If the Ohio football players did not know that their new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Phil Earley meant business before, they certainly know it now.
Visibly aggravated even from afar, the coach kept the offensive players out on the practice field Tuesday long after the defense had left.
Such struggles are to be expected in the early on, but offensive tackle Dennis Thompson said there is a definite sense of excitement because of the new offensive philosophy.
It's a breath of fresh air
he said.
Featuring a single-back look, two-to-four wide receivers, multiple tight ends and pre-snap shifts on many plays, the offense, if nothing else, provides a sharp contrast to the run-first scheme of past years. Earley said that the goal is not to throw the ball exclusively, but to achieve the 50/50 run/pass distribution that typically represents the key to successful offense.
We should be able to be flexible enough to keep people off balance Earley said.
The offense itself is derived from the schemes that Dennis Erickson and Mike Price used at Washington State. Erickson, currently the coach of the San Francisco 49ers, had successful stints with Miami and Oregon State as well as coaching the NFL's Seattle Seahawks. Price, now coaching at UTEP, ran the one-back spread at Washington State for several years.
Earley coached at Weber State and Washington State under Price. At Nevada, where he spent the past four seasons as offensive coordinator, Earley directed the ninth-ranked offense in the nation in 2001, averaging 200 yards both on the ground and through the air. Before that, he was the coordinator at Idaho for two seasons.
Earley was hired at Cincinnati in the winter of 2000 but quickly left the job for Nevada.
I just didn't feel like (Cincinnati) was a good move for my family. (Nevada) was a better option Earley said.
Despite poor records over the past few years, Earley said he liked what he saw from the Bobcats and Athens as a whole.
I'm excited about being able to come into a situation where everybody was excited about the change
Earley said. Players
coaches and
from what I've heard
even the community is pretty excited about having the change in what we're doing.
One of the key factors in taking the position was a desire for complete autonomy in play-calling, Earley said.
I wanted the ability to run the offense and do the things that I believe in
and (coach Brian Knorr) has given me that so far
Earley said.
Stafford Owens, making the switch from running back to receiver, said he also sees the offense as a step in the positive direction not only for himself, but also for the team.
It gives me more of a chance to do what I do best
Owens said. Get open and make plays.
If all of Ohio's position players can do just that this upcoming season, the excitement of the spring may translate into more wins in the fall.
