Four years ago today, as Texas football coach Mack Brown left a news conference, he was stopped by a fan wearing burnt orange. It was the day after the Longhorns won the school's first national title in 35 years."You have a free pass for the rest of your life at Texas," the fan told him. As Brown and his mentor, fabled coach Darrell Royal, walked away, Royal said, "Hell, that ain't true. You got six months before you better start winning again."
Soon, a sign went up in the Longhorns staff meeting room: "Complacency kills," it read.
Four years later and a few near misses along the way, Brown is back in the Bowl Championship Series title game as the No. 2 Longhorns face No. 1 Alabama on Thursday in Pasadena, Calif. (8 p.m. ET, ABC)
In an age when college coaches quickly are dubbed geniuses before the ink on their contracts dries, at a moment when coaches' misbehavior dominates the headlines, Brown has amassed the nation's best record (128-26) during his 12 years at Texas. All with little fanfare.
"Some of those guys get blown out of proportion, and he doesn't get the credit he deserves," says assistant head coach Major Applewhite, who played quarterback for Brown.
For nine consecutive years, Texas has won at least 10 games. Only Bobby Bowden, who won at least 10 games during a 14-year period at Florida State, has a longer streak.
Still, ask most college football fans to name the best three coaches in the game, and Brown's name might not make some lists.
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