01-18-2011, 03:49 PM
Stockstill won't call plays
As MTSU head football coach Rick Stockstill sifts through his pool of offensive coordinator candidates, he said he will not consider calling plays himself.
Stockstill served as offensive coordinator at Bethune-Cookman (1983-84), Clemson (1994-95, co-coordinator) and East Carolina (2003), but he said he will hire someone for that spot at MTSU and step away.
It will be MTSU's fourth offensive coordinator in four years.
"I don't want to do it," said Stockstill of play-calling duties. "I try to hire people and give them a responsibility to do it. That's the way I've always done it. I don't want to micromanage anything. I don't think it would be fair to do that right now.
"I've been on staffs when the head coach has (called plays). To me, it's hard to make it work."
Stockstill's last three offensive coordinators left for other jobs in consecutive years. G.A. Mangus became the South Carolina quarterbacks coach after the 2008 season. His replacement, Tony Franklin, stayed at MTSU one season and then accepted the offensive coordinator position at Louisiana Tech. Mike Schultz was hired by Stockstill a year ago, but he stayed one season and left to join Dennis Franchione's staff at Texas State.
MTSU has vacancies at both coordinator positions. Current cornerbacks coach/special teams coordinator Steve Ellis appears to be the front-runner for defensive coordinator. MTSU also posted a job opening for a defensive assistant, likely to fill Ellis' spot once he's promoted.
Both coordinator openings close Thursday, and the defensive assistant opening closes Friday. Stockstill said he will extend the searches if needed.
Stockstill said he had no regrets of how he conducted last year's searches, which ended with the hiring of Schultz and Randall McCray (defensive coordinator), who was fired last week. Stockstill said the late timing of Franklin's departure after signing day a year ago was a factor in finding his replacement.
"I thought I did a good job of taking my time and finding the right guy," Stockstill said. "Last year the timing of it on offense was a little bit more difficult because of when Tony left (on Feb. 10) compared to when (defensive coordinator Manny Diaz) left (Jan. 15).
As MTSU head football coach Rick Stockstill sifts through his pool of offensive coordinator candidates, he said he will not consider calling plays himself.
Stockstill served as offensive coordinator at Bethune-Cookman (1983-84), Clemson (1994-95, co-coordinator) and East Carolina (2003), but he said he will hire someone for that spot at MTSU and step away.
It will be MTSU's fourth offensive coordinator in four years.
"I don't want to do it," said Stockstill of play-calling duties. "I try to hire people and give them a responsibility to do it. That's the way I've always done it. I don't want to micromanage anything. I don't think it would be fair to do that right now.
"I've been on staffs when the head coach has (called plays). To me, it's hard to make it work."
Stockstill's last three offensive coordinators left for other jobs in consecutive years. G.A. Mangus became the South Carolina quarterbacks coach after the 2008 season. His replacement, Tony Franklin, stayed at MTSU one season and then accepted the offensive coordinator position at Louisiana Tech. Mike Schultz was hired by Stockstill a year ago, but he stayed one season and left to join Dennis Franchione's staff at Texas State.
MTSU has vacancies at both coordinator positions. Current cornerbacks coach/special teams coordinator Steve Ellis appears to be the front-runner for defensive coordinator. MTSU also posted a job opening for a defensive assistant, likely to fill Ellis' spot once he's promoted.
Both coordinator openings close Thursday, and the defensive assistant opening closes Friday. Stockstill said he will extend the searches if needed.
Stockstill said he had no regrets of how he conducted last year's searches, which ended with the hiring of Schultz and Randall McCray (defensive coordinator), who was fired last week. Stockstill said the late timing of Franklin's departure after signing day a year ago was a factor in finding his replacement.
"I thought I did a good job of taking my time and finding the right guy," Stockstill said. "Last year the timing of it on offense was a little bit more difficult because of when Tony left (on Feb. 10) compared to when (defensive coordinator Manny Diaz) left (Jan. 15).
(2 of 2)
"But for both of them, I thought I did a thorough job of evaluating everybody that was out there. But to say I learned something to do or not to do, I wouldn't say that."
Schultz was also MTSU's quarterbacks coach, but Stockstill said he will not necessarily give those duties to the new coordinator.
"I've got flexibility (on this staff)," Stockstill said. "So we'll see."
Stockstill said he does not want to change MTSU's offensive and defensive philosophies, but instead expand on them.
Offensively, a definite change will come under a new quarterback. Departing senior Dwight Dasher, who started the last two seasons, will be replaced by either Logan Kilgore or Jeff Murphy — who are both good passers but not the big-play running threats like Dasher.
"The basic parameters of (the offense) won't change. I still want to be up-tempo and as fast as we can, but we can't rely on the quarterback runs as much," Stockstill said. "I still want to run the quarterback, but instead of running him 20 times a game he's going to run it eight to 10 times a game."
Regardless of MTSU's next offensive coordinator, the passing game should open up vertically, especially if the strong-armed Kilgore is the trigger man.
In only three starts, Kilgore tossed two of MTSU's three longest TD passes of the season — a 62-yarder to Malcolm Beyah against Louisiana-Lafayette and a 52-yarder to Beyah versus Memphis.
"We did some things differently this year than last year, and we'll do some things differently (in 2011) than (2010)," Stockstill said. "A lot of it is personnel because we're going to have a different type quarterback than we had the last couple years.
"I know I want a fast tempo. At times this year, we were fast tempo but at other times we weren't. But I want to continue to be an up-tempo team, and we'll do a few other things differently."
As MTSU head football coach Rick Stockstill sifts through his pool of offensive coordinator candidates, he said he will not consider calling plays himself.
Stockstill served as offensive coordinator at Bethune-Cookman (1983-84), Clemson (1994-95, co-coordinator) and East Carolina (2003), but he said he will hire someone for that spot at MTSU and step away.
It will be MTSU's fourth offensive coordinator in four years.
"I don't want to do it," said Stockstill of play-calling duties. "I try to hire people and give them a responsibility to do it. That's the way I've always done it. I don't want to micromanage anything. I don't think it would be fair to do that right now.
"I've been on staffs when the head coach has (called plays). To me, it's hard to make it work."
Stockstill's last three offensive coordinators left for other jobs in consecutive years. G.A. Mangus became the South Carolina quarterbacks coach after the 2008 season. His replacement, Tony Franklin, stayed at MTSU one season and then accepted the offensive coordinator position at Louisiana Tech. Mike Schultz was hired by Stockstill a year ago, but he stayed one season and left to join Dennis Franchione's staff at Texas State.
MTSU has vacancies at both coordinator positions. Current cornerbacks coach/special teams coordinator Steve Ellis appears to be the front-runner for defensive coordinator. MTSU also posted a job opening for a defensive assistant, likely to fill Ellis' spot once he's promoted.
Both coordinator openings close Thursday, and the defensive assistant opening closes Friday. Stockstill said he will extend the searches if needed.
Stockstill said he had no regrets of how he conducted last year's searches, which ended with the hiring of Schultz and Randall McCray (defensive coordinator), who was fired last week. Stockstill said the late timing of Franklin's departure after signing day a year ago was a factor in finding his replacement.
"I thought I did a good job of taking my time and finding the right guy," Stockstill said. "Last year the timing of it on offense was a little bit more difficult because of when Tony left (on Feb. 10) compared to when (defensive coordinator Manny Diaz) left (Jan. 15).
As MTSU head football coach Rick Stockstill sifts through his pool of offensive coordinator candidates, he said he will not consider calling plays himself.
Stockstill served as offensive coordinator at Bethune-Cookman (1983-84), Clemson (1994-95, co-coordinator) and East Carolina (2003), but he said he will hire someone for that spot at MTSU and step away.
It will be MTSU's fourth offensive coordinator in four years.
"I don't want to do it," said Stockstill of play-calling duties. "I try to hire people and give them a responsibility to do it. That's the way I've always done it. I don't want to micromanage anything. I don't think it would be fair to do that right now.
"I've been on staffs when the head coach has (called plays). To me, it's hard to make it work."
Stockstill's last three offensive coordinators left for other jobs in consecutive years. G.A. Mangus became the South Carolina quarterbacks coach after the 2008 season. His replacement, Tony Franklin, stayed at MTSU one season and then accepted the offensive coordinator position at Louisiana Tech. Mike Schultz was hired by Stockstill a year ago, but he stayed one season and left to join Dennis Franchione's staff at Texas State.
MTSU has vacancies at both coordinator positions. Current cornerbacks coach/special teams coordinator Steve Ellis appears to be the front-runner for defensive coordinator. MTSU also posted a job opening for a defensive assistant, likely to fill Ellis' spot once he's promoted.
Both coordinator openings close Thursday, and the defensive assistant opening closes Friday. Stockstill said he will extend the searches if needed.
Stockstill said he had no regrets of how he conducted last year's searches, which ended with the hiring of Schultz and Randall McCray (defensive coordinator), who was fired last week. Stockstill said the late timing of Franklin's departure after signing day a year ago was a factor in finding his replacement.
"I thought I did a good job of taking my time and finding the right guy," Stockstill said. "Last year the timing of it on offense was a little bit more difficult because of when Tony left (on Feb. 10) compared to when (defensive coordinator Manny Diaz) left (Jan. 15).
(2 of 2)
"But for both of them, I thought I did a thorough job of evaluating everybody that was out there. But to say I learned something to do or not to do, I wouldn't say that."
Schultz was also MTSU's quarterbacks coach, but Stockstill said he will not necessarily give those duties to the new coordinator.
"I've got flexibility (on this staff)," Stockstill said. "So we'll see."
Stockstill said he does not want to change MTSU's offensive and defensive philosophies, but instead expand on them.
Offensively, a definite change will come under a new quarterback. Departing senior Dwight Dasher, who started the last two seasons, will be replaced by either Logan Kilgore or Jeff Murphy — who are both good passers but not the big-play running threats like Dasher.
"The basic parameters of (the offense) won't change. I still want to be up-tempo and as fast as we can, but we can't rely on the quarterback runs as much," Stockstill said. "I still want to run the quarterback, but instead of running him 20 times a game he's going to run it eight to 10 times a game."
Regardless of MTSU's next offensive coordinator, the passing game should open up vertically, especially if the strong-armed Kilgore is the trigger man.
In only three starts, Kilgore tossed two of MTSU's three longest TD passes of the season — a 62-yarder to Malcolm Beyah against Louisiana-Lafayette and a 52-yarder to Beyah versus Memphis.
"We did some things differently this year than last year, and we'll do some things differently (in 2011) than (2010)," Stockstill said. "A lot of it is personnel because we're going to have a different type quarterback than we had the last couple years.
"I know I want a fast tempo. At times this year, we were fast tempo but at other times we weren't. But I want to continue to be an up-tempo team, and we'll do a few other things differently."