Photo via The Athletic
One coordinator down. One more left.
Texas football coach Tom Herman did not waste any time and hired former Rutgers coach Chris Ash to replace Todd Orlando last week. In fact, a few hours after we talked about Ash in The Sunday Pulpit, the deal was official. Considering Herman will not hire me to coach receivers, I doubt my column had any influence on him. Ash and Herman won a national championship together at Ohio State, and I outlined several reasons why the move made sense for Herman and Ash. It was definitely a good hire for Herman.
Of course, Herman still has to hire an offensive coordinator to replace Tim Beck. By now, every Longhorn observer knows Herman is looking for a guy he trusts to run the offense while he oversees the program. Herman has called plays for the past two years, but wants to focus on running the program, and being the offensive coordinator is not his desire. Instead, Herman’s main goal this offseason has been to find two coordinators who he can trust to run both sides of the ball.
Hiring Ohio State passing game coordinator Mike Yurcich as Texas’ offensive coordinator makes the most sense for Herman.
I give Herman credit for kicking the tires on multiple candidates. Herman was interested in LSU’s Joe Brady. He also thought about USC’s Graham Harrell. However, it did not work out with either coach for various reasons. After Harrell announced his decision to remain at USC – weird move considering he never an offer from Texas – many Longhorn observers pondered Herman’s next move.
On Tuesday, I reported Minnesota’s Kirk Ciarrocca, Alabama’s Major Applewhite, and Yurcich are among the remaining candidates. Those were the main names tossed around by my sources, and those are the guys I focused on this past week. After multiple conversations with people inside the building over the weekend, I believe Yurcich would be a home run hire for Herman. Yes, I know my sources told me Herman told them he was not looking for a “home run” hire, but Yurcich is somebody who checks a lot of boxes.
Yurcich has spent this season as the passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Ohio State. His team's passing offense is ranked third in the Big Ten. More impressively, quarterback Justin Fields has thrown 40 touchdowns and only one interception this season.
If you missed what I previously wrote about Yurcich, he was the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State from 2013 to 2018. According to Yurcich’s bio, during his six years at Oklahoma State, the program ranked fifth nationally in passing yards per game (315.9), 11th in touchdown passes (179), seventh in total yards (478.6) and sixth in scoring (38.0). In the 2017 season, Mason Rudolph had 4,904 passing yards, 37 touchdowns and nine interceptions, James Washington and Marcell Ateman each had more than 1,000 yards receiving, while Justice Hill had over 1,000 yards rushing. In addition, Oklahoma State led the nation in passing (389.2 yards per game), was second in total offense (568.9) and ranked fourth in scoring (45.0).
Here is a look at his tenure at Oklahoma State:
Big 12 Total Offense
2013 – 3rd; 448.8 yards per game
2014 – 7th; 378.8 YPG
2015 – 5th; 480 YPG
2016 – 4th; 494.8 YPG
2017 – 2nd; 568.9 YPG
2018 – 3rd; 500.2 YPG
Okay, those numbers are a little arbitrary. You need some context, right?
I dug deeper, and Yurcich’s offenses at Oklahoma State were ranked higher than Texas every year during his tenure. Texas was close to Oklahoma State in 2016. However, Yurcich’s offenses were always better than the Longhorns.
In addition, Oklahoma State was 5-1 against Texas during Yurcich’s tenure.
Check this out:
Texas’ Big 12 Total Offense
2013 – 6th; 408.7 YPG
2014 – 9th; 337.3 YPG
2015 – 8th; 370.8 YPG
2016 – 5th; 491.3 YPG
2017 – 7th; 398.5 YPG
2018 – 6th; 411.6 YPG
In addition, Oklahoma State’s offense was ranked 37th national in 2013, 22nd in 2015, 14th in 2016, second in 2017, and 10th in 2018.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenburg wrote a fantastic story detailing how Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy found Yurcich.
“Gundy went online and looked up offenses that excelled both with rushing and passing numbers. He then narrowed the search to no-huddle, tempo-based offenses similar to Oklahoma State's. Next, he found coordinators who also coached quarterbacks. The last step, the trickiest, was identifying lesser-known coaches who might stick around even after successful seasons.
“Starting at the FBS level, Gundy worked his way to Shippensburg University, a Division II program in south central Pennsylvania. Under Yurcich, Shippensburg had led Division II in offense (529.2 yards per game) and ranked second in scoring (46.9 PPG) in 2012, a year after shattering team records for scoring and yards.
“Gundy had numbers but no video, and tracking down the person who handled Shippensburg's film wasn't easy. "He was a fireman and [was] teaching class," Gundy recalled. Oklahoma State eventually got three games sent its way as part of a film exchange, and Gundy liked what he saw.
“The next challenge: finding Yurcich.
"You called the office and nobody answered," Gundy said. "It essentially was recordings, and I kept trying. Finally somebody answered -- I don't know who it was, maybe somebody who worked there and walked by and grabbed the phone -- and they said, 'He's gone recruiting,' or something. And I said, 'Well, how do I run him down?'"
“Gundy finally connected with the Raiders' offensive coordinator and arranged a meeting at a hotel near where he would be recruiting. On a cold, snowy day early in 2013, the two men met and talked ball for three hours. Gundy did some vetting, talking with Shippensburg coach Mark Maciejewski, but knew he had his man.
"That doesn't happen every day," Maciejewski said. "It was a unique situation and very fortunate for him. At first, it was like, 'Wow, that's amazing.' But then, as time goes on, you sit back and you see there's a reason [Gundy] wanted him."
“The next day, Gundy called.
"Mike, here's the deal," he told Yurcich. "I'm going to offer you the job, and I have a three-year contract that pays $400,000 a year."
“Silence. Three seconds, four, five, six ... Gundy worried that Yurcich had been caught in a snowstorm.
"Are you there?" he asked.
"Yessir."
"Well, do you need to talk to your wife?"
"I don't need to talk to anybody."
“In hindsight, Gundy admits he didn't appreciate what that moment meant to a coach making $52,500 a year who had played Division II ball, started coaching at the NAIA level and had spent just two years in the FBS, as a graduate assistant at Indiana. Gundy was offering the standard contract for an Oklahoma State offensive coordinator.
“But Yurcich wasn't the standard candidate.
"I wasn't going to pay him less because he was from Shippensburg," Gundy said, pronouncing the school Shippings Burg. "But I didn't even think about, when I said it, he's probably saying in his mind, 'Holy s---, are you kidding me?' Compared to what he had."
“Oklahoma State announced Yurcich's hiring about a month before spring practice. The reaction, not surprisingly, was one of surprise. Gundy took heat. He received text messages from Oklahoma State power brokers asking if the hire was a joke, to which he replied: No, it's not a joke. He's the best coach. The doubting continued in Yurcich's second season as an offense plagued by quarterback injuries, a shuffling line and disciplinary issues finished seventh in the Big 12 in yards and points. Gundy heard how he needed to fire Yurcich, or he'd soon be pink-slipped.
“Three years later, Oklahoma State's offense is surging under the leadership of a coach who, according to wide receiver Jalen McCleskey, teaches the game with creativity, patience and enthusiasm.”
Yurcich is a candidate who knows how to run a balanced offense, which is Herman’s main goal. My sources told me Texas is always going to be a shotgun team that wants opposing squads to defend the quarterback run. In addition, the Longhorns intend to play with a tight end, and throw the ball downfield off play-action. Those are requirements Yurcich can easily handle.
Gundy is one of the best college coaches in the country. He only has one Big 12 title during his tenure, but Gundy knows how to develop talent. Oklahoma State does not get 5-stars. The Cowboys will get a few four-stars. Overall, Gundy signs a bunch of three-star prospects, develops them, and those guys are so well-coached, Oklahoma State can get kick your ass.
I asked Gundy about his recruiting approach at Big 12 Media Days two years ago, and his answer was very enlightening.
“Each position coach has to find those guys. In most cases, if there is a five-star player that’s within a regional area of Oklahoma State for the 2019 and 2020 class, he’s already been offered by us. Have we been able to secure them? Not many, but most of them have been offered by us. So, we have to take a business approach in the fact that at the end of the recruiting season, if we’re signing 23, we have to have at least 20. We can keep a couple, or pick up a transfer, but we can’t sign 12 kids. We have to do a good job of a pecking order, and then we have to have reasons why. If you hit a home run in a certain area, then you can be a little more risky in that same area. If you’re struggling in another position, you may not be as risky in who you’re recruiting there because you better start filling some slots. Then, it’s just a little bit of give and take If I get a little bit of skill and talent, do I take it on heart? If I get a little size, do I take it on whatever else they can bring to the table? There’s a pretty complex formula.
“Like, Kasey Dunn [receivers coach]. He gets either 11 or 12 scholarships. Well, he has to place those 11 or 12 guys where he thinks it’s going to help us best score points, and move the ball. If we lose one, he’s going to fill somebody else in that spot that fits what we’re doing at that particular spot, not just the big picture That’s where we, in my opinion, do a pretty good job. We’re not just going to take a bunch of guys, the best guys on the board. We’re going to take the guys we think fit our place so we can slot them in.”
Now, imagine Yurcich, who learned under Gundy, working with Keontay Ingram, Jordan Whittington, and Bijan Robinson in the backfield. Add in Brennan Eagles, Jake Smith, Marcus Washington, Malcolm Epps, and incoming freshman Troy Omeire as his receivers. Think about what he can do with talented offensive linemen and tight ends at Texas. Yurcich has the potential to create an elite offense.
Photo via The Oklahoman
In addition, Yurcich is familiar with the Big 12, which gives him an advantage over other candidates. He knows exactly what kind of high-octane offense it takes to have success in this conference.
Yurcich’s name may not be as sexy as Brady or Harrell.
Nevertheless, his body of work is very attractive.
Yurcich makes sense for Herman.
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Sports On A Dime
1. This will be the week when we start to talk about Texas vs. Utah in the Alamo Bowl. Texas will arrive in San Antonio around 1:30 p.m. on Friday, and Herman will address the media. There will be a press conference with interim defensive coordinator Craig Naivar on Saturday. Herb Hand (co-offensive coordinator) will address the media on December 29, followed by Herman on December 30. Former offensive coordinator Tim Beck is not slated to address the media prior to the bowl game, and it is easy to understand why Herman spared him from being asked about the reassignment.
2. It will be interesting to see if Ash retains Jason Washington and/or Naivar, or decides to move in a different direction. Considering Ash coached defensive backs for multiple seasons, it is hard for me to imagine Texas retaining both coaches. Maybe Ash keeps one. However, the defensive backs struggled to tackle this season, and defending deep passes was always an adventure. I have not heard anything, but it would not surprise me if Ash coaches the secondary unit.
3. Speaking of Ash, one of my sources insisted everyone on defense will have a clean slate next year. Actually, I was told that clean slate occurs after every season (I was reminded of Chris Brown’s emergence as a safety last year). If there was a reason for defensive players to avoid the transfer portal, knowing they will have to impress a new staff at Texas or another school should be enough motivation to continue grinding in Austin.
4. The biggest indictment of the 2019 Longhorn coaching staff continues to be there is not a single person expected to move up the ladder in Austin, or at another program. Everyone will likely have a similar position, or lesser, next year. Herman has to nail every offseason coaching hire this time.
5. I hope North Shore running back Zachary Evans received a wake-up call this weekend. One of my sources has been adamant since last year that Texas should not pursue Evans because of character concerns. Clearly, Bijan Robinson does not come with the same set of challenges Evans has at this point. Evans is young enough to get on the right path, and I hope the young man does not waste a great opportunity.
6. Shaka Smart’s team resembled a kid dragged to the mall by a mom who wanted to go bra shopping on Saturday. Texas went through the motions against Providence, and the results were predictable. It was a sloppy game, but when I take a step back, Texas has performed better in non-conference games under Smart than in previous seasons. If Texas knocks off High Point on December 30, Smart’s team will have a 10-2 record before conference play. The following step will be winning more than half of its conference games next year.
7. A great moment for Charles Omenihu. It is also a reminder that Texas will close out this decade without a Big 12 championship. The last time this football team won a conference title was in 2009.
8. Baylor coach Matt Rhule is saying the right things, but the only way he is in Waco five years from now is if the program regressed, and it would take another scandal for that to occur.
9. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. initially said he quit against Daniel Jacobs after breaking his hand. He eventually switched stories and said it was a broken nose. Quitting in boxing is bad enough, but giving up multiple times when your father was known as one of the baddest fighters on the planet during his era is hard to comprehend. Honestly, I am done with Chavez’s clown show.
However, Jermell Charlo’s late technical knockout in a rematch against Tony Harrison was a great fight. It definitely made up for that Chavez fight a day earlier.
10. I cannot be the only one amazed to see Errol Spence Jr. talking about fighting next year after he survived that horrific car accident. It just was not his time. Whatever his purpose is in life, I hope he achieves it.
Merry Christmas
Finally, Merry Christmas to you and your family. I appreciate all of the support and kinds words from everyone throughout the year. Sure, some of you guys are knuckleheads, but every family has a few of those. At the end of the day, we will always come together for our OB family members, and that is what makes this community special
Have a fun and safe holiday.
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