Thoughts on BKs play calling duties

[Who'saWildManNow]

“Chuck is a very talented coach that will make our offense better in the future due to his knowledge of our offensive system as well as how defenses like to attack it,” Kelly said in a statement released by the program.

“I wanted someone that knew the system I’m familiar with and our experience coaching together will make for an easy transition. Chuck did a great job directing the Grand Valley State offense after I left and led the program to unprecedented heights. I look forward to witnessing the impact he’ll have on our offense.”

This was a quote from BK following Molnar's departure, Elliot's hire and Martin's switch to OC. Martin led GVSU to two DivII national titles and won 91% of his games as head coach.

Some of my thoughts and questions:

How much will Chuck actually be "directing" this offense?

Last years offense was outplayed by our defense (not the ND norm). Was Molnar a negative influence on Kelly's offensive flow? Was it just the lack of QB development and player performance?

Kelly repeatedly said he formed his game plans around the QBs abilities but even still the offense sputtered and flamed out in confusion and lack of execution too often and especially in the red zone. This may be a bold statement but I think Jonas Gray carried them on his back while he was healthy and that statement alone begs to reason it is the star power holding them back.

I'm not saying Kelly is a "bad" play caller but is he more wortwhile without those duties?

Does anyone think Chuck gets to run the show? What do we expect in 2012?

 

[AvesEvo]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but his OC at Cincy didn't follow him to ND correct? I wonder how much of an impact that had on the offense.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Uh, no. Kelly runs the show.

What a good on-the-same-page OC does is analyze what the offense is doing right and wrong and what the next defense is likely going to throw at it. The head coach/play caller needs to trust that guy's ability to understand his offense's subtleties as well as he himself does. [this is almost analogous to the coach/qb relationship --- the qb needs to understand the subtleties in the in-game situation, so as to massage the plays called or even check out of them properly --- Holgerson at WVU demands that Geno Smith understand the offense so well, AND Holgerson's own tendencies, that he can select plays out of "handfuls" of options indicated by rapidfire in-signals --- this is when the offense is in RAPID/HURRY-UP mode].

Whereas the QB needs to be in-Kelly's-head during the game, the OC needs to be in-Kelly's-head during the week. After what has happened, and what has been said, I'll bet that Molnar and Kelly had significant if subtle differences in how they understood the offensive schemes. Kelly probably trusted Molnar with the aforementioned analytical breakdown work, but as the season went forward found that the opponents were by-passing us in analytical cleverness, and aspects of our preparation were flawed. This could have been hard to immediately spot given game complexities, but Kelly may have seen where the problem was and located it in Molnar and inadequate understanding of what was about to go on in the next opponent's plan.

This is VERY hypothetical. It's only virtue is that it is in harmony with a lot of what we have seen. Perhaps it might also answer the original poster's question: the change is oriented towards excellence in pre-game analysis and practice field preparation, not relief of Kelly's playcalling.

 

[Emcee77]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but his OC at Cincy didn't follow him to ND correct? I wonder how much of an impact that had on the offense.

Yeah, Jeff Quinn took the head job at Buffalo after Turner Gill went to Kansas, if I'm not mistaken. I believe Kelly has always been the primary play-caller, however. I even remember when Kelly got the ND job, someone forwarded me an email from a former player of Kelly's and Quinn's at CMU who called Quinn a "meathead" who was mostly a manager/stand-in for Kelly. Kelly was always the real offensive mastermind.

Why we struggled so much offensively last year is something that has puzzled me all winter. I've heard a lot of rumors about Charley Molnar and Kelly butting heads over the QB situation. Some have said that Molnar was essentially forced out and happened to land softly with a head coaching gig. No idea how much truth there is to that stuff; does anyone know more?

 

[kmoose]

I'm pretty sure that Chuck Martin will be calling the plays, next year.




And I'm almost as certain, that Brian Kelly will be telling him what plays to call.

 

[Emcee77]

Anyway, I expect Martin to do what Quinn did well and Molnar apparently did not as well: manage the offense, and coach the players the way Kelly wants them to be coached. I have heard nothing but great things about Martin, who was a great head coach in his own right, and am very optimistic. The former player I referred to in my last post said that Kelly's style was to coaches his staff, who then coached the players. I really like that Martin is taking on greater responsibility in a system like that; he seems suited for it.

 

[donnie hoss]

Kelly will call the plays. No chance that he will allow his future, good or bad, to be dictated by anyone else.

 

[PJWhitfield]

I agree that Jonas Gray was a key part of N.D.'s offense. Whoever calls the plays, it's important that they have a power running choice available. Notre Dame lacked that once Gray was injured. Does anyone know if N.D. has a power runner in the pipeline?

 

[irishfanjho15]

I agree that Jonas Gray was a key part of N.D.'s offense. Whoever calls the plays, it's important that they have a power running choice available. Notre Dame lacked that once Gray was injured. Does anyone know if N.D. has a power runner in the pipeline?

Mahone

 

[Emcee77]

I agree that Jonas Gray was a key part of N.D.'s offense. Whoever calls the plays, it's important that they have a power running choice available. Notre Dame lacked that once Gray was injured. Does anyone know if N.D. has a power runner in the pipeline?

Mahone, once he bulks up a bit. Maybe Roberson, assuming he gets healthy; not sure the status of that injured knee.

 

[UmphreakDomer]

This was a quote from BK following Molnar's departure, Elliot's hire and Martin's switch to OC. Martin led GVSU to two DivII national titles and won 91% of his games as head coach.

Some of my thoughts and questions:

How much will Chuck actually be "directing" this offense?

Last years offense was outplayed by our defense (not the ND norm). Was Molnar a negative influence on Kelly's offensive flow? Was it just the lack of QB development and player performance?

Kelly repeatedly said he formed his game plans around the QBs abilities but even still the offense sputtered and flamed out in confusion and lack of execution too often and especially in the red zone. This may be a bold statement but I think Jonas Gray carried them on his back while he was healthy and that statement alone begs to reason it is the star power holding them back.

I'm not saying Kelly is a "bad" play caller but is he more wortwhile without those duties?

Does anyone think Chuck gets to run the show? What do we expect in 2012?

in addition to that...martin was kelly OC when kelly went to the D-2 NC once and won it twice. i'm not sure if he was calling the plays back then either. but, i do know kelly lends a lot of weight to his game-planning.

 

[koonja]

.

 

[koonja]

Wait, wait wait, timeout. I thought Mulvey called the plays?

 

[UmphreakDomer]

Wait, wait wait, timeout. I thought Mulvey called the plays?

well...i know kelly lends a lot of weight to mulveys gameplan too!

 

[Who'saWildManNow]

Too many times did I see the play called in late with Tommy throwing his hands up confused and the play clock at 5 seconds... timeout wasted.

Whether its the play caller or the players it needs to be significantly improved for next years defensive match-ups.

 

[Buster Bluth]

Too many times did I see the play called in late with Tommy throwing his hands up confused and the play clock at 5 seconds... timeout wasted.

Whether its the play caller or the players it needs to be significantly improved for next years defensive match-ups.

I wouldn't hold my breath. Chances are, with a new signal caller that those things will happen again.

 

[BGIF]

Too many times did I see the play called in late with Tommy throwing his hands up confused and the play clock at 5 seconds... timeout wasted.

Whether its the play caller or the players it needs to be significantly improved for next years defensive match-ups.

You may shed light on Tommy's secret weapon. He may have the slowest feet on the field but he may be the ONLY QB that can decipher the hand signals, call the play, check the defense, and get the snap off (most times) before the clock expires.

 

[BGIF]

I wouldn't hold my breath. Chances are, with a new signal caller that those things will happen again.

^

There does seem a lot of info to transmit from the sideline, to be absorbed, retransmitted to the team, check the defense, audibile to respond to defense redeployment, and get the play off.

 

[Who'saWildManNow]

You may shed light on Tommy's secret weapon. He may have the slowest feet on the field but he may be the ONLY QB that can decipher the hand signals, call the play, check the defense, and get the snap off (most times) before the clock expires.

"I'll throw my hands up in confusion and get the D restin' on their laurels!.."

I don't know.. All I can do is wait for the spring and see what happens.

If the kid ran for a few yards and extended a few drives every now and then, I'd probably love him.. That's the sad part.

In the end, I don't care who's behind center or calling the plays as long as we're moving the ball and scoring in the red zone.

 

[BGIF]

"I'll throw my hands up in confusion and get the D restin' on their laurels!.."

I don't know.. All I can do is wait for the spring and see what happens.

If the kid ran for a few yards and extended a few drives every now and then, I'd probably love him.. That's the sad part.

In the end, I don't care who's behind center or calling the plays as long as we're moving the ball and scoring in the red zone.

I wasn't berating Rees. Read it again. I used his lack of speed to emphasis the snail pace of Kelly plays being called through the snap and that it may not matter who's the QB is if the clock runs out. Buster and I must both be watching the same play clock.