Is Kyle hard to work for if you are a coordinator?

[Utah]

2005 – Ludwig and Gary Andersen
2006 – Ludwig and Andersen
2007 – Ludwig and Gary
2008 – Ludwig and Gary
2009 – Schramm and Sitake
2010 – Schramm/Roderick and Sitake
2011 – Chow and Sitake
2012 – Brian Johnson and Sitake
2013 – BJ/Erickson and Sitake
2014 – Christensen and Sitake
2015 – ARod/Harding and Pease
2016 – Arod/Harding and Scalley
2017 – Taylor and Scalley
2018 – Taylor and Scalley

One thing is clear: if you are a DC, working for Kyle is AMAZING. Andersen left for a HC job, and Sitake left for OSU, but was hired after one year as a HC. Had Sitake stayed like Kyle wanted him to, he would have left Utah for BYU’s job. And Scalley’s next job will be a HC job.

So, at least half the coaches do not leave with a bad taste in their mouths.

Let’s look at the offensive side of the ball:

Ludwig was fired. Schramm quit because he didn’t want to share time with ARod. Chow left to be a HC. BJ wasn’t ready, Erickson asked to do less due to not wanting to work as hard. He stayed on as a coach. Christensen was a mistake. ARod wasn’t a good coach. Taylor went home for a TON of security.

So, Kyle has had 10 OC’s. Two left for “better” jobs. Chow for a head coaching job, Taylor to go back home and get 8 years guaranteed salary (and I put Taylor as a better job because he quit his Cal job to go coach high school football. The dude is wired differently).

Fired OC’s: Ludwig, BJ, Arod. That is three were fired for not doing their job well enough.

Wanted out for one reason or another: Schramm and Erickson, for opposite reasons. Erickson was done working that hard and Schramm was p**sed for having a co-OC (why the hell did Whitt want ARod to succeed so badly?).

Still at Utah: Harding.

WTF just happened coaches: Christensen.

So, out of the 9 OC’s Whitt has had, how many left because Whitt was “hard” to work with?

Ludwig? No, he was let go. He would still be there if Whitt didn’t fire him.
Schramm? Sure, let’s count this. He quit because he was p**sed Whitt promoted ARod.
ARod? No, dude would come back to Utah in a heartbeat if Whitt would have him.
Chow? No, he left for a better job.
BJ? No…I think there are still some…difficult…feelings there, but BJ was fired. He didn’t leave because Whitt was hard to work with and would still be here if Whitt hadn’t fired him.
Erickson? Nope, he asked to do less and stayed on staff after he was “demoted”.
Christensen? Sure, why the hell not. Who knows what this was.
Harding? Nope. He is still on staff.
Taylor? Twist it however you want, but this is a coach that wanted to control everything, got the chance to control everything, do it at home and for at least 8 years.

So, out of his 9 coaches, two left because of things Whitt did: Schramm and DC and even DC…is a stretch to put the blame 100% on Whitt.

So, out of 9 coaches ONE directly left because of things Whitt did.

So…another myth surrounding Utah football that is much more un-connected, un-factual ideas that sound sexy and sell ads on the radio and allow BYU fans to feel like Utah somehow sucks.

Don’t buy into that crap.

[BulgieUte]

I don’t feel like Whit’s OC history is a problem so I’m not going to make the effort to research but I am curious how it compares to other programs assistant coaching changes over a comparable amount of years to Whit’s history.

 

[Utah]

I’d wonder that as well. Alabama has a new OC every year. 

BYU went through Anae, Doman, Anae, Detmer, Grimes in a short period. 

I think Whitt’s problem has been a talent issue. And I think that issues is getting a lot better. It’s funny how the first year all our WR’s would play at other schools is the first year our offense became average. Weird. 

[Utahute72]

I thought the comments on the firing of a well respected Offensive coordinator in Minnesota this year. The head coach wanted a more run oriented offense but the offensive coordinator realized that wasn’t the way you got noticed for a head coaching position, so he tended to call a more pass oriented offense. This progressed to the point where he was let go in season. At Utah Kyle wanted a more run oriented offense, but the OC didn’t quit he adapted to the point where Whitt felt comfortable having him call plays for the bowl game.

So my answer would be no. Head coaches want a specific set of goals out of the offense and Kyle’s pretty clear, Score points, don’t turn the ball over and control the clock. He’s willing to take any design that will get him what he needs to be successful. That said it’s the responsibility of the offensive coordinator to maximize his talent and sometimes the head coach has to point that out to the other coaches.

[EagleMountainUte]

How the hell as a head coach do you stay happy with the mistakes made offensively?  Predictable play calling, terrible in the RedZone, necessity of Riverboat Kyle, third down percentages terrible and on and on. 

I could imagine it being difficult. You just have to score 27-30 and Whitt’s system gives you a win. 

[jamarcus24]

Ludwig was fired?  I thought he left to take a job at Kansas State.

[EagleMountainUte]

Not retained same thing.

I don’t know for certain why Whitt has issues offensively. I do believe @Utah is most correct because it is the most obvious explanation. 

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