Daily Bears Report 12/11

Basketball

Baylor coaches and graduate assistants held a children's basketball skills clinic at the Bronco Youth Center on Fort Hood Saturday morning. Story from KXXV News Channel 25.

The children ranged in age from six to nine-years-old and seemed to have a great time as they worked on their dribbling, shooting and passing.

"Saw them smile and have fun and enjoy basketball and hopefully became Baylor fans. But, really it was a way for our staff to say thank you for the soldiers and for what they do for our country, and we wanted to give back to their families," Coach Drew said.

Coach Drew and his staff guided the children through drills, competitions and games for about two hours.

At the end of the clinic, Coach Drew called all the kids to half court and gave them a pep talk. In response, some of the kids told Coach Drew they wanted to play for him one day.

Each child left the gym with a signed Baylor basketball and a huge smile.

Football

YOU WANT TO KNOW how swamped Matt Rhule is these days? Mike Kern at Philly dot com can give us a glance.

Well, in the first 60 seconds or so of what turned into a 15-minute phone conversation on Friday, he was forced to excuse himself twice to address some urgent business, which is perfectly understandable. I was probably fortunate to get that much of his time. Good thing we've always had that kind of a relationship. And, by the way, welcome to his new universe, which has taken him from North Broad Street to deep in the heart of Texas. As in Waco, halfway between Dallas and Austin.

"Who wants it to slow down?" the former Temple coach said. "I'm living right now."

On Wednesday, he was handed the keys to the Baylor program, four days after his Owls won their first conference title (American Athletic) in 49 years. It was their second straight 10-win season, or one more than they had in the 116 seasons before that. He left for a program in a Power Five conference (Big 12) that's had some serious off-field issues in the past 12 months, but did win 32 games from 2013-15 and produced Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III in 2011.

Rhule's departure from Temple was bound to happen. It simply was a matter of when and where. No explanations necessary.

ODB’s Mark Seymour has more on Coach Rhule’s busy schedule:

Today’s news starts with our new head coach making his way through central Texas alongside David Wetzel to fly the flag at high school playoff games in Austin and San Antonio.

That was after he took in Gilmer/Sweetwater last night at McLane Stadium.

As near as I can tell from the reports emerging from the Twitterverse about his activities, it appears Coach Rhule’s first stop today was in Austin for Allen/The Woodlands at DKR, then he spent the rest of the day in San Antonio for Lake Travis/Atascocita and Steele/Cinco Ranch. The strategy here appears to be visibility for Coach Rhule in areas (Central Texas) where Wetzel probably carries the most weight.

At the same time, more offers were going out across the state.

Reagan football coach David Wetzel, who built one of Greater San Antonio's most consistent winners in 13 seasons with the Rattlers, has resigned to become an assistant coach at Baylor. From KENS5 Eyewitness News San Antonio.

Wetzel was contacted by new Baylor head coach Matt Rhule on Tuesday night, met with him in Waco on Wednesday and took the job Thursday afternoon, Wetzel said Friday morning. Wetzel said he never had spoken to Rhule, who has been coach at Temple the past four seasons.

"I didn't know him until the other night," Wetzel said, chuckling. "Isn't that something? It happened pretty fast. It’s been a whirlwind deal. This is one of those things. I’ve got to go do it. I can’t pass it up. It’s a great opportunity for me to do something in my career. It’s a great deal. I’m looking forward to it.”

"Right now I'm probably going to be on the field coaching," said Wetzel, who completed his college football career as a wide receiver at Baylor in 1991. "That's the plan right now. It depends on who else is coming on the staff, so we'll wait and see. There are all kinds of things that could be taking place."

"It's enough of an opportunity that I don't mind going in with my job undefined right now. It's going back home, but I certainly will miss the Reagan community and all the great people that have been so good to us in San Antonio."

"They have a coach that they've hired to try to right the ship, so to speak, and he has no Texas ties," Wetzel said. "I happen to be in a position as a leader of the coaches' association and also a former Baylor player and Central Texas person. I can help. It's a matter of being at the right place at the right time. It's God's timing."

Wetzel said he will have to resign as president of the THSCA.

"That's a tough deal for me because that's something I'm very proud of professionally, one of the greatest honors I've ever had," he said.

Wetzel earned his bachelor's degree at Baylor in May 1991, and played his last season with the Bears as a graduate student. He completed work on his master's degree at Baylor in 1994.

"I probably would have never gone to grad school if it were not for Baylor football," Wetzel said. "I've told many people that I'm not doing what I'm doing without Baylor football."

Wetzel was coached at Baylor by Grant Teaff, who was executive director of the American Football Coaches Association for 21 years before resigning in February.