Mack Brown Commemorates Passing of Former Texas Longhorns Coach

Born in 1943 and hailing from Springfield, Missouri, Reese was a fullback and linebacker himself, having played for the Missouri Tigers in the 1960s under head coach Dan Devine. 

He served as a coach for over 40 seasons at various programs, and worked as a defensive coordinator for six different schools — including Missouri, LSU and Texas — across 31 years, as well as one United States Football League team.

Reese’s ties at Texas stem from Brown, who hired Reese on as his defensive coordinator and linebackers coach when he joined the Longhorns as head coach in 1998.

After joining Texas, Reese inherited a defense that ranked 104th nationally in rushing defense (241.5 ypg) and 85th nationally in total defense (399.2 ypg). However, he turned the defensive unit into a powerhouse, ending with a 59-18 overall record.

“Reese installed an innovative and aggressive attacking scheme that has catapulted Texas into a unit that has produced four consecutive national Top 16 total defense finishes,” Texas Athletics said on Coaches’ corner, published in August 2003.

Having served as their defensive coordinator for six seasons — from 1998 until 2003 — Reese wasn’t present for their championship season in 2005, but his legacy at Texas helped the Longhorns get there.

"It's always good to get back to football. When we're not in season, there is always stuff for a coach to do, but it's never as fun as coaching the athletes,” Reese said in a 2003 interview for Coaches corner. “I love to be out on the field and watching the young guys improve. The main satisfaction in my job comes from working with young athletes and watching them develop into college football players.”