Boise State offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan is being targeted as the next offensive coordinator at Kentucky

[Kats23]

That’s not how you spell Dan Mullen.

In all seriousness, it feels like and an okay hire. He’s more balanced than I think Coen wanted to be. That should hopefully appease Stoops. Bigger thing with Coen is he wanted to run the offense like an NFL team, with a ton of motion but in college you dont have to do that. You have to attack the weakness of the defense. That’s where having a balanced offense helps.

I just don’t think our players were smart enough to run a NFL offense either

 

[trey g 4 UK]

Idk yall. Not excited at all about this hire. We NEEDED a big name to help Marrow out to go along with a great offense. I don’t think we’re getting either. Hope like hell I’m wrong.

 

[3632]

I’m not sure how to feel about this yet. He has enough credentials to not be a totally ridiculous hire, but he feels like definite step below Rees and Faulkner, who most of the speculation centered on before this started leaking out.

I’m also not sure if I totally love reading that he’s big on pounding the run and then looking for play action. That just feels like a continuation of the slow paced ball control stuff we’ve gotten tired of over the last several seasons. It can work if you have the horses to pull it off, but at Kentucky playing against the rest of the SEC, I’m not sure we do on a consistent basis, and would rather have someone get a little more creative trying to score some points. This feels pretty underwhelming to me at first glance.

We had one semi- functional season employing that. Stevie Johnson we ran and ran then play actioned to Dorian baker and others. That offense finished 60th in the country and as silly as it is was stoops second best offensive team.

 

[Eccain01]

He had success at Boise and seems well regarded. He’ll probably be fine calling plays but there are probably fair concerns about him as a recruiter and in this conference that matters

 

[will.ksr]

 

[3632]

Idk yall. Not excited at all about this hire. We NEEDED a big name to help Marrow out to go along with a great offense. I don’t think we’re getting either. Hope like hell I’m wrong.

Too bad there isn’t anybody from Youngstown that pretends to coach the offensive side of the ball.

 

[Dddjdd]

Ya I’d say I’m whelmed. Seems like most of his college experience is out west. So not sure what recruiting connections he’ll have. But I’m not as negative about it as some here. It could work.

 

[ORCAT]

Could be a very good addition. Reserve judgment until we see how he does in games with our offense.

 

[Catzman]

Still reserving judgment but at first blush this is a meh hire. Don't see how he will add anything to recruiting with zero connections to the region. Coen wasn't an on the road guy but was an amazing closer. This guy will need to at least be in the same arena in terms of closing.

If he isn't, he will need to be an elite offensive coach. He hasn't proven it yet so it's unknown.

You can't go from one of the best in the business to a potential diamond in the rough. We needed at least an actual diamond in the rough or s certified up and comer. Instead we got what was most certainly a major fall back option.

Did Coen ever prove he was one of the best in the business? He seemed average at best to me, but what do I know?!

 

[Mr Schwump]

Will he bring QB Malachi Nelson with him? Nelson a 5*, from California, signed with USC but entered portal and Hamden recruiting him to Boise. Nelson had 11 SEC offers out of HS including UK.

 

[gobigbluebell]

I hope Eddie Gran calls the plays.

This guy had 13 jobs in 15 years? Is that correct?

 

[TucsonCat]

Just conjecture/hope? on my part.
Offensive coordinator at Washington at a very young age.
Seems to be on hotshot track who maybe wasn't ready for that position yet.
6 years later with some more experience a successful year at Boise State.
We may have gotten a great offensive mind ready to really make a splash.
Not a sure thing, but not a gamble either.
The kind of hire Kentucky has to make.
Before they are a star, not after.

 

[TucsonCat]

I hope Eddie Gran calls the plays.

This guy had 13 jobs in 15 years? Is that correct?

Thie guy got promoted like 9 times. Not sure I consider that a weakness.

 

[Tedington68]

Reading up on him I see he is from Kuwait. His family was on vacation in Southern California in 1991 when Iraq invaded and since they couldn't go home made a life in this country...... The universe made a lot happen to get him on the sidelines in Lexington. Let's hope it works out for us

 

[gamalielkid]

No matter what you think of Hamdan- Boise State has been a very good football program over the years. They promoted him, gave him a new title and more money. Now they are working to try to keep him from coming to Kentucky. What will it say about Stoops and Kentucky if he backs out and stays at Boise now? If he truly wants to move up the career latter and be a head coach at a power 5 school - then Kentucky should be a good place for him - and really he should be a good OC for us - why? He is hungry and wants to prove himself - he has shown that in his actually short career. I think everyone needs to give him a chance - he could turn out to be the perfect hire!

Go Big Blue!

 

[BigBlueManSouthCentralKY]

I’m not sure how to feel about this yet. He has enough credentials to not be a totally ridiculous hire, but he feels like definite step below Rees and Faulkner, who most of the speculation centered on before this started leaking out.

I’m also not sure if I totally love reading that he’s big on pounding the run and then looking for play action. That just feels like a continuation of the slow paced ball control stuff we’ve gotten tired of over the last several seasons. It can work if you have the horses to pull it off, but at Kentucky playing against the rest of the SEC, I’m not sure we do on a consistent basis, and would rather have someone get a little more creative trying to score some points. This feels pretty underwhelming to me at first glance.

That is something I thought about right off. We will need to upgrade our OL to be a good running team against the better teams. Three stars going against four and five stars, maybe Wofford can up our recruiting and development like it used to be.

 

[vhcat70]

Hope he's fine, but don't see anything that says he's a step forward from where we were.

 

[der-g -punkt]

Bummer hire, but maybe he will overachieve his expectations. This likely suggests there aren't many quality OCs that want to work for Stoops.

 

[Skyguyb27]

I’m not excited about this hire at all but I’ll supportive. This gives me a feel he is a “kick the can down road” type hire with his work history.

 

[CatPatrick13]

Two glaring weakness with Coen

Amen bro!

 

[CatPatrick13]

Bummer hire, but maybe he will overachieve his expectations. This likely suggests there aren't many quality OCs that want to work for Stoops.

lol you don’t have any idea what it suggests. Geez dude.

 

[cat_in_the_hat]

There are two completely separate issues 1) the initial hire itself, which focuses mostly on impact and 2) the ultimate performance. I'm reserving my judgement to see what he does on the field. The rest of my posts are on the initial hire which is subpar no matter how anyone cuts it.

You can't go from the next NFL oc superstar to a Boise state OC. That hire itself provides no positive impact and almost surely puts you playing catch-up with existing and prospective offensive players. Of course that ground can be made up but it's a deficit we shouldn't face with this kind of spending power.

Wow, you’re really exaggerating Coen’s credential. There is nothing in his performance so far that indicates he is the next NFL OC superstar.

 

[bigblueinsanity_rivals250340]

Did Coen ever prove he was one of the best in the business? He seemed average at best to me, but what do I know?!

Wow, you’re really exaggerating Coen’s credential. There is nothing in his performance so far that indicates he is the next NFL OC superstar.

You need to bifurcate the coaching from the outcome. Coen is highly regarded for a reason. He was an NFL Wonderboy the first time we hired him. Now he's a second time NFL oc at an extremely young age.

Just because he wasn't perfect doesn't mean he wasn't very good

 

[der-g -punkt]

lol you don’t have any idea what it suggests. Geez dude.

Still in the denial stage?

 

[wildcatdon]

Still reserving judgment but at first blush this is a meh hire. Don't see how he will add anything to recruiting with zero connections to the region. Coen wasn't an on the road guy but was an amazing closer. This guy will need to at least be in the same arena in terms of closing.

If he isn't, he will need to be an elite offensive coach. He hasn't proven it yet so it's unknown.

You can't go from one of the best in the business to a potential diamond in the rough. We needed at least an actual diamond in the rough or s certified up and comer. Instead we got what was most certainly a major fall back option.

He just recruited the number 1 qb in the country to Boise State. Played and coached for Chris Petersen who is way better than Stoops. I think we got a good one. Always a group on here that thinks their choice is the only one.

 

[CatPatrick13]

Still in the denial stage?

Previous screen name before you were booted?

 

[bluecoon1]

Our Idaho recruiting will be strong.

 

[Coach Marrow]

I’ve got no issue with the hire, but UK will probably have to overpay. Also has he moved around more than Coen?

 

[wildcatdon]

And we could've done much better which was my ultimate point. Coen was the next guy in the NFL which was known around the league but to us fans. That pull was nothing short of amazing. He rode that reputation and skill to getting the most coveted NFL oc position out there. Then he did it again after another year.

That's miles better than a Boise state OC. It just is. What's worse is we had plenty of money to hire and this was our result.

Like I said I will reserve judgment. I posted almost the exact same thing when scangerello was hired. I was later surprised because he turned out better than I thought although a good deal short of coen. At least scangerello had a rep as an elite QB coach. We could sell that to players. This guy has virtually zero pedigree we can sell to sec guys.

Your expectations are way too high. Did u ever stop to think there might be a bunch of guys that would like to coach at Ky but didn’t come because they didn’t want to work for Stoops? Coen was not the big deal that some on here make him out to be. I am glad he’s gone. I think Hamdan will do fine. Stoops got lucky. This is not a meh hire.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

Wasn't who I was expecting but congrats on getting the position filled with a young aggressive coach.

 

[wildcatdon]

You need to bifurcate the coaching from the outcome. Coen is highly regarded for a reason. He was an NFL Wonderboy the first time we hired him. Now he's a second time NFL oc at an extremely young age.

Just because he wasn't perfect doesn't mean he wasn't very good

In your eyes. Didn’t show that much in his two stints at UK.

 

[der-g -punkt]

Previous screen name before you were booted?

What do you want it to be?

 

[TucsonCat]

I’ve got no issue with the hire, but UK will probably have to overpay. Also has he moved around more than Coen?

Is this the first time you people have ever seen an assistant coach's resume? Moving around is all they do.

 

[wildcatdon]

No matter what you think of Hamdan- Boise State has been a very good football program over the years. They promoted him, gave him a new title and more money. Now they are working to try to keep him from coming to Kentucky. What will it say about Stoops and Kentucky if he backs out and stays at Boise now? If he truly wants to move up the career latter and be a head coach at a power 5 school - then Kentucky should be a good place for him - and really he should be a good OC for us - why? He is hungry and wants to prove himself - he has shown that in his actually short career. I think everyone needs to give him a chance - he could turn out to be the perfect hire!

Go Big Blue!

I agree but like I mentioned in another thread, maybe not everyone wants to work for Stoops. I hope we get this guy.

 

[Coach Marrow]

Is this the first time you people have ever seen an assistant coach's resume? Moving around is all they do.

I’m really glad you asked. I have been following the coaching carousel for years and have thought about starting a podcast on it. Have a great day, buddy!

 

[wildcatdon]

Bummer hire, but maybe he will overachieve his expectations. This likely suggests there aren't many quality OCs that want to work for Stoops.

Bingo. We have a winner.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

He just recruited the number 1 qb in the country to Boise State. Played and coached for Chris Petersen who is way better than Stoops. I think we got a good one. Always a group on here that thinks their choice is the only one.

You are correct, he did recruit a 5* to Boise. A 5* who wanted assurances he would be the starter, nothing wrong with that, but he chose a place without much competition. It was CMS's decision. But I don't see it as a himerun hire. Missouri got much better when he left, the last experiment with a BSU coach was a disaster at AU. But it will come down to him being able to relate and adjust to his new roster.

 

[rus22]

I knew little about Hamdan before today. The more I read and the more I watch his games he called as an OC for UW and BSU, I actually think this is a good hire. His schemes are multiple and balanced. He uses space well and has shown the ability to adapt to defensive changes as well. He can get his stats open and in good positions. He’s young and hungry. Has experience calling plays. I think he’s smart with good personality from watching some of his interviews. Unlike some on here, i think him moving around a lot as a young up a coming coach is a good thing. Been under several good coaches and in multiple different roles and conferences. He’s built connections and learned from multiple different good collegiate coaches. He also has NFL experience and that’s very valuable. Overall my impression with him is while he ain’t the big name people wanted, I think he’s better than most people think. I think he will be a very good college OC. I also think the players will like his system.

 

[gamecockcat]

I don't get the love affair with Coen. He was good and better than what we'd become accustomed to, but he was not a Wonder boy when we first hired him. He was on McVay's staff but didn't call plays for the Rams. Can't really be OC and not call plays.

Last year was pretty good but not outstanding. Our ppg was inflated by the ST and defensive TDs to some extent. Plenty of entire quarters we looked like complete crap - bad plays called, poor execution.

No one has any idea if this Hamdan guy is any good. But, his experience is at least if not more extensive than was Coen's the first time. Stoops has done a good job at UK and has a vast network in coaching circles. Don't you think he believes this guy is right for the job?

 

[cmallory]

I’m personally bummed the hell out that it isn’t Buster. I just think he would’ve been a much better fit.

Maybe buster didn’t want it