Holiday Bowl might be Akina’s last shot with Texas’ defense

Texas coach Mack Brown was asked if co-defensive coordinator Duane Akina would be back calling plays next season. The answer wasn’t exactly an endorsement.

“What we’ll do is — you constantly look at what you can do to re-evaluate and upgrade your program,” Brown said.

The Texas coach in his 10th year went on to say he’ll evaluate all of his coaches after Thursday’s game against Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl.

Brown said he spent the past two weeks looking back over a season plagued by inconsistency, adding, “I’ve probably worked harder the last two weeks than I have my entire life.”

It was a season that saw Texas need to recover onside kicks in the final minutes to secure victories against Arkansas State, Central Florida and Nebraska. Texas suffered the worst home loss in Brown’s tenure in a 41-21 shocker against Kansas State, which finished 5-7. UT trailed TCU, 10-0, at halftime at home before winning, 34-13, and led only 17-10 at Baylor midway through the fourth quarter. There were also losses to rivals Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

Talent wasn’t the issue, Brown said.

“People have talked about this team maybe not being as talented as the last two,” Brown said. “This team was talented enough to win each week. Maybe they weren’t as talented as all those guys in the NFL. Still doesn’t matter. They were as talented as the guys we were playing against.”

Brown said when a team doesn’t play up to its talent, it’s the coaches’ fault.

“When we lose a game, I question my leadership, the staff’s and then the players,” Brown said. “And I question the players last because we’re supposed to recruit and develop leaders. So any lack of leadership is on us.”

Brown took a chance on promoting Akina to defensive play caller. He did it, in part, to stabilize the position after having Carl Reese, Greg Robinson and Gene Chizik all call plays on defense in a four-year span.

Outside of last year’s 26-24 Alamo Bowl victory against Iowa, Akina had never called plays on defense before this year. His only play-calling experience was as offensive coordinator at Arizona from 1992-95.

Brown also trusted Akina’s recommendation to hire Larry Mac Duff as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach before the season. Mac Duff worked as defensive coordinator at Arizona under Dick Tomey from 1987-96. Mac Duff and Akina, both of whom earned $300,000 this season, worked together at Arizona in 1996, with Mac Duff calling plays on defense and Akina serving as defensive backs coach.