Fred Akers dies
» Former Texas coach thrived after taking over for Royal.
Fred Akers, who inherited the considerable challenge of succeeding Darrell Royal as football coach of the University of Texas but twice brought the Longhorns within reach of a national title, died Monday.
Akers, 82, who lived in Horseshoe Bay, succumbed to complications associated with dementia, his wife, Diane, told the Austin American-Statesman.
While he never won a national title, Akers holds a unique place among the college football coaching fraternity in his ability to succeed a legendary coach and achieve considerable success in his own right.
In 10 seasons at Texas, Akers was 86-31-2, a .731 winning percentage, with Southwest Conference championships in 1977 and 1982 and a Cotton Bowl victory over Alabama after the 1981 season.
Akers lacked Royal’s folksy charm and ability to spin memorable phrases, but he brought a relentless optimism to the job that left a mark on players such as Doug Dawson, the AllAmerica offensive lineman for the 1983 team.
“He was one of those guys who over the years you realize that part of your lifestyle is based on things you learned from him,” Dawson said. “I call it ‘delusional optimism’ — the ability to visualize success at every level. He was the first guy to teach me that.
“He was serious, but he could be funny, and he had a way of encouraging young guys to do their best.”
Another distinction was Akers’ recruitment of Dickinson’s Donnie Little as the first Black quarterback to start for the Longhorns. Under Royal in 1970, Texas had become one of the last major football programs in the country to add Black players, and Little said Akers convinced him he would receive a fair shot to play quarterback for the Longhorns.
“He stepped out on a limb and convinced me that Texas would be a fair and equitable place,” Little said. “You could feel his honesty when he was sitting in our living room with my parents. He was preaching how he wanted to make change and make history at UT, and he was a man of his word.”
Born in Blytheville, Ark., Akers played for Frank Broyles at Arkansas and was a high school coach at Edinburg and Lubbock before coming to Texas in 1966 to coach running backs and defensive backs for the Longhorns, including the 1969-70 national champions.
He was head coach at Wyoming for two seasons in
1975-76 before returning to Austin as head coach over the objections of Royal, who preferred the job go to his longtime assistant, Mike Campbell.
Akers ditched the wishbone offense and installed an I-formation scheme that featured Earl Campbell, who went on to become the Longhorns’ first Heisman Trophy winner in 1977.
“We were in the dressing room before we played (Texas A&M) in 1977, and (Akers) was walking around and talking to players,” Campbell said in 2011. “He walked up to me and said, ‘Earl, you do not need to leave this stadium without people realizing who the best football player in the country is. You give me anything over 160 yards, and I guarantee that you will win the Heisman Trophy.’
“We went out and put 200-something yards (222) on them, and I caught a touchdown pass, and Fred Akers was right. I never will forget that.”
Texas was ranked No. 1 in the nation after winning the 1977 Southwest Conference title but lost to Notre Dame 38-10 in the Cotton Bowl and dropped from the top spot as the Irish won the national championship.
The 1983 Longhorns, featuring 18 players who were selected in the NFL draft, were unbeaten entering the Cotton Bowl but lost 10-9 to Georgia in a game that could have vaulted the Longhorns to a national title with a victory.
A year later, Texas was ranked No. 1 in the country after a road win over Penn State but declined over the last half of the season and ended the year with a loss to Texas A&M. From midseason in 1984 through 1986, Akers’ final year in Austin, his teams were 14-14.
Still, Akers’ success at Texas far outstripped that of such counterparts as Hunk Anderson, who coached between Knute Rockne and Frank Leahy at Notre Dame, or Gomer Jones, who succeeded Bud Wilkinson at Oklahoma, or Ray Perkins, who followed Bear Bryant at Alabama.
Not until Mack Brown, in fact, would the Longhorns enjoy the consistent success they displayed during the Akers era.
After he was dismissed following the 1986 season, Akers coached four seasons at Purdue, going 12-31-1. His career college coaching record was 108-75-3.