---OC THOUGHTS---
Im sure some of these thoughts will already be a bit repetitive because there have been thousands of posts about Watson & what pitt needs as it's new OC. And I WILL spare you all from the "air raid" v "power spread" v "pro-style" systems debate that everyone has strong opinions on. And in trying to condense my thoughts about what Pitt needs it's new OC to be, I found that the essence of my feelings on this can be captured in 3 bullet points. These 3 are the 3 MUSTS regardless of the aesthetic you want to offense to have, although, certain systems lend themselves better to these qualities.
Pitt's next OC MUST:
••Be QB friendly. In terms of development, as well as the system he puts together must make a QB's life easier. Simple reads, simple throws, minimal time in the pocket. You can't make the QB's throws for him, but you CAN give him the best opportunities possible. As an aside, this would also protect an offensive line that has pass-pro deficiencies.
••Be balanced/Able to adapt. I put those 2 together because they go hand in hand. If one year, pitt's talent is along the OL & in the backfield, he needs to put together a strong run game without neglecting the pass game. If the next year the QB & WR's really take a step forward, the pass game should be the focus with a run game to counter. And I think tempo should be used to dictate what a defense does. Sometimes go fast, sometimes slow it down depending on the situation. In other words, be balanced in as many ways as possible. Balance is likely the most difficult thing for a defense to plan against.
••Be creative. Let's face it. Pitt's offense has a lot of mixed & matched pieces resulting from a lack of a consistent identy (I'll touch on this later). Some OL are hulking monstrous human beings, some are lighter & athletic. Guys like Ffrench & Carter are pretty much hybrid WR/RB's. There are QB's that have different skillsets. There big power backs as well as smaller quicker backs. It looks like a jumbled mess, but an OC that is creative enough to use that to his advantage could really put defenses in a bind.
This is a whole lot to ask, but thats the point. This OC hire absolutely has to be a really good one & I think/hope Narduzzi knows that.
---THE BEST CASE SCENARIO---
The consistent theme I've seen on here regarding the person Pitt hires as its WR coach is "hire the best damn recruiter you can" for that spot. Honestly, that was my first reaction as well. And that would still be a great result of this search.
With that said, lets assume that Narduzzi knocks the OC hire out of the park & the 3 criteria i mentioned above are met. Odds are, that OC will likely move on to greener pastures at some point. So, THE BEST CASE SCENARIO is that Pitt's WR coaching hire is a bright enough young offensive coach that he could take over as OC when that happens and the offense could continue seemlessly WITHOUT HAVING TO CHANGE IDENTITIES. The WR coach might need a Co-OC title or a recruiting coordinator title & probably more cash than a typical WR coach hire.
I know what I'm asking for here is a lot. It would require a big monetary commitment. It would take an extremely dilligent search that might force Narduzzi to look to a "lower level" - maybe you hire an excellent FCS HC as OC & his OC as WR coach ( and I promise, guys like that can recruit their asses off too). And to be totally honest, I don't even know if its at all realistic to expect Narduzzi to gain that forsight/ability. But thats the creativity & commitment that would serve Pitt and Narduzzi best both in the short term and in the long term.
Its time Pitt starts playing chess and not checkers. Eat your wheaties and start making power moves. The coastal is just begging for a consistent winner, pitt can be one of them. But to do that you need to be different. Have some forsight; have some creativity; lose your pride and look outside the norm. It will pay off.
Im sure some of these thoughts will already be a bit repetitive because there have been thousands of posts about Watson & what pitt needs as it's new OC. And I WILL spare you all from the "air raid" v "power spread" v "pro-style" systems debate that everyone has strong opinions on. And in trying to condense my thoughts about what Pitt needs it's new OC to be, I found that the essence of my feelings on this can be captured in 3 bullet points. These 3 are the 3 MUSTS regardless of the aesthetic you want to offense to have, although, certain systems lend themselves better to these qualities.
Pitt's next OC MUST:
••Be QB friendly. In terms of development, as well as the system he puts together must make a QB's life easier. Simple reads, simple throws, minimal time in the pocket. You can't make the QB's throws for him, but you CAN give him the best opportunities possible. As an aside, this would also protect an offensive line that has pass-pro deficiencies.
••Be balanced/Able to adapt. I put those 2 together because they go hand in hand. If one year, pitt's talent is along the OL & in the backfield, he needs to put together a strong run game without neglecting the pass game. If the next year the QB & WR's really take a step forward, the pass game should be the focus with a run game to counter. And I think tempo should be used to dictate what a defense does. Sometimes go fast, sometimes slow it down depending on the situation. In other words, be balanced in as many ways as possible. Balance is likely the most difficult thing for a defense to plan against.
••Be creative. Let's face it. Pitt's offense has a lot of mixed & matched pieces resulting from a lack of a consistent identy (I'll touch on this later). Some OL are hulking monstrous human beings, some are lighter & athletic. Guys like Ffrench & Carter are pretty much hybrid WR/RB's. There are QB's that have different skillsets. There big power backs as well as smaller quicker backs. It looks like a jumbled mess, but an OC that is creative enough to use that to his advantage could really put defenses in a bind.
This is a whole lot to ask, but thats the point. This OC hire absolutely has to be a really good one & I think/hope Narduzzi knows that.
---THE BEST CASE SCENARIO---
The consistent theme I've seen on here regarding the person Pitt hires as its WR coach is "hire the best damn recruiter you can" for that spot. Honestly, that was my first reaction as well. And that would still be a great result of this search.
With that said, lets assume that Narduzzi knocks the OC hire out of the park & the 3 criteria i mentioned above are met. Odds are, that OC will likely move on to greener pastures at some point. So, THE BEST CASE SCENARIO is that Pitt's WR coaching hire is a bright enough young offensive coach that he could take over as OC when that happens and the offense could continue seemlessly WITHOUT HAVING TO CHANGE IDENTITIES. The WR coach might need a Co-OC title or a recruiting coordinator title & probably more cash than a typical WR coach hire.
I know what I'm asking for here is a lot. It would require a big monetary commitment. It would take an extremely dilligent search that might force Narduzzi to look to a "lower level" - maybe you hire an excellent FCS HC as OC & his OC as WR coach ( and I promise, guys like that can recruit their asses off too). And to be totally honest, I don't even know if its at all realistic to expect Narduzzi to gain that forsight/ability. But thats the creativity & commitment that would serve Pitt and Narduzzi best both in the short term and in the long term.
Its time Pitt starts playing chess and not checkers. Eat your wheaties and start making power moves. The coastal is just begging for a consistent winner, pitt can be one of them. But to do that you need to be different. Have some forsight; have some creativity; lose your pride and look outside the norm. It will pay off.
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