Former Texas HC Sends Clear Arch Manning Message as Longhorns QB Suffers $1M Consequences

A former Texas HC is digging into his old bag of lessons to rescue Arch Manning from a storm that’s brewing in Austin. After spending 16 seasons rewriting the Longhorns’ identity, he knows what it looks like when a quarterback drowns in noise. And he’s not letting the latest Manning heir go under without tossing a lifeline. Because if anyone’s qualified to speak on pressure, chaos, and QB chaos, it’s the man who once coached Vince Young to a national title and watched Colt McCoy become a Texas legend. But before that glory, he had to learn a painful truth in Norman, Oklahoma, back in 1984. 

In an X post by THE STAMPEDE on September 18, Mack Brown recalled his single run with OU under head coach Barry Switzer. He was a young OC then and thought he had it figured out until fate handed him a QB crisis. Danny Bradley, his All-Big Eight starter, was out. Backup Mike Clopton was academically ineligible. And that’s where Troy Aikman, a redshirt freshman with zero reps, entered the scene. But at halftime against Kansas, Oklahoma trailed, and Brown snapped. 

Mack Brown didn’t know what patience was then. “Well, the end of the half, we’re down 10 to seven,” he added. “I go in at halftime, I throw a chair, and I screamed at the offense, and I said, ‘You guys are awful. You stink. We’ve got a freshman quarterback. We’re playing an awful team. You’re awful. You stink. And you’re going to get beat.’” And he was right. They lost 33-14. 

On the flight home, Barry Switzer sat beside him and delivered a gut punch. “Those players really love and respect you. And they’re going to listen to you and they’re going to do what you say,” he said. “And you told them they were going to lose. You absolutely beat them down and told them they were going to lose. And they listened to you, and they did.” The lesson here is don’t bury struggling quarterbacks. Pick them up.

Down 35–7 to Oklahoma State, Vince Young looked lost. Weird bounces, defensive breakdowns, pure bad luck. The old Mack Brown might’ve smashed another chair. Instead, Barry Switzer’s words echoed. “Pick them up.” He promised the locker room the biggest comeback in Texas history. His players thought he’d lost it. Then they delivered 56-35. A game etched in burnt orange folklore, fueled by belief rather than berating.

That’s Mack Brown now urging Texas fans to rally behind Arch Manning. “This is such a wonderful fan base. You should embrace Arch,” he added. “We’re so lucky to have him embrace this offence. Your job is to help pick them up. But I always wondered why people boo and yell when you’re doing bad. That’s when we need you. We need you to pick it up.” Because the Manning name may be heavy, but the Longhorns QB still has to carry it.

From a history lesson to Texas’ present problem

There’s a big question looming. Does Texas have a QB problem? Through three weeks, the Longhorns rank 15th out of 16 SEC teams in completion percentage. The preseason No. 1 team is basically tied with Vanderbilt for passing efficiency. Arch Manning’s NIL valuation tells the story. From $6.5 million in August to $5.5 million by mid-September. A million-dollar dip in three weeks, courtesy of 11-for-25 passing and ten straight incompletions against UTEP. 

Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian was defensive. “Think about your golf swing,” he said. “You try to swing hard and then you try to slow down at the very end and make good contact. That’s never a recipe for success, and that’s not a food recipe for throwing a football, either.” Arch Manning’s odds to go No. 1 overall have dropped from +850 to +1500 in a blink. For now, the HC has simplified the offense to protect his quarterback. And behind him is a journeyman named Matthew Caldwell, who once won ‘Manning Star of the Week’ at Troy. 

Texas isn’t burning yet, but the smoke is rising. That’s why Mack Brown’s words matter. Don’t repeat history. Don’t do to Arch Manning what Brown once did to Troy Aikman. Because the last thing Texas needs heading into SEC play is its own fan base finishing the sack before the defense even arrives.