Irish Man3
Well-known member
- Messages
- 6,582
- Reaction score
- 949
Playing career[edit]
LaFleur attended Western Michigan University from 1998-1999 where he played wide receiver before transferring in 2000 to Saginaw Valley State, where he played quarterback from 2000-2002. LaFleur briefly played in the National Indoor Football League with the Omaha Beef before beginning his coaching career.
Coaching career[edit]
LaFleur's coaching career began at his alma mater, Saginaw Valley State, in 2003 where he served as an offensive graduate assistant. He proceeded to Central Michigan University where, from 2004-2005, he assisted the offensive staff. In 2006, he coached quarterbacks and receivers at Northern Michigan University. 2007 was his last year at the collegiate level; he was the offensive coordinator at Ashland University. LaFleur then was hired in 2008 by the Houston Texans to serve as an offensive assistant. He assisted both wide receivers and quarterbacks during his two year stint there and developed a close relationship with coordinator Kyle Shanahan. When Shanahan's father Mike was hired by the Redskins, Kyle brought LaFleur to Washington to coach the quarterbacks.[1] A primary responsibility of LaFleur's for the 2012 season will be to mentor rookie quarterbacks Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins, whom LaFleur was particularly fond of.[2]
He's had a weird career ... how do you jump from Division II to the NFL? But his most recent job was to mentor RGIII ... with our current QB situation, I like that background.
How well did that go for the both of them though?
O/U on # of times someone here suggests that Matt "cram it up his cramhole" when EG throws his first interception?
O/U on # of times someone here suggests that Matt "cram it up his cramhole" when EG throws his first interception?
O/U on # of times someone here suggests that Matt "cram it up his cramhole" when EG throws his first interception?
Coached up Dan LaFevour, I assume. Considering Dan was a RB his freshman year in high school and known more for just being an athlete at the QB position then became the all-time NCAA leader in career passing touchdowns (even if for only a short while), I would consider that very impressive (especially being at a school that was "just another shitty MAC school" before Brian Kelly got there). Plus that would mean previous experience with Brian Kelly which I like.
He left CMU before '06, LaFevour's first season of playing. He redshirted while he was there and might have recruited him.
He's had a weird career ... how do you jump from Division II to the NFL? But his most recent job was to mentor RGIII ... with our current QB situation, I like that background.
Following his collegiate playing days, LaFleur played a stint in the National Indoor Football League, before beginning his coaching career as an assistant at SVSU. He followed that with a two-year stint at Central Michigan under Brian Kelly, one of the hottest names in college football.
That was followed by a year at Northern Michigan, before serving as the offensive coordinator for Ashland University in 2007. That’s when Matt received a call from an old friend.
Robert Saleh, LaFleur’s graduate assistant roommate at CMU, had taken a position as a defensive assistant with the Texans, and when an opening came up on the offensive side of the ball, he mentioned LaFleur.
“They had an opening, and he got me in,” LaFleur said. “I went down to the combine in Indianapolis and met a couple of the coaches. And when Houston came up and played Cleveland I drove over for the night to meet people.
“Coaching is really a big fraternity. You can get in if you know the right people. Robert was doing great work and they trusted him, and they decided to give me a shot.”
Well shit.
Am I mixing my years up that bad? I could've sworn Dan played before then. I'm too young to be doing this crap.
Thanks for the correction, Wooly.
One of the most intriguing hires was quarterbacks coach Matt LaFleur, who followed offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan from Houston and was relatively unknown outside the Texans' organization. LaFleur was previously an offensive assistant and comes to Washington with rave reviews from Gary Kubiak, the Texans' head coach who expects LaFleur to greatly aid Kyle Shanahan.
"I think every coordinator needs a right-hand guy, from a quarterbacks standpoint, to be with him. He'll do a great job," Kubiak said. "He's just getting started. He's a very bright young man. To be honest with you, he's a lot like Kyle was four or five years ago."
The Texans hired LaFleur in 2008 on the recommendation of his good friend Robert Saleh, the Texans' assistant linebackers coach. LaFleur had previously held offensive coaching positions at Ashland University, Northern Michigan, Central Michigan and Saginaw Valley State.
With the Texans, LaFleur worked with receivers in his first year. Andre Johnson led the league with 115 catches and 1,575 receiving yards that season, and in Year 2, Kubiak decided to to put LaFleur with the quarterbacks. Last season, Matt Schaub led the league with 4,770 passing yards and 396 completions. The Texans' offense was ranked first in passing (4,654 yards).
"Basically, Kyle and I gained so much confidence in him, we had him do a lot of work with our quarterbacks," said Kubiak. "He just grew on us, kept doing a great job. Our quarterbacks gained a lot of confidence in him. His specialty was working with our backup quarterbacks, our second and third. And he just did a hell of a job."
Though both Mike and Kyle Shanahan are expected to work intimately with the Redskins' quarterbacks this season, it will be LaFleur who's technically in charge of Jason Campbell (assuming he returns for one more season, as many around the league expect) and possibly a rookie up-and-comer (assuming the Redskins draft a quarterback, which again, many around the league expect).
During his tenure, LaFleur helped Rex Grossman set single-season career highs with 265 completions and a 57.9 completion percentage before taking over responsibility for coaching highly touted Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Robert Griffin III and former Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Cousins developed into a valuable backup with the Redskins, starting the last three games of the 2013 season.
Under his tutelage, Griffin III became the first rookie quarterback to be selected to the Pro Bowl, while leading Washington to its first NFC East championship in 13 years. Griffin III set franchise rookie records for completions (258), passing yards (3,200), touchdowns (20) and rushing yards by a quarterback (815).
“I just wanted to share that Coach Shanahan has taught me a lot in just two years of being with him,” said Redskins franchise quarterback Robert Griffin III in a conference call. “I want to thank him for drafting me to the Washington Redskins and giving me a chance to live out my dreams.
“I always want to thank Kyle and Matt for working so hard with me every day, day in and day out. We did a lot of great things together, and I wish all three of them the best in the future.”
"of whom LaFleur was particularly fond."
If you're going to use "whom," get the proposition right.
I was really hoping someone would get my LaFluer reference
I got it, good stuff. One of my favorite shows of all time: 'Doctor playing golf. Woo, boy howdy, now I’ve heard everything. What’s next, cop eating a donut?'
Riley's impact can simply be seen by looking at the Pirate record books as his units rank No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 on ECU's single-season passing list. In addition, two of his three squads are listed first and second on the school's yearly total offense ledgers.
Riley's first fall in Greenville installing and directing a new high-scoring spread offensive scheme was a record-breaker as the Pirates shattered or matched 29 team or individual school standards. His unit also rated among the nation's Top 10 - standing fifth in redzone efficiency, sixth in fourth-down conversion percentage and eighth in passing offense.
ECU's offense remained one of country's best statistically the following two years, finishing fifth in fourth-down percentage and 20th in passing offense during the 2011 campaign before standing third and fourth in redzone efficiency and fourth down percentage, respectively, in 2012.
And, as an old fart ... fuck this shit.
On the other hand, fully aware that many (most???) don't understand my historical, political, social and theological references, I'll play Riders on the Storm.