AUSTIN, Texas -- The first question new Texas Longhorns offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert had to answer at his introductory press conference was both apt and maybe a little ominous.

“Do you know what you’re getting into?”

Charlie Strong, standing a good 10 feet away, chuckled at the question. To Gilbert’s credit, he did not stammer.

“Without a doubt,” Gilbert said. “Without a doubt.”

Gilbert arrives at a precarious time for Strong and his Longhorns, 11-14 together and in dire need of a new offensive direction. If you’ve ever seen the show “Bar Rescue,” you know this plot well: confident entrepreneur takes on a big job, puts his faith in the wrong people, suffers tough losses and realizes that, without change, he might be out of business soon.

So Strong has agreed to pull back his doors, bust open his (play) books and make a call for help. The man he’s relying on to revive this operation is certainly not as boisterous and showy as Jon Taffer -- pretty much the opposite, in fact -- but he gets results.

Charlie Strong is looking Sterlin Gilbert to revive the Longhorns' offense. AP Photo/Michael Thomas

Gilbert has already helped guide offensive makeovers at Eastern Illinois, Bowling Green and Tulsa. Texas will be his fourth rescue in five years.

“So I think I've got it down,” Gilbert said. “We're excited about it. It’ll be a good situation and a good process for us.”

Under Strong, he’ll get to completely tear down the old, ineffective system and start from scratch. He can completely rebuild the Longhorn offense to his liking, bringing his own take on the Art Briles system to the table.

Practices and philosophies will be completely different. Gilbert’s run game coordinator, Matt Mattox, is already talking with strength coaches about aligning their process with the new plan. It’s a top-to-bottom redo, and it’s much needed.

Five of the nation’s top 10 scoring offenses played in the Big 12 this year. The offenses of the Big 12 teams going to bowls scored 38.6 points per game on average. Texas’ offense averaged 24.

The Horns finished dead last in the league in passing this year and No. 2 (behind winless Kansas) in punts booted. A constantly shifting offensive identity played a big role in that inefficiency. Gilbert will be this program's sixth offensive coordinator since 2012. The Texas players he'll work with need stability and consistency in purpose -- not just another quick fix.

The biggest plus Gilbert and Mattox are inheriting: a Texas run game that ranked No. 20 in FBS last year and is healthier than ever with sophomore D'Onta Foreman and freshman Chris Warren poised for big things in 2016, as are freshman starting linemen Connor Williams and Patrick Vahe.

The biggest challenge they’re walking into: uncertainty at quarterback. Jerrod Heard enjoyed flashes of brilliance as a runner and needs another offseason of maturation as a passer. Tyrone Swoopes regained his confidence as a bulldozing runner, but can he operate this new offense? Freshmen Shane Buechele and Kai Locksley will get a shot, too, and it’s possible Gilbert could pursue a juco passer to improve the competition.

Whoever runs the show has lots of learning ahead. So does the 37-year-old Gilbert. He made a big bet on himself in taking on this Texas job. Big challenge, yes, but also big reward if he gets it right.

“It's a great opportunity,” he said. “It's The University of Texas, and that's why I'm standing here today.”

Gilbert and Strong did not go into detail about what it took to get him here, but the fact Texas AD Mike Perrin and UT president Greg Fenves joined Strong on a private jet to Tulsa on Friday night to renegotiate with Gilbert sent a message about just how important this hire is for Strong's tenure.

"That situation was about commitment," Gilbert said. "It was commitment about me getting here, and I am here now. That's it.”

That commitment will be best measured in time, not money. The OC signed a three-year contract. Will he -- and, more importantly, Strong -- get three years to rescue Texas?

This is what people actually want to know when they ask Gilbert if he realizes what he is signing up for at Texas. All he can really focus on is getting Year 1 right, and by now he knows how to do that well.

“It's steady progression,” Gilbert said. “Always progress, never regress.”