Coach Gene Chizik was happy to see Mack Brown – he just wished it were somewhere else.

Chizik, who was a defensive coordinator for Brown’s Longhorns from 2005 to 2006, watched his ISU (1-6, 0-3 Big 12) team fall to Texas (5-2,1-2 Big 12) 56-3 on Saturday.

“He could have made that a lot worse,” Chizik said of the loss. “I think everyone in here knows that.”

Chizik did find some bright moments in Saturday’s loss. Before the game, the former Longhorns coach was greeted by a parade of players who came over and shook hands with him at the 50-yard line. For about 10 minutes, Chizik caught up with Brown.

“I just talked to him before the game about missing him and his kids and [his wife] Jonna,” Brown said.

During the game, Brown appeared to have more fun. His Longhorns rushed for 123 yards and passed for 163 more yards than the Cyclones, defeating them by 53 points for their second-worst loss in Jack Trice Stadium history, and their first loss by more than 40 points since a 45-0 home loss to Kansas State in 2003.

Still, Brown found some positives for Chizik’s team, who found itself playing against a Longhorn team coming off a 28-21 loss to then-No. 10 Oklahoma.

“I was really impressed throughout the week that they’re coached well,” Brown said. “They line up right, they’re trying hard. He caught us today right after Oklahoma where we needed to get back on track, and we had a hot hand.”

Brown was even more impressed with Chizik’s decision to go for a fourth-down conversion with less than seven minutes remaining in the game.

“For them to go for it on fourth down at the end of the game, he’s trying to send a message to them,” Brown said. “There’s a lot of good things he’ll look back on his first year and see.”

It was also the first time Texas quarterback Colt McCoy took on Chizik’s defense in an official game. McCoy was typically scrimmaging against Chizik’s defense during practice last season.

After the game, the coaches again caught up with each other, where Brown used the time to offer some advice to his old assistant.

“He just said, ‘Hang in there and things will get better,’ and said, ‘I love you,’ and I said ‘I love you,'” Chizik said.

While Brown walked off the field happy about snapping a four-game Big 12 losing streak, players could see his disappointment over beating Chizik.

“I said I just don’t like that we beat Gene that badly,” Brown said. “I want him to win, I want him to do well – obviously not today – but in the long run he’ll do well, and we’re pulling for him to do that.”

Chizik said he hopes to follow in Brown’s footsteps.

“He’s all about character,” Chizik said. “If I stay in this thing long enough as a head coach, I certainly hope I’d end up being like he is, and so would a lot of others.”

Texas coach Mack Brown’s memories of Ames aren’t just of football.

Brown, a former assistant coach and offensive coordinator for Iowa State from 1979 to 1981, lived in Ames when his wife, Sally, gave birth to one of their four daughters, Barbara.

“I remember them [my daughters] in Cyclone cheerleading outfits for picture day and running around all over the place,” Brown said.

Now in his 10th season with the Longhorns, Brown looks back on his time in Ames with positive thoughts.

“This was a great part of my young coaching life, and I respect the people here in this university, and all it stands for so much,” he said. “I’m always proud to come back.”