WHEN ART WAS AT UH HE LIKE MOST COACHES RAN
THERE PROGRAM . OUR AD LIKE TO GET HIS FINGER
IN THE PIE, AND DID. HE FORCED ART TO HIRE NEW
COACHES AFTER THE KANSAS LOSS IN THE BOWL
GAME. ART WENT TO ONE OF HIS FRIENDS AND
FORMER COACHES AND EXPRESSED HIS DISPLEASURE
WITH WHAT THE AD WAS DOING. HE WAS TOLD THATS
THE WAY THIS AD OPERATES.
ART AND FAMILY WERE MEMBERS OF THE BIG BAPTIST
CHURCH ON THE WEST SIDE OF HOUSTON. THE
MINISTER WAS A BIG BAYLOR FAN AND ASK ART TO
DO A TESTEMONIAL IN FRONT OF THE CONGREGA-
TION. HE DID AND THE OWNER OF THE ASTROS WAS
THERE AS WELL AS THE BIG LAWYER OUT OF THE
BEAUMONT AREA AND WELL AS AS MEMBERS OF THE
HEB (BUTT FAMILY) AFTERWORDS THEY MET WITH
ART AND WIFE. THIS STARTED THE RECRUITMENT OF
ART BRILES TO BAYLOR. THEY PUT THE BIG TIME
RUSH ON ART. WITH THE PROBLEM WITH UH AD AND
BEING TOLD HE COULD RUN HIS PROGRAM AT BY
PLUS MORE MONEY MADE IT LOOK GOOD. ART AND
WIFE WERE SMALL TOWN PEOPLE. HOUSTON WAS
NOT THEIR TYPE OF TOWN TO RAISE A FAMILY. WACO
HAD A CLOSER FEEL TO THEIR BACKGROUND. BU
WANTED HIM NOW TO GET THE RECRUITING GOING.
WITH ALL THE ATTENTION FROM BIG TIME BAYLOR
ALUMS IT WAS VERY GOOD FEELING TO BE WANTED
AT BU. ART TOOK THE JOB. I WOULD HAVE TOO.
Haggard was always patrolling the sidelines looking over Art’s shoulder. I knew there was friction there.
Hey that “trip to Dallas” to watch us lose to Kansas 42 - 14 or something like that was embarrassing. We didn’t show up. That was an extremely upsetting Bowl Game and to have an Offensive Genious like a
Art score only 14. Points, I don’t blame the AD Maggard for telling him to get folks to help him.
Yes, with Billonaire Draden McClain from Temple area and Baylor Alum, they were able to woo Art to come.
I took my two young nephews to that game. We were losing so badly they didn’t know how to react and what to say to me. Totaling embarrassing.
We were with 5 other UH faithful couples at the Kansas debacle. We made that Human Fotomat look like a genius. Dave hired the Strength Coach himself (not Briles)…
Followed by being at the Tulsa game the following season, same UH faithful group, down 28-0 before halftime. Which still remains the ONLY UH I have ever left in my lifetime prior to conclusion. We all suspected what had happened, which was confirmed later that day.
And again, you want to leave for more money, or whatever, fine…but you have a choice in how you handle your business, with INTEGRITY OR NOT…
I attended that bowl game in Ft. Worth. Good Lord…that second half was embarrassing!!!
That said, I stayed until the end. The only UH game I ever walked out of was our 38-3 drumming by Cal sometime in the Helton era.
I didn’t attend the Tulsa debacle, so I never had a chance to be put to the test there.
I am sure that all you said is true, but the problem I had with AB was how he treated UH on his way out the door.
AB, Sumlin and Herman were ALL given their first head coaching jobs by UH and none of them seem to appreciate that fact as they all screwed UH by how they departed !!
Plus I don’t miss 59 to 57 scores with zero def and or exhausted defenses. You have to have ball control which is what we’re trying to do now. Football is a blended recipe that you need the right balance to make it all work.
Uncle Dave was spot on…Briles teams left a lot to be desired in the discipline department…stupid PF time after time after time
I understood that Maggard pushed AB to hire a good strength coach. When AB didn’t, Maggard hired Larry Jackson.
The next year you could see that the team was more physical and less tired as the games progressed.
It was my understanding that AB resented the Maggard hire.
What was interesting was that when AB went to Baylor, he tried to get Jackson to go, but Jackson flipped him off.
Not sure how true all of this is, but you could understand the dynamics.
Maggard was a micromanager - one of the coaches who was hired told me Maggard hired him - not Art.
Maggard didn’t take no mess. He never sugar coated and told it like it was. This story just proves Baylor would let Briles do anything, things didn’t work that way here, and we’re not Rape U like Baylor
That is what I understood. Of course, that was in Maggards duty list.
Given what Maggard inherited, he needed to do more than micro manage.
I was never impressed with AB as a head coach. He was a high level OC, thrust into that position.
he won though -
He was slightly better than 50% in his won loss record as I recall.
Very thankful for the leadership of Dave Maggard. He pulled us out of the ditch, fought hard to get us in the 2003 Hawaii Bowl, our first since 1996. Also attended the 2005 bowl and our D line was pushed around. Maggard was decisive in hiring Larry Jackson and saved Briles from himself with his high school coaches, ultimately contributing to Briles opportunity at Baylor. In fact, the 06 championship team benefitted greatly from L Jackson. Agree that the 07 debacle in a Tulsa was ugly and an insult especially to our seniors
Looks like Briles needed it
I understand why Briles took the Baylor job. UH was in no position to offer the money and resources at that time. Let’s remember that UH had not lost a head coach to another university in some time (or ever?) before Briles. Sure, Pardee was hired by the Oilers but Art was the first in the “P5” era to dump UH for a P5 program – I was too believing of this country man and his word when he was interviewed by the local media about the rumors and thought he might be loyal to the program who gave him an opportunity. I quickly learned this is still just business so don’t believe what they say but it was Briles that taught me that from a UH perspective. And, for that, I will view Briles’ departure in a negative light – I appreciate his offensive mind but that alone does not make up for the rest (including the multiple 15-yd PF penalties every game, the terrible special teams play, etc.)
If Dave hadn’t “micromanaged” Art, he would have been back to coaching high school 10 years earlier