Mack Brown not retiring from Longhorns anytime soon

Mack Brown looks good, feels good and has no thoughts of retiring in the immediate future. In what has become an annual ritual, the Texas coach faced questions about his status Wednesday at Big 12 media days. He’ll be 59 next month and has a designated successor in defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. “The agreement we had is I would stay as long as I wanted to,” Brown said. “I would be in total control while I stayed. [Muschamp] would be the defensive coordinator, Greg [Davis] would be the offensive coordinator and we would keep this rolling. “I’ve told the staff that if any of you talk about the future, if any of you start discussing the next step, I’m going to fire you. It’s not fair to me, it’s not fair to the kids and it’s not fair to the other coaches on the staff.” –Dallas Morning News

Auburn may take 2004 national championship from USC

New Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville has never won a national title, but he might have one put on his record — a year after Auburn fired him. Steve Richardson, executive director of the Football Writers Association of America, said Monday at the Big 12 Conference football preview that the FWAA may take away the 2004 national title it awarded to Southern California and give it to Auburn. The Tigers, also 13-0 that season, finished second in all the major polls. USC, the unanimous national champion, was placed on NCAA probation this summer after violations concerning an agent and tailback Reggie Bush, the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner as a junior. “I wouldn’t say we’re definitely going to do that, but it’s a possibility,” Richardson said. “As we survey the scene, we have an opportunity to consider for the first time of vacating, in the modern era, a national championship.” Richardson said he will form a committee of about 15 past FWAA presidents and discuss the situation. He also will talk to legal counsel. Of the other three organizations naming a national champion, The Associated Press said it will not remove USC’s title and the National Football Foundation has not discussed the issue. The Bowl Championship Series will not make a decision until USC’s appeals have been exhausted. Richardson said he feels in talking to past FWAA presidents that USC could be in trouble. “I’m sensing that people, when they look at the situation, that is a distinct possibility that Auburn thing can come into play,” he said. “I haven’t had anyone convince me why we shouldn’t do it.” – Denver Post

Ralph Friedgen knows his job is on the line

Ralph Friedgen runs an apparently clean program at Maryland, albeit one that hasn’t won much lately. He managed to keep his job at his alma mater despite a 2-10 record last fall, but it came with a caveat: Win seven games this season or lose your job. That ultimatum, though, came from former athletic director Debbie Yow, who hired Friedgen in 2000. Then Yow left last month to take a similar job at N.C. State. Besides looking for her successor, Maryland is also in the market for a new president after C.D. Mote announced he’s retiring on Aug. 31. Those two vacancies will probably need to be filled before Friedgen’s job status is even discussed. Talk about going without a huddle. Uncertainty is the only certainty in College Park these days. Or is it? “If I do well the next two years, I think I’ll be at Maryland,” Friedgen said yesterday. “If I don’t, I won’t.” –Fredricksburg.com

Titans sue Kffin, USC

The Tennessee Titans are suing Southern California and coach Lane Kiffin for “maliciously” luring away assistant running backs coach Kennedy Pola a week before training camp opens. Tennessee Football Inc., the company that owns the Titans, filed the lawsuit Monday in Davidson County Chancery Court against both the university and Kiffin. The lawsuit accuses Southern California and Kiffin of violating Pola’s contract that required him to have written permission to discuss a job with anyone other than the Titans. Tennessee hired Pola as running backs coach in February only to lose him Saturday to Southern California as the Trojans’ new offensive coordinator and running backs coach. – SI.com

Does Pat Haden spell trouble for Lane Kiffin at USC?

With the announcement that NBC Notre Dame analyst Pat Haden will return to USC to become the school’s new athletic director, head coach Lane Kiffin’s tenure in Los Angeles doesn’t look to be longterm. So in comes Pat Haden, who will right the ship and keep it tight. But can Kiffin work in that type of environment? Let’s be honest, Kiffin is young and brash. He has his own way of doing things. He believes that he is the program. – National Football Post

Steve Kragthorpe resigns from Texas A&M

New Texas A&M wide receivers coach Steve Kragthorpe has resigned due to a family medical issue. Kragthorpe, a former offensive coordinator under R.C. Slocum, had held head coaching positions at Tulsa and Louisville. He was hired by coach Mike Sherman this off season. – Dallas Morning News

Mark Richt feeling heat at Georgia

Despite 90 wins, two SEC titles and complete dominance of instate rival Georgia Tech, Mark Richt is still fielding questions about if he is coaching for his job this season. While there is evidence to build a case against Richt — a 2-7 record versus Florida and last year’s eight-win season — the past decade as been one of the most successful eras in Georgia’s history.   For those arguing one way or the other, Richt isn’t paying much attention. “Not really. I understand the business,” he said. “I understand just how things go. So I don’t worry about it. My goal is to focus on the important things and the things I can control. I can control my attitude. I can control my effort. I can control, you know, certain things. That’s what I focus on. Then the things I can’t control, I just trust the Lord with that. That’s kind of how I’ve been operating since 1986.” – Macon Telegraph

South Carolina poised for big year in SEC?

A “humbled” Steve Spurrier, already armed with bulletin board material for Game 1 against Southern Miss, may have his best South Carolina team yet. “We’ve got excellent players, the best group of athletes since we’ve been there,” Spurrier said. “I know they have the best attitudes. Their work habits and so forth have been excellent. Now we need to get past seven wins. We need to win big at South Carolina.” Spurrier’s intolerance for losing is evident, South Carolina senior fullback Patrick DiMarco said. “You can see the frustration in his face sometimes,” DiMarco said. “He was used to winning games by 40 points at Florida. Hopefully, this is the year we can win like that at South Carolina.” – The Clarion-Ledger

Vanderbilt hires Tulsa OC Herb Hand

Tulsa co-offensive coordinator Herb Hand appears to have accepted a job on Vanderbilt’s coaching staff, sources told the Tulsa World… The Golden Hurricane players were informed that Hand will take a job at Vanderbilt in an early evening team meeting, a source confirmed. An official announcement isn’t expected until next week. – Tulsa World

Pat Hill gets Fresno State extension

Fresno State coach Pat Hill told The Bee this week that he has agreed to a new contract (through the 2013 season) and taken a pay cut. By the time he finishes this contract — if he finishes this contract — he could have the longest tenure of any coach in major college football. As of the 2010 season, only five men have been at their schools longer: Joe Paterno at Penn State (45 years), Chris Ault at Nevada (26), Frank Beamer at Virginia (24), Larry Blakeney at Troy (20), and Bill Snyder at Kansas State (18). In the spirit of the asterisk, both Ault and Snyder left their jobs and then returned, and Troy wasn’t a Division I program until 2001. However you want to qualify them, the youngest is Blakeney, who will be 63 in September, so all five could be retired by 2013. Pat Hill at Fresno State lives on, in all its dynamics, nationally admired and locally tolerated. You know what they say about other people’s grass. — Fresno Bee

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