Jump to content

A hand for Hand

bschoolprof

By bschoolprof
in Football

 Share

Recommended Posts

Machinator

Machinator 32099

Posted
Posted

From The Athletic:

(Andy Staples) No chop blocks, but plenty of ‘Chopped’: Texas assistant Herb Hand’s twin expertise of coaching and cooking

AUSTIN, Texas — A few minutes ago, Herb Hand was teaching Georgia Tech transfer Parker Braun the finer points of a pass set out of a two-point stance. Now? Hand is waxing rhapsodic about sous-vide cooking.

“Let’s say you’re doing a steak,” the Texas offensive line coach says. “I’d set the water temperature to 130 or 129. You put it in there and you leave it in there for two hours, three hours. And it cooks it to that temperature because it keeps the water at a constant temperature. You take it out, pull it out of the bag and it’s already cooked. You could eat it like that, but you want to get a little crust on it — a little caramelization. So you throw it in a pan, sear it up.”

These two moments encapsulate Hand’s two favorite things. He loves offensive line play. Reach blocks. Double-teaming and then scraping off to the linebacker. Slide protection. But he might love cooking even more. If he can bake it, broil it, sear it, smoke it or sous-vide it and then serve it to his players or fellow coaches, he’s game. So explaining how to use an immersion circulator comes as naturally to him as explaining how to plant to stop a bull rush.

“Food for me has always been an expression of love,” says Hand, who played in college for the NCAA Division III Hamilton Continentals and who also has worked at West Virginia, Tulsa, Vanderbilt, Penn State and Auburn. “You say ‘Look what I made for you. I put in a lot of effort and time. I put a lot of love in this thing to nourish your body but also to see you enjoy it.’ ”

That love sprang from working in the kitchen with his mother, Marilyn Needham. Hand had a blended family that included two siblings and three stepsiblings, and each kid had assigned chores each night. One night, Hand would be assigned to help his mother cook. Another, he might be required to take out the garbage or do the dishes. “I loved to cook,” Hand says. “I hated doing dishes. So I’d always trade off.”

That love followed Hand into his first coaching job as a graduate assistant at West Virginia Wesleyan. “Back then I would make what I’d call gourmet pizzas for my guys,” Hand says. “I was on a GA’s budget.” So Hand would experiment with toppings most college students would eschew. Crab on a pizza? His guys ate it and loved it.

Later, Hand began using his culinary skills to land recruits. When tight end Sean Dowling visited Vanderbilt in 2012, Hand could have taken Dowling and his mother for a swanky dinner at one of Nashville’s many fine restaurants. But Hand preferred the personal touch. He designed a menu that included a bacon-bleu cheese-honey flatbread as an appetizer and crab-stuffed filet mignon with Bearnaise sauce as the main course. Naturally, Dowling signed with the Commodores.

Before Hand left Vandy, he taped an episode of “Chopped” for The Food Network. On the show, which featured four fathers and originally aired around Father’s Day in 2014, Hand at first wowed the judges with his potato-chip crusted sole with bacon and garlic kale. He got chopped after a judge proclaimed that the Thai peanut sauce — tamarind paste was in his Mystery Basket — he made to go along with pan-seared lamb didn’t feel “finished” because it didn’t contain enough basil or cilantro.

After Hand started earning a Power 5 salary, the occasional family dinners for his offensive linemen grew more elaborate. The constant is that dozens of pounds of meat get vacuumed up by massive humans. Because Hand came to the Longhorns prior to the 2018 season, the preferred main course is exactly what you’d expect a bunch of 300-pound Texans to want. “They like barbecue,” Hand says. On the morning of May 30, Hand fired off a text that read, “It’s going to be a great day to be an O-lineman in Austin, Texas.” Attached to the text was a short video showing Hand clicking open his smoker to reveal three beautiful briskets.

But if the Longhorns block well, they might be in for something a little more high end. “Next time I have them over,” Hand says, “I want to do steaks.” Hand already practiced on the Texas coaching staff. The last time that group came over, Hand made sous-vide ribeyes finished in a cast iron pan. (Except for running backs coach Stan Drayton, who requested salmon. Hand also happily made that.)

Hand’s favorite thing that wife Debbie ever bought is a giant table made of weathered wood. It looks like the sort of thing Vikings would have used for feasting. And because Debbie Hand knows her audience, she also accessorized properly. “It’s got some big-ass chairs,” Herb Hand says. Hand loves that table so much because while it can accommodate his offensive line, it also gives he and Debbie a place to bond with their children Trey, Cade and Bailey over meals.

“You’re breaking bread, you’re sitting down, you’re talking,” Hand says. “You put the phones away. You look each other in the eye. There are so many issues that can be solved at the dinner table. One of the problems is that people don’t break bread together enough anymore. Everybody’s on the run. … It’s always great to slow down and have a good meal.”

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites
texifornia

texifornia 56961

Posted
Posted
50 minutes ago, Machinator said:

From The Athletic:

(Andy Staples) No chop blocks, but plenty of ‘Chopped’: Texas assistant Herb Hand’s twin expertise of coaching and cooking

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

AUSTIN, Texas — A few minutes ago, Herb Hand was teaching Georgia Tech transfer Parker Braun the finer points of a pass set out of a two-point stance. Now? Hand is waxing rhapsodic about sous-vide cooking.

“Let’s say you’re doing a steak,” the Texas offensive line coach says. “I’d set the water temperature to 130 or 129. You put it in there and you leave it in there for two hours, three hours. And it cooks it to that temperature because it keeps the water at a constant temperature. You take it out, pull it out of the bag and it’s already cooked. You could eat it like that, but you want to get a little crust on it — a little caramelization. So you throw it in a pan, sear it up.”

These two moments encapsulate Hand’s two favorite things. He loves offensive line play. Reach blocks. Double-teaming and then scraping off to the linebacker. Slide protection. But he might love cooking even more. If he can bake it, broil it, sear it, smoke it or sous-vide it and then serve it to his players or fellow coaches, he’s game. So explaining how to use an immersion circulator comes as naturally to him as explaining how to plant to stop a bull rush.

“Food for me has always been an expression of love,” says Hand, who played in college for the NCAA Division III Hamilton Continentals and who also has worked at West Virginia, Tulsa, Vanderbilt, Penn State and Auburn. “You say ‘Look what I made for you. I put in a lot of effort and time. I put a lot of love in this thing to nourish your body but also to see you enjoy it.’ ”

That love sprang from working in the kitchen with his mother, Marilyn Needham. Hand had a blended family that included two siblings and three stepsiblings, and each kid had assigned chores each night. One night, Hand would be assigned to help his mother cook. Another, he might be required to take out the garbage or do the dishes. “I loved to cook,” Hand says. “I hated doing dishes. So I’d always trade off.”

That love followed Hand into his first coaching job as a graduate assistant at West Virginia Wesleyan. “Back then I would make what I’d call gourmet pizzas for my guys,” Hand says. “I was on a GA’s budget.” So Hand would experiment with toppings most college students would eschew. Crab on a pizza? His guys ate it and loved it.

Later, Hand began using his culinary skills to land recruits. When tight end Sean Dowling visited Vanderbilt in 2012, Hand could have taken Dowling and his mother for a swanky dinner at one of Nashville’s many fine restaurants. But Hand preferred the personal touch. He designed a menu that included a bacon-bleu cheese-honey flatbread as an appetizer and crab-stuffed filet mignon with Bearnaise sauce as the main course. Naturally, Dowling signed with the Commodores.

Before Hand left Vandy, he taped an episode of “Chopped” for The Food Network. On the show, which featured four fathers and originally aired around Father’s Day in 2014, Hand at first wowed the judges with his potato-chip crusted sole with bacon and garlic kale. He got chopped after a judge proclaimed that the Thai peanut sauce — tamarind paste was in his Mystery Basket — he made to go along with pan-seared lamb didn’t feel “finished” because it didn’t contain enough basil or cilantro.

After Hand started earning a Power 5 salary, the occasional family dinners for his offensive linemen grew more elaborate. The constant is that dozens of pounds of meat get vacuumed up by massive humans. Because Hand came to the Longhorns prior to the 2018 season, the preferred main course is exactly what you’d expect a bunch of 300-pound Texans to want. “They like barbecue,” Hand says. On the morning of May 30, Hand fired off a text that read, “It’s going to be a great day to be an O-lineman in Austin, Texas.” Attached to the text was a short video showing Hand clicking open his smoker to reveal three beautiful briskets.

But if the Longhorns block well, they might be in for something a little more high end. “Next time I have them over,” Hand says, “I want to do steaks.” Hand already practiced on the Texas coaching staff. The last time that group came over, Hand made sous-vide ribeyes finished in a cast iron pan. (Except for running backs coach Stan Drayton, who requested salmon. Hand also happily made that.)

Hand’s favorite thing that wife Debbie ever bought is a giant table made of weathered wood. It looks like the sort of thing Vikings would have used for feasting. And because Debbie Hand knows her audience, she also accessorized properly. “It’s got some big-ass chairs,” Herb Hand says. Hand loves that table so much because while it can accommodate his offensive line, it also gives he and Debbie a place to bond with their children Trey, Cade and Bailey over meals.

“You’re breaking bread, you’re sitting down, you’re talking,” Hand says. “You put the phones away. You look each other in the eye. There are so many issues that can be solved at the dinner table. One of the problems is that people don’t break bread together enough anymore. Everybody’s on the run. … It’s always great to slow down and have a good meal.”

 

I love this man

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Burt Macklin

Burt Macklin 19024

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Machinator said:

The last time that group came over, Hand made sous-vide ribeyes finished in a cast iron pan. (Except for running backs coach Stan Drayton, who requested salmon. Hand also happily made that.)

This is easily the most damning piece of information I’ve ever read about Drayton on this site.

  • Like 4
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49187

Posted
Posted

So what's the verdict on Coach Hand??

  • The O-line is digressing 
  • No holes or push created in the run game  
  • Way too many sacks given up this year
  • Okafor seems to be out of position at Tackle
  • Shack has been getting his ass kicked recently
  • Cosmi has been underwhelming
  • More reps needed for younger players  
  • Tyler Johnson said to be improving on the scout team.

Interesting read on Hand when he was leaving Auburn...

https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2018/1/16/16899526/herb-hand-leaving-for-texas

Link to comment
Share on other sites
NoName

NoName 16351

Posted
Posted (edited)
6 minutes ago, ClubWhatever said:

Hand does not rotate in enough players.  We've played the minimum possible number of guys all season, only substituting when required due to injury.  Stunts development, wears starters out, creates frustration.

part of that is the lack of blowouts though...

  • backup QB has attempted 12 passes YTD (last attempted pass was vs Rice)
  • backup WRs like Pouncey, Woodard, etc have very few targets/catches as a result
  • backup RBs have all been hurt

 

Edited by NoName
Link to comment
Share on other sites
MonkeyDoughnut

MonkeyDoughnut 10235

Posted
Posted

Torn on him. Our line play is definitely better now than it was before he got here (not saying good or great, just better). I do feel like they are under achieving this year though.

He's only been here 2 years and really only one recruiting class. That class and currently lined up future classes look great. For this reason alone I give him more time.  Our offensive line potential is definitely in a much better position than it has been in a long time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Thiefery

Thiefery 4995

Posted
Posted

Kerksetter is better at Guard.  Shack has been getting handled at C for most of the season. Scary thing is, who is going to replace him? Ghirmai (however you spell it)? Angilou hasn't looked good since September.  Cosmi, Kerk, Angilou, Denzel are returning.. this doesn't give me much confidence heading into next season.  Maybe Crawford, Johnson become a surprise in the spring and fall?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Thiefery

Thiefery 4995

Posted
Posted

However I will give the Line this.. they seem better at pass blocking than run blocking for the most part.  Think the style of pass game we have sucks and is really predictable... hopefully that shit improves drastically in the spring and maybe the line benefits from that alone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ClubWhatever

ClubWhatever 12144

Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, Thiefery said:

Kerksetter is better at Guard.  Shack has been getting handled at C for most of the season. Scary thing is, who is going to replace him? Ghirmai (however you spell it)? Angilou hasn't looked good since September.  Cosmi, Kerk, Angilou, Denzel are returning.. this doesn't give me much confidence heading into next season.  Maybe Crawford, Johnson become a surprise in the spring and fall?

I think you will see Kerstetter at C next year.  When Shack was out earlier in the season he moved there and to my eyes things marginally improved. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bill Lumbergh

Bill Lumbergh 7171

Posted
Posted
This thread has not aged well. Op is an idiot. 
Oline development is like so many other things on our team this year. It feels like somewhere around ou, the staff just took a vacation.

Remember the oline holding up shockingly well against lsu? I remember that, and receivers running free in that game. Jake Smith looked like a freshman stud. Yeah, he's struggled with fumbles, but he has also disappeared.

Every positive thing about our team from the first few games, including oline improvement, has just disappeared. I don't know if that's weaknesses or tendencies captured on film that opposing coordinators are capitalizing on, or what, but I've never seen a regression quite like it.

If you told me the staff stopped coaching the week before ou and hasn't coached a single player since, I would have a hard time believing the outcome would be worse than what we're seeing on the field.
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49187

Posted
Posted
On 11/25/2019 at 8:07 AM, Bill Lumbergh said:

Oline development is like so many other things on our team this year. It feels like somewhere around ou, the staff just took a vacation.

Remember the oline holding up shockingly well against lsu? I remember that, and receivers running free in that game. Jake Smith looked like a freshman stud. Yeah, he's struggled with fumbles, but he has also disappeared.

Every positive thing about our team from the first few games, including oline improvement, has just disappeared. I don't know if that's weaknesses or tendencies captured on film that opposing coordinators are capitalizing on, or what, but I've never seen a regression quite like it.

If you told me the staff stopped coaching the week before ou and hasn't coached a single player since, I would have a hard time believing the outcome would be worse than what we're seeing on the field.

Crazy how shitty this 2019 Texas O-line has become... feels like Fatterson and his tcu team broke this Texas team!

giphy.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 1 month later...
Lhorn

Lhorn 4913

Posted
Posted

OL was spotty last half of the season especially, but way better than pre-Hand.  Great job las night.  Protected Sam pretty well and you weren't supposed to be able to run against Utah and Ingram and Johnson both had great nights, as did Sam.  

Both Texas lines dominated which was great to see.  

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 4 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing


Football ... Basketball ... Baseball ... Other Sports ... Futbol ... 🤫995🤫 ... Gambling ... Movies & TV ... Music ... Hobbies ... Lulz ... Food & Travel ... Daily Texan ... Business and Markets ... Cloak Room ... Help ... For Sale ... Board Discussion ... Subscribe!... Donate!... Advertise... COOKIE MONSTER!

×
×
  • Create New...