SMU Director of Athletics Rick Hart disputed a report Friday that the Mustangs have had preliminary discussions with former Texas coach Mack Brown to take over as head coach.
Those discussions, according to the Dallas Morning News, have included a salary structure of $4 million per year over eight years. But Hart took to Twitter to refute the story.
Earlier this month, Brown's attorney, Joe Jamail, told the Austin American-Statesman that Brown was "approached" about the coaching vacancy at SMU. He also said Brown had received several other coaching offers but turned them down.
Since receiving the NCAA "death penalty" for egregious recruiting violations in the early 1980s, Mustangs football has never risen to the same heights as the famed "Pony Express" backfield of future Pro Football Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson and Craig James. But after more than two decades of losing football, SMU has made four lower-tier bowl appearances in the last five years. Unlike most non-power-five coaching jobs, SMU has various built-in advantages, including a Dallas location good for both a recruiting base and a TV market that could be attractive bait to the next power-five conference looking to expand.
Brown makes a great deal of sense for SMU on multiple fronts. But if Hart agrees, he hasn't made his move yet.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
