All signs point to Norm Chow as Utah's new offensive coordinator
by JazzyUte on Jan 12, 2011 9:36 PM MST
in Football
Email
Print
Though there has yet to be official word from the University of Utah, signs continue to point toward Chow being the Utes' next offensive coordinator.
If true, Chow will become Utah's third offensive coordinator under Kyle Whittingham. He replaces the duel-coordinators David Schramm and Aaron Roderick, who took over from Andy Ludwig when he left for Kansas State.
On experience and resume alone, Chow brings more clout to the program than any past hire in Utah athletic history. He's won three national titles (two at SC and one at BYU), coached countless successful quarterbacks from Steve Young to Matt Leinart and produced some of the nation's most potent offenses throughout his long and storied offensive career.
He also returns to the program he played at from 1965 to 1967, as well as the state where his coaching career reached its most prolific (when he was the offensive coordinator under LaVell Edwards at BYU from 1973-1999).
Beyond his stops in Provo and Los Angeles (with both the Trojans and Bruins), Chow coached one successful season at North Carolina State and also was the Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator from 2005 to 2007.
Joining Chow will be former Utah offensive lines coach Tim Davis, who was here from 1990 to '97. He also coached alongside Chow at SC until 2004 (when Chow left for Tennessee) and remained with the program until 2005, before taking a job with the Miami Dolphins.
Davis left Utah in 1997 to coach at Wisconsin, where he remained until 2001.
Overall, these are huge gets for Kyle Whittingham and the Utah football program. Not only does it show a commitment to win, but it brings a resume to the program we've never seen before.
Chow will bring an entirely new level of recruitment potential to Utah and hopefully he can prove his stint with UCLA was more a fluke than a sign of regression.
Regardless, if true, welcome Chow & Davis!
31 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
With Wynn, I think it could go well.
Wynn hasn’t been a traditional spread quarterback. He’s not suited for the spread. I think, with Chow, he could flourish.
Hope so.
Maybe Chow can do for Wynn what he did for another smallish QB…Ty Detmer.
by kailuakid9er on Jan 12, 2011 10:03 PM MST up reply actions
Wish he'd pistol-whip Neuheisel, the guy's a deuche
I think the Pistol offense at UCLA is all Neuheisel.
by kailuakid9er on Jan 13, 2011 11:35 PM MST up reply actions
The key to Chow's success...
…is going to be our ability to recruit a 4 star QB and better tight ends. Chow was successful everywhere he had those things.
He faltered at places like UCLA & the Titans because of Neuheisel grasping at straws by installing the Pistol because his job is in jeopardy or having to juggle between Vince Young and an aging Kerry Collins.
Generally I think the WR & OL talent is there…and with Langi, the RB talent is definitely there
by Middy_U on Jan 13, 2011 12:54 AM MST reply actions 1 recs
Agreed
Though I would have to question the WR talent, too many dropped passes this year.
Maybe the cases of the “dropsies” with the WR’s could be cured if A-Rod returns to his previous job as WR coach.
by kailuakid9er on Jan 13, 2011 11:41 PM MST up reply actions
I agree.
I personally think that this will be the perfect hire for Utah. He is the perfect transitional figure for Utah in their transition to Pac-12 football. He knows the conference inside and out, having coached at USC and UCLA. He is also an outstanding recruiter. To me, this move re-establishes my confidence in Coach Whittingham and Utah Football. They are not just standing by with glaring problems and not doing anything about them. I personally think that Jordan Wynn is perfect for a Pro-style offense. I also think that Chow, if anything, will improve our consistency and discipline on offense. He could be the solution to all of our offensive problems. Let’s all keep up our optimism and hope that things eventually work out in the end.
by pappyman on Jan 13, 2011 1:05 AM MST reply actions 2 recs
+10
On february 5th 2011 at UFC 126 Jon "Bones" Jones will show the world that their was no need for the MMA community to hype this man because this guy is a beast with many skills and i personally will feel Ryan "Darth" Bader's pain after this fight. SB Nation's public enemy #1.
by wolfmanshowlforever on Jan 13, 2011 2:11 AM MST up reply actions
Wow, good pick up
When Chow was here on the East Coast coaching at NC State, it was very obvious that he was the brightest mind in offensive playcalling that college football had. I can’t speak much for his UCLA year’s, but I think he will provide a balance for Utah over the next few years as they enter the PAC-XX. Good hire.
Don't give up, don't ever give up ~ Jim Valvano
Good move, if true.
everyone i have seen indicates that this deal will happen soon. But I dont want to jump the gun, so ill say IF this happens, here is what it means:
1. Jordan Wynn was made for this system. He is not a spread or spread option QB.
2. Shawn Asiata will get to play a bigger role, which is a good thing, in my opinion.
3. We will use tight ends more, which is another plus. Kendrick Moeai, Dallin Rogers and Wes Tonga are all talented.
4. The Wide recievers will have to battle for the top spots. You will see less 4-5 reciever sets. We have a lot of talent there, and its too bad that some guys won’t see the field as often, if at all. I think DeVontae has a spot, everyone else? not so much.
5. Harvey Langi will love this change.
Follow me on Twitter
@SportsInUtah
IF this is true. Is this the end of the spread era at Utah?
First of all I have to say I love the move. Chow has proven himself with not only his offensive play calling but the QB’s he has helped develop. (Steve Young, Detmer, Lienart, Phillip Rivers). He has been more of a pro style offense which I think plays a lot more to Jordan Wynn’s game than the spread offense.
The other question I have is what does mean for Schramm and Roderick? I imagine Coach Rod will be retained as the WR coach but I dunno.
Fear the MUSS!!
I think so.
I don’t think that Whitt has ever been a “spread” guy. I think he prefers a balance of passing and running. And the controlled, short passing game, with only occasional deep balls. I know, thats what the spread is supposed to be, but it didn’t work against good defenses this year. Additionally, people are coming up with solutions to the spread. There is no answer for solid balance.
As far as the other coaches, Hans Olsen on 1280 reported that Coach A-Rod has been approached by someone at BYU about the openings there. But, he also reported he has sources indicating that Whitt and Hill will beat any offer from the cougars to keep A-rod at Utah.
Hans’ sources are rarely wrong……..He is the most well-connected guy in the market.
Follow me on Twitter
@SportsInUtah
by SportsInUtah on Jan 13, 2011 12:50 PM MST up reply actions
I think you're wrong about the spread though
look at Oregon and Auburn. The spread is not dead by a long shot ,If you have players like LeMichael James and Cam Newton , the spread is hard to stop.
Fear the MUSS!!
It isn't dead, but it's dying...
It’s nowhere near as popular as it was even five years ago.
It wasn’t long ago that every program was incorporating the spread option into their offensive gameplan (remember when New Mexico did it a few years ago under Long?) and that just isn’t the case anymore.
It can be successful, but it takes having the right tools.
Or you’re just Auburn in 2009 – a good, but hardly great, team.
It won't die though
The spread won’t die, but it’ll transform and survive in the form of different variations of the original.
It’ll be like the West Coast Offense in the NFL. It thrived for 10-20 years until the Cover-2 defense, which was specifically designed to counter the WCO, came along. The West Coast Offense didn’t go away. It just evolved.
The spread, or elements of the spread will be around for a long time. It’s been adopted by multiple programs, so it’s not going anywhere soon, it will just change over time.
by kailuakid9er on Jan 13, 2011 11:31 PM MST up reply actions
Kinda
It wasn’t long ago that every program was incorporating the spread option into their offensive gameplan (remember when New Mexico did it a few years ago under Long?) and that just isn’t the case anymore.
While I agree that there are fewer teams like Northwestern and Oregon who are 100% committed to it, I don’t see fewer teams incorporating it into their gameplan. Quite the opposite. The only team in the Pac 10 that I did not see run any so-called spread schemes was Stanford, but I’m sure they did at points along the way.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
neither team
really runs a spread. Oregon is a hurry up offense. Auburn relies on more spread option, if anything. Both are run-heavy and not anywhere near a traditional spread.
Follow me on Twitter
@SportsInUtah
by SportsInUtah on Jan 13, 2011 1:59 PM MST up reply actions
Oregon runs a spread ...
… its a read-option emphasis, but the philosophy is absolutely to lengthen the LOS and to create large lanes by forcing the D to cover end to end. The fact that they run more than the pass does not nullify the spread philosophy.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
notice I said "Traditional spread"
Traditional spread is four to five recievers and you gun it down the field. Texas Tech among others runs a traditional spread. By your definition, every offense except AFA, Army, and Ga. Tech run some form of the spread. Neither team that played for the title is classified as a spread.
But thats neither here nor there.
Follow me on Twitter
@SportsInUtah
by SportsInUtah on Jan 13, 2011 2:27 PM MST up reply actions
Setting the record straight on the Spread
By your definition, every offense except AFA, Army, and Ga. Tech run some form of the spread
Almost everyone is running the spread, to some degree. Even the big “pro style” teams in the Pac (USC, Cal, Or St, Wash) have spread formations in their repertoire and almost all of them run the read-option. Oregon and WSU are really the two teams that are committed 100% to spread attacks in that they don’t play with full backs, they rarely put their QB under C and their TE’s are TE’s in name only.
I think you are a little limited in your definition of a spread offense. The underlying philosophy of the spread is to negate the D’s numbers advantage by forcing them to defend not just the whole field, but every player on the field. Against an I-formation, the Defense will always have a two player advantage because they don’t really have to commit to “covering” a FB or a QB. If the TE is blocking, they don’t really have to cover him either. The spread introduces formations that force the D to give up some of that advantage by accounting for all skill positions as possible playmakers on any given snap. Whether the offense runs or passes out of it is irrelevant.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
I think both Schramm and Roderick have jobs if they want them.
But the job they’ll be offered won’t have the word “coordinator” in it. If they are willing to accept that change, they’ll still be on staff, otherwise they’re gone.
Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.
by displacedute on Jan 13, 2011 12:51 PM MST up reply actions
I've been wondering about this myself considering both the O issues at Utah and Florida.
I don’t claim to understand everything about the spread, but I do think that the “pure” spread or Meyer’s version of it is dead. From now on it’s going to be a spread hybrid of some sort. Oregon and Auburn are bearing that out.
by Smoke Bellew on Jan 13, 2011 2:25 PM MST up reply actions
Well....
I Think A-Rod is worth keeping. his work with the WR’s and recruiting has been great. I’m a little more iffy with Schramm.
If this report is true I’m more excited that Kyle could get ONE guy to be accountable for the offense. (the two-OC situation was a bad idea)
Fear the MUSS!!
Changes
If Chow is hired. A-rod and Schramm would go back to coaching positions. Brian Johnson is another story. As much as I love Brian, the reality is that he would definitely be eliminated as the QB coach if Chow was hired.
It sounds like Chow may be the QB coach, as well...
Which would eliminate the job for Brian. He might’ve been too wet under the ears to take control of the quarterback position last year. Is it possible we keep him on the staff anyway and grow him into a position?
Pretty sure they'll find a spot for him, even if it means making something up.
He could be the “QB mentor” or “The Assistant to the QB coach.” Whether or not that’s something he wants is a different matter. Seriously though, BJ seems to have a sharp offensive mind and I think he just needs more coaching experience.
by Smoke Bellew on Jan 13, 2011 2:19 PM MST up reply actions
The good news about this hiring isn't the person.
Although I think Chow is a great hire. The real good news is that this is proof that Utah is willing to spend money to compete, and not just stay status quo, and just be happy to be at the big boys table.
Its good UU wants to spend money ...
… because Norm Chow is all about money and if he eventually gets hired here it is because UU was the highest bidder.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
Rumors floating about Norm Chow, UCLA, USC, and Ute recruits
I see there are some rumors and speculation floating around about Norm Chow UCLA and recruits and USC. No one really knows, except the parties involved behind the scenes on coaching changes and recruits shopping around before national signing day. I feel some Pac-10/12 schools want to lure/steal potential Utah recruits away, my thinking behind this is? I’m starting to believe Utah is a serious threat to the Pac-12 South division regardless of what those schools may want everyone to think. As much as I think Utah may not be near the level of competition (not yet proven) as many current Pac-10 schools (soon to be South division Pac-12 schools) are concerned because of Utah’s past successes against the Pac-10 and two trips/victories in the BCS. Utah 3-star commit Ryan Henderson and 4-star commit Keith McGill have been on visits lately with other Pac-10 schools, these same schools that battle with Utah yearly for a recruit’s services. Utah isn’t even in the Pac-12 yet, and I’m starting to see USC and UCLA fight/battle not with themselves, but with newcomer Utah for recruits. Why go after a 3-star recruit when you have a list full of 5 and 4 star recruits? My point exactly, Utah is a future threat to their power and recruiting base, and UCLA and USC know this (as much as they publicly may/or won’t admit it). USC and UCLA respect Utah enough to do whatever it has to do to keep Utah from becoming a football power in the Pac-12 and these are just two So Cal schools soon to be in the Pac-12 South division, we haven’t heard from Arizona, ASU, or Colorado yet. Utah has already won Harvey Langi’s services, who else might Utah win over on National signing day? This will be interesting!
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
- Urban Meyer
"Wow. Wow. Wow."
- Daryl Johnston after Utah took a 21-0 lead on Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl
Related FanPosts on Block U
Related FanShots on Block U
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
