For those old enough to remember that Huey Lewis and the
News tune…..
I’ve come to realize one thing this year, between the
women’s season in which games started in April, and the start of the men’s
season, in which practices started two weeks ago: I really love being an
offensive coordinator. I’ve never really had the burning desire to be a head
coach, although I did it once. I mean, it is fun to have influence on not only
all three phases of the game (although I pretty much stayed out of my DC’s
way), but also on a team’s culture. But overall, I’ve known for a long time
that I don’t have the patience to deal with all the admin stuff and
disciplinary items that come across a HC’s desk. That just isn’t my gig.
Perhaps if I were a high school head coach, where it was my only job, then it
would be OK.
I want to be like Ernie Zampese (another old time reference
for you youngsters), the long-time OC for the Chargers during Air Coryell and
the Rams after that (also the Cowboys and Patriots). He was happiest while
simply creating – never wanted to be a HC, although he did interview for a
couple of gigs just because he felt he should because of courtesy to those that
asked. Kind of like Norm Chow, another career-long OC, who yes, he is now a HC,
but I bet he wishes he was still “just” a coordinator. I don’t know, maybe
Coach Chow actually wanted to be a HC when he took the job or interviewed, but
I’m not sure how much fun he’s having now…..and I think that is important.
What I’ve noticed this year with the Surge is that only
coaching the OL has left me feeling sort of empty on game days. There’s no knot
in my stomach wondering if I’ve done everything I could do to get the offense ready; no tossing and turning the night before wondering if I’ve made the right
adjustments against this defense, and wondering whether my Plan B (or C and D)
were going to be enough. No adrenaline rush when your first series results in a
four play TD drive, and then you come back on the second series and do it again.
No watching your First 15 play script work to perfection, or get trashed after
Play 8, searching for alternatives.
Certainly, the Central Cal game a few weeks ago came close
to the “old high”, their DL giving us some physical issues up front and making
me stay really on top of things for most of the game. Even when the final
outcome was in hand we had the continuous responsibility to protect our QB and
backs, so there was little time to relax. But overall, I know how talented my
OL is and I’ve seen most of them in enough plays that I know what the end
result of any play is likely to be – 25 years of coaching the OL will do that
for you.
Contrast that to our first Bears practice two weeks ago….it
was just a practice, and we were only going to run one run play (with
variations), a few pass route combinations, one protection, but all of our base
formations, motions and two cadences. However, this was the “unveiling” of the
offense that I tore down and rebuilt from a terminology standpoint last winter.
I wasn’t sure how it would take from a comprehension and rep tempo standpoint.
It went better than I hoped, and we caught the defense more than a couple of times. We
probably hit on 70% of our passes. Granted, it was Day One for them as well,
and they have a new coordinator also. So we were both trotting out new systems.
But doing what we did is a heckuva lot better than being on the short end, you
know? But at the end, and during it, that same high was in effect – the feeling
that something I created was alive, and I felt more “alive” as well.
Please don’t take ANY of this to mean that coaching the OL
isn’t still a challenge. It is, especially this year when dealing with multiple
rookies and injuries. It’s just that on game day, my work is largely done. On
game day, I turn to being an encourager, an adjuster and an occasional
ass-kicker. :-)
***
A couple of big games last week. Boston went into Chicago
and beat the Force. I didn’t see that happening. I thought Boston might be done
after losing to DC (in Boston) and then beating Cleveland (who, although very
solid, hadn’t come that close to Boston recently) by only four points. Thanks a
lot Renegades, for keeping our East Coast scouting complicated!
Pacific beating Central Cal….honestly didn’t see that one
happening either, although I did expect a close game. Pacific is certainly
flying high right now, and this week’s game against them in their place should
be a great one. If you’re anywhere close to Carson, you should come out to see
it!
***
One of my favorite sites for info (not necessarily scheme or
technique, just program/coach/job info) is Football Scoop. The other day, one of
their staff members asked an anonymous (too bad, because I’d like to give him
credit) FBS defensive coordinator what the toughest offense for him to defend
was. The answer? “The one who isn’t bored with gaining 4 yards a play.” That’s a
definite weakness for me as an OC, but I don’t think I’m alone (otherwise that
Coach wouldn’t have made the comment he did). We get bored with plays that
simply “work” – we forget that 4 yards a play will win you an awful lot of
games.
Certainly, I think everyone looks for or expects a home run
from time to time – maybe you’ve been setting up a reverse or double pass, or
just a double-move pass or a simple counter. I remember one of my favorite
calls from last year was after running a certain toss sweep with motion three
or four times against a pretty active defense. We got down to their 30, and I
called for the same motion and toss action, except we ran the counter. Result =
TD. A couple of years ago it was a reverse on the opponent’s 5 yard line…..I
know, pretty much not done, but when paired with known formations and motions,
the back walked in.
One of my goals this year is to enjoy the heck out of
those four yard gains, and feel the high of that new drug (again)……
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