Connect with us

Daily Bullets

Huddle Up – New OC

Published

on

This is a new feature on Pistols Firing we’re introducing today where I throw out a question to a few of the other contributors to this blog and we all answer in not-so-detailed-did-we-even-spend-any-time-researching-this fashion. Thus the name, “4 Guys Answer a Question.” Hard hitting, as you’ve probably come to expect.

Before we get to today’s question let me introduce you to the other contributors.

Nolo – I’ve talked about him extensively as he usually sends me the most ridiculous, hilarious texts of any OSU fan I know. We met at a slam dunk contest (not kidding) and shared an intimate moment over one of Anthony Parker’s three catches in 2006. I also successfully compared him to this guy.

Q – Easily the most irrational OSU fan I know. And I mean that in a positive way. Before this year’s football season I ran through the schedule with him and he had us at 11-1 and “probably 12-0 if we get a few breaks down in Austin.” Q and Lou Holtz are possibly the only 2 people on earth who predicted OSU would go undefeated in football this year. Good company.

Matty A. – The only person I know who will, literally, go on any OSU road trip. Our softball team could be trading blows with Oxford U. in London and he’d say something like, “man, if I can just get this trans-Atlantic flight under $450, I’m totally there!” He’s also one of only two people I know who can say they love Desmond Mason more than I do and it might be true.

Oh, and just so the record shows it, all four of us were on a softball team that beat a squad “led” by Brandon Weeden and Alex Cate in the Kaydee Shamrock Tournament in Stillwater. Weeden hit a ball off Q that went between 450 and 475 feet and almost struck a small child in a stroller, but still, we’ve got that going for us. Which is nice.

On to the question…

Who should Oklahoma State hire to be its offensive coordinator?

Q – Lincoln Riley

Let’s face it, OSU football was extremely fun this year because our offense produced video game type numbers that also brought us our first shot at 11 wins. Keeping that offense trending in the same direction should be priority one for who Gundy hires as his next OC. And, I’m not talking about Adam Brody, though my nominee has that sort of “I’m approaching 30 years of age yet I can still pull off playing an 18 year old” vibe. He is only 27 and currently he is the OC for East Carolina. He worked under Holgorsen at Tech and has a full year of experience at ECU plus a bowl game at Tech calling plays in pretty much the same offense we just used to come within a couple of plays of winning the South.

This year ECU ranked 7th in the FBS in passing (319.3 yds/game) and 12th in points per game (38.2). They did only rush for 126.2 per game, which was good for 91st overall, but they also didn’t have anyone talented enough to even share a meal with Kendall Hunter, Joseph Randle or Jeremy Smith. Shoot, had ECU’s defense not given up 49, 42, 49, 76, 62, and 45 in their 6 losses his stock would be even higher. Don’t forget he was also the receivers coach when Crabtree won the Biletnikoff as a freshman. You don’t think that alone would help sell Justin Blackmon on coming back for another year?

Selling tickets in Stillwater and continuing to land big time athletes means we need to put points on the board and a lot of them. With Lincoln Riley, next year would look similar to this year; only the new OC will have shorter hair, wear a visor, and hopefully won’t live in a hotel. Anyone who can make purple look good is alright in my book. Not to mention, how fun would it be to have an offensive coordinator who is only 39 days older than his QB. It’s only a matter of time before this guy gets snatched up by a big time BCS school. Haven’t we been claiming to be one of those? We have even started to act like it on the field. Please don’t stop now.

Nolo – Kliff Kingsbury

Before I even tell you who I think we should hire, I just want to get this out there…We aren’t topping the Holgerson hire from last year. He was the best off season coaching hire in the country last spring and it wasn’t even close. That being said, I’m taking a gamble and putting the offense in the hands of Kliff Kingsbury. He’s played under Mike Leach, coached under Holgerson, and he was the co-offensive coordinator at Houston this season taking over the offense that Holgerson left for Stillwater. He knows the system as well as anybody and his young gunslinger mentality might be a good fit for a quarterback he could have gone to high school with. He’s young enough that we could sign him to a long term deal which would at least give him enough money to live somewhere like Kerr or Bennett.

Matty A. – Jason Phillips

I want a guy who can lose his record-setting All-American QB, who had just put up back-to-back 5,000 yard passing seasons, toss a freshman behind center and still put up 35+ points a game. Now I wouldn’t be too disappointed with hiring Lincoln Riley, but I’m referring to a guy who is more than 39 days older than our (fingers crossed and knocking on wood) 2011 starting QB. Let’s double the $175k Jason Phillips is bringing home at Houston and let him show Gundy how you are supposed to rock a Nike pullover over your belt. Phillips brings the Holgorsen-type attack, 350+ through the air and 150+ on the ground.

I won’t get goosebumps by hiring an OC who will abandon the run game and waste the Randle-Sims-Smith trio. Hiring Phillips will allow for the easiest transition into next season, especially if we lose Weeden and/or Blackmon along with Hunter (again, look at Houston’s 2010 numbers on offense with a freshman quarterback). The only downside is his strong ties to Houston, but if you triple his salary he’ll head north, at least until a Michigan, UCLA or Ole Miss steal Sumlin from the Cougars.

Pistols Guy – Cale Gundy

I had about 300 words written on how OSU should bring in TCUs co-offensive coordinator (Justin Fuente) before I thought about Cale.

By all accounts (even Mike Gundy’s) Cale is about as loyal to OU as it gets so I’m not real sure how this would happen. But remember, that loyalty goes both ways. He’s been with Stoops from the beginning in Norman and just got passed over for Josh Heupel in regards to their OC job. Maybe that stung.

Little Gundy doubles as running backs coach and head of recruiting. I’d say both of those have been relative strong points for OU in the last 10 years. If Mike could convince little brother to join him in Stillwater it would be the biggest “screw you” from Stillwater to Norman since TD Bryant danced on Owen Field in 2001 with a snapped rose dangling from his mouth.

They could run Stillwater. They would own it. Bedlam would be amplified next year with Cale calling plays on Venables and Stoops. It would be crazy. I’m really starting to believe Mike is going to be at OSU for life (which I’m not sure is a good thing) and if we’re tired of losing OCs to head jobs (Fedora, Holgorsen, etc.) we should hire another Gundy with little to no aspiration to leave the state of Oklahoma.

Plus, Cale knows what winning titles is like.

Most Read

Copyright © 2011- 2023 White Maple Media