By: Melissa Menashe

Mack Brown Enjoying Life After Coaching:Darrell Royal often gave Mack Brown advice about what it was like to be the head football coach at the University of Texas. Royal was an expert after all, considering his title as the winningest coach in the Universitys history and three national championships over his 20-year tenure.Royal once advised Brown on how to handle the demanding Austin media.They cant quote, No comment, Royal said. The less you say, the less you have to take back.That made so much sense to me, Brown said at Royals memorial about the conversation.Things have changed since then. After a 42-year coaching career, Brown now works for ESPN and ABC as a college football analyst. He says jumping into the media world has been a great transition for him because it allows him to continue to talk with coaches, watch video and be a part of the game he loves. Brown, 63, was the head football coach at Texas from 1998 to 2013. He won 158 games, good enough for second most in the programs history behind Royal, and a National Championship in 2005. But Browns career spans much further than just Texas. From 1973 to 1987, he coached for eight different colleges. Before coming to Austin, he was the head coach at the University of North Carolina for 10 years.Brown is now taking those years of experience and applying it to what people want to hear on ESPN. He focuses on using his inside knowledge to take fans behind the scenes. So far hes enjoying the role, which he began in the fall of 2014, and says it has helped him gain some new perspectives on the media. Its also been somewhat confusing for him because he didnt realize how challenging it would be. Its a different world, Brown says. Ive probably learned a lot at about what the media looked at and why their jobs were so hard. [They] work a lot harder than coaches think.Its uncommon for ESPN to hire ex-coaches. When Brown asked why, they told him coaches are too scripted and usually dont like the media. Brown acknowledged that coaches are scripted because there are so many things they arent allowed to say. Working in the media has given him the chance to speak his mind. Im having a blast because for the first time in 42 years Ive been able to say what I think, he says. About the time Brown began his stint with ESPN, reports began to surface that Southern Methodist University wanted him to be its coach. Brown said then that he wasnt actively looking for a coaching job, but if someone called, he would listen. While he hasnt completely given up on the idea of coaching again, he likes where hes at now. He has especially enjoyed the extra time with his six grandkids. I love my granddad so much that I want to be the best granddad ever, he says, and Im doing a good job at that. Im pretty cool.Brown also spends time at charity events. On Thursday, Brown, along with Matthew McConaughey and Jack Ingram, were in Austin for a charity gala to raise money for children in the Austin area. It was part of their initiative known as "Mack, Jack and McConaughey, which aims to support and empower children. I want to help young people, Brown says. [Older people] have always helped me in everything I needed, and I want to be that guy.That makes a lot of sense to him too.