thinking about Sark as HC and play-caller
by kirkd on Sep 21, 2011 5:38 PM PDT
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PrintSo there's been a lot of discussion on this blog and other Husky forums regarding Sark being both the Head Coach as well as the guy calling plays on offense. Some feel like this is a bad idea, that he needs to take a step back. I've been somewhat neutral on the issue - I get what the critics are saying and I think back to how Don James ran his program, where he was "coaching the coaches" as he liked to say. I get the idea that if he relinquished play-calling duties, he might have more of a chance to assess the entire team on Saturdays.
On the other hand, I also get where Sark is coming from - he felt he was a really good play-caller at USC, and why take away one of his perceived strengths? There are plenty of examples of successful coaches that also called plays either on offense or defense based on their specialty.
However, a factor I hadn't really considered - and one I don't recall seeing discussed previously - is Doug Nussmeier. Namely, how long will Nussmeier stick around as the Offensive Coordinator if he's not actually afforded the responsibility of calling plays on Saturdays? I would think that if another good BCS program came around offering him that chance that he'd be hard-pressed not to accept, as that's the next logical step in his career path.
So to me, Sark needs to think about how much he values having Nussmeier on his staff and how important it is to Nuss that he gets an opportunity to call plays himself.
Obviously I don't know the inner workings of this staff, so maybe it's not that big of a deal to Nussmeier, but I'd be surprised if he didn't want that responsibility at some point in his career, especially if he has any hopes of becoming a head coach some day or moving on to the NFL as an OC.
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kirk, totally agree with this point and have felt that way
ever since Sark outlined his philosophy midway through year one. But where does Nuss go that would be viewed as a promotion?. He is already an OC if in name only at a BCS school, so his next logical step is to become HC at a smaller school, yet at the same time avoid the graveyards of college football, ie San Jose St. A good gig for him might be Montana, avoid Idaho. While there, if he wants to be like Sark and finesse his play calling acumen, then he is the head man and its his authority to do so. OR as you said, OC at the NFL level.
I had hoped by the end of year four, Sark will realize he needs to be a true HC and concentrate on the bigger
picture and by then his ego on play calling will have been satisfied, as well as establishing his philosophical footprint on offense. He can/should as always retain the right to overrule the OC in critical decisions.
He is already an OC if in name only at a BCS school, so his next logical step is to become HC at a smaller school
If Nussmeier became an OC at a school comparable to the UW where he played a more active role in the offense, that could lead to an HC job at a bigger school than he might land at now: Sark and Muschamp went from high profile OC jobs to high profile HC positions.
exactly
Holt isn’t a perfect comp, but I think part of the appeal for him coming here from USC (aside from the raise) was getting out from under Pete Carrol’s shadow and proving himself as a DC that has total control.
Similarly, if a good FBS program came around and offered Nuss an OC job where he was clearly the guy in terms of coordinating AND play-calling on gameday, he might view that as a necessary step on the way to getting consideration as a head coaching candidate.
I'm not sure "play calling" is a natural progression.
Assuming Nuss desires to be a HC someday, why does he have to be a playcaller? HC’s don’t call plays most of the time. They often come from varied backgrounds. What counts is his organization skills, his leadership traits, his track record for developing players (Locker, Price, Polk, Kelemete, ASJ, Kasen) over time and his results while holding the OC title. He may wish to call plays, but I’m not sure it is a necessary next step.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
it's not necessary...
…but it’s a big step. Right or wrong, someone looking at Nuss’ resume will not give him full credit as an OC here at Washington due to the presence of Sark and the fact Sark calls the plays, not Nuss. Play-calling is an important responsibility, and while Nuss may or may not be a guy that, as a head coach, would insist on calling plays, but having done so in the past would help shape others’ perception of him.
Gekko, agree with you on this also.
The most succesful HCs are those with organizational, leadership and development skills. It also helps but not a requisite if they have people skills (see Stoops, Pelini). And of course hard work, which also can lead to early burn out like Meyer.
I think Tedford and Riley are where DJ was in the late 80s, a succesful program that is starting to slip. Can they make the changes necessary to get back on top, or will they be like others who slowly wore out their welcome.
I don’t know anything about Nuss, but I do know few if any will outwork Sark. And Sark is a control freak with great attention to details. Does Nuss want to call plays, or has that been satisfied with his time at Fresno St? Like most Type A personalities, I think he wants his shot at being in charge. I still feel Montana would be a great fit after Pflugrad moves on.
I agree with you that a lot of it is just perception.
But perception is important. No matter how good he might look at those other things you mention, it’s always going to be tough to discern how much of it is him, and how much of it was as a result of Sarkisian’s impact. It just looks too much like he’s an OC in name only right now.
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