An outside the box name. Tyson Helton the Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach at Western Kentucky. UWK is first in offensive efficiency in all of college football and fourth in points per game and the QB so far has 42 TD and 6 int. Before anyone dismisses a coordinator at that level remember that Oklahoma brought in ECU's offensive coordinator last off-season.
I'll be surprised if Claeys goes to an Air Raid offense. After Kill retired he said he was going to call every recruit and assure them our overall philosophy was not going to change. I suspect Claeys simply wants a more cerebral person running the offense and better offensive line development. Plenty of creativity can still be had within our power-read-spread hybrid offense. There is plenty of room to improve and expand on what we're doing.
In the Star Tribune interviews Limegrover sort of alluded to in a roundabout way (and I could be totally wrong on this because it wasn't a very clear statement) it's tough to be a power-centric ball control offense in the modern Big Ten and out-compete the Wisconsins and MSUs and Iowas for the players necessary to pull it off. On the other hand, Z said he'd be shocked if Claeys brings in a dedicated spread offense.
Interesting dynamics within the conferences room, I assume for the past few years.
Yes, let's get Levine because he played for the Gophers. Instead...how about we actually get someone good? Just a thought.
(Aside from the fact that he's never been a coordinator at any level, and has mostly been a special teams coach. Other than that, sounds great as an OC!)
I take it you're not on board with Sawvell getting DC, either? He's never been anything but a ST and DB coach and has never been a DC at any level, either. Clearly, not qualified in your mind.
If you can get a former head coach, with ties to the area, who comes from Kevin Sumlin's offensive coaching tree, I think you do it. If you want to smugly disagree fine by me. I'll take my chances.
Affinity changes things. Claeys and Sawvel have known each other and worked alongside each other for many years. Claeys probably knows Levine slightly better than he knows you or me. Also, Sawvel has actually been coaching defense for the past several years. It's not even close to the same thing.
Ok, whatever you say.
If affinity really mattered, Claeys doesn't probably fire Limegrover. Clearly, he wants something new, something that isn't anything close to affinity on offense. A former FBS head coach with a Sumlin pedigree who happened to play for the University could fit that mode. And, Levine has coached an offensive position as a Sumlin assistant, so not sure what you're talking about.
I get it, you think Claeys, while he's on a basic one-year tryout in 2016, will get the next Josh McDaniels in here. I think it will be a hard sell to get anyone with a great deal of OC experience to come here in this particular circumstance, especially given the multiple openings that will offer much more stability all over the country.
I'm not suggesting Levine is the only candidate Claeys should look at or even offer the job to. There are probably a hundred+ other candidates (besides Levine) that would do just fine. But, if it happens to be Levine, I'd be in. I'm not down on him, as you are. No worries.
Can he coach the offense. I am fantastic at luncheons but not so good with the offense.I had the same thought.
Former head coach, from the coveted Kevin Sumlin coaching tree, who grew up in Minnesota and played for the Gophers. His previous head coaching experience can help Claeys go through it for the first time. Tony has a big personality and he'd be fantastic at the luncheons, dinners, and speeches.
I'm in.
Of course I will support the hire if that's who he chooses, but I'm not exaggerating when I say there are dozens of people: A.more qualified; B. who would be better than Tony Levine, a guy fired from his last job, has literally never been an offensive coordinator for one second and who hasn't coached for the past year; and C. would come here if selected. Unfortunately for many of the provincialists here, none of them went to the U of M. I'll never get it - why do we want guys who played here, for a school that has been extremely mediocre in football for the past 5 decades, not to mention guys who were fired for failing at their last job?
I don't necessarily have some agenda that says the OC has to be a Gopher. In fact, I'm usually not in favor of it and fall more in line with you're thinking. But, I think Levine has a better resume than you give him credit for, he's a former head coach with WR and TE (and ST) experience, and he's been a part of a lot of offensive meetings with Sumlin, Holgerson, and Kingsbury, etc. He has to know a few things.
And to use your term - affinity does matter, if even just slightly.
There are benefits to having some people on staff with Gopher connections. Sherels is a prime example. Not probably qualified to get the LB job when he got it, but has produced some stud linebackers, has recruited MN beautifully, and is great at the donor functions and pep talks. There is something to be said for it. End-all, be-all? Of course not.
Disagree. Look at it from this point if view. Former head coach, who did get fired, but was known for good offense. The kids he recruited won double digits the year after he left. I think all of those are good things.Here's how I look at it - would he even be considered if he had never played or coached for the Gophers? With Levine, the obvious answer is no. It's annoying when people keep bringing up guys like Dungy, Shanahan, and Trestman, but they are all eminently qualified and the Gopher connection is merely a bonus. For Levine, it's the main consideration. That's why he's not a realistic candidate.
Here's how I look at it - would he even be considered if he had never played or coached for the Gophers? With Levine, the obvious answer is no. It's annoying when people keep bringing up guys like Dungy, Shanahan, and Trestman, but they are all eminently qualified and the Gopher connection is merely a bonus. For Levine, it's the main consideration. That's why he's not a realistic candidate.
Here's how I look at it - would he even be considered if he had never played or coached for the Gophers? With Levine, the obvious answer is no. It's annoying when people keep bringing up guys like Dungy, Shanahan, and Trestman, but they are all eminently qualified and the Gopher connection is merely a bonus. For Levine, it's the main consideration. That's why he's not a realistic candidate.
Disagree. Look at it from this point if view. Former head coach, who did get fired, but was known for good offense. The kids he recruited won double digits the year after he left. I think all of those are good things.
I'd forget about Richt, he would be great, but I suspect that he'll do like Solich did and go to a Mid Major as HC. Even if Richt was receptive, Claeys as a fist time HC, doesn't have the stature to have a former P5 coach working for him. I suspect that Claeys is looking for someone that, runs a power offense, with the ability to pass when necessary and innovative enough to pressure the edges when teams stack the box. I wouldn't be surprised to see a move away from the read option, towards a running spread, like Auburn uses.
I don't see how getting drunk and having sex with dead animals will help.My ideas? Same as the last 20 years:
Do what Wisconsin does.
I'd forget about Richt, he would be great, but I suspect that he'll do like Solich did and go to a Mid Major as HC. Even if Richt was receptive, Claeys as a fist time HC, doesn't have the stature to have a former P5 coach working for him. I suspect that Claeys is looking for someone that, runs a power offense, with the ability to pass when necessary and innovative enough to pressure the edges when teams stack the box. I wouldn't be surprised to see a move away from the read option, towards a running spread, like Auburn uses.
My ideas? Same as the last 20 years:
Do what Wisconsin does.
This. All in on Levine.
Everyone I know who is "super smart" is too structured to be creative. I believe that is or was Limey's problem.You might want to use a different word than "cerebral." Limegrover got a perfect score on his ACT test, Bachelor of Science from University of Chicago and Masters of Science from Northwestern. He may not have been overly innovative in his approach to football offenses, but it wasn't due to lack of intellectual candle power.
You have been reading this board a long time. You know that is shooting too low.
I don't see how getting drunk and having sex with dead animals will help.
What does Cam Newton who played in 2010 have to do with Gus Malzahn's offense? Malzahn started in 2013! for your information the Auburn starting QB rushed 44 times this year compared to 98 for Mitch.Which is a bit scary considering the lack of success they have had this year. Got to have a QB that can run. And with a running QB, you are risking injury. A guy like Cam who can take hit after hit is a very rare find. Our offense started that way, and eventually steered away from it because our QB'S kept getting banged up.