UF hires Michigan OC Doug "Nussy" Nussmeier

[G8RNGA]

I have a hard time believing that Saban "begged" anyone on his staff to do anything.

I hear ya. Saban said he did, but I doubt it was begging.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Well, the guy did leave on the first train out of town. Do you need us to see who purchased the ticket? I doubt Saban was beggin also. He probably told Nuss to GTFO now.

I will say that I've also noticed that this guy is the only former coach that I recall Saban criticizing. He obviously DID open up the offense and when Nuss left and went to Meatchicken, and Half Kiff did it with a backup DB playing QB, so don't act like there was an improved passer available.

This feels a lot like the Peas hire. I haven't looked it up but someone on the other board posted that Nuss' average offensive ranking was 60 something.

Show me.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

McElwain is not going to be Mike Leach -- Hal Mumme Air Raid and neither is he going to be Will Muschamp .

I don't know anyone wanting Mike Leach-- Hal Mumme sideways 2 yard passing game. I remember laughing at a Kintucky friend of mine after watching a Mumme ear Mildcat team complete 2 passes then have 3rd and long. (Actually I guess there were a few morons calling for Leach or Holgerson during the coaching search but we point and laugh at them.)

Trying to spin Nuss as some offensive guru and points machine is a joke however. We'll see how it goes because he's not going to have a van full of 5 star RBs, a dominant OL and a flock of 4 star receivers. As others have said, our offensive roster looks more like Meatchicken, maybe even Western Michigan, than it does '12 Bammer.

Hope for the best, but the guy has a track record already.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Alot of people thought kiffin was a bad and it turned out to be brilliant.

He's obviously not brilliant and I know he will let his big mouth screw it up. He's just obviously a lot better than what they had before.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Sorry T ~ I really didn't mean to offend you. In fact I wasn't even thinking about you when I wrote that. I would love to have a 3,000 yard passer

3000 isn't much with a 13-15 game season. Right now the SEC is terrible at playing pass defense (at least if your line can hold) because everyone is playing big safeties and tackle first corners over their better cover types. Even mediocre QBs like Johnny Cocaine, Aaron Murray and even safeties turned QB like Blake Sims have been tearing it up throw the air.

It's stupid to continue to muzzle ourselves.

 

[Bullag8r]

3000 isn't much with a 13-15 game season. Right now the SEC is terrible at playing pass defense (at least if your line can hold) because everyone is playing big safeties and tackle first corners over their better cover types. Even mediocre QBs like Johnny Cocaine, Aaron Murray and even safeties turned QB like Blake Sims have been tearing it up throw the air.

It's stupid to continue to muzzle ourselves.

put the coffee down and step away

 

[Gatorious]

I have a hard time believing that Saban "begged" anyone on his staff to do anything.

Hmmm... [h=1]College football quotes of the year
December 25, 2014[/h]
"People ask me what Nick says to me on the sidelines. It is just, 'I love you so much. Can we just run some."
-- Alabama OC Lane Kiffin


OT, but also in article:

Says the man getting $6.3 million from Florida while coaching at Auburn
"I've got to do a TV show [Sunday]. You get fired -- I'm not a very good negotiator. So I'm ready to do that. That'll be a blast. I get to hang out with Mick [Hubert]. That's part of the deal. I'm not a good negotiator." - Former Florida coach Will Muschamp on what he'd do the day after his last game at Florida

http://espn.go.com/college-football...-briles-dominate-college-football-quotes-year

 

[GatorStud]

We can only wish we get this kind of banter and humor about a productive offense...

 

[TN G8tr]

I'm not sure how much we can take out of the BAMA and Meatchicken situation. Too much crap to sift through. If you don't mesh with Saban, its just not going to work. I know that Kiffen has had success there and the offense with a converted DB broke records but don't think for a minute that Saban is all gushy over LK. They're using each other. One, Saban will always believe he is the one that makes it all happen. Two, Kiffy is there soley to salvage his career and in hopes to land another HC gig. Truth is LK may be a better coordinator than a HC. For an example see i.e. Will Muschamp. In addition to keep Kiffy in line you need a control freak like Saban. So on the Nuss hire this one will have to wait and see. But....there is a history, relationship, and some good work that has been done. And the way Mac is approaching things I like it. We've all said that the HC does control much of the philosophies with the coordinators. Well, this may be a good indication. If he has and will again work well with Mac, UF should be better off than what we have been in the past.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

This hire does not impress me much. Kicked out of Bamma and blew in Michigan. What is to like about that? I'm all about pumping. But we have to be realistic. Nobody seems to be able to refute the facts that Law stated. That said I'm hoping for the best. It's Mac's offense. So we have to give him the chance to run it his way. I don't get the hire but hopefully they click or Mac will run the offense. Its just that Michigan really sucked this year.

I wouldn't make so much of it being that he is our OC...Do you really believe that Durkin ran our defense the last 2 years? I think not. Mac probably wants him more for recruiting and to mesh terminology with someone upstairs and to work the terminology with the players. Remember that Nuss has recent ties with HS coaches, in the region, which is huge because a lot of the same schools continuously produce the best talent....if the coaches at those schools like you it gives you a leg up on recruiting those schools. Keep in mind also that having someone you trust to look after the well being of the offense while tending to other responsibilities that a HC has is also important and Mac may feel more comfortable with Nuss.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

That's probably one of your best posts ever, CH.

 

[GatorBenji]

I wouldn't make so much of it being that he is our OC...Do you really believe that Durkin ran our defense the last 2 years? I think not. Mac probably wants him more for recruiting and to mesh terminology with someone upstairs and to work the terminology with the players. Remember that Nuss has recent ties with HS coaches, in the region, which is huge because a lot of the same schools continuously produce the best talent....if the coaches at those schools like you it gives you a leg up on recruiting those schools. Keep in mind also that having someone you trust to look after the well being of the offense while tending to other responsibilities that a HC has is also important and Mac may feel more comfortable with Nuss.

 

[PastyStoole]

2014 was a horrific year for him as the OC at Michigan, and by far his worst year as an OC. It's concerning because Devin Gardner was a pretty solid QB up until last year, and he came to Michigan as a 5 star recruit by some services, and the 5th best QB overall by ESPN. Nuss had good years at Bama and Washington which is encouraging along with an ok one at Fresno, though.

 

[I Have No Friends :(]

2014 was a horrific year for him as the OC at Michigan, and by far his worst year as an OC. It's concerning because Devin Gardner was a pretty solid QB up until last year, and he came to Michigan as a 5 star recruit by some services, and the 5th best QB overall by ESPN. Nuss had good years at Bama and Washington which is encouraging along with an ok one at Fresno, though.

This is pretty much how I feel. I'm remaining cautiously optimistic.

 

[TN G8tr]

I am too remaining cautiously optimistic as well but I have a good feeling about this situation. Mac and Nuss appear with their history that they are on the same page. When did we have that with WM?? In addition WM went out and got these high profile, guru card toting offensive coordinators and they didn't pan out due to his meddling and philosophy. So that sucked. Maybe its about time we go with an above average guy, with some QB developing history, that is on board with the HC? The Muschamp Error is over and its quite refreshing and promising that we are doing some things completely opposite.

 

[78]

From December 2013, an interesting SB read on Nussmeier and his impact on the Bama offense.

Doug Nussmeier's name remains linked to the University of Washington job. So, we decided to contact SBNation's Alabama site, Roll 'Bama Roll, to get their perspective on the job Nussmeier has done in his two seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide. Many thanks to Gumpin' on Saturday for taking the time to answer a few questions and offer some insights.

1. Doug Nussmeier is just about to complete his second season at Alabama. How much control does he really have with the Alabama program offensively (offensive philosophy and design, gameplanning, assessing starters and reserves, etc.)?
It’s certainly no secret that Nick Saban has a large influence over every single aspect of this Alabama football team. That seems to be the norm with coaches that come from the Belichick tree – they have their specialties, but they’re proficient in both offense and defense to the point where they’re exerting some control over both units. Despite all of that – and, of course, this is merely a guess because, as an outsider, it’s impossible to truly know – I do believe that Nussmeier has a great deal of control over all aspects of the offense. First, he’s the play caller, so obviously he impacts that game directly, in that regard. Second, even though they’re mostly subtle, there have been changes to the offense, from a philosophical standpoint, since he took over. I think Saban brought him in knowing that their offensive philosophies were relatively similar, but also with the belief that he would be able to properly take advantage of the Tide’s weapons in the passing game. And I think it’s rather obvious that he has been able to do this.
2. While Alabama has been proficient offensively, the Tide really seem to have opened things up the last two seasons. How much of that do you think is Nussmeier’s influence, and how much of it is the fact that AJ McCarron has turned out to be a really good quarterback? If it’s because of McCarron, how much credit do you give for his development to Nussmeier, if any?
There’s no question that the offense has opened up more under Nussmeier. Alabama’s bread and butter in the passing game are still shallow and intermediate routes, designed to attack the linebackers in space, but their use of vertical passing concepts has increased under Nussmeier. As a matter of fact, I actually wrote about this before the season. Nussmeier really seems to favor three verticals, typically with all three receivers (or two receivers and a tight end) lined up on the same side of the field. It has been tremendously effective, both due to the execution on the field and the timing of the play call. From a play calling standpoint, Nussmeier really seems to have a great sense for when a team is vulnerable on the back end, and that has proven quite valuable during his two years here.
As you made mention of, it’s certainly true that all of this is made possible because of the progress AJ McCarron has made as a quarterback. The 2011 version of McCarron would have a difficult time throwing the ball down the deep middle of the field, but the 2012 and 2013 versions have thrived in this area. He still lacks elite arm strength, but his mechanics are much improved – along with ability to go through his progressions and deliver the football on time, even to his third or fourth option. Once again, it’s nothing more than a guessing game when it comes to trying to determining how much of his progression is due to Nussmeier. Some natural progression is to be expected, and, over the summer, McCarron has a quarterback coach. But Nussmeier, as the quarterback’s coach, works very closely with the quarterbacks during the spring and throughout the season, so I certainly believe he deserves some amount of credit.
3. Nick Saban is one of the most dominant coaches in college football in this or just about any generation. Is he the “sole proprietor” type of coach that micromanages everything himself, or his he more of a “coach the coaches” type that relies heavily on his assistants to do the teaching? Does he try to mentor his assistants, even if it means that they’ll leave Alabama for promotions? In other words, how much of the “Nick Saban Way of Doing Things” do you think a coordinator like Nussmeier could’ve learned in his two seasons under Saban?
Saban certainly has had a great deal of influence over some of his former assistants. At Florida State, Jimbo Fisher has essentially modeled every single aspect of his program after what Saban did at LSU. At Michigan State, Mark Dantonio has referenced the lessons he learned from Saban on numerous occasions. More so than on the field philosophies, I think Saban’s greatest impact on his assistants is teaching them how to manage a program. Saban has his hand in everything, and he is constantly striving for improvement in every possible area. Most assistants that move on from Saban seem to understand the importance of all the little things – ranging from upgrading facilities to providing players with many non-football services. One of the things that he is best known for is his incessant lobbying of the school for more and more money for the football program, and I think it would be fair to expect the same thing from his former assistants once they move on to head coaching roles.
4. What are your impressions of Nussmeier as a recruiter? How about as a face (however minor) of the Alabama program?
I think Nussmeier has done a very good job thus far as a recruiter. He certainly isn’t the Tide’s top assistant in that area, but that’s to be expected considering he has never coached in this part of the country before and simply does not have the same connections that some of the Tide’s other assistants do. And I think that showed last year, when, according to Rivals, he was only responsible for directly recruiting two members of Alabama’s class, one of which was a quarterback from Utah. But the improvement from last year to this year has been dramatic. Up to this point he has been directly responsible for securing the commitments of a top running back (Bo Scarbrough), top wide receiver (Derek Kief), and top quarterback (David Cornwell), to go along with a few others.
Saban’s former assistants, after moving on to head coaching jobs, have almost never failed to recruit well. Even Jim McElwain has done a reasonably good job at Colorado State, and Mark Dantonio has challenged Michigan for recruits, at least to some extent. And, of course, there are guys like Jimbo Fisher and Will Muschamp who are recruiting as well as anyone in the entire country. If there’s one thing Saban does better than anyone it’s recruit, and I think this tends to rub off on his assistants.
5. Okay, play along with me on this one. Nick Saban has announced he’s retiring in two seasons, and has named Doug Nussmeier as his coach-in-waiting. Your reaction to that would be…….?
This made me laugh, only because I’m now thinking about how the general Alabama fan base would react to this. It wouldn’t be pretty, not just because Saban would be leaving but also because I don’t think Nussmeier would be most people’s first choice. And he certainly wouldn’t be my first choice either, mainly because I would want someone that has spent more time coaching in this part of the country, for recruiting purposes. But as a football coach I would have no issue with it. I think he’s a fantastic offensive coach, and, on the rare occasion that he speaks to the media (Saban doesn’t allow this during the season) he represents the University well.
6. Any other impressions or thouhts on Nussmeier either as an Alabama offensive coordinator, or his potential future as a head coach?
Sports fans are a results oriented bunch, and, despite Nick Saban’s constant preaching to look only at the process, Alabama fans are no exception. So when plays don’t work, as they often didn’t this past Saturday, everybody is really quick to blame the coaching staff. Many of the same people that were screaming about Nussmeier being too aggressive during the latter stages of last year’s Texas A&M game and the early stages of last year’s SEC Championship Game, where chastising him for being too conservative against Auburn. The phrase ‘RUN THE DANG BALL’ has a special place in the hearts of most Alabama fans, unless they do run the ball and it doesn’t work, in which case that phrase is quickly replaced by ‘I TOLD YOU THEY SHOULD’VE THROWN IT MORE’.
My point is that, with fans, offensive coordinators usually can’t win. If the play worked it tends to be about how well the players executed. If the play failed it tends to be about how that wasn’t the right play call for that situation. But that fan driven narrative is silly. The truth is that Coach Nussmeier has a sound offensive philosophy, consistently puts his players in position to succeed, and is a very good play caller. At the same time, it can’t be denied that he has taken advantage of the talent around him. If he moves on to a head coaching job somewhere else I’d be disappointed to see him go, but excited to see what he can do with a bit less at his disposal. If he indeed goes to Washington I would be excited if I were you guys. I think he’ll give your program a great chance to win year in and year out.
There you go, Dawg fans. A pretty good synopsis that reinforces a lot of the things we already know about Nussmeier. He's a very good offensive coordinator, and a good coach in general, but he just doesn't have that head coaching experience yet.

 

[rogdochar]

Well deserved "Thank You" '78. Enjoyed learning that independent knowledgable analysis. Plus it looks like UF players
will be in good "hands-on".

 

[OcalaGator83]

I can only speak for me, but when I heard about this hire I kind of scratched my head a little bit, then looked at his immediate previous job (Michigan) and the troubles they had this year, and then felt like this wasn't a good hire. Then I thought about it some more and realized he will be running the HBC's offense, and then looked into his tenure at Alabama, and I feel much more comfortable with the hire now. As someone said previously, its a safe hire, and I'm not going to allow the dumpster fire that was Michigan this year to define the guy. After all, Muschamp hired "gurus" who were apparently successful at their immediately previous stops before coming here, and all of them turned out to be horrible (with help from his Mushiness, of course). So I'm fine with the hire, and I'm glad we've settled that we're cleaning house and getting rid of Durkin and Roper and bringing in the staff that McElwain believes he needs to succeed.

 

[williston_gator]

Saw a blurb that UGA may have been after him once Bobo left. Im thinking that Mac may have been waiting for Napier with Nuss in the wings, but maybe couldn't afford to wait on Napier in case it fell through.