Texas Football: 5 best updated offensive coordinator targets

4. Major Applewhite

Current Position: Alabama analyst

After he was let go from the Houston Cougars football program in order to land the former West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Dana Holgorsen, Major Applewhite had to take a major step back. Major took a position under legendary Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban, as an analyst on his staff.

But Applewhite isn’t even close to the first former prominent Division 1 head football coach that had to take a job under Saban to get back on track. That tends to be a common route before a coach can get back at it with another prominent coaching job at the Power Five level.

Granted, this wasn’t the best season in Tuscaloosa on the offensive side of the ball. That is partly thanks to an unfortunate string of injuries especially to star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

If the Texas football program was to go in the direction of hiring a former quarterback that played on the Forty Acres, then it might not get more exciting then with Applewhite. His run-pass option heavy schemes that generally feature three wide receivers make it difficult on opposing defenses to get a read on what’s coming next.

Given the fast pace that Applewhite likes to run his offenses at, the Longhorns would definitely get the opportunity to catch up with the pace of others like the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Oklahoma Sooners in the Big 12.

It could take a while for Applewhite to get in rhythm with his play calling if he were to return to the Power Five coaching ranks. But Applewhite was the co-offensive coordinator under former Texas head coach Mack Brown from 2011-2013 with this program.