Reports: USF hires Clemson OC Jeff Scott
ESPN/CBS and the Twitterverse all reporting that USF is hiring Clemson’s Co-OC Jeff Scott.
The reason I am posting this is because there was some speculation that Willie Taggart was in line for this job.
I am hoping if Taggart does not get another HC job that he joins the UM staff in some capacity. I think he’d be a great addition and certainly wouldn’t hurt in recruiting.
Also, this is the first time Clemson has a lost an assistant in I think 4 years which is crazy.
December 9th, 2019 at 11:20 AM ^
Noice. He good. I can live with seeing less of Clemson in playoffs.
Wouldn't that be nice. See you Bama, see you Clemson. Bring on NIL.
December 9th, 2019 at 11:23 AM ^
That truly might be addition by subtraction with Clemson. I know that's crazy to say since they're undefeated, but I think Clemson got into kind of a rut. Sometimes it's good to switch things up a little bit. It just seems to me that Clemson is getting by with pure talent, not because of any kind of schematic advantage. It's kind of like Alabama when Alabama was just lining up Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, etc. at running back and beating everyone to death with huge linemen, power running, and ho-hum QBs.
Clemson is of course taking a different path, and there's no need to make stuff up when you have Trevor Lawrence, Justyn Ross, Travis Etienne, etc., but some fresh blood might be good for them.
December 9th, 2019 at 11:49 AM ^
I don't agree with this. Clemson getting by because of their pure talent is true in the ACC, but not once they get to the playoffs. The teams they've been beating have recruited better than them almost universally according to 247's team talent composite. They only really started recruiting above a Harbaugh level very recently, and those players aren't upperclassmen yet. When Clemson won their first title (with Scott as OC) it was because their offense was executed extremely well with Harbaugh-like recruiting classes.
Scott was promoted to OC in 2015, which was the year they lost a shootout with Bama. Here were the results after that:
2015: Lost a shootout in the NC (#13 in team talent composite vs #1)
2016: Won a shootout in the NC (#9 in the team talent composite vs #1)
2017: Lost in the Sugar Bowl (#9 in the team talent composite)
2018: Won a blowout in the NC (#6 in the team talent composite vs #1)
2019: ? (#9 in the team talent composite)
December 9th, 2019 at 12:12 PM ^
I agree with this. Clemson is basically the model in terms of getting to the top tier (playoffs, ncg) on the back of really good but not elite recruiting.
Whenever someone claims we'll never be in that top tier without several top 5 recruiting classes, I think of Clemson.
They did it. We can do it.
Cheers.
December 9th, 2019 at 12:47 PM ^
That's not what I'm saying, and you still might disagree. Clemson got to/near the top by being innovative, as well as getting/developing some talent. I don't think any school is better at developing wide receivers.
I'm saying right now in 2019, they're not being innovative on offense. They're not very versatile at the quarterback position. They're running a tried-and-true offense, with very few surprises. But they're good enough at it to still steamroll people.
I think Jeff Scott is very good at running what Clemson runs. I just don't see evidence that there's an evolution schematically.
December 9th, 2019 at 1:43 PM ^
I can see that, but I think some of that is probably just the fact that they're pasting boring opponents every week. Michigan is often pretty vanilla against bad opponents (IE: the QB running game is off the table). Last season their offense shredded top-10 SP+ defenses in consecutive weeks in the playoffs, so I'm not sure how much they really needed to make a change.
December 9th, 2019 at 2:09 PM ^
They're probably purposely putting together boring gameplans for ACC opponents due to the sheer talent disparity between Clemson and the rest of the ACC. Unlike SEC teams, Clemson has the luxury of dominating its conference with a vanilla offense while reserving a large chunk of the playbook for the postseason.
December 9th, 2019 at 11:24 AM ^
What would Taggart come in as? His specialty is RB and I don’t see Michigan getting rid of Jay for Taggart. If he joins the staff, it would probably be in an analyst role until he gets another job somewhere else.
December 9th, 2019 at 11:27 AM ^
If you can replace Jay with Taggart you absolutely have to do it. He is more proven better at every single facet of that job.
December 9th, 2019 at 12:14 PM ^
Taggert would be an analyst during a short stay. He's not going from HC at FSU and Oregon to RB coach. Not unless he has a 2-3 more failures along the way.
December 9th, 2019 at 1:16 PM ^
That is fine and you are right it is unlikely, but if he would take it you should give it to him was my point.
December 9th, 2019 at 11:30 AM ^
Maybe Jay moves to another position...I don't think he's a lifer as a RB coach.
December 9th, 2019 at 11:35 AM ^
Eh. Everyone wanted to give Chad Morris all the credit for Clemson's offense when they first made that big leap up into contender and look how that turned out when he was on his own without Dabo. The offense is Dabo's baby at Clemson. I dunno how much losing that guy is gonna matter, or how great a job he'll do at USF.
I think Willie ends up at Old Dominion as their next coach. It sounds like it's down to him or Shane Beamer for that one.
I wonder if Stanford comes open with Shaw going to the NFL if they'd look at Willie. He was on Harbaugh's staff there and that's a weird job that may not be super attractive to a lot of folks. Him getting another P5 job this soon is dicey but Stanford is liable to want someone with a tie back to Harbaugh above all else.
December 9th, 2019 at 2:01 PM ^
Taggart and Shaw are diametrically opposed to each other as offensive coaches. Shaw runs a power run heavy offense with a pro passing attack baked in. Taggart wants to run more of a wide open spread. Stanford doesn't have the personnel for that. But they are still in better shape as a program and talent-wise than FSU was when Taggart tried to do the same thing. I just don't know if it makes sense?
December 9th, 2019 at 6:07 PM ^
Taggart at Western and his first few years at USF were straight up Stanford. He ditched it at USF because he figured out USF couldn't recruit big linemen.
Shaw's offenses have gotten more spread-y in recent years too, so I'm not sure there's a huge difference there.
December 9th, 2019 at 11:38 AM ^
Am I missing something on Willie, 56-62 as a Head Coach, does he have a specialty? I mean, thats Hoke numbers.
December 9th, 2019 at 11:46 AM ^
Regardless of head coaching record, Hoke is still a pretty good defensive line coach.
December 9th, 2019 at 11:58 AM ^
Western Kentucky was 0-12 the year before he took over. Went 2-10, 7-5 and 7-6 with them.
South Florida was 3-9 the year before he took over. Went 2-10, 4-8, 8-5 and 11-2 with them.
Oregon was 4-8 the year before he took over. Went 7-6.
FSU was 7-5 and he went 5-7 and 4-5.
FSU was the only school that didn't improve after he got there. His record is sub .500, but every job he took over sans Oregon was in really dismal shape.
December 9th, 2019 at 12:09 PM ^
USF, WKU and FSU were terrible when he got there, and were total rebuilds. One of those three programs was delusional about how bad their team was before he got hired, and that's the one that fired him so they could hire a less proven carbon copy of him. His overall win-loss record doesn't speak to his acumen as a coach and recruiter.
The roster he eventually built at USF was insanely good, highest ranked roster in 24/7 history for a non-BCS/Power 5 school.
December 9th, 2019 at 11:42 AM ^
Remember when Clemsoning was a thing and no one thought that they would get over the hump?
December 9th, 2019 at 11:52 AM ^
Why not Brent Venables? I thought he was the next Saban
December 9th, 2019 at 12:10 PM ^
He makes 2 million a year, only has to worry about his defense and Dabo gets guys home to their families before 9pm. He's not leaving Clemson for anything less than a really top end job.
December 9th, 2019 at 1:02 PM ^
Probably staying for a few years to coach his son. Frosh LB and has legit skills to start at CU (unlike Dabo’s son whose play is 100% nepotism).
December 9th, 2019 at 11:53 AM ^
Michael's brother.
December 9th, 2019 at 12:05 PM ^
Once again, OSU falling ass-backwards into luck. The one time in 4 years there won't be continuity at Clemson happens right before OSU gets their rematch after the previous beat-down.
December 9th, 2019 at 12:32 PM ^
After the rape job Taggart gave Oregon I doubt any school in the PAC will be interested. Besides Oregon is the winner in that mugging. They have a better coach and better record than Taggart has ever had in the many head coaching jobs he has failed at.
December 9th, 2019 at 2:04 PM ^
This take is stunningly light on facts, yet overtly heavy on animus...
December 9th, 2019 at 12:39 PM ^
So Clemson assistant coaches don't leave for other jobs.