The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Mac McWhorter tabbed assistant coach at Texas
02.28.2002 | Football
AUSTIN, Texas -- Twenty-eight-year coaching veteran Mac McWhorter, who as interim head coach guided Georgia Tech to a 24-14 victory over Stanford in the 2001 Seattle Bowl, has joined the Texas football staff, head coach Mack Brown announced Thursday evening. McWhorter will serve as UT's offensive tackles and tight ends coach.
McWhorter replaces former Longhorns tight ends coach Tim Brewster, who accepted an assistant coaching position with the San Diego Chargers on Monday. Brewster was only the second member of Brown's staff to leave in his five years at Texas, both of whom moved to assistant coaching positions in the NFL (Everett Whithers accepted a position with the Tennessee Titans last spring).
McWhorter's coaching career includes stops as a head coach at both the collegiate and high school levels, as well as assistant coaching positions at high-profile football schools such as Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and Georgia Tech. He directed the Yellow Jackets' winning effort in the inaugural Seattle Bowl (he was named Sports Illustrated's All-Bowl Team Head Coach) after serving as assistant head coach and offensive line coach under head coach George O'Leary, who resigned last fall.
"I can't say when I have been more excited," McWhorter said. "It is a great honor to have the opportunity to join this staff. It is fun to renew relationships with Coach Davis and Coach Drake. Coach Brown is one of the most respected head coaches in the country and the stature of The University of Texas is known nationwide. My family and I are tremendously pleased and excited to be Longhorns."
McWhorter is reunited with Longhorns offensive coordinator Greg Davis and wide receivers coach Darryl Drake, both of whom he coached with at Georgia.
"While we place a big value on the consistency of our staff, it is exciting to bring in high-quality people such as Mac who provide new energy and ideas," Brown said. "We saw that with Duane Akina last season and we expect the same with Mac. He has everything we want in a coach.
"He has been involved as a head coach, as a recruiting coordinator, as a high school coach and been in big games throughout his career. When you've coached and played in the Georgia/Florida and Alabama/Auburn games, you understand the importance of football at this level."
His coaching career began at Duluth (Ga.) High in 1974 and he was then an assistant coach at Douglas County (Ga.) High from 1975-78. McWhorter earned his first head coaching job in 1979 at Villa Rica (Ga.) High, where was named the Carroll County Coach of the Year.
He moved to the college ranks in 1980, when he was named to head coach Bill Curry's staff at Georgia Tech. After working with the wide receivers for one season, he took over Tech's offensive line in 1981. McWhorter then was promoted to assistant head coach in 1985 and the Yellow Jackets played in the All-American Bowl and posted a 9-2-1 record. He also served as director of football operations during the 1985 and '86 seasons.
In 1987, McWhorter joined Curry in a move to Alabama. In two seasons with the Crimson Tide, he served as assistant head coach, tutored the offensive line and was the director of football operations and an administrative assistant to the head coach.
In 1989, he was the head coach at Division II West Georgia College in Carrollton, Ga., before returning to the Atlantic Coast Conference as assistant coach in charge of the offensive line and tight ends, as well as director of football operations at Duke in 1990.
He returned to his alma mater to join the staff of head coach Ray Goff in 1991, where he served as the offensive line coach, special teams coordinator and director of football operations. While at Georgia, he helped the Bulldogs establish single-season school records for total yards (5,135 in 1994) and yards per rush (5.6 in 1992).
When Goff left Georgia in 1995, McWhorter moved to Clemson, where he was the offensive tackles and tight ends coach from 1996-98. He was responsible for developing 1997 All-America offensive lineman Jim Bundren and the Tigers led the ACC in rushing in 1996 and were second in '97.
After spending a year as co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Memphis in 1999, he returned to the Tech as offensive line coach in 2000 and was promoted to assistant head coach last year.
McWhorter's line was a major factor in the Yellow Jackets' offensive success in 2000. After inheriting a unit that returned only two starters, he tutored a line that led the ACC in fewest sacks allowed and helped the Yellow Jackets offense rank among the top 20 nationally in scoring, passing offense and total offense. OT Chris Brown was a consensus first-team All-American and OG Brent Key earned first-team All-ACC honors.
Last year, McWhorter rebuilt an offensive line that started two freshmen and featured only one returning starter. True freshman OT Nat Dorsey earned first-team All-ACC and Freshman All-America honors.
He was a three-year letterwinner and two-year starter on the Georgia offensive line under head coach Vince Dooley from 1971-73. McWhorter earned All-Southeastern Conference honors and served as offensive captain during his senior season. He also was a two-time Academic All-SEC selection (1972-73).
He and his wife, Rebecca, have three children, Kasay, Katie and Mac.
