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Fred Akers passes away at age 82


satyanash

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His first year was my senior year at UT, and that was a magical season all the way to the Cotton Bowl. Too bad we came up one game short, but it really was an unlikely run to the MNC game. And as noted, he had some other successes here. Always thought Fred was a good guy, and I liked that his teams tended to be tough-nosed. RIP, good sir.

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1 minute ago, TexArcher said:

Why does Mike Barnes need to remind everybody, potentially including Akers' grieving family, that Akers wasn't well liked?  Just say everything you said after the comma in that sentence.  Or maybe you're the asshole?

He deleted the original tweet and replaced it with this one.

 

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7 minutes ago, satyanash said:

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He was even closer to a natt...can’t say it...MNC in 1983. If we don’t leave the defense on the field on 4th and 25, or they don’t try to field the damn punt, we win it all because Nebraska would have had to go for the 2 point conversion against Miami instead of having it be optional.

And the record number of players drafted in 1984 is always understated because Mike Reuther was drafted in the first round of the supplemental draft. They always leave that one off.

I was a fan of Freddie’s defenses. His offenses were frustrating, albeit often not needed much because of his defenses.

I almost jokingly suggested him as a Herman replacement just a day or two ago. RIP coach. 

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RIP,  Fred !    Luv ya' Coach !

 

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/investigations/defenders/defenders-coach-fred-akers-family-visits-nursing-homes/269-f139246c-2d5b-49e7-9342-a7fb8f7c18e9

 

Fred had Alzheimers.   Above story from KVUE in Aug details his family's plight to visit him due to COVID.     

Excerpt but please click on the story.  Great vid/interview.

 

He thrived there, interacting with others – and she visited every day. Then COVID-19 changed everything. 

The facility where he was staying went on lockdown, cut out activities and kept residents safely inside their rooms. Diane Akers' daily visits were limited to window visits through glass.

“He didn't understand why his hand had to be on a piece of glass, why he couldn't feel anyone. Then he got disinterested because he couldn't feel the human touch, the hug, any of it. So it made him not talk at all,” she said.

“It's like solitary confinement,” said Leslie Akers. “It was killing him.”

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RIP Coach. I went to school with his kids and have nothing bad to say about him. His run at Texas was a time I really cemented my love (and tolerance for heartbreak I guess) for Texas Football, but I am glad there was a reconciliation between UT fandom and Coach Akers.

My condolences to his family.
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18 minutes ago, TexArcher said:

Why does Mike Barnes need to remind everybody, potentially including Akers' grieving family, that Akers wasn't well liked?  Just say everything you said after the comma in that sentence.  Or maybe you're the asshole?

Very much a dick move, why the fuck would he write that? 

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RIP, Coach Akers.  Only met you and your family one time and you could not have been nicer and more engaging.  

Coach Akers had 2 conference titles in far less time than Mack Brown or Tom Herman.  He did it the right way and without so much damn whining.  In ten seasons, he really only had one "bad" season and two "mediocre" seasons.  Of all the coaches in our history, just remember that of the guys that coached more than 45 games...he has the third highest winning percentage of any of them.  And that's not just some chosen stat, it means he also had longevity which is a lot more than I can say about some of the short-sided bullshit running rampant around our Athletic Department.  Also the second highest conference winning percentage of that same group of coaches at UT.  Sure, he was operating in the SWC.  But that was as competitive of an era as most for that league, and he beat out Mack Brown's winning percentage and Akers sure as shit didn't have to play through the vaunted gauntlet of Iowa State, Kansas, nor Kansas State nor a number of other programs Texas' incompetence and complacency has made fucking famous in the interim.  Akers got a bum rap, was a good coach, and a great man.  

Gonna miss ya' Fred.  Sleep well.  

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39 minutes ago, TexArcher said:

Why does Mike Barnes need to remind everybody, potentially including Akers' grieving family, that Akers wasn't well liked?  Just say everything you said after the comma in that sentence.  Or maybe you're the asshole?

Yep what a huge p.o.s. "Sorry for your loss but nobody really liked him anyway..." the shit people say man 

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7 minutes ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

I apologized for the Fire Fred sign I held up.  I would give my left nut (if I had one) to have those teams back now.

Heh. My first memory of attending a game live is the 1986 game between UT and SMU. Tons of fire Fred signs.

RIP coach.

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I always attended the weekly (during football season) "Lunch with the Coach" events at the Student Union during his tenure.  Maybe 75 people in attendance.  Lots of one on one interaction between him and the attendees.  Hard to imagine how much things have changed media-wise since then.  Stay hard, Coach.

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