An all-out blitz from Texas leaders apparently paid off. Tulsa offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert will be the new offensive coordinator for the Texas Longhorns. He will not be alone either, as offensive line coach Matt Mattox will be joining him to fill the same role at Texas.
Texas leaders went all out to make a sales pitch to Gilbert so convincing it would lure him away from Tulsa. In addition to head coach Charlie Strong, Texas sent athletics director Mike Perrin and university president Greg Fenves to do the talking, likely in a show of support for Strong as the head coach of the embattled Longhorns for the foreseeable future. Gilbert accepted an offer to join Strong’s staff with a three-year contract paying $850,000 per year.
Texas has also announced Shawn Watson and Joe Wickline will not return to the Longhorns program in 2016 as Strong continues to make staff changes in hopes of turning a corner before it is too late.
So now the work begins on getting Texas to play some offense. In the Big 12, offense is essential, and Texas has been left behind. With Gilbert on board, the hope is Texas will see a quick turnaround, and if possible see the kind of instant impact Oklahoma saw with an offensive coordinator change this past offseason (of course, Texas beat Oklahoma, but you get the idea). Texas will play some good defense, but with programs like Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech lighting up the scoreboard in conference play, the Longhorns are in big need of some quick offensive results.