The New Offensive Coordinator thread

[MMcCormick]

Updated "The List" with some bios. Building as we do. Let me know if I forgot anybody. Started to rank them by "Best Hires"

1. Seth Litrell - North Texas - Elite record as an offensive coordinator. 50-50 that he will be fired. Has coached at Indiana before with great success. Might be scooped up by a bigger school as he's got a great track record with offenses. Offenses at North Texas have been strong. Defenses have been terrible. Really balanced offenses with strong running games. Record setting offenses at Indiana and then UNC. Really balanced attack with a focus on the run game.

2. Phillip Montgomery - Tulsa - This one might be a good fit. Montgomery is likely to be fired and he was part of the Art Briles coaching tree and is former offensive coordinator at Baylor. Has shown balanced offenses in Briles run heavy spread. Everybody who coached under Briles seems to have the magic when it comes to offense. (Jeff Lebby at Ole Miss, Kendall Briles at Arkansas, Dino Baber, Sean Lewis under Babers).

3. Justin Fuente - Va Tech - Likely to be fired. Long time track record as a top offensive mind. Has shown the ability to both run the ball and pass. Seems likely to go to a major SEC school as his next stop. The kind of coach who coordinates for Nick Saban on a rejuvenation tour.

4. Eric Eidsness - Northern Illinois Keep an eye on this name. This guy is a serious up and comer who has done wonders at Northern Illinois. His offense has been very balanced. Was OC for six years at South Dakota State and oversaw record breaking offenses during this period. Has a very balanced spread attack. He coaches under a coach who was never an OC so I think Eidsness truly coordinates this offense unlike other candidates who are "right hand man" type coaches.

5. Willy Korn - OC at Coastal Carolina - Having an awful lot of success at Coastal Carolina. Question is whether the head coach who is heavily involved with the offense is the real genius here. Top OC's under offensive minded coaches tend to do well, but it's never a sure thing when the head coach is also heavily involved in the offense.

6. Andrew Sowder -Offensive Coordinator - Kent State - Coaching under Sean Lewis one of the best offensive minds in college football. Lewis is a former Dino Babers OC and Babers is from the Art Briles coaching tree. Like most Briles spreads his offenses are run heavy. With an offensive head coach there is a question whether Sean Lewis or Sowder is the driving force behind this operation.

7. Anthony Tucker - Utah State OC. Former OC for Josh Heupel at UCF who has vastly improved Utah State's offense in his first year on the job. Pass heavy offense. Offense went from 15pts a game in the year before he got there to 32 a game this year. Had very balanced offenses at UCF. An ex running backs coach who coordinated the passing game at UCF.

8. . Sam Gregg - Liberty Offensive Line Coach - Former Offensive Coordinator at West Georgia for six years. Coached under a great offensive mind at Liberty and has a decade of former OC experience. Might be a strong candidate because of his background as both a coordinator and a line coach. Might kill two birds with one stone or hedge against another bad line coach hire.

9. Zack Kittley - Western Kentucky OC - has broken records with Western Kentucky's offense after doing the same as a head coach of Houston Baptist. He's a Leach air raid disciple and my prefer tree is Art Briles with the run spread, but he's put up point in batches. His offense puts a big strain on a defense as they don't use up much clock. Only downside is the air raid is not a cold weather friendly offense.

10. Andrew Breiner - FIU - Offense has been productive for FIU on a terrible team. Joe Moorhead's former offensive coordinator at Mississipi State. An up and comer type coach. His current team is pass heavy. Not very balanced. Does not have the experience of some of the other candidates, but he's highly regarded.

11. Justin Frye - UCLA Offensive Coordinator Former IU player. Unlikely to leave an OC job at UCLA. Ranked lower because he's an unlikely candidate.

12. Brian Hartline - Ohio State Receivers Coach - Elite Elite recruiter. Is coaching under one of the best offensive minds in the country. Downside is no offensive coordinator experience. Would certainly fix our receivers though.

13. Matt Drinkall - Tight Ends Coach Army - Former Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator with great success at small schools. Highly regarded at Army. Strong recruiter.

Joe Jon Finley - Tight Ends Coach Oklahoma

Brennan Marion - Pitt Receivers Coach - Former Offensive Coordinator

Nate Sheelhasse - Iowa State Offensive Line Coach

 

[ce36ei]

I assume Washington States newly fired coach was offensive minded since became from Hawaii??

 

[fkfootball]

Seth Littrell would be great.

 

[Dr. Chuck]

Justin Frye from UCLA is one of the best, and an IU grad and offensive lineman.
How do we get him to come from a successful UCLA program to a sinking ship at IUFB?

 

[MMcCormick]

Justin Frye from UCLA is one of the best, and an IU grad and offensive lineman.
How do we get him to come from a successful UCLA program to a sinking ship at IUFB?

I think everybody assumes that Chip Kelly is the guy that really runs that offense so Frye would be a little bit of a gamble as coordinator although having an o-line coach as coordinator certainly would not be the worst thing for Indiana. Wilson was an ex o-line coach too.

 

[Pazhoosier85]

Andrew Sowder at Kent State is a name to look at.

 

[vesuvius13]

IU can't take another chance on an position coach at OC but should go with a proven OC from any level that has a great track record. Coach needs someone that can be a HC on the offensive side therefore experienced OC with a track record is needed. This is too big a gamble for IU to go any other direction.

 

[TMFT]

IU can't take another chance on an position coach at OC but should go with a proven OC from any level that has a great track record. Coach needs someone that can be a HC on the offensive side therefore experienced OC with a track record is needed. This is too big a gamble for IU to go any other direction.

I think you can cross Frost off the list. I don’t see him and CTA coexisting well.

 

[frikkenfrakken]

I think you can cross Frost off the list. I don’t see him and CTA coexisting well.

Not to mention the fact that he's a tool...

Okay, I guess I just mentioned it. Dolson worked here during the "wish we got to play Indiana more" kerfluffle. I doubt he has forgotten.

 

[kmathum]

I will be shocked if we don't have a new offensive coordinator next year so we might as well get a preliminary list out there. First I throw out some names, and then build the biographies. Litrell and Montgomery would be strong candidates. Eidsness is really intriguing. Lingren would be great, but I don't see him taking a lateral job in Indiana. Gregg and Drinkall are very intriguing candidates as they are former small school coordinators or head coaches.

The potential fired head coach "Head Coach of Offense List"

Justin Fuente - Va Tech
Scott Frost - Nebraska
Jeff Scott - USF
Seth Litrell - North Texas
Phillip Montgomery - Tulsa

The Kalen Deboer "Up and Coming Offensive Coordinator List"
Eric Eidsness - Northern Illinois
Brian Lingren - Oregon State (Lateral Move)
Andrew Breiner - FIU
Justin Frye - UCLA Offensive Coordinator

The stud assistant coach list
Sam Gregg - Liberty Offensive Line Coach - Former Offensive Coordinator
Brian Hartline - Ohio State Receivers Coach
Matt Drinkall - Tight Ends Coach Army - Former Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator
Joe Jon Finley - Tight Ends Coach Oklahoma
Brennan Marion - Pitt Receivers Coach - Former Offensive Coordinator
Nate Sheelhasse - Iowa State Offensive Line Coach

kevin wilson

 

[td75]

I'd be tickled with Littrell, although he did cost Indiana the Minnesota game when Tevin was our RB.

Hell, Matt Canada would be a tremendous upgrade, absolutely.

 

[Gamaliel.]

I'd be happy with several of the names you've listed, but a couple more I'd throw out there to consider:

In the "up and coming" category, I'd take a look at Garrett Riley at SMU, who is the younger brother of Lincoln Riley, and Barry Lunney Jr. at UTSA.

If we wanted to go for a more established coordinator, Warren Ruggiero at Wake Forrest has run the offense there for the better part of the decade and has had consistent success.

 

[MMcCormick]

I'd be happy with several of the names you've listed, but a couple more I'd throw out there to consider:

In the "up and coming" category, I'd take a look at Garrett Riley at SMU, who is the younger brother of Lincoln Riley, and Barry Lunney Jr. at UTSA.

If we wanted to go for a more established coordinator, Warren Ruggiero at Wake Forrest has run the offense there for the better part of the decade and has had consistent success.

Ruggiero is an interesting candidate. I think it would be a lateral job for him in what is likely perceived as a less stable situation than Wake Forest so I am not sure he's a likely candidate. It's tough for IU to hire anybody laterally or above them. SMU is a good play to learn offense, and Lincoln Riley is probably the best offensive mind in college football, so anybody named Riley has some appeal.

 

[TMFT]

I'd be tickled with Littrell, although he did cost Indiana the Minnesota game when Tevin was our RB.

Hell, Matt Canada would be a tremendous upgrade, absolutely.

I'm intrigued with the Matt Canada suggestion. Positives: He's been a career assistant & I think he's been proven to be at least minimally effective all over the place. Negatives: He doesn't seem to stay anywhere very long.

 

[MMcCormick]

I think you can cross Frost off the list. I don’t see him and CTA coexisting well.

Agree with that. I think I listed him just to acknowledge that he's likely to get fired.

 

[Coach Geez]

I'm intrigued with the Matt Canada suggestion. Positives: He's been a career assistant & I think he's been proven to be at least minimally effective all over the place. Negatives: He doesn't seem to stay anywhere very long.

Was watching the SNF game and was shocked to see Matt Canada as the Steelers offensive coordinator. Steelers offense has been less than stellar this year, likely due to Big Ben's age and lack of production, but he could be on the chopping block.

 

[96gradGUS]

Did anyone see the Stat line for Eastern Washington vs Idaho? QB passed for 600 yds and 7 TDs. Our Offense struggled, particularly passing game vs Idaho.

 

[MMcCormick]

Andrew Sowder at Kent State is a name to look at.

Certainly worth an interview. Great history of working with great offensive minds. He's like Frye in that Sean Lewis probably coordinates that offense, but he's obviously very involved.

 

[Gamaliel.]

Ruggiero is an interesting candidate. I think it would be a lateral job for him in what is likely perceived as a less stable situation than Wake Forest so I am not sure he's a likely candidate. It's tough for IU to hire anybody laterally or above them. SMU is a good play to learn offense, and Lincoln Riley is probably the best offensive mind in college football, so anybody named Riley has some appeal.

If you judge based upon salaries paid to head coaches, IU far outpaces WF. So, if Ruggiero is motivated by a salary increase he might be inclined to listen.

Another interesting name is Shannon Dawson, who is currently the passing game coordinator and QB coach at Houston under Dana Holgorsen. He has a good deal of experience running offenses at a high major level and has been successful everywhere he's been.

 

[mrhighlife]

I'd be tickled with Littrell, although he did cost Indiana the Minnesota game when Tevin was our RB.

Hell, Matt Canada would be a tremendous upgrade, absolutely.

that was a good play call at the end if i remember. Tevin just whiffed the lateral and then didn't know it was a lateral.

*Just re watched the highlights from that game. Yes that was all on Tevin. Just missed it and then didn't cover the ball when he very easily could have. Also that defense was horrendously bad. My god we have come light years on that side of the ball. Unfortunately now the offense is as equally bad as those defenses were.*

 

[Eyedoc991]

Play calling needs to account for a crappy offensive line, but without a speed advantage and good downfield blocking, it doesn’t matter. Control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, everything gets easier.

 

[welshman#]

if McCulley is the QB of the future, I'd be more inclined to look at guys with some sort of RPO/running QB background, like maybe Willy Korn (and I wouldn't object if he brought his OL coach with him in the mix).

I don't personally see McCulley as a drop-back guy, nor do I see the current regime as likely to come up with an outstanding pass-blocking OL in the near future. So something that features more run-blocking and moving the QB around might have more potential, especially at a program like IU's that struggles to recruit either blue-chip WRs or blue-chip OLs (not that it makes IU's program unique; most programs struggle in those departments).

 

[Grateful Redbeard]

I assume Washington States newly fired coach was offensive minded since became from Hawaii??

That moron lost a $3.2 million a year HC job at WSU over not getting a shot that keeps you safe from the pandemic and has next to 0.00 negative effects. He’s toxic. HARD PASS

 

[Grateful Redbeard]

I'd be tickled with Littrell, although he did cost Indiana the Minnesota game when Tevin was our RB.

Hell, Matt Canada would be a tremendous upgrade, absolutely.

Matt Canada sucks. He’d also cost waaay more than he’s worth. Littrell would be a great hire though.

 

[jlasson]

Justin Frye from UCLA is one of the best, and an IU grad and offensive lineman.
How do we get him to come from a successful UCLA program to a sinking ship at IUFB?

A sinking ship? You can certainly describe the offense as that, but the defense is outstanding and Indiana is recruiting as well as it ever has. If he were hired for the OC job he would be able to remake the weakness of the team while having an outstanding defense and great culture to back him up. I am not saying IU OC is a great job, but for a proven OC and IU grad, it would definitely be intriguing.

 

[welshman#]

I will be shocked if we don't have a new offensive coordinator next year so we might as well get a preliminary list out there. First I throw out some names, and then build the biographies. Litrell and Montgomery would be strong candidates. Eidsness is really intriguing. Lingren would be great, but I don't see him taking a lateral job in Indiana. Gregg and Drinkall are very intriguing candidates as they are former small school coordinators or head coaches.

The potential fired head coach "Head Coach of Offense List"

Justin Fuente - Va Tech
Scott Frost - Nebraska
Jeff Scott - USF
Seth Litrell - North Texas
Phillip Montgomery - Tulsa

The Kalen Deboer "Up and Coming Offensive Coordinator List"
Eric Eidsness - Northern Illinois
Brian Lingren - Oregon State (Lateral Move)
Andrew Breiner - FIU
Justin Frye - UCLA Offensive Coordinator
Andrew Sowder -Offensive Coordinator - Kent State

The stud assistant coach list
Sam Gregg - Liberty Offensive Line Coach - Former Offensive Coordinator
Brian Hartline - Ohio State Receivers Coach
Matt Drinkall - Tight Ends Coach Army - Former Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator
Joe Jon Finley - Tight Ends Coach Oklahoma
Brennan Marion - Pitt Receivers Coach - Former Offensive Coordinator
Nate Sheelhasse - Iowa State Offensive Line Coach

any stud assistant list should include Korn (& maybe his OL coach for good measure)

another possibly intriguing name: Anthony Tucker

 

[MMcCormick]

any stud assistant list should include Korn (& maybe his OL coach for good measure)

another possibly intriguing name: Anthony Tucker

Good catch on that oversight. Added.

 

[Sassy61]

First question I would ask....Will your game plans take full advantage of our excellent tight ends or will they be ingnored as our current habits have been in past years?

 

[MyTeamIsOnTheFloor]

Littrell is taking North Texas into the AAC and wouldn’t give up a HC spot for an OC anywhere outside the SEC.

 

[Kelly_32]

That moron lost a $3.2 million a year HC job at WSU over not getting a shot that keeps you safe from the pandemic and has next to 0.00 negative effects. He’s toxic. HARD PASS

Keeps you safe? Did it keep Colin Powell safe?

According to the government’s VAERS website, there have been just under 17,000 deaths as a result of the Covid vaccine through 10/8.

 

[frikkenfrakken]

Keeps you safe? Did it keep Colin Powell safe?

According to the government’s VAERS website, there have been just under 17,000 deaths as a result of the Covid vaccine through 10/8.

Lol

As a result of the vaccine? As in, the vaccine is what killed them?

Whew boy, I don't even have a snarky comeback on that one.

 

[Grateful Redbeard]

Keeps you safe? Did it keep Colin Powell safe?

According to the government’s VAERS website, there have been just under 17,000 deaths as a result of the Covid vaccine through 10/8.

You are dumb as rocks

 

[Chriselli]

Littrell is taking North Texas into the AAC and wouldn’t give up a HC spot for an OC anywhere outside the SEC.

It won't be his choice...he gone.

 

[TMFT]

Keeps you safe? Did it keep Colin Powell safe?

According to the government’s VAERS website, there have been just under 17,000 deaths as a result of the Covid vaccine through 10/8.

I’ve been waiting a long time to say this, “they didn’t do OF the vaccine, they died WITH the vaccine.”

Literally, that’s what VAERS does at the reporting stage.

 

[MMcCormick]

Littrell is taking North Texas into the AAC and wouldn’t give up a HC spot for an OC anywhere outside the SEC.

He's 1-4 this year and is headed toward his third consecutive losing year. Inclusion on this list is based on expected unemployed status after this season.

 

[Eyedoc991]

Urban Meyer will most likely be available after this year

 

[mushroomgod_1]

A sinking ship? You can certainly describe the offense as that, but the defense is outstanding and Indiana is recruiting as well as it ever has. If he were hired for the OC job he would be able to remake the weakness of the team while having an outstanding defense and great culture to back him up. I am not saying IU OC is a great job, but for a proven OC and IU grad, it would definitely be intriguing.

Looks like he's coached for coaches that featured the run game. That hasn't been the case with CTA. I would have liked to see him instead of Sheridan, but it seems like a long-shot. I don't recall he was mentioned concerning the IU job last time.

 

[mk23]

After seeing Western Kentucky, I'd think their OC might be a solid option.

 

[kmathum]

After seeing Western Kentucky, I'd think their OC might be a solid option.

anybody that works for lane kiffen

 

[MMcCormick]

anybody that works for lane kiffen

The genius behind Ole Miss's offense is actually Jeff Lebby, Art Briles son in law. He's not going anywhere but he might be the best offensive coordinator in the country.