Rangers coach Buechele misses game for QB son's Texas debut

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Texas Rangers bench coach Steve Buechele missed the team's series finale against Houston on Sunday for the football opener at the University of Texas, where his son Shane is a true freshman quarterback expected to play against Notre Dame.

Steve Buechele was at the Rangers' ballpark before the game, but then left for a short flight to make kickoff that night in Austin, Texas.

"Yeah, I'd say there is some anxiousness for sure,'' Buechele said. ''I know it's going to be wild, I don't know really what to expect. This is new for us. It's going to be pretty exciting and a pretty proud moment for mom and dad.''

Rangers manager Jeff Banister wanted to make sure that his bench coach had a chance to be there with the rest of his family for his son's first college game.

Banister said he woke up Sunday a Texas fan. That was a day after No. 15th-ranked Houston, where he played baseball, beat No. 3 Oklahoma.

''It's important for him and his family and his son for him to be there,'' Banister said. ''It's important for us, too. I'll share in the excitement also. I guarantee you every coach in that room will be a UT fan tonight, every one of them. They'll all be Texas fans tonight.''