New OC - throw out some names/statistical anomalies

thekid33

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Memory could be shite but I thought I recall seeing Denbrock call plays during LSU games.
Possible. He very well might have. But, that doesn't necessarily mean that he had full autonomy in planning and maybe even less in play calling. MF could sell those opportunities here. (obviously HC retains veto control over plays)
 

General Colon Bowel

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Faulkner had a GT team that does not have all that much talent ranked 30th in total offense this season (they were 125th in 2022). That improvement in and of itself is worthy of a closer look.
Figured I'd add to this since he seems to be more unknown than the rest of the names on this list.

He's had a pretty solid track record at previous stops as well. Decent work at MTSU from '11-'15, having them around the top of the conference and hovering between 40-60th in national offense (on some pretty horrendous teams).

Then went to Arkansas State and brought their offense to 10th and 17th nationally in '17 and '18 respectively.

Only stayed a year at Southern Miss, with mixed results. Inherited a bottom 25 offense from the year before and made them a respectable 63rd nationally in 2019.

Went and did QC at Georgia for three seasons, and then this season did some fabulous work at Ga Tech as mentioned.

I like the track record of improvement and the time he spent at Georgia with Todd Monken, who once upon a time some of us here wanted to be ND's OC.

He's oscillated back and forth between QBs and TEs coach, so he could certainly fill the empty TE role.

Had a tendency to throw the ball quite a bit in his earlier years at MTSU, but his positive results with Arkansas State and GT have been the result of a more balanced offense.

Very difficult to judge him as a recruiter given he's spent most of his time at schools where recruiting is a completely different ball game.

From Georgia and has spent all his life in the south, which could be a positive for recruiting athletes from the south or a negative from a cultural fit perspective.

Overall seems to check a lot of the boxes that folks on here want to be checked. Could see it as not necessarily an immediate home run, but a solid hire that could look good over time.
 

Katzenboyer

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I've talked myself into getting very fired up for Denbrock. He's a great relationship guy as well. Makes him a solid recruiter. Golden and Denbrock running the show while Freeman focuses on talent acquisition is the way.

Forget about the young, sexy hires. Freeman is the young sexy HC. He needs to surround himself with great football coaches.

This is why I'm behind the Denbrock hire. Freeman is a guy who needs to be the cultural head and someone who recruits his ass off on the trail. Relying on awesome coordinators while the coach is the top culture guy can work in college, and with Golden and Denbrock we'd have that.
 

slick7410

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Joe Rudolph has coached tight ends for 8 years.

  • 2007 Nebraska Tight Ends
  • 2008-11 Wisconsin Tight Ends
  • 2012-14 Pittsburgh Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends
I'm sure he already works with them quite a bit now. (I don't think Parker was going over run-fits on a daily basis).
 

Luckylucci

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As someone else has already explained, Denbrock coached TE's from 2010-2011. He'd be a great coach to carry on the TEU tradition while also understanding the importance of WR development.
 

Grahambo

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As someone else has already explained, Denbrock coached TE's from 2010-2011. He'd be a great coach to carry on the TEU tradition while also understanding the importance of WR development.
He has TE in his resume at multiple stops:

1986–1987Grand Valley State (GA)
1988–1989Michigan State (GA)
1990–1991Illinois State (OT/TE)
1992–1995Grand Valley State (OC/QB/WR)
1996–1998Grand Valley State (DC/LB)
1999–2000Buffalo Destroyers(AHC/DC/OL/DL)
2001Stanford (OT/TE)
2002–2004Notre Dame (OT/TE)
2005–2008Washington (OL)
2009Indiana State (AHC/ST/LB)
2010–2011Notre Dame (TE)
2012–2013Notre Dame (WR)
2014Notre Dame (OC/WR)
2015–2016Notre Dame (AHC/WR)
2017Cincinnati (OC/QB)
2018–2021Cincinnati (OC/TE)
2022–presentLSU (OC/TE)
 

Polish Leppy 22

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I can't envision a scenario where Denbrock would leave BK to go to ND for another stint.

I also can't envision a scenario where Moorehead isn't the first option, especially with Leonard and Minchey in your QB room.
 

Grahambo

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I can't envision a scenario where Denbrock would leave BK to go to ND for another stint.

I also can't envision a scenario where Moorehead isn't the first option, especially with Leonard and Minchey in your QB room.
Maybe prefers the Midwest? Maybe knows something about BKs future? Maybe sees the writing on the wall if BK has a similar season? Doubt the fans or admins would care for another 9-3 season.
 

Polish Leppy 22

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Maybe prefers the Midwest? Maybe knows something about BKs future? Maybe sees the writing on the wall if BK has a similar season? Doubt the fans or admins would care for another 9-3 season.
Could be right on the first two points. On the second two...anyone could say the same for Freeman.
 

Katzenboyer

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I can't envision a scenario where Denbrock would leave BK to go to ND for another stint.

I also can't envision a scenario where Moorehead isn't the first option, especially with Leonard and Minchey in your QB room.

Mike Frank on ISD is adament that Denbrock loves ND, prefers the Midwest, and continues to talk about how much he enjoyed his time in South Bend. His coaching career has also been predominantly centered on the Midwest.

Maybe he just wants to come home.
 

Prof K

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Charlie Weis Jr. has good results, and ties to ND, but what is his record as a recruiter?
 

Pops Freshenmeyer

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I had forgotten that Denbrock was a Willingham guy. After the Washington thing petered out, he took his next job at Indiana State. So he really might just be a guy who prefers the midwest.
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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Look at the resume above posted earlier. LSU sticks out like a sore thumb and he's only there because Kelly is.

He coached with Freeman for four years and knows two guys in the room already from that time at UC.
 

Irish Knuckles

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Maybe prefers the Midwest? Maybe knows something about BKs future? Maybe sees the writing on the wall if BK has a similar season? Doubt the fans or admins would care for another 9-3 season.
they'll do good to have a 9-3 season next year. defense could possibly be even worse. would have won 6 games max this past year w/o daniels.
 

jprue24

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He also likes ND and really only left because Tommy got the OC job.
Yeah, the 2016 season had nothing to do with it... besides Chip Long was the OC for the subsequent 3 years before Tommy took over after a locker room mutiny.
 

Pops Freshenmeyer

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Yeah, the 2016 season had nothing to do with it... besides Chip Long was the OC for the subsequent 3 years before Tommy took over after a locker room mutiny.
He was also with Willingham when things went South. I would be concerned about Denbrock's leadership qualities under different circumstances. But what ND is going to ask of him is to be up in a booth. He can be very successful in that role even if he's a soft personality.
 

slick7410

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How about asking Dan Mullen if he wants to ease back into coaching for a year or two as a coordinator.

Bring out the Tebow/Dak Prescott playbook for Leonard this year.

He spent a couple years as a GA at ND.
 

Pops Freshenmeyer

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Our offense was pretty good in 2016 until the whole program gave in due to the defense being horrid. That offense v Texas was lit.

Denbrock was the OC for the 2014 team which was 23rd in Offensive SP+ in that whole mess of a season (the defense was brutal; 59th).

After that he was the AHC and WR coach while ND brought in Mike Sanford as the titular OC. In 2015 they were 6th in Offensive SP+. Even in the dismal 2016 season they were 18th in Offensive SP+.

But nobody seemed to want to credit Mike Sanford for any of that work. Did ND regret the move and let Denbrock take the lead as the AHC?
 
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