A couple OC candidates to whet the appetite

[18IsTheMan]

Just examples showing there are competent, attainable OCs out there:

Justin Burke: 37. Played QB at NC State. Current OC at UTSA, scoring 32 ppg. They have put up 30+ ppg in each year he's been OC. Career is on an traditional upward trajectory going from analyst to position coach to OC.

Gordon Sammis: OC at UConn. Played OL at UVA. Has steadily climbed the ranks through the smaller schools. Assumed OC duties at UConn in 2024. In 2023 UConn averaged 18.9 ppg. In 2024 they put up 29.3 ppg. This year they are scoring 34.1 ppg. Keys for us: he played OL, so he has knowledge of what it takes at that position to have a successful offense. He was previously OL coach there and established a stout rushing attack. Broyles Award nominee last season. Someone's going to snatch this guy up soon. UConn HC, Jim Mora, who knows a thing or two about football has called him an offensive genius.

Kevin McGiven. He's run successful offenses at a number of programs.

Now, I know this thread will bring out the UTSA, UConn, etc experts to detract from these examples. This is just a sampling, though, showing that there are plenty of successful OCs out there in situations that would be attainable for us. Only one that may not be attainable is Sammis, as I suspect he will get a lot of interest from superior programs.

 

[Legal_fowl]

Just examples showing there are competent, attainable OCs out there:

Justin Burke: 37. Played QB at NC State. Current OC at UTSA, scoring 32 ppg. They have put up 30+ ppg in each year he's been OC. Career is on an traditional upward trajectory going from analyst to position coach to OC.

Gordon Sammis: OC at UConn. Played OL at UVA. Has steadily climbed the ranks through the smaller schools. Assumed OC duties at UConn in 2024. In 2023 UConn averaged 18.9 ppg. In 2024 they put up 29.3 ppg. This year they are scoring 34.1 ppg. Keys for us: he played OL, so he has knowledge of what it takes at that position to have a successful offense. He was previously OL coach there and established a stout rushing attack. Broyles Award nominee last season. Someone's going to snatch this guy up soon. UConn HC, Jim Mora, who knows a thing or two about football has called him an offensive genius.

Kevin McGiven. He's run successful offenses at a number of programs.

Now, I know this thread will bring out the UTSA, UConn, etc experts to detract from these examples. This is just a sampling, though, showing that there are plenty of successful OCs out there in situations that would be attainable for us. Only one that may not be attainable is Sammis, as I suspect he will get a lot of interest from superior programs.

I agree, but will Beamer look that far down the ladder? He's probably going to aim higher and look for someone with P4 and/or NFL experience. He will whiff on all of those and pick a position coach or an NFL assistant.

Yes, I am being negative but I can't help it right now. The program is in sorry shape and I think the chances that Beamer can fix it, based on his record, are very small.

 

[18IsTheMan]

I agree, but will Beamer look that far down the ladder? He's probably going to aim higher and look for someone with P4 and/or NFL experience. He will whiff on all of those and pick a position coach or an NFL assistant.

Yes, I am being negative but I can't help it right now. The program is in sorry shape and I think the chances that Beamer can fix it, based on his record, are very small.

I can see him prioritizing a P4 position coach over a G5 OC. But, to be frank, these schools are not all that far down the ladder from us as programs. Yes, we are in the SEC, so it's a step up in that respect, but it's not as though we stand head and shoulders above many programs.

Just doing some basic research, there are a lot of G5 guys out there who I think could do a very fine job. They have experienced records as OCs with good results. The state we're in, we simply need someone who has a basic grasp on offensive philosophy and get us from the bottom rung of the ladder more towards the middle. There are scant few elite candidates out there, but I think there many, attainable candidates who can offer what we need at the moment.

 

[JPUSC]

If Beamer/Donati go for a splashy hire, Kendal Briles would have my vote. Donati’s relationship with him could help. Lanorris, if he decided to stay, would be a home run schematic fit in a Briles system. Same with Harbor too. The key would be Donati lays the groundwork with his history with Briles at TCU and forces (essentially) Beamer’s hand in allowing him to completely take over the offense.

 

[18IsTheMan]

If Beamer/Donati go for a splashy hire, Kendal Briles would have my vote. Donati’s relationship with him could help. Lanorris, if he decided to stay, would be a home run schematic fit in a Briles system. Same with Harbor too. The key would be Donati lays the groundwork with his history with Briles at TCU and forces (essentially) Beamer’s hand in allowing him to completely take over the offense.

Just me, but I would avoid splashy. One, it's probably not attainable, so it's a waste of valuable time. And, more often than not, the splashy hires don't really work very well. But I think just about anyone with collegiate OC experience would be a significant upgrade over Shula.

 

[18IsTheMan]

The more I read about Sammis at UConn, the more I like. Mora is a defensive guy, so there's no concern that Sammis isn't really running the offense.

 

[PrestonyteParrot]

Someone I think we could get who could help us establish the consistent running game we have been missing is Drew Cronic.
His story reminds me a lot of Connor Shaw's background as the son of a Georgia high school coach who has been immersed in football his entire life. He has demonstrated some major successes along his path to the OC at Navy with several COY Awards and program turnaround achievements.

Navy Offensive Coordinator Drew Cronic: The trust in him among the players is unwavering - Naval Academy Athletics

 

[18IsTheMan]

Someone I think we could get who could help us establish the consistent running game we have been missing is Drew Cronic.
His story reminds me a lot of Connor Shaw's background as the son of a Georgia high school coach who has been immersed in football his entire life. He has demonstrated some major successes along his path to the OC at Navy with several COY Awards and program turnaround achievements.

Navy Offensive Coordinator Drew Cronic: The trust in him among the players is unwavering - Naval Academy Athletics

Hijacking my thread to push your own candidate? The audacity.

 

[Gamecock Jacque]

If Beamer/Donati go for a splashy hire, Kendal Briles would have my vote.

Sonny Dykes and his entire TCU staff has my vote.

 

[Lurker123]

These are good ideas. Good candidates.

We aren't competing with bigger programs, so choose feom a different batch if candidates.

This would take a change in philosophy from Shane though. Can he do it? Will he pass up a guy running a decent college offense for that position coach who once coached in the NFL?

 

[18IsTheMan]

These are good ideas. Good candidates.

We aren't competing with bigger programs, so choose feom a different batch if candidates.

This would take a change in philosophy from Shane though. Can he do it? Will he pass up a guy running a decent college offense for that position coach who once coached in the NFL?

That's the multimillion $ question.

I'm basically operating on the "surely, by now he has to understand his way isn't working" philosophy.

 

[Gamecock Jacque]

That's the multimillion $ question.

I'm basically operating on the "surely, by now he has to understand his way isn't working" philosophy.

His philosophy is he's entitled to everything because his name is Beamer.

 

[PrestonyteParrot]

His philosophy is he's entitled to everything because his name is Beamer.

Apparently the same applied to the Shula name!

 

[18IsTheMan]

Since my Franklin dreams have evaporated, I return to pushing for Sammis for OC!

 

[JohnnySolo]

If Beamer/Donati go for a splashy hire, Kendal Briles would have my vote. Donati’s relationship with him could help. Lanorris, if he decided to stay, would be a home run schematic fit in a Briles system. Same with Harbor too. The key would be Donati lays the groundwork with his history with Briles at TCU and forces (essentially) Beamer’s hand in allowing him to completely take over the offense.

So how is TCU doing this year. I haven't looked.

 

[Skuddy]

Since my Franklin dreams have evaporated, I return to pushing for Sammis for OC!

He is also OL coach. He could possibly remedy the two issues that have plagued us for more than a decade.

 

[Gradstudent]

So how is TCU doing this year. I haven't looked.

Since smashing Bill Belichick, and UNC in the opener, they are 5-4 and (6-4 overall) with a 2 game losing streak, just got rolled by BYU 13-44.

 

[Gamecock Jacque]

*

 

[I4CtheFuture]

My bet is still on the guy from the Central Northwestern Panamanian Community College with no experience.

 

[Gradstudent]

Go get a elite but affordable top OC like Mack Leftwich, he is at Texas Tech, making $1 million this year and $1.1 million next year, go get him. Was lights-out at Incarnate Word (was the guy that identified and recruited Cam Ward when no one was), and in 2022, as OC, Incarnate Word averaged 52 pts and 581 yards, then was hired at Texas State and OC for 2023 and 2024, , and now at Texas Tech and they are 10-1, and averaging 42.6 pts this year.

Leftwich's brother Cutter is in his first year as the OL coach at Oregon, go grab him to, while we are at it.

To avoid Beamers buyout, just go get a guy like that, and tell Beamer, don't bother him, LOL

If you want a Dabo type cheerleader CEO coach, like we have now, he needs elite coordinators around him or it fails.

 

[18IsTheMan]

He is also OL coach. He could possibly remedy the two issues that have plagued us for more than a decade.

And excellent at both

 

[fwm]

If Beamer/Donati go for a splashy hire, Kendal Briles would have my vote. Donati’s relationship with him could help. Lanorris, if he decided to stay, would be a home run schematic fit in a Briles system. Same with Harbor too. The key would be Donati lays the groundwork with his history with Briles at TCU and forces (essentially) Beamer’s hand in allowing him to completely take over the offense.

Gamecocks (including Beamer) can't afford to make another bad pick. Donati has a chance here to enhance his reputation as a skill player ,by
hiring a quality candidate - perhaps even hitting a home run.