday morning, though little heed was paid to that ranking. Remember, as Herman and the rest of the Longhorns surely do, that Texas entered 2017 ranked No. 23 and was stomped by Maryland in its season opener.
A chance for vengeance is in finally sight with the Sept. 1 season opener against Maryland at FedExField about a month away, but the Terrapins won’t become a real target for at least a couple of weeks.
“Our philosophy has always been, and it won’t change, the first two and a half weeks of training camp is about us,” Herman said. “We’re not going to change that. We’ve got to develop this team. We have to evaluate a lot of players, a lot of young players.
“We’ll worry about Maryland and some installation of game plan the next two weeks as we lead into the game. But I don’t think we’ll use it as motivation to get through any hard times. The motivation is the guy to your right and the guy to your left.”
Hand, McKnight, Buechele, Ehlinger, wide receiver Collin Johnson, defensive end Malcolm Roach, and another half dozen or so players sporadically entered and exited the room after the head coach stepped away from the podium. About two hours later, media obligations finally fulfilled, they all departed with that same kid-on-Christmas grin Herman flashed earlier.
All that’s left to do now is play football.
“I think we’ve developed as athletes throughout the course of the summer,” Herman said. “Now in training camp it’s about developing as football players, developing relationships, developing as a team, then learning how to finish.
“Again, I’ve said it ad nauseam, I’ll say it again: I’ve never been more excited to coach a team in my career.”