Potential OCs for 2022?

[steeleagle 2,945]

26 minutes ago, AUwent said:

If he can recruit, so be it. Didn’t he leave us on bad terms though?

I think Craig's bad terms were with coaches who are no longer here.

I think he got along with administrators more than some coaches.

If I remember, it was a LAshley/Craig issue under Gus, that Gus didn't handle real well.

Craig, if he is a serious candidate, would be a great recruiter, and would surely make Harsin call his own plays.

It could be Harsin, knowing he needed to do a lot of work to rebuild the program, wanted an established OC/ex HC like Bobo to be experienced enough, and similar in offensive strategy, to help him.

Now that Harsin has a lot of his plan in place, he can spend more time in playcalling? Isn't this what Jimbo Fisher does at TaM?

 

[Win4AU 4,054]

D Craig would be like the backup backup option.  Kinda surprised nothing has happened yet.  Do we even know if Harsin is meeting with anyone till after this recruitment period is over?  Are we just spinning our wheels on something the head coach isn’t even worrying about at the moment?

[AUApostle 7,658]

9 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

D Craig would be like the backup backup option.  Kinda surprised nothing has happened yet.  Do we even know if Harsin is meeting with anyone till after this recruitment period is over?  Are we just spinning our wheels on something the head coach isn’t even worrying about at the moment?

My guess is that we hear something before Sunday. A lot of supposed targets have games this weekend.

 

That being said, I wouldn’t rule out some sort of Craig/Keisau combo, it’s just that could’ve been announced days ago.

Edited December 3, 2021 by AUDevil

[autiger88 3,777]

9 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

D Craig would be like the backup backup option.  Kinda surprised nothing has happened yet.  Do we even know if Harsin is meeting with anyone till after this recruitment period is over?  Are we just spinning our wheels on something the head coach isn’t even worrying about at the moment?

 it will be sometime next week before anything is said. 

[Taco 617]

I think our OC needs to be a superstar recruiter since most of the offensive staff for CBH is mostly Boise people without the connections (but building it). 
 

I wasn’t a big fan of Kittley’s name floating around but I like the idea of the modern Air Raid/West Coast offense being implemented with this program. 
 

I think the perfect scenario is having Kittley and a co-offensive coordinator like. Dell McGee or DC for their recruiting aspect.
 

Probably just a pipe dream since those Dell and DC probably won’t want to take those roles. 

[nutspanther 73]

5 minutes ago, Taco said:

I wasn’t a big fan of Kittley’s name floating around but I like the idea of the modern Air Raid/West Coast offense being implemented with this program. 

My biggest concern with bringing in an air raid offense is that it won't be as successful with both Miss St. and us running it. It gives a lot of practice and forces all teams in the west to be more prepared for it on a holistic level.

I have no evidence to back up that concern, but the logic makes sense to me. 

That being said, if Kittley's air raid is more like Lincoln Riley's or Grime's offense then I would be more on board.

[Carnell 592]

2 hours ago, MustardSeed said:

Here’s a great scenario. 

hire Grimes as OC and OL coach

hire Kittley as QB coach/pass game coordinator. 
Kittley is getting paid 200k. Pay him 500k and let him be the next OC when Grimes leaves for HC gig 

Paying a position coach 500k with his experience being HBU and Western Kentucky.   JABA

[JMassie11 1,610]

Highly doubt DC comes back here after the mess between him and Gus. Philosophy wise Kittley is the most impressive but can he recruit. Grimes would be a safer choice ( if he’s even an option) but will he be able to adapt week to week in the SEC?

[AuCivilEng1 11,026]

2 minutes ago, JMassie11 said:

Highly doubt DC comes back here after the mess between him and Gus. Philosophy wise Kittley is the most impressive but can he recruit. Grimes would be a safer choice ( if he’s even an option) but will he be able to adapt week to week in the SEC?

If he comes in and puts up top offense number, the recruits will come!

[metafour 4,969]

2 minutes ago, JMassie11 said:

Highly doubt DC comes back here after the mess between him and Gus. 

I'd love to hear the logic behind this reasoning. You understand that Gus isn't employed here anymore, right? What would that "mess" have anything to do with him taking a promotion today to work under a completely different coach?

[metafour 4,969]

19 minutes ago, autiger88 said:

 it will be sometime next week before anything is said. 

Hokanson said that he thinks a hire is close. I'd  be surprised if it's not done this weekend. They have a big recruiting weekend and he's not going to sit on his hands.

[TJRanger175 209]

I would not worry about Air Raid not meshing with Harsin’s offense.

Lebby at Ole Miss is an Air Raid guy and that offense had no issues combining with Lane’s.

The more I think about it, it will probably be Utah’s OC.

He is known, trusted, effective, and has SEC experience.

He is a safe a bet as any.

[metafour 4,969]

Wow, Jeff Lee just said that it's down to three finalists:

Zak Hill

Dell McGee

Frank Ponce (Appalachian State OC)

[Hank2020 3,217]

1 hour ago, AuburnTiger4Life said:

Another name Hoke just dropped... Dameyune Craig. Great recruiter but how is his play calling? 

Has he ever done it? Think Jimbo calls his own plays and always has.

[Strychnine 1,804]

15 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Harsin and Kiesau need an ace recruiter to be successful. That's DC's bread and butter.

 

 

That is the elephant in the room, to me anyways.  Harsin can have all the right ideas for how to build a successful program at Auburn, but needs some ace recruiters.  Without that, he is unlikely to keep the job long enough to build a successful program.  If Harsin underestimated anything when he dove into the deep end of the SEC, it would be the importance/difficulty of elite recruiting, and the scale of the competition in that regard.

DC knows these recruiting trenches, and stepping out from under Jimbo might be what his career needs to get past being an ace recruiter with a position coach title.

[JMassie11 1,610]

7 minutes ago, metafour said:

I'd love to hear the logic behind this reasoning. You understand that Gus isn't employed here anymore, right? What would that "mess" have anything to do with him taking a promotion today to work under a completely different coach?

If you lived in a great neighborhood with fantastic amenities but moved because you hated your neighbor would you necessarily move back if they moved themselves? I understand the current staff has nothing to do with the situation however me personally it would leave a bad taste.

[autiger88 3,777]

7 minutes ago, metafour said:

Hokanson said that he thinks a hire is close. I'd  be surprised if it's not done this weekend. They have a big recruiting weekend and he's not going to sit on his hands.

Sorry I should clarify, what I meant was probably by Sunday possibly Monday.

[Didba 5,256]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

 

All very good points. He may be a QB whisperer. That may be the the appeal. It was with Bobo. But clearly Harsin needs more than that. And if Kittle brings more than that, then that information doesn't seem to be readily available. 

All hail silly season. 

The info on his play-calling is out there, just watch some of the games.  Pretty good stuff in that video posted earlier.

 

I know I will be watching his game tonight.

[Taco 617]

19 minutes ago, nutspanther said:

My biggest concern with bringing in an air raid offense is that it won't be as successful with both Miss St. and us running it. It gives a lot of practice and forces all teams in the west to be more prepared for it on a holistic level.

I have no evidence to back up that concern, but the logic makes sense to me. 

That being said, if Kittley's air raid is more like Lincoln Riley's or Grime's offense then I would be more on board.

Yeah Kittley’s offense isn’t a true Air Raid. I don’t even think Leech’s is at this point either. 
 

The personnel at WKU makes it harder for them to run the ball so they’re the closest a true Air Raid at this point. But I’m imaging what others have said and watching the air raid mix in with Harsin’s West Coast to give it the type of offense Kingsbury runs with the Cardinals 

[Hank2020 3,217]

12 minutes ago, metafour said:

I'd love to hear the logic behind this reasoning. You understand that Gus isn't employed here anymore, right? What would that "mess" have anything to do with him taking a promotion today to work under a completely different coach?

Seems like I remember Gus promising offensive game plan input but he didn’t get it.

[Taco 617]

3 minutes ago, Strychnine said:

 

That is the elephant in the room, to me anyways.  Harsin can have all the right ideas for how to build a successful program at Auburn, but needs some ace recruiters.  Without that, he is unlikely to keep the job long enough to build a successful program.  If Harsin underestimated anything when he dove into the deep end of the SEC, it would be the importance/difficulty of elite recruiting, and the scale of the competition in that regard.

DC knows these recruiting trenches, and stepping out from under Jimbo might be what his career needs to get past being an ace recruiter with a position coach title.

I think the saying they have is “mules work hard, but you can’t win the Kentucky derby with mules”

I’m 100% on this boat. I think Bobo’s biggest calling card for CBH at first was his recruiting ties in SEC country, but Bobo didn’t recruit that well this year, which made it easier to cut him loose. 
 

We need recruiters. Plain and simple. 

[Mike4AU 1,739]

Some of the names being thrown around are reminding me how thrilled tons of AU fans were over the hiring of Kenny Dillingham, and we know how that turned out. 
 

I have zero interest in hiring an unproven OC. 

[DAG 34,017]

19 minutes ago, metafour said:

Wow, Jeff Lee just said that it's down to three finalists:

Zak Hill

Dell McGee

Frank Ponce (Appalachian State OC)

I was starting to think Dell McGee wasn’t even real and now you put this out there?! You realize this forum is going to be in a frenzy now if we don’t get this mythical creature lol

[Didba 5,256]

31 minutes ago, Carnell said:

Paying a position coach 500k with his experience being HBU and Western Kentucky.   JABA

he has the No.1 passing offense in the country and the no.2 overall offense.  That is good no matter where you are at. smh.

[McLoofus 35,182]

15 minutes ago, Didba said:

The info on his play-calling is out there, just watch some of the games.  Pretty good stuff in that video posted earlier.

I know I will be watching his game tonight.

Fair enough. I was thinking more about the recruiting end of it but my post stated otherwise.