From only gators. It was no surprise on Sunday afternoon when the Florida Gators fired offensive coordinator Brent Pease after his unit averaged just 18.8 points and 316.7 yards per game in 2013. But who head coach Will Muschamp will hire to replace Pease – and become Florida’s fifth offensive coordinator in a seven-year span – remains a huge unknown. OnlyGators has compiled a list of potential candidates: Dave Christensen Unemployed – former head coach at Wyoming Hire him: A longtime offensive coordinator under Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel (he spent 19 years on his staffs at Toledo and Mizzou), Christensen was Wyoming’s head coach for the last five seasons before being fired on Sunday. His offenses are high-octane and would certainly be a welcome change at Florida. Hold up: Christensen has no known ties to the Gators, and his pass-first spread-style offense would be quite a departure from what UF has run under Muschamp over the last three seasons. Though a source close to the program told OnlyGators that Muschamp is interested in going with a more up-tempo style, Christensen may be too far out of his comfort zone…but maybe that is exactly what Florida needs. Also, this happened in October, though its doubtful Muschamp would shy away from someone with passion, intensity and anger…he may even go so far as to embrace it. Clay Helton Offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach – USC Hire him: Pete Roussel of CoachingSearch floated Helton’s name on Sunday because he fits with Muschamp’s core beliefs of “ball control and an emphasis on running the ball.” Helton also has a family coaching connection with current Western Kentucky offensive line coach Neil Callaway, who has been rumored to be Muschamp’s top choice to replace Tim Davis. Callaway, a 33-year coaching veteran and the former head coach at UAB, hired Clay’s father Kim Helton as his offensive coordinator in 2007. Kim was a Gators offensive lineman from 1967-69 and UF offensive line coach from 1973-78. Clay was born in Gainesville, FL. Hold up: There does not seem to be much of a solid connection specifically to Muschamp, and the hire would be curious because Florida’s head coach supposedly wants to go in a different direction with his offense. The Trojans may also retain Ed Orgeron as head coach, and Orgeron could certainly make an offer to Helton in hopes that he sticks around to help lead the offense for the foreseeable future. He would probably be the least-exciting hire, which probably makes him the most likely one. Mike Norvell Offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach – Arizona State Hire him: A young up-and-comer in his second season leading ASU’s offense, Norvell prides himself on running a balanced yet explosive offense. The Sun Devils will likely finish the season ranked top 15 in scoring offense and top 25 in total offense for the second-straight year. Also a quarterback coach, his quick-strike style has already resulted in numerous school records being set Hold up: Norvell has had great success under Todd Graham at Tulsa, Pittsburgh and now Arizona State for the last seven seasons and may not necessarily be ready to move on. He also has no known connections to the Florida program and would be one of the youngest members of the coaching staff. Dameyune Craig Co-offensive coordinator – Auburn Hire him: He’s coached under Nick Saban, Jimbo Fisher and Gus Malzahan and even holds an American football record for registering 611 passing yards in a single game while playing in NFL Europe for the Scottish Claymores. Craig coached with Muschamp at LSU in 2004 (as a graduate assistant) and Miami in 2005 (as a special teams assistant) but leapt up the coaching ranks starting in 2010 when Fisher hired him as his quarterbacks coach. Malzahn picked him up for the 2013 season, and he has done nothing but help Auburn’s offense run smooth all year long. Hold up: Though he is undoubtedly helping with the game plans and playbooks, Craig is not really calling the plays for the Tigers (that is a responsibility Malzahn keeps for himself). He has also never served as an offensive coordinator before this year, which means he is a bit wet behind the ears as far as being tasked with running a big-time offense is concerned. Mike Mularkey Unemployed – former head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars Hire him: A tight end at Florida from 1980-82, Mularkey has been out of work this season and would be able to step in immediately if hired. He has been coaching in the NFL since 1994, serving as an offensive coordinator with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2001-03) Dolphins (2006) and Atlanta Falcons (2008-11). He did not cross paths with Muschamp in Miami but did work under Saban for a year. Mularkey is a creative offensive play caller but believes in having a physically punishing offense, which undoubtedly fits one of Muschamp’s ideals. He really hit his stride with Atlanta, which earned him the Jacksonville head coaching job in 2012. Hold up: Mularkey has never truly coached or recruited in college, serving just one year as an offensive and defensive line coach at Concordia University in 1993. His ties to Florida and Saban give his candidacy legitimacy, but Muschamp would have to wonder if he is committed to coaching on the college level or just trying to earn some stripes for another NFL opportunity. Kurt Roper Assistant head coach, offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach – Duke Hire him: Muschamp likes to hire coaches with whom he is familiar, and he coached against Roper thrice from 2001-03 while Roper was offensive coordinator at Ole Miss and Muschamp (who won two of three close games) was defensive coordinator at LSU. Currently in his sixth year with the Blue Devils, Roper’s unit has been humming the last two seasons, ranking top-60 nationally in scoring and total offense each year. He has helped push Duke to the ACC Championship game for the first time in program history. Hold up: Roper has family with him at his current position as his brother Zac is the Blue Devils’ tight ends coach, assistant special teams coach and recruiting coordinator, all positions currently filled on the Gators’ staff. And while his offense has undoubtedly been successful at Duke, it is not world beating by any means. Derek Dooley Wide receivers coach – Dallas Cowboys Hire him: A former member of Nick Saban’s staff at LSU and with the Miami Dolphins, Dooley’s ties to Muschamp go way back and make him a legitimate contender for the position. He flamed out of his head coaching gig at Tennessee, which many will argue he did not deserve in the first place, but has proven to be a solid assistant on both levels. He would also be someone who Muschamp trusts and would likely be on the same page with, a trait that may not have been the case the last two years. Hold up: Dooley has actually never served as an offensive coordinator before despite having coached nearly every position on that side of the ball except quarterback. He went from being the Dolphins’ tight ends coach to head coach of Louisiana Tech and skipped a step on the coaching ladder. The opportunity to get back into the college game would be attractive to Dooley but would Muschamp, with his job on the line, take that kind of risk even for a presumed friend? Lane Kiffin Unemployed – former head coach at USC Hire him: Scoff if you want, but Kiffin was a part of a record-setting offense when he was an assistant with the Trojans and improved Tennessee’s offensive output by 60 percent during the one season he was head coach of and play caller for the Volunteers. His USC offenses – after he returned as head coach – were top-25 in 2010 and 2011 and top-40 in 2012. He is also a hell of a recruiter, even if some of his methods may irk rival fans and turn off some recruits. Hold up: Kiffin publicly trashed the Gators and then-head coach Urban Meyer, though he later claimed that was just competitive recruiting. Florida fans would be enraged at first, which is not the type of response the athletic department wants to elicit from a hire that is supposed to be a program-saver. He would also not have much benefit of the doubt overall and is not necessarily the type of person you want to bring in for the long haul as his eyes are always on the next opportunity. Kerwin Bell Head coach – Jacksonville Hire him: Bell possesses a lot of the attributes Muschamp is looking for in an offensive coordinator. He’s obviously talented, runs a pro-style set and has professional experience as a NFL and CFL player. He is also an alumnus who played quarterback for the Gators from 1983-87. His JU team features a strong down-field passing attack balanced with a solid running game, and he is one of very few true Steve Spurrier disciples in the game today. OnlyGators has reported previously that Bell would jump at the chance to run UF’s offense. Hold up: Despite all of his success, Bell has never coached in the FBS and would certainly require complete control of the offense in order to run it without interference. Though he was interviewed by Muschamp two years ago before he eventually hired Pease, Bell was not a top candidate for the position. It seems unlikely that he will get a chance to run Florida’s offense while Muschamp is in charge even though the two get along perfectly fine, a source tells OnlyGators. Joker Phillips and Brian White Wide receivers coach and running backs coach – Florida Gators Hire (one of) them: Two of the most experienced coaches on the staff, both Phillips and White are former offensive coordinators who have called plays at previous stops and done quite well in that charge. UF’s players are big fans of both men (as are incoming recruits). Phillips is relatively new to the program, but White has been around since 2009 and OnlyGators learned he was the runner-up to Pease when Muschamp hired a new offensive coordinator in 2012. Hold up: Muschamp’s goal in hiring a new offensive coordinator is to inject some life into the Gators on that side of the ball. Though Phillips and White have their own ideas and offensive philosophies, players, recruits and fans would likely view the promotion of one of them as “much of the same.” That may not be fair to either of the men, but perception is sometimes reality. But if Florida strikes out while trying to bring in a hot name (whether due to Muschamp’s rocky start as a head coach or any number of other reasons), the Gators could do much worse than to fall back to one of these two options.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Dec 2013 02:31:56 +0000
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