We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

[thesportsguru11]

2016-17 Coaching Carousel

Diaco stays at UConn, Warner to Oklahoma State while Shea takes USC gig

A very hectic coaching carousel wrapped up today, as UConn coach Bob Diaco announced he was staying at UConn after mulling offers from USC and the NFL's Minnesota Vikings.

That was a big save, as UConn lost OC Tim Albin to Toledo and DC Anthony Poindexter to Oklahoma at the same position. After rumors circulated that UConn was in position to land two-time NFL MVP Kurt Warner, Warner eventually signed a 3 year, $3 million contract with Oklahoma State. UConn ended up with the favorite in Mike Denbrock, the former Notre Dame OC and Diaco's colleague.

For DC, UConn went off the path by tabbing Marty English to fill that spot. English, who had spent the past 5 years at Colorado State, led the Rams to annually having one of the nation's toughest defensive units.

In CAC news, the only move was Marshall OC Quinn Shea signing with USC to fill Steve Sarkisian's head coaching vacancy. Shea led Marshall to a 14-1 season and a national title game berth in his first season as an OC at any school, and was widely considered the top coordinator available this offseason.

Despite rumors that Central Michigan OC Max Crenshaw would be released with the DC and headman Dan Enos, Crenshaw was extended to stay one more year, as were Rice's Kaelyn Willingham, Ohio's Brian Woodard, and Bowling Green's Sam Freday.

New CAC entry Jordan James, at the ripe age of 22, has been tabbed to be the offensive coordinator at UTSA.

Guru's Thoughts:

- Former UConn OC Mike Cummings to Boston College. Crap.

- Doug Martin did a phenomenal job at New Mexico St. Curious to see what he'll do at Central Michigan.

- UMass, Purdue need to get their sh*t together and find a coach. This wheel is clearly not working for either.

- Skip Holtz makes a statement with his lateral move from UVA to Syracuse. Josh Conklin is counting his blessings, I'm sure.

- Steve Spurrier Jr. and Rutgers are wicked intriguing, as are Bud Foster and Western Kneutcky.

- USC made the hire of the century with Shea. Won't be hard for him to win, right now at that.

Notable New Coordinator Gigs

OC:
UConn - Mike Denbrock
Minnesota - Steve Sarkisian
Missouri - Matt Campbell
Oklahoma State - Kurt Warner
UCLA - Ron Caragher
USC - Rick Stockstill
West Virginia - Mike Leach

DC:
Central Michigan - Tim Banks
UConn - Marty English
USC - Pat Narduzzi
Virginia Tech - Scott Shafer

And now..... let's meet our Operation Sports Create-A-Coaches!!

kswgrad2012

Name: Kaelyn Willingham
Position: Rice OC
Offensive Playbook: Spread Option
Defensive Playbook: 4-3
Alma Mater: Ohio State
Age: 32
Coaching Style: Run, and run some more. Innovative coach who uses the option and pistol forms in his sets. Likes the challenge of academic universities, and getting folks to Rice can sometimes be a challenge. But Willingham is a great recruiter, and he should have no problems in Texas.

What to expect in 2017: Following a 3-0 start that ended at a sour 5-7, the entire coaching staff was retained for 2017. Fortunately, most of Rice's contributors from 2016 are back again. Jeremy Jones is now a junior and anxious to put last year's struggles behind him. Kyle Hicks is a capable senior tailback, and speedy junior Austin Walter is behind him. However, Rice's next 3 tailbacks from last year are gone, and no one is proven behind them. Temi Alaka and James Mayden are big, athletic senior receivers, and tight end Cole Hunt is back for his final season. The line is deep and versatile, led by junior center Cory Klingler. A bowl is well within reach for the Owls, and for the sake of job safety, it better be.


Po1soNNN

Name: Sam Freday
Position: Bowling Green OC
Offensive Playbook: Run and Shoot (with a little more running)
Defensive Playbook: 3-4
Alma Mater: Connecticut
Age: 34
Coaching Style: Unlike Willingham, Freday has a tendency to air it out a little more. However, he likes to run as well, making for a potential explosive combination when in the right hands. A clear offensive guru.

What to expect in 2017: After a string of dominance in the MAC East, BGSU stepped back and failed to qualify for a bowl at 6-6 last season as QB James Knapke struggled and a running game was inconsistent. However, the entire staff is back, and new names are raring to go. Sophomore QB Chris Williams takes over for Knapke, and is a much better fit for Freday's system. Junior Brandon English and redshirt frosh Jasper Haley are an exciting one-two punch, and Roger Lewis heads BGSU's receiving corps as a senior. Another veteran line should protect Williams well, and BGSU should bounce back just fine in 2017.


whughes

Name: Max Crenshaw
Position: Central Michigan OC
Offensive Playbook: Alabama/I-Form/2-back
Defensive Playbook: Central Michigan's D (looks like a 4-2-5)
Alma Mater: Central Michigan
Age: 36
Coaching Style: Run, and run some more. Even more than Willingham. Bit of a laid back coach, and intent on turning around his alma mater's poor fortune as of late.

What to expect in 2017: With a new coach in Doug Martin, CMU can wipe the slate clean and start again, which may be exactly what Crenshaw needs. Cooper Rush was under fire all year under center, but he is gone. Sophomore Darius Wood is next in line, and has a lot of room to grow before he's done. Devon Spalding is the favorite to take the tailback job, but mega-freshman Cam Stith turned down offers from big schools like Michigan State and Wisconsin to play for the Chips. He will see time. Chris Overton and Eric Cooper are serviceable wideouts, but junior Jonathan Carson had a monster year and is not only on the Mackey watch list, but he's an All-American candidate. 4 seniors head the offensive line, and CMU could be in line to push for 6 wins in an important year for Crenshaw.


mattynokes

Name: Brian Woodard
Position: Ohio OC
Offensive Playbook: Pro (run preference)
Defensive Playbook: 4-3 (conservative)
Alma Mater: Louisville
Age: 43
Coaching Style: Another run-friendly coordinator. A former college QB, Woodard is an intriguing prospect. His playbooks seem very basic, yet can overpower his opponents on the sideline. Having played the game in the NFL in the late '90s, he knows his way around.

What to expect in 2017: Ohio surprised last year and worked to 6-6, good enough for second in the MAC East and a Military Bowl appearance, where the Bobcats were spanked by Army. Junior QB Joey Duckworth played well and is back again, along with all of his supporting cast from last year. Dorian Brown is once again the only capable tailback, and Brendan Cope emerged as the top receiver with Herman Brunis, and Sebastian Smith, buoyed by 3 more juniors. Mason Morgan is a huge target at TE for Duckworth to throw to. Marcelys Jones is arguably the top line prospect in the MAC, and all 5 starters are upperclassmen. Ohio is in good position to surprise again in the MAC, and shouldn't be taken lightly as a candidate to break 8 or 9 wins this year.


thesportsguru11

Name: Quinn Shea
Position: USC HC
Offensive Playbook: Spread Option (with pistol and shotgun elements)
Defensive Playbook: 3-3-5
Alma Mater: Boston College
Age: 25
Coaching Style: Very much from this generation, Shea is a pass first coordinator with a funky defense to go with it should he land a head coaching job. Very high energy, and it translates on the field. Not only that, but he is a very smart kid who does his homework each week.

What to expect in 2017: After a dream season at Marshall, USC scooped up Shea following a 2-10 campaign last year to make him the youngest coach in FBS history. Shea turns 25 in June. Shea has openly called this a similar situation compared to what he saw at Marshall, and is confident that he can turn the program around quickly. QB Max Browne, now a 5th year senior, has one last try to make good in L.A. following an awful debut in 2016. This time, though, he has a good cast around him with talented young backs Dontrell Marshall and Lamar Holycross, and veteran receivers in JuJu Smith, Adoree' Jackson and Ajene Harris. Quinn Bassler, Toa Lobendahn and Damien Mama are the leaders on yet another deep offensive line. A suspect defense still has holes, but USC is in position to win at least 9-10 games this year if things go Shea's way.


HARLEE23

Name: Jordan James
Position: UTSA OC
Offensive Playbook: Ohio State
Defensive Playbook: 4-3
Alma Mater: Ohio State
Age: 22
Coaching Style: Another new-school coach like Shea, the high-energy James is one of the youngest coordinators in NCAA history at 22. Fresh off graduation from Ohio State, he built up a reputation for his knowledge of the game and became like a top assistant to Urban Meyer. Loves rotations and tries to get as many as possible involved for the good of the team.

What to expect in 2017: UTSA has struggled since Erik Soza's graduation in 2013. Program patriarch Larry Coker retired, and Kevin Kelly is working to build the Runners to at least mediocrity. However, Kelly is no offensive guru. UTSA has four QB's all capable of starting, but junior dual threat Austin Robinson appears to have the upper hand over fellow junior Josh Thomas. Freshman Justin DeAngelis is one to watch. Speedy Juniors Ryan Childs, Kris Walker and freshman Matt Nance will head James' first rotation in San Antonio. Kerry Thomas is a consistent receiver, but the most exciting receiver is 6'7 sophomore Sean Poole, who not only has height, but speed to burn. Speed is also prevalent lower in the depth chart, as Keith Chase, Lawrence Burks and Jon Martinez are anxious for time. Cam Oliver is an All-American potential tight end. Senior tackle Reed Daragh and center Juan Perez anchor the O-Line. Hard to predict UTSA's season, but 5 wins is not out of reach.

Quote: Originally Posted by whughes

Kurt Warner?! I guess I could see him coaching. But that one surprised me. I think you're right though, not sure how well he'd like running Diaco's run first game plans

Good thing we'll never find out. I can't wait to see Warner at OK State...

[whughes]

This Cam Stith that came to Central, what's his overall? Was he like a 4* that we someone managed to steal away from bigger schools? Hopefully he can carry the load for my Chips this year. MACC here we come!

Also, the Kurt Warner thing. Was that something you threw in for fun? Or is it a little hidden gem in this game that I need to pay more attention for?

[HARLEE23]

Excited to see Jordan James at UTSA! Texas is kinda a football state so instate recruiting won't be too bad!

[thesportsguru11]

Quote: Originally Posted by whughes

This Cam Stith that came to Central, what's his overall? Was he like a 4* that we someone managed to steal away from bigger schools? Hopefully he can carry the load for my Chips this year. MACC here we come! Also, the Kurt Warner thing. Was that something you threw in for fun? Or is it a little hidden gem in this game that I need to pay more attention for?

Stith I want to say is 74 or 75 overall. May not do everything immediately as Spalding is still only a junior, but he'll be a monster if you both stick it out.

Warner I added for giggles. I'm planning on adding a few more former prominent CFB players in upcoming seasons.

Quote: Originally Posted by HARLEE23

Excited to see Jordan James at UTSA! Texas is kinda a football state so instate recruiting won't be too bad!

Kind of a football state is a gross understatement haha. You guys have some exciting young talent for sure. In addition to the offensive young guns, I noticed a strong safety, a sophomore who is already 86 overall. You guys may not set the world on fire this year, but 2018 and 2019 I've got my eyes peeled.

[thesportsguru11]

Heisman Winner Olsen returning for senior season

Coming off a season in which he won the Heisman convincingly and nearly led the little team from Huntington, W.VA to a national title, Marshall QB Kevin Olsen is coming back for one more. Looking to win the big one, the Miami transfer Olsen, amid a chorus of cheers from the Marshall crowd in attendance of Olsen's press conference, announced his intent to return for his senior campaign. He says this is solely for the purpose of trying to win a national title.

Quote: Originally Posted by Kevin Olsen

"We were so close. I have all the accolades I need. But I know we can do it, and that's why I am returning for my senior season."

Olsen was the biggest name to announce his return to school. Big names like Michigan's standout corner Jabrill Peppers, Florida St. RB Dalvin Cook, Stanford TB Christian McCaffrey, LSU defensive teammates Jamal Adams, Cliff Garrett and Florida DT Thomas Holley, all announced they were declaring for the NFL Draft. All are projected to range between Day 1 to early Day 2 picks.

[whughes]

Marshall has an easy conference schedule every year. They really need to move to a better conference, or maybe move some better teams into C-USA. I'm not saying you should in your dynasty, jus in general

[HARLEE23]

Really like that Marshall has him, and that Marshall is that good. I live about 20-25 minutes away and I always root for them because of how close I am.

[thesportsguru11]

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