We Need Some Names

Everyone seems preoccupied with whether or not Coach Tuberville is going to keep his job. Personally, I think he is a lock to stay. You don't fire a guy that's 7-3 against the school's biggest rival after one bad season. After two consecutive bad seasons? Maybe, but let's not throw away 2009 just yet. The search for the next offensive coordinator has been weighing on my mind, lately. What direction will Tuberville take the offense. Keep leaning towards the spread? A return to a traditional, more conservative, power offense? The "humanist" hybrid I talked about yesterday? It's hard to say. Since the humanist thing is my creation, I'm going to run with it. Here are some names I think will end up on the list that Tuberville chooses from. Oh, one name you won't be seeing is Chip Kelly.

Kelly is Oregon's offensive coordinator. He was recently named the "coach in waiting" when Mike Bellotti moves on to become the school's athletic director. Kelly, 45, was rumored to be of interest to Syracuse for their head coaching position. It's certain that Tuberville would have looked into hiring him. Using his spread-option offense, the Ducks are ranked fourth in the nation in rushing, averaging 277.8 yards a game, and are eighth in total offense with 467.2 yards a game. Kelly was also instrumental in developing former Oregon QB Dennis Dixon. If Tuberville was looking to keep the spread offense, Kelly was definitely the best available coordinator. On to the list, which is in no particular order.

1. Trooper Taylor, Co-Offensive Coordinator, Oklahoma State. Taylor is in his first year at Oklahoma State and serves as co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach. Taylor came from Tennessee, where he was on staff from 2004-07 and was assistant head coach/player development and receivers coach for the Volunteers. He is nationally-known for his prowess on the recruiting trail, and was recognized by Rivals.com as a top-25 recruiter in 2005 and 2007. His ability to recruit, his familiarity with the SEC, and his energetic rapport with the players (he's like the Will Muschamp of offensive assistants) would make him very desirable. I think he would become the first African-American offensive coordinator in SEC history, too. A public relations coup that might pay off on the recruiting trail. Taylor brought some major talent to Knoxville. Oklahoma State's offense has been outstanding this year. The Cowboys are 7th overall in total offense (489 yards/game), 8th in rushing (256 yards/game), 42nd in passing (233 yards/game), and 8th in scoring (41.5 points/game). So, who's the other co-coordinator in Stillwater, you ask?

2. Gunter Brewer, Co-Offensive Coordinator, Oklahoma State. Brewer is in his fourth season at Oklahoma State and his first as Co-Offensive Coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He served the three previous three seasons as wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator. He was one of the key minds behind one of the nation’s most dynamic and explosive offenses as I described above. Brewer coached receiver Adarius Bowman to back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons in 2006 and 2007, as Bowman’s receptions totaled 1,181 yards in 2006 and 1,006 yards in 2007. Brewer also coached Dez Bryant to 622 receiving yards and a spot on Rivals.com’s 2007 Freshman All-America second team in 2007. If Auburn is looking to get better at the wide receiver position, then Brewer is a coach with a proven track record for recruiting and developing top-flight receivers. Before coming to Oklahoma State, Brewer developed outstanding receivers at Marshall (1996-99) and North Carolina (2000-04).

3. Stan Parrish, Offensive Coordinator, Ball State. Parrish has helped the Cardinals build a 12-0 record this season, designing an offense that leads the Mid-American Conference in scoring and total offense. Running back Quale Lewis leads the conference in rushing (130.8 yards/game), and quarterback Nate Davis is second in passing yards (257.9 yards/game). Parrish is one of five coaches in the running for the Broyles Award, given to the top assistant coach in the nation each year.

I'm sure there will be other names out there, and as I come across candidates I will try to profile them. I thought this would be a good starting point to discuss what's next for Auburn's offense. If you have a name to throw out there, then let me know.