In my exile, the burning bush spoke to me....

FullyERicht

Thunderdome
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Feb 5, 2013
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......and spoke to me about what first put Miami on the map. It wasn't "swagger". It wasn't "local recruiting ties", or "understanding South Florida". It wasn't even defense.

It was The Quarterback.

For those too young to know, or too old to remember, this place used to be called "Quarterback U". Kelly, Kosar, Vinny and Walsh one right after the next. Innovative offense meets elite QB play. We used to expect it around here.

But then suddenly Miami fans began to take an odd stance: "all we need is a game manager". It's actually Butch's fault; he built a team that was so insanely talented, including the best O-Line in history, that a big-hearted but physically limited Dorsey was able to guide us to title(s).

Now I bet you expect me to rail on our sophomore QB.....but the burning bush reminded me that we have had a half-dozen highly sought after QB recruits since Dorsey left, and they all experience the same troubling pattern:

Young player shows talent but makes expected rookie mistakes. Rookie mistakes never go away even in 3rd and 4th year. Fans determine player a bust. Rinse and repeat.

Those early years QBs were guided by the likes of Howard Schnellenberger (a Superbowl winning OC), Mark Trestman (a future NFC champion OC, AFC champion OC, and three time CFL Champion HC), and Gary Stevens (who ran the Phins offense for a decade with Marino).

Compare that to the likes of Larry Coker, Patrick Nix, Mark Whipple, and the FSU head recruiter whose name I can't even type he's so bad.

So I ask you what is more likely: Bad luck, or horrendously inadequate coaching at the QB position?

I have my preferences for the next HC, but really, what matters more to me than the specific HC is that we get someone in here that understands that the QB is not only the most important position on the field, but it's the most important position in Miami history. It is much easier to take a talented QB and couple him with an ELITE coach, than it is to hope to field a team of probowlers.

It's time to bring explosive offense back to Miami, and it starts with coaching up the QB.
 
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OP is correct about QB. Must have Miami quality QB. That and our DTs were the difference between us and the rest. Kelly and Vinny were elite. Bernie and Steve had elite brains. All those coaches was important, but you left out the biggest one. Earl Morrall, RIP, was volunteer QB coach for Howard who touched Kelly, Bernie and Vinny. After him, we dropped a notch. Craig, Gino and Ken certainly had plenty of help but I would take any of them back too. Give Miami te right coach, QB and DTs and we are kings again. The rest of the players we need are within short drive on the school by the frigging hundreds. Great olinemen might be a little hard to find, but we won many a NC without great olines.
 
Dorsey was a Heisman candidate and performed better than all of your "elite" QBs. I'll take him every day all day.
 
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I agree and disagree. The Miami teams that have been really successful had on field leaders that could call plays and check down. We don't do that any more. All decisions are made at the sideline. It's like our last few coaching staffs (although this is a trend almost universally in the NCAA) will not entrust their salary in the hands of the players.
 
I agree and disagree. The Miami teams that have been really successful had on field leaders that could call plays and check down. We don't do that any more. All decisions are made at the sideline. It's like our last few coaching staffs (although this is a trend almost universally in the NCAA) will not entrust their salary in the hands of the players.

What exactly do you disagree with? That we need great QB play? Do you think our great QBs just magically knew when and how to check down? Or do you think their truck full of NFL coaches helped developed that skill in them?
 
Herman would make all our QB woes disappear.

Ive only watched one Houston game and that was the game vs UCF but as far as I remember they had a guy who could barely throw a spiral in there at QB.
He turned a WR who wasn't even recruited to play QB but was placed there out of necessity against Memphis and came back from a 20 point deficit to win. He helped win a national championship with a third string QB.

The man can coach an offense and he can definitely coach up QBs.
 
Herman would make all our QB woes disappear.

We don't know that.

He hasn't even been a HC a full year.

Jerry Faust could win in that conference.

Are you really debating if Herman can coach QBs?

I get that you might think he's unproven to be a HC ... But do you really still doubt this guys ability to coach QBs?

No coincidence that the QB play has been rather suspect now that he's gone.
 
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Herman would make all our QB woes disappear.

We don't know that.

He hasn't even been a HC a full year.

Jerry Faust could win in that conference.

Are you really debating if Herman can coach QBs?

I get that you might think he's unproven to be a HC ... But do you really still doubt this guys ability to coach QBs?

No coincidence that the QB play has been rather suspect now that he's gone.

J.Winston did not play as well in 2014 after winning it all in 2103. Did Herman leave their too?

PhuckOuttaHere....LOL
 
Great post, OP. We've been woefully inept coaching offense and QBs here since Pink Erickson departed. He was our last innovative cutting edge offensive football coach.

Look around football these days. Most teams who are getting great QB play are doing so out of spread attacks. Traditional pound it at you in a phone booth teams like Bama and LSU have been struggling badly at the QB position for awhile even with teams loaded with 4 and 5 star talent.

Meanwhile, a guy like Herman is taking 3rd string QBs at both of his last gigs, including one who was recently a WR at Houston and beating people and piling up offense. Even Mike Leach, who catches a lot of heat, always seems able to plug in a QB and not skip a beat offensively. Baylor does the same thing.

This is why I'm so critical of the thought of hiring a conservative defensive minded HC like Davis or Wrong who have always been behind the times running archaic offenses.
 
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