This story about Texas wanting a "versatile offense" with all these new toys is a perfect example of why coaching doesn't mean what it used to. Steve Sarkisian gets praised for collecting five-star parts like he's building a fantasy team, not a program. It reminds me of the old Tartan coaches who had to build an identity with what they had, not just shop for a new one every offseason. Coach [name] would have taken a group of walk-ons and third-stringers and drilled an offense so precise you could run it in your sleep. Now it's just about having more shiny objects than the other guy.
They talk about versatility, but what they mean is they bought more players. There's no system anymore, just a collection of mercenaries. You look at what Oklahoma State is doing with fifty transfers or Colorado with forty three, and it's the same story. It's not coaching, it's procurement. A real coach develops a kid over four years, teaches him the nuances, builds that trust. You think Arch Manning or any of those other names care about the Longhorn tradition? They care about their brand and their next check.
The greatest coaches we ever had built men, not just highlight reels. They won with less because they taught more. This modern idea of a "perfect fit" coach, like that SEC story is pushing, is just a guy who is good at working the portal and smiling for the camera. Give me a guy who can teach a kid to block with proper technique over a guy who can close a NIL deal any day of the week. The sport has forgotten what the word "coach" actually means.