An Offensive Coordinator Short List
Nebraska should hire Lincoln Riley as its next OC or it's not serious about winning games, imo
I will likely do a breakdown/charting of the last two games of the season at a later date — there are not enough Modelos currently on the planet for me to make it through those two watches right now — but also my general take on the vibe of the Husker fanbase after Friday’s punch-in-the-stomach loss to Iowa was “CAN WE INVENT THE TECHNOLOGY TO MEMORY WIPE ALL OF THAT HELL-SEASON EXCEPT FOR THE LONG JAQUEZ YANT RUN AGAINST NORTHWESTERN AND THE THIRD QUARTER OF THE MICHIGAN GAME???” So with that in mind, and with a crazy coaching carousel in full swing — hello, USC — I wanted to take a look at whom NU might be targeting at it reorganizes its offensive staff.
This is the most important decision of the offseason, and guessing at it is an exercise fraught with uncertainty — nobody really knows what coach Scott Frost wants out of a new OC, how much he actually wants to change the offense, the characteristics he’s going to value or how the interview process will play out — but I think we can make some educated assumptions. First, I think it’s pretty safe to believe Frost is not going to completely abandon or even majorly depart from what the Huskers ran this season because he said as much and because Nebraska’s offense was pretty successful this year, so we’re talking about a hybridization or tweaking, not someone coming in to do an overhaul or bring “their system.” Second, I think Frost will still definitely be heavily, heavily involved with gameplanning the offense during the week, so prior work history with Frost or a history of being willing to collaborate will be important. Third, I also am working under the belief that Frost’s reduced salary will be reallocated into a big salary and significant pay increase for Group of 5 or lower Power 5 coordinators.
I also think there are some “popular” candidates I’ve seen we can immediately dispel. A job working for a hot-seat coach in a program that hasn’t had a winning season in five years is not what we’s call "particularly desirable,” so I’m going to write off any coordinators working at better programs or more stable or successful jobs or who get paid a lot. This includes coaches Bill O’Brien at Alabama, Joe Moorhead at Oregon, Kendal Briles at Arkansas, Jeff Lebby at Ole Miss, etc. Those are big “UNREALISTIC NEBRASKA FAN ON THE MESSAGE BOARD” energy. I am also ruling out anybody from a dramatically different offensive style or system. Real-life isn’t like Madden; installing a 180 degree change in your offense requires a massive amount of practice equity and game reps to execute well, on top of the personnel deficiencies you’d encounter. So I’m assuming Frost, who has spent four years recruiting to and developing toward a power spread system and who desperately needs to win as many games as possible next year, is not going to want to put up with the growing pains of, like, switching to a pro-style or air raid system. Those aren’t really serious suggestions.
So with all that, I narrowed the remaining candidates, trying to factor in (A) their fit with what Nebraska is currently doing on offense, (B) what new elements/benefits they could bring and reasons they might be willing to come to Lincoln, and (C) what reasons they might be a bad fit and/or not accept the job.
SLAM DUNK HOME RUN OPTIONS:
Newland Isaac, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Coach at Coastal Carolina
Willy Korn, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach at Coastal Carolina
Fit: There were rumors the NU staff met with the Chanticleer offensive staff last offseason, and it showed up in the Huskers’ attack this season; a lot of the shotgun/pistol triple option concepts and the freeze option play (and downfield and tight end play action passing schemes off of them) that were staples of NU’s attack were directly lifted from the Chanitcleers:
If Frost wants to delve further into the “modern triple option out of the shotgun” elements that NU had a lot of success running this season, either of these guys would be a great extension of that.
Why Would They Take/Get The Job?: A Big Ten offensive coordinator job would represent a massive step up in both exposure and (presumably) pay, and head coach Jamey Chadwell is the Chanticleers offensive play caller, meaning NU could offer either a step-up in role that neither has at their current job.
Why Would They Not Take/Get The Job?: Frost has said he preferably wants someone with experience as a play caller (though I doubt that would be a deal-breaker should they ace the interview/prove to be an excellent fit), and with Chadwell likely to get a better job in the near future, they may want to stay attached to him rather than take a potential one-year mercenary stint.
Dan Mullen, Ex-Head Coach at Florida
Fit: Mullen probably knows more about power spread offense than all but a handful of people on the planet and is a great developer of spread quarterbacks (like Dak Prescott). He’s also shown a willingness to be adaptive when the Gators had more pro-style personnel like Kyle Trask. His failings with UF were personnel and recruiting; scheme-wise, he’s still pretty cutting edge.
Why Would They Take/Get The Job?: He needs a job after being fired, and a quick bounce-back position with the Huskers might be a good springboard back to a P5 head coaching job. NU has the personnel to make his preferred style of offense hum. I also think having a former head coach in this position for Frost to consult is something that could benefit the program.
Why Would They Not Take/Get The Job?: He probably will get several lower-level head coaching jobs and better OC offers than Nebraska. He may just also want to chill with his millions of dollars for a year after a pretty buff end to things with the Gators.
Warren Ruggiero, Offensive Coordinator at Wake Forest
Fit: Ruggiero’s offenses have been straight flames over the last four seasons, and the Deacs went absolute inferno this year. And he’s doing it with bottom-of-the-ACC recruiting. His system is a power spread out of the shotgun, so the basic fit with NU’s current offense is there (weird read option mesh aside). But it’s an attack also incorporates a lot of modern RPO elements that the Huskers currently don’t run, which might be the spicy addition to the NU attack that Frost is looking to make.
Why Would They Take/Get The Job?: Nebraska and the Big Ten are a bigger pond with better talent to run his stuff, not to mention a higher pay scale. He’s also been with Deacons’ head coach Dave Clawson for eight years, and this is Clawson’s system, so Ruggiero might be wanting to step out of Clawson’s shadow and gain some dap for himself.
Why Would They Not Take/Get The Job?: Ruggiero is a Broyles Award finalist and is likely going to be highly sought after this offseason by several big dog programs. NU would certainly not be the only ones after him.
GOOD OPTIONS:
Jake Peetz, Offensive Coordinator at LSU
Mickey Joseph, Wide Receivers Coach / Assistant Head Coach at LSU
Fit: Peetz comes from the NFL and worked with former 2019 LSU coordinator Joe Brady with the Panthers, and Joseph developed all those Monstar receivers for that 2019 team, so this would be going in a pretty different direction than all of the triple option stuff. But the Tigers still ran a spread system this year, so I think the upshot to either of these hires would be hybridizing the Frost power running game elements of NU’s attack with some of those 2019 LSU empty and quick game concepts (if you read this newsletter, you know quick game has been something the Huskers really struggled with and something that needs to be improved upon to gain consistency).
Why Would They Take/Get The Job?: Frost seems like he maybe wants to upgrade the passing game most of all (smart), and the LSU staff will be looking for jobs after this year. Joseph is also a great recruiter and developer of wideouts. Both are also former NU players, and Peetz is a native of O’Neill, Nebraska.
Why Would They Not Take/Get The Job?: This was Peetz’s only season as a play caller, and he produced a pretty meh LSU’s offense (though some of that can be chalked up to inexperienced players and a dysfunctional situation within the Tigers’ program). Joseph has never called plays. There were also rumors (not necessarily true) that Peetz butted heads with Tigers coach Ed Orgeron and maybe wasn’t ready for that big a position. I also think “gotta hire a Nebraska guy” is not really the most sound operating procedure, and I wonder if either of these candidates would be the frontrunners without that.
Tom Herman, Offensive Analyst/Special Projects At The Chicago Bears, Ex-Head Coach At Texas
Fit: Herman has produced good/great power spread offenses as a coordinator and head coach at Ohio State, Houston and Texas, and has learned from Urban Meyer. He also seems to at least swim in the same waters of offensive philosophy as Frost. He’s also really good at designing a creative quarterback running game, which is obviously an important element to utilize with the quarterbacks currently on NU’s roster.
Why Would They Take/Get The Job?: A Power 5 offensive coordinator job might be a nice rebound/springboard into getting a college football head coaching position again.
Why Would They Not Take/Get The Job?: Frost and Herman’s strengths and philosophies seem to overlap; they’re both good at the same things. I’m not sure what new stuff he is bringing to the table here, and that doesn’t seem like what Frost’s goal with this coaching change is. Herman also seems like (LANGUAGE ALERT) a bit of an ass, so I’m not necessarily thrilled about having him on the staff of my favorite team!
Brad Glenn, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach at Georgia State:
Fit: Georgia State is a shotgun triple option program, to the extreme. Like, FOUR-TOTAL-PASSES-A-GAME extreme. Glenn has kept the system humming at a high level, and this would be another chance to delve further into that modern triple option game NU showed this year. The Panthers consistently lead the country in rushing and get great production out of lesser talent.
Why Would They Take/Get The Job?: His running game schemes are great and would bring a new flavor to Big Ten defenses that aren’t really seeing an attack like that. It would be a unique challenge for teams to prepare for and would raise NU’s offensive floor and consistency.
Why Would They Not Take/Get The Job?: He has absolutely no ties to NU and the Panthers have a very limited passing game. While it raises the offense’s floor, it also lowers the ceiling, and I think the Huskers are going to need something more balanced than this to be successful long-term in a rapidly modernizing Big Ten.
‘WE STRUCK OUT’ OPTIONS:
Chip Long, Offensive Coordinator at Tulane
Fit: Long is the coordinator for Willie Fritz, who comes from that Georgia Southern shotgun triple option system. Long’s previous stop was Notre Dame, so he also knows how to use a tight end. Tulane’s system under Fritz has modernized a little bit, and Long has been a part of that, so he seems to mesh pretty well with what NU is currently doing.
Why Would They Take/Get The Job?: Tulane is 2-10 and might be replacing its coaching staff (though that’s not confirmed). He also seems like he’s perfectly competent at running an OK offense.
Why Would They Not Take/Get The Job?: Long got fired from Notre Dame for having crappy offenses, and Tulane is 75th in offensive SP+ this year, in a bad defensive conference. This would be a pretty uninspiring hire to me.
Mark Helfrich, Ex-Head Coach At Oregon
Fit: Helfrich was the offensive coordinator at Oregon and then head coach when Frost was the coordinator, so some of the earlier elements of the Nebraska system are the same.
Why Would They Take/Get The Job?: Helfrich is currently working as an announcer (after a brief stint as a coordinator with the NFL’s Bears), so if he wants to get back into coaching, a Big Ten offensive coordinator position would be a coup for him. He’s produced some good spread uptempo offenses when he’s had the personnel (which NU does), and he developed Marcus Mariota. He also seems like a smart and pleasant person.
Why Would They Not Take/Get The Job?: This isn’t a bad hire because I think super poorly of Helfrich. I just think the goal of updating the offensive staff should be to get some new ideas and eyes infused in the program, and Helfrich seems like more of the same issues NU has run into so far in Frost’s tenure.
MY PICK:
Brian Ferentz, Offensive Coordinator at Iowa
Just kidding! Any of the coaches in the top tier would make me beyond stoked. I’m especially fond of the Coastal Carolina guys, but that’s also just because I personally love style of football. Mullen and Ruggiero would be major gets if they could pull them off. The LSU guys also would be pretty exciting and definitely bring something NU needs, but I do think that system is different enough it could present some learning curve issues. Overall, I don’t think there are a shortage of quality options here.
Now I’m off to go protest outside of Memorial to get Nebraska to pay OU offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh $5 million.
UPDATE: As I was throwing the finishing touches on this bad boy, FootballScoop is reporting that NU is “courting” Mickey Joseph from LSU. Not everything you read on FootballScoop is true, and who knows what courting means or if other people are being courted. But it’s something!