9
The Battalion
hursday • December 4, 1997
exas to name UNC’s Brown as new coach
Committee believes North Carolina coach will be a good fit for program
VUfeTIN (AP) — North Carolina’s
ck Brown will be named as the
[head coach at the University of
5 asla source told The Associated
ss Wednesday night.
'j, 3rown, whose Tar Heels are
ked seventh and are a candidate
an Alliance Bowl berth, was in-
yiewed by Texas officials on
dnesday and was offered the job
-;r in the day, the source said.
“Muck Brown has committed to
nepo Texas. Everyone’s ecstatic,”
source said, adding that a news
iference with the announce-
ntjwas expected to be called in
stin by Saturday.
Brawn didn’t immediately return
icssage left at his home by the AP.
didn’t attend the Tar Heels’ prac-
: op Wednesday.
North Carolina Athletic Direc-
;ies take first
»ss against Bama
The Texas A&M Men’s Basketball
Jropped its first game of the sea-
.-64 to the University of Alabama
sday night.
Junior Calvin Davis led the way for
t Aggies with 15 points and 12 ro
unds. Sophomore Steve Houston
;o scored 15 points to go along
h his five assists.
Thd Aggies go to 4-1 on the season.
&M picks up big
ictory over SHSU
.• The Texas A&M Women’s Basketball
| defeated Sam Houston State 80-
^dnesday in Huntsville.
)homore Amy Yates scored 26
ints for A&M to help the Aggies im-
)ve to 3-2 on the season,
■phomores Prissy Sharpe and Kera
jxandereach had double-doubles.
RRELL
mtinued from Page 7
All-Conference Aggies
A&M placed three players on the
11-Big 12 first team and four more
n the second team.
■ First team
Steve McKinney — The senior
fensive guard from Houston has
3en the leader on a very talented
Tensive line all season. He has
Jen an instrumental part of an of-
nse which has averaged 37 points
jr game and racked up 4,270 yards
total offense. The Aggies are rush-
g for 222.9 yards per game.
Dat Nguyen — The junior line-
Tcker from Rockport is A&M’s
ading tackier for the third con-
icutive season with 114. He is the
oster boy of the Wrecking Crew
ith a relentless drive on the field,
arlier in the season he returned
i interception for a touchdown
gainst Iowa State.
Shane Lechler — The sopho-
iore from East Bernard may be the
sst punter in the nation. He is on
ace to shatter the A&M single sea-
m punting average by almost four
irds, averaging 46.9 yards per
unt. He bailed the Aggies out with
ig punts against Colorado in
&M ’s win over the Buffaloes.
■ Second Team
Kyle Bryant — Bryant, a senior
om College Station, owns the
&M kicking record book. Earlier in
te season he became the school’s
J 1-time leading scorer. He has con-
acted on all 48 of his extra point at-
mpts this season and has hit on 17
? 21 field goals.
Warrick Holdman — The junior
itside linebacker from Houston is
ie latest in a long line of big-play
itside linebackers for the Aggies,
e ranks third on the team in tack-
;s with 77. Holdman has been a
ilid contributor to the Wrecking
:ew since his freshman year.
Derrick Spiller—Spiller, a junior
it end from LaMarque, leads the
5gics in receiving yards (347) and
ip tied for the team lead with 21
tches. Spiller is a unique athlete
th the size to block (6-foot-4, 240
>unds) and the speed (4.46 in 40-
rd dash) to get down field as a re
live r.
Dante Hall—Hall, a sophomore
nning back from Houston, has
en the spark plug for one of the
p rushing offenses in the nation.
* s : leads the team in rushing with
1 8 yards and nine touchdowns de-
ite missing almost all of the
nsas State and Texas Tech games
Tth A&M losses). Hall is also a
ngerous punt returner who took
•unt back for a touchdown earli-
; in the season.
tor Dick Baddour said Wednesday
night, “I’m not going to comment
on our coaches being contacted by
other schools. It’s a confidential
personnel matter.”
Brown would become Texas’
28th coach, replacing John Mack-
ovic, who was fired and reassigned
Saturday after finishing his sixth
season at 4-7.
The source said Brown was
sought for the Texas job because he
has proven he can win at a school
with strong academics, is an offen
sive coach who has also fielded
strong defenses and is a good fit in
Texas because of his folksy charm.
“He’s a great fit forTexas. He’ll be
well received by followers of the
school,” the source said.
Brown would also receive a con
siderable pay raise. The Texas job
pays roughly $625,000 per year.
Brown’s base salary at North Caroli
na was about $170,000, not includ
ing TV, radio and shoe deals.
The Tar Heels went 1-10 in
Brown’s first two seasons (1988-89).
But UNC has averaged nine victories
over the last six years, including three
10-win
seasons.
They went 10-2 last
year and made it to the
Gator Bowl. They are 10-
1 this season.
Carolina’s 45 wins over the
past five years are second-best in
the Atlantic Coast Conference to
Florida State. The Tar Heels have
made five consecutive bowl ap
pearances, winning three. They lost
to Texas 35-31 in the 1994 Sun Bowl.
Early focus in the Texas search
had been on Northwestern’s Gary
Barnett. But the source said, “The
search committee didn’t interview
Barnett after talking to Brown.”
One of the knocks on both
Mackovic and Barnett was that
they were too aloof for down-
home Texas faithful.
Bar
nett is
sued a state
ment through
Northwestern late
Wednesday saying he
had “taken my name out of
consideration.”
“I will not comment further
on this subject, and I would ap
preciate it if the media and oth
ers would respect my privacy in
this matter,” Barnett said.
Speculation had also focused on
Miami’s Butch Davis, but he too
withdrew from consideration on
Wednesday.
“I have not been contacted, nor
do I anticipate being contacted by
any school in reference to a coach
ing vacancy,” Davis said. “I am fully
committed to being at the Univer
sity of Miami.”
An offensive coach for most of
his career, Brown’s defenses at
North Carolina have gained nation
al recognition.
The Tar Heels are second to top-
ranked Michigan in total defense,
giving up 209.3 yards per game.
Prior to coaching at North Car
olina, Brown, who lettered at Flori
da State as a running back in 1971
and 1972, was atTulane, where he
had records of 1-10 (1985), 4-7
(1986) and 6-6 (1987).
He coached Appalachian State
for one season (1983), finishing 6-5,
before becoming offensive coordi
nator under Barry Switzer at Okla
homa in 1984.
The Sooners went 9-2-1 that sea
son and made it to the Orange Bowl.
“You could tell early on that he
(Brown) had the complete pack
age and that he was going to be a
very successful head coach,”
Switzer said. “What he has accom
plished at North Carolina has
come as no surprise to me.”
Brown was offensive coordinator
at LSU in 1982, a year in which the
Tigers went 8-2-1 and played in the
Orange Bowl.
He also served as offensive coor
dinator at Iowa State and as re
ceivers coach at Southern Missis
sippi and at Memphis State.
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Chris Ferrell is a sophomore
journalism major