It's not as much 'fun' as we had last season, nor will it be as entertaining as what NIU, Kent, Ball State, Temple, and even Miami are going through this season but it's time to talk about the Buffalo Assistant Coaching hunt 2010.
I've vented enough about what is in my opinion the ill advised firing of Juan Taylor. Coach Quinn is trying to build his team with his people and I am a pseudo editorialist who gets enough money out of this site to take my kids to Perkins a two or three times a month. At the end of the day Quinn will be held accountable for how this team does while I can hope that a lack of accountability and short memories free me from any ill will should *I* be wrong.
I've done some running around looking but so far there is no indication at who Quinn might tap to replace Forest and Taylor. Not a peep from those close to the program and in the middle of this years MAC revolving door non of the 'rumor sites' have any mention of UB.
Either Quinn knows who he wants but is waiting until they finish their season (Bowls or FCS Playoffs) or he is starting from scratch.
Normally the practice is to have your Offensive coordinator to double as the 'quarterbacks coach'. I have seen it done other ways but nine times out of ten that's how it works. That's how it worked under Gill, that's who it worked under Quinn, but that is not how it worked under Brian Kelly at Cincinnati. There the OC (Quinn) doubled as the offensive line coach.
Should anyone in the Amherst football offices read this please consider that maybe UB should have a coach responsible only for the QB's going forward. With two position coaches to fill (Wide Receivers and Quarterbacks) and one huge role to fill (Offensive Coordinator) it might be best that the new OC have some extensive experience coaching wide receivers so that the other hire can focus on the stable of young, promising, but ultimately under-performing QB's at UB.
Combine that with a requirement that any new hires are well versed in the spread offense and the list starts to thin a bit. Off the top of my head(ish) here are some names, a Bull Run Short List:
For Quarterbacks Coach:
Brad Glenn: Appalachian State's Quarterbacks Coach
"Glenn has served a wide range of roles on the staff since his arrival in 2005, including a season as tight ends coach (2005) and three mentoring slot receivers (2006-08) before taking over the quarterbacks position in 2009." -- App State Athletics
App State has been running the spread forever and they do it well. They are located in a swath of territory that UB would do well to maintain some recruiting presence in and knows what its like to win. As a team, Appalachian ranked among the nation's top 20 squads in passing, passing efficiency, scoring and total offense during Glenn’s first season as quarterbacks coach.
It might not be a 'big splash' hire but that's not nearly as important for an assistant coach as a head coach (even then its importance is debatable).The only real obstacle is that Appy runs a spread option versus the air it out style that Quinn wants to implement.
Zak Hill: Eastern Washington Quarterbacks Coach
In 2009, he coached record-breaking senior quarterback Matt Nichols, who finished fourth in the voting for the Payton Award given to the top player in FCS, and was also the Big Sky’s Offensive Player of the Year for the second time in his career. Nichols earned prestigious first team NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-America honors from the American Football Coaches Association, as well as three other All-America honors. -- EW Athletics
A bit young and way off geographically but he has bounced around quite a bit. So perhaps he is looking to move up to 'the next level'. He also has some experience as an offensive coordinator and himself was a QB back when he played.
The Eagles run a fast paced (no huddle) air attack spread offense. So while the geography and experience may be a bit less desirable than Glenn the system he has worked in matches what Quinn wants to do almost to the letter.
Shannon Dawson: Stephen F. Austin Offensive Coordinator
SFA led the league averaging 345.8 passing yards per game and was the league's most productive offense in the red zone. Moses led NCAA Division I FCS in touchdown passes and points responsible for, was second nationally in passing yards, and finished third in total offense. -- SFA Athletics
Dawson is probably near the top of my list because, despite the fact that his offense is closer to the Run and Gun to the Quinn's spread the guy, as a coordinator, has done a phenomenal job in a much shorter time frame than many thought possible.
He also has some time spent in Texas which, as a coach, is never a bad thing. during his seven-year college coaching career he has made stops at Wingate, Southeastern Louisiana, New Mexico State and Millsaps College, where he served as the offensive coordinator for two seasons.