Let's Talk OC II: More Offensive Coordinator candidate profiles

In Part I, I presented seven plausible Texas OC candidates from this years' Broyles Award nominee list. While the nominee list gave me a place to start, the available OC candidates from that list tended to be young up-and-comers without a lot of established FBS success.

This time I'm ditching the awards list and examining seven other candidates that have been brought up in discussions across the Longhorn interwebs over the last few days. A couple of them are young enough to fit in the last batch but the remainder have considerably longer track records to consider.

Dameyune Craig, Auburn Co-OC

RESUME

2013-pres. - - - Auburn (Co-Offensive Coordinator/WR Coach)

2010-12 - - - Florida State (QB Coach)

2008-09 - - - South Alabama (WR Coach)

2006-07 - - - Tuskegee (QB Coach)

2005 - - - Miami Dolphins (ST Coach)

2004 - - - LSU (Graduate Assistant)

2003 - - - Blount HS (Assistant Coach)

1998-2002 - - - Player, NFL (CAR/WAS) (QB)

1994-97 - - - Player, Auburn (QB)

STATS

OBVIOUS UPSIDE

• A blazing hot coaching pedigree, having spent the last four years under Gus Malzahn and Jimbo Fisher.
• Recent NFL experience as player and coach.
• QB coaching experience, which we'll need.
• Good instructor; understated, intense, and likeable.

OBVIOUS DOWNSIDE

• Probably two degrees of separation from playcalling on most Auburn gamedays; likely not prepared to handle those tasks on the big stage by himself. A co-coordinator for Texas at best.
• Auburn coach, Auburn alum. May believe he's already at his destination.

COACH TALK

NoleInsider.com Dameyune Craig.wmv (via Travis Register)

MIC'D UP

Wired for Sound: Dameyune Craig (via Auburn Athletics)

Scott Frost, Oregon OC

RESUME

2013-pres. - - - Oregon (Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach)

2009–12 - - - Oregon (WR Coach)

2008 - - - Northern Iowa (Co-Defensive Coordinator)

2007 - - - Northern Iowa (LB Coach)

2006 - - - Kansas St. (Graduate Assistant)

2002 - - - Nebraska (Graduate Assistant)

1998-2003 - - - Player, NFL (NYJ/CLE/GBP/TB) (QB)

1993-97 - - - Player, Stanford/Nebraska (QB)

STATS

OBVIOUS UPSIDE

• Like Craig, another young hot coaching commodity.
• Like Craig, has QB coaching experience, which we'll need.
• Like Craig, he's a good instructor. Also understated, intense, and likeable.

OBVIOUS DOWNSIDE

• Not clear how much he's in charge of the offense with Helfrich as his head coach.
• Oregon's a pretty good gig and Frost has a known, hype-friendly name. With all the defensive coaching on his resume, he's clearly prepping for (and in an excellent position to soon get) a head coaching job. It would surprise me if he were interested.

COACH TALK

Scott Frost Declines To Talk About Boise State Interview (via KEZI9TV)

(NOT) MIC'D UP

Frost's Freshmen (via rgoregonfootball)

Herb Hand, Vanderbilt RGC

RESUME

2013 - - - Vanderbilt (OL Coach/Run Game Coordinator)

2011-12 - - - Vanderbilt (OL Coach)

2010 - - - Tulsa (Assistant Head Coach/Co-Offensive Coordinator/OL Coach)

2009 - - - Tulsa (Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/OL Coach)

2007-08 - - - Tulsa (Co-Offensive Coordinator/OL Coach)

2001-06 - - - West Virginia (TE Coach/Recruiting Coordinator)

1999-2000 - - - Clemson (Offensive Graduate Assistant)

1997-98 - - - Concord College (Defensive Coordinator/Special Teams)

1994-96 - - - Glenville State College (Defensive Coordinator)

1991-93 - - - West Virginia Wesleyan (Defensive Graduate Assistant)

STATS

OBVIOUS UPSIDE

• Sharp on the X's and O's. (ht RedmondLonghorn)
• Worked with Todd Graham, Gus Malzahn and Chad Morris while at Tulsa.
• May be looking for work since James Franklin appears to be headed to Penn State.
• May also be willing to come strictly as an OL coach.
• Very personable.

OBVIOUS DOWNSIDE

• May have a job waiting for him at Penn State.
• While the Vanderbilt team has been successful overall over the last couple years, the offense (and in particular the run game) has been pretty bad.
• The one year at Tulsa he held the reins by himself, it all fell to crap.

SALES PITCH

HERB HAND - TULSA FOOTBALL - OFFENSE (via tulsacanefootball)

CATERPILLAR'D UP

Vanderbilt Football Dance-Off (via vucommodores)

Calvin Magee, Arizona OC

RESUME

2012-pres. - - - Arizona (Co-Offensive Coordinator/RB Coach)

2011 - - - Pittsburgh (Co-Offensive Coordinator/RB Coach)

2008-10 - - - Michigan (Offensive Coordinator)

2007 - - - West Virginia (Offensive Coordinator/Asst. Coach)

2005-07 - - - West Virginia (Offensive Coordinator)

2001-04 - - - West Virginia (RB Coach)

1997-2000 - - - South Florida (RB Coach)

1996 - - - South Florida (TE Coach)

1985-89 - - - Player, NFL (TB, HOU) (TE)

1981-84 - - - Player, Southern (TE)

STATS

OBVIOUS UPSIDE

• Unlike other protégés we've profiled, Magee has been calling plays in RichRod's offense for a long time so there probably shouldn't be a whole lot of concern whether he could do it on his own.
• Solid communicating X's and O's. There's some video on the Internet of some lengthy chalkboard/film sessions to which I will not link because I'm pretty sure it's illegally posted. But it's out there, for anyone with five hours on their hands.
• Adorably fluffy.

OBVIOUS DOWNSIDE

• No clue whether he can recruit.
• Seems that having a coordinator pushing past 350 lbs would undercut the personal example of healthy lifestyle that Strong sets for the players.
• Not sure how comfortable I'd be tying the offense to RichRod's star either, after what happened in Michigan. Call me superstitious.

COACH TALK

MI Media Day - Calvin Magee (via Ryan Terpstra)

CHALK TALK WITH RICHROD (no practice/dancing vids of Calvin, sorry)

Rich Rodriguez: Fast Tempo No Huddle Offense (via SportsDVDs)

Noel Mazzone, UCLA OC

RESUME

2012–pres. - - - UCLA (Offensive Coordinator)

2010–11 - - - Arizona State (Offensive Coordinator)

2009 - - - Panther Creek HS (NC) (Offensive Coordinator)

2006–08 - - - New York Jets (WR Coach)

2004–05 - - - Ole Miss (Offensive Coordinator)

2003 - - - NC State (Offensive Coordinator)

2002 - - - Oregon State (Offensive Coordinator)

1999–2001 - - - Auburn (Offensive Coordinator)

1995–98 - - - Ole Miss (Offensive Coordinator)

1992–94 - - - Minnesota (QB Coach)

1987–91 - - - TCU (QB Coach)

1982–86 - - - Colorado State (QB/WR Coach)

1980–81 - - - New Mexico (Graduate Assistant)

1976-79 - - - Player, New Mexico (QB)

STATS

OBVIOUS UPSIDE

• Decades of experience.
• Proficient with X's and O's.
• A combination of gravitas and friendliness that suggests he can command cooperation and respect from players. Would be a good media-savvy complement to Strong.
• NFL experience, and the Big 12 is the only major conference in which he hasn't yet been an OC.
• A good QB coach. Tutored Jason Campbell and Philip Rivers, among many others.
• Best Walter White impression you ever saw. And he's from New Mexico.

OBVIOUS DOWNSIDE

• While his offenses are consistently good, they are also consistently not great.
• Went straight from the NFL to coaching high school three years ago. Not sure what that's about.
• We would be buying high, as his 2013 UCLA performance is his best to date.

CHALK TALK

Nzone Spread Offense System (via CoachingChampionship)

COACH TALK

UCLA Football Friday: Building an Offense (via UCLA)

Dave Schramm, Fresno State OC

RESUME

2012-pres. - - - Fresno State (Offensive Coordinator & QB Coach)

2011 - - - Utah (RB Coach)

2010 - - - Utah (Offensive Coordinator & TE Coach)

2009 - - - Utah (Offensive Coordinator & QB Coach)

2005–08 - - - Utah (RB Coach & Recruiting Coordinator)

2003–04 - - - Montana (OT/TE Coach)

2002 - - - Southwest Texas State (Assistant HC)

1997–01 - - - San Diego State (RB Coach)

1994–96 - - - San Diego State (TE Coach)

1993 - - - San Diego State (S Coach)

1992 - - - San Diego State (OL Coach)

1990–91 - - - San Diego State (Recruiting Coordinator)

1989 - - - Nebraska (Graduate Assistant)

1988 - - - Austin Peay (RB/TE Coach)

1981-83 - - - Player, Cornell/Grossmont/Adams State (QB)

STATS

OBVIOUS UPSIDE

• Has a pretty uniformly positive track record.
• Should be an easy get, being at Fresno. Would assuredly accept a co-coordination position, or maybe even a spot as a position coach, if that's what we wanted him to do.

OBVIOUS DOWNSIDE

• No clue whether he can recruit.
• It's Fresno State. Is Strong's first major decision going to be to take a barely-known guy from the Mountain West as his OC? That would take massive cojones and a clear conviction that Schramm was perfect for the job. His track record as the playcaller isn't long enough to merit that kind of confidence.

COACH TALK

DAVE SCHRAMM-DOGS O.C. POST SCRIMMAGE AUGUST 11, 2012 (via Alexan Balekian)

Shawn Watson, Louisville OC

RESUME

2011-pres. - - - Louisville (Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach)

2011 - - - Louisville (QB Coach)

2007–10 - - - Nebraska (Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach)

2006 - - - Nebraska (TE/Recruiting Coordinator)

2000–05 - - - Colorado (Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach)

1999 - - - Colorado (QB Coach)

1997–98 - - - Northwestern (QB Coach)

1994–96 - - - Southern Illinois (Head Coach)

1992–93 - - - Miami OH (QB Coach/Recruiting Coordinator)

1990–91 - - - Miami OH (WR Coach)

1987–89 - - - Miami OH (TE Coach)

1986 - - - Illinois (WR Coach)

1985 - - - Illinois (TE/OT Coach)

1983–84 - - - Illinois (Graduate Assistant)

1982 - - - Southern Illinois (Graduate Assistant)

1978-80 - - - Player, Illinois/Southern Illinois (FS)

STATS

OBVIOUS UPSIDE

• Extensive QB and skill position coaching credentials.
• Currently jobless and may be willing to accept co-coordination or position coach duties. And he seems like a nice enough guy.
• Solid oral hygeine and he smells faintly of butterscotch.

OBVIOUS DOWNSIDE

• Runs a slow-paced fairly traditional West Coast offense. Charlie Strong has now said twice, on the record and as a rehearsed talking point, that he wants to run fast tempo.
• Has the airs of a kindler, gentler Mackovic. Not sure that will go over well with the fanbase.
• Muschamp made him look downright awful, twice. And those were huuuuuge games for Nebraska.
• Overall, his OC track record is one of general competence interspersed with episodes of suddenly lackluster production. To some extent he just had bad luck with his QB's. But on paper it's not a resume that shouts "Top Five candidate". Or even Top Twenty to be honest. IMHO...as an OC, Watson's just a guy. He'd be a much more valuable asset to Texas as a position coach, if we have the room.

COACH TALK

Shawn Watson Cardinal Caravan (via InsideTheVilledotcom)