Last week we took a look at the candidates for head coach in this space. This week I offer a few thoughts about some of the top assistant coaches in the nation and what it might look like to assemble an “assistant” dream staff.
Disclaimer: These selections are picks in a vacuum. Any head coach is going to assemble his own staff based on coaches he feels best fit his system. I’m also going to try to be as realistic as I can be about these, given the next head coach at Texas has not been named yet.
Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach
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Current OC: Major Applewhite (with a co tag for Darrell Wyatt).
Synopsis: The first year for “The Major†calling plays was not what most fans were hoping for. Sure, he has dealt with numerous injuries including one to the Quarterback, but Major failed to rely on the strengths of this offense at key times during the season. I respect Major and wanted him to be the perfect story of the former player who carved out a long career here, but at this time I we need a change.
James Coley – University of Miami
After a high school coaching career in South Florida, Coley took a graduate assistant position working for Jimbo Fisher at LSU in 2003. From there he left with Nick Saban to work as an offensive assistant for the Dolphins. When Saban left for Alabama, Coley spent a season as the offensive coordinator for Florida International. After a slow start in which the offense only averaged 211 yards per game, the total jumped to 327 per game (including the rushing offense nearly doubling from 85.5 ypg to 152.7 ypg). In 2008, Coley moved on to an assistant position at Florida State under Bobby Bowden. He was also named recruiting coordinator where he helped florida State bring in back to back top 10 classes and the number 1 and number 2 classes in 2011 and 2012. When Jimbo Fisher took the reins as head coach, Coley was promoted to Offensive Coordinator. Coley left Florida State in 2013 to run the Miami offense where he could call his own plays. In 2013 he led an improved Miami offense under quarterback Stephen Morris and running back Duke Johnson.
Scott Frost – University of Oregon
Following a long college and professional career, Frost worked as a graduate assistant at Nebraska and Kansas State. In 2007 he was tabbed to coach linebackers at Northern Iowa and in 2008 was promoted to Co-Defensive Coordinator. In 2009, Frost moved to Oregon where he coached Wide Receivers. When Chip Kelly left and Mark Helfrich was promoted to head coach, Frost was announced as Offensive Coordinator. Frost is well versed in the Oregon spread option and could implement the perfect system at Texas where he’d have a chance to spread his wings as a play caller.
Chad Morris – Clemson
Morris serves as the gold standard of offensive coordinators in college right now, but is probably headed for a head coaching gig somewhere. After graduating from Texas A&M, Morris bounced around high schools in Texas learning all about the spread. In 2008-2009 he led Lake Travis to back to back 16-0 state title runs. He left the high school ranks to join Tulsa in 2010 before earning a promotion to Clemson and becoming a very highly paid assistant (1.3 million a year). Morris has turned the Clemson offense into a dynamo while being recognized as a top assistant. Morris obviously knows Texas high schools, and would be able to recruit well. His current pay, and potential to be a head coach very soon probably makes this one a much tougher deal to get done.
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Wide Receivers
Current Coach: Darrell Wyatt
Synopsis: Wyatt is one of the few coaches who performed well in the last three years. His recruiting and his coaching have been real strengths for the Texas staff. For the sake of continuity I’d like to see him retained.
Tee Martin – USC
The former national champion Quarterback has made a name for himself in coaching circles. Martin spent two years at Kentucky, where he coached Randall Cobb and Chris Matthews. He took over at USC in 2012 where he coached at unit that included Robert Woods and Marqise Lee who put up video game numbers. In 2013, Nelson Agholor stepped in and performed big time for the Trojans. Martin is an excellent recruiter and an aspiring offensive coordinator with playing credentials.
Kasey Dunn – Oklahoma State
Dunn has been all around the football scene in both the professional and college leagues with stops at New Mexico, Washington State, Arizona, Baylor, Seattle, Southern Miss and TCU. Dunn has coached on both sides of the ball at a myriad of different positions. He took over at Oklahoma State in 2011 where he coached Justin Blackmon and Josh Stewart. In his time at Oklahoma State, Dunn has recruited very well and loaded the Cowboys up with playmakers.
Ron Dugans – Louisville
Dugans was a third round draft pick of the Bengals following a career at Florida State. In 2005 Dugans took a graduate assistant job with Florida State and then moved on to Cincinnati. In 2007, Dugans took the receivers position at Georgia Southern where he saw his unit break several records. In 2010, Dugans took over at Louisville and has seen his unit haul in numerous passes from Teddy Bridgewater. DeVante Parker became an All Big East selection under his tutelage, and Eli Rogers has emerged as a solid college player as well.
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Tight Ends
Current Coach – Bruce Chambers
Synopsis: This position has been M.I.A. since Blaine Irby went down against Rice. Chambers hasn’t recruited or coached well at the position and needs to be replaced.
Tim Brewster – Florida State
If for some reason you can’t place the name, all you should know is he’s the reason why Vince Young played Quarterback at Texas. He was a madman on the recruiting trail in Austin, and not a bad position coach at that. After leaving Texas he held a couple of different jobs in the NFL before taking the head coaching gig at The University of Minnesota. While there he recruited the state of Texas heavily but could not win at a high enough level for the Gophers administration. He spent a year at Mississippi State before going to Florida State this year. Make him your Assistant Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator and call it a day.
Scott Booker – Notre Dame
What I really like about Booker is that he’s experienced with coaching Tight Ends in a spread offense. When teams go to the spread, sometimes this position is neglected, and Notre Dame hasn’t failed in that area. Booker coached in the secondary at Western Kentucky and Kent State. He moved to Notre Dame three seasons ago, and coached first round pick Tyler Eifert. Booker also has experience coaching special teams and is the coordinator for the Irish. Booker has also been looked to as one of the top recruiters for Notre Dame.
Morgan Turner – Stanford
Not many schools have done the Tight End position better than Stanford in recent years. Turner is in his first year as Tight End coach but was an assistant that worked with the position the last three years. He’s spent time working with Colby Fleener and Zach Ertz who both went on to be high picks in the NFL. Stanford Tight Ends are excellent pass catchers and fantastic blockers who excel at catching the ball down the field. Turner is a little more of an unknown, but his education under David Shaw is top-notch.
http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site525/2013/1213/20131213__EPT-L-SunBowl-1214~p1_300.jpg Credit: Elpasotimes.com
Offensive Line
Current Coach – Stacy Searels
Synopsis: I think Searels has done a pretty good job of making chicken salad out of chicken crap, but his name has been thrown around for other openings following the season. This one will depend a lot on the new head coach as the philosophy and the O-Line go hand in hand.Â
Bob Bostad – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
You probably remember this name from the last time a coaching overhaul was done. Bostad was the vaunted Wisconsin line coach who produced year after year of maulers who paved the way for prodigious run games. Bostad has shown an aptitude for identifying talent and developing it into high level players. After a short stint at Pittsburgh he jumped to the NFL and took the job at Tampa Bay. With Greg Schiano’s job in question, Bostad might be looking for a new job next year and would be a great addition in Austin.
Jeff Grimes – Virginia Tech
Grimes name also surfaced in the Longhorns last search for an offensive line coach and was tied to prized recruit Christian Westerman. Grimes who is a native of Garland worked his way through most of the western part of the country (with coaching stops at Boise State, Arizona State, BYU, and Colorado) before landing at Auburn. He helped the Auburn offensive line open up big holes for Cam Newton en route to a National Championship. Grimes has worked with my personal favorite Gus Malzahn and is experienced in coaching a line that works well in the spread but is also physical at the point of attack and employs a power element.
Joe Wickline – Oklahoma State
Wickline is an original member of Mike Gundy’s staff at Oklahoma State and has served nine years in the role. Like Grimes, Wickline has presided over a line that has been extremely physical while operating in a spread offense. Fans who watch the Cowboys throw the ball all over the field forget how well they’ve run the ball in his time there. It should be mentioned that Wickline has been approached many times to leave and has stayed firm in Stillwater. When asked why he hasn’t left, Wickline replied in an article “It’s not always greenerâ€.
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Running Backs
Current Coach – Larry Porter
Synopsis: It’s hard to tell since Porter is in just his first year, but the running backs at Texas performed very well. Porter also has a reputation as a great recruiter and I’d like to see him get more run there. In fact, I’m not even going to list anyone here because Porter is so new and I think a good fit.
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Defensive Coordinators/Linebacker Coach
Current Coach – Greg Robinson
Synopsis: What else is there to say? Robinson inherited a mess and turned it into something respectable. I’d love to see him stick around, but he only came back as a favor to Mack and a new coach will be needed here. Spend the money here and get the best you can get.
Bud Foster – Virginia Tech
Since 1987, Bud Foster has been a constant at Virginia Tech. Year after year his defenses have ranked at the top of college football no matter the turnover. Virginia Tech’s downfall has never been at the hands of their defense and Foster is the mastermind behind that unit. I don’t know why he hasn’t left for another job and it might take a whopper of a contract, but get it done and get Bud Foster in here to shore up your defense.
John Chavis – LSU
After serving for nearly twenty years with the Tennessee Volunteers, and thirteen as the coordinator, Chavis moved on to LSU in 2009. Since then LSU has been a force on defense. Chavis’ defenses have played a fast and smothering style that causes big plays and gets to the quarterback while identifying top-notch athletes. LSU has sent 19 players that Chavis coached to the NFL through the draft. He seems like a total SEC guy, but again spend the money and go get your guy.
Derek Mason – Stanford
Mason is a rising star who might be in line for a head coaching job soon. He bounced around the college ranks before working for the Minnesota Vikings as their Defensive Back coach for two years. Following that, he took the job at Stanford in 2010 and was promoted to Defensive Coordinator in 2011. Mason’s biggest resume point is the fact that the last two years he has shut down the Oregon offense. Mason’s defense also plays physical defense and is experienced in shutting down the spread.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Jim_Jeffcoat_at_SJSU.jpgDefensive Line
Current Coaches – Oscar Giles (DE) Bo Davis (DT)
Synopsis: I love what Oscar Giles has done year after year with the ends for Texas and would be for him staying, but most colleges use one coach for the entire line.
Jim Jeffcoat – San Jose State
After a prolific career with the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills, Jeffcoat worked as a Defensive Line Coach and fathered an All-American. His best job was his two years at San Jose State where his defensive line helped to turn around the Spartans. San Jose State ranked 20th nationally against the run in his second year there. He’s obviously familiar with the area and brings credentials on the field.
Ed Orgeron – Most recently USC
Mark this one under probably not happening due to his shady background in recruiting, but Orgeron can flat out coach on the d-line. The fiery Cajun joined USC in 1998 and saw many great defensive lines until he accepted a head coaching position at Ole Miss. He re-joined USC in 2010 and took over in the interim as Head Coach when Lane Kiffin was fired. Orgeron re-invigorated USC, but was not retained when the Trojans hired Steve Sarkisian. Sark is trying to get Orgeron on board at USC, but he’s out there for the moment.
Brad Lawing – Florida
Lawing spent the previous seven years at South Carolina before moving on in 2013 to Florida. In his time with the Gamecocks, he built strong defensive lines that got to the quarterback and stopped the run. Upon moving to Florida he again oversaw a unit that was a bright spot on a bad team. Lawing is new in Gainesville but he could sense that his head coach is on the hot seat and want to move on to secure a more stable position.
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Defensive Backs
Current Coach – Duane Akina
Synopsis: I think very highly of Akina, and so do his players. He’s the reason Texas is referred to as DBU and has produced a lot of big time defensive backs. The last two seasons haven’t been banner years for that unit and I can understand wanting to move away from a long time Mack assistant, but Akina has put enough skins up to earn another chance with me.Â
Travaris Robinson – Florida
After playing at Auburn and for a short time in the NFL, Robinson returned to coach in college. After stops at Western Kentucky, Southern Miss, and Texas Tech, Robinson landed at Florida in 2011. Robinson has recruited well in the secondary and last year the Gators ranked #2 in pass efficiency and allowed only seven passing touchdowns while notching 20 interceptions.
John Neal – Oregon
Neal has been at Oregon since 2003, and has seen many prospects turn into top-notch Defensive Backs for the Ducks. In a program known for offense, the secondary at Oregon has been underrated. In 2010, Oregon ranked seventh in pass efficiency. Neal fosters an aggressive mentality amongst his players and coaches his players to focus on the ball as much as the receiver.
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Strength and Conditioning
Current Coaches – Jeff Madden and Bennie Wylie
Synopsis: After years of frustrating results with Madden, I’ve not been impressed with Bennie Wylie. It’s time to overhaul this area and utilize the resources Texas has.
Tommy Moffitt – LSU
This is where it starts and ends. Moffitt is the gold standard of S&C and has turned LSU into the Football Factory it is. It may sound silly, but this is one of the most important hires that can be made. These coaches spend more time with the players than anyone else on staff. Moffitt has a reputation and a resume that no one else in this position can match. This is Texas, go get the absolute best in this area. Moffitt learned under Gayle Hatch who revolutionized the S&C game by focusing on an increase in explosive power, absolute strength, speed, quickness, muscular endurance, flexibility, and stamina.
Scott Cochran – Alabama
Cochran is another Hatch disciple who worked under Moffitt at LSU before going to the NBA to work with the New Orleans Hornets. Following his NBA career, he joined the Alabama staff and has produced impressive results. The physicality and strength that Alabama plays with is a direct result of Cochran’s program. Alabama just built a brand new state of the art facility and has multiple strength coaches staffed. It might be tough to pull Cochran away from what he has built, but he may be inclined to want to resurrect a program that needs some life. S&C programs have become the foundation for a good college team, and Cochran could build a new foundation at Texas.
Shannon Turley – Stanford
Turley has the distinction of having his position be the first endowed football directorship in the FBS. Known as the “Kissick Family Director of Football Sports Performanceâ€, Turley’s program stresses injury prevention, athletic performance, and mental discipline. He has been credited as the behind the scenes force that turned the Stanford program around. His program not only includes strength and speed training, but nutrition, lifestyle management, and sports psychology. Turley came with Harbaugh to Stanford after serving at San Diego and has a master’s degree in education and counseling psychology with a concentration in Sports Psychology.
My Picks
So I’ve offered you some choices and now I’m going to tell you who I’d pick on a dream staff if I could assemble it:
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Head Coach – Gus Malzahn
Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach – Scott Frost
Wide Receivers – Darrell Wyatt
Offensive Line – Joe Wickline
Tight Ends/AHC/Recruiting Coordinator – Tim Brewster
Running Backs – Larry Porter
Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers – Bud Foster
Defensive Line – Jim Jeffcoat
Defensive Backs – Travaris Robinson
Strength and Conditioning – Shannon Turley
#HOOKEM
