Best Ever--Offensive Coordinator edition

Okay, this one is sure to get interesting!



We're doing this each week to get us through the Spring/Summer doldrums. Monday I'll set the position and let you all submit names for consideration. After a couple of days, I'll take your nominations and create a poll thread to open up the voting as well as a more pointed debate, with a CougarCorner winner being crowned each Sunday evening.



This week we head back to the sidelines to once and for all crown the best Offensive Coordinator BYU has ever had---who do you think is in the conversation for best ever? We'll be naming one, so when the poll is up you'll get one vote.

Norm Chow, the most dynamic BYU offenses were run during his tenure.

Schmoe wrote:
Norm Chow, the most dynamic BYU offenses were run during his tenure.

Plus 1. Hopefully Doman will stick around 25 years and surpass Chow. Titles are fleeting. IDK if Tollner had that title. Holmgren probably did not. Brain Fart - who was the other guy that went to SDSU from BYU. He would be #2 on my list if he had the title.

Roger French or Doug Scovil are a step above Chow IMHO.



Chow got a lot of mileage out of using hand-me-down playbooks from the innovators that went before. I don't think we saw a single new play from Chow from 1989 until his departure.

Schmoe wrote:
Norm Chow, the most dynamic BYU offenses were run during his tenure.

Norm Chow was the Ocoordinator from 96-99. So which one of those offenses was the most dynamic in history? Norm Chow is getting credit for Roger French's offense unfairly. Roger French was the Ocoordinator from 81-95 and IMO is the greatest Ocoordinator up to date that BYU has had.



EDIT: In fact Cougarstats.com lists Roger French and Norm Chow as both Ocoordinators in 96 so I can't even give him full credit for that year. Our offense from 97-99 was horrible, Norm Chow's best work was at schools other then BYU so I guess if you want to say he was the best due to his work at other schools then he would qualify as BYU's greatest.

Doug Scovil, hands down.



He took the BYU offense and created an unstoppable force.

Marc Wilson's great season in 1979, McMahon's unbelieveable season in 1980 are both a direct result of Scovil. When Gifford Nielsen went down with an injury in 1977, Marc Wilson stepped in and the offense didn't skip a beat, even though the offense was tweaked to adapt for Wilson's strengths.



When he was at BYU the offense was the best in the County.



1976

Total Offense: 424.4 yards/game (6th in country)

Passing: 307.8 yards/game (1st)

Points per game: 31.9 (8th)



1977

Total Offense: 470.2 3 (3rd)

Passing: 341.6 (1st)

Points: 39.4 (2nd)



1978 9(Scovil not with team--notice the contrast)

Total Offense: 364.9 (5th in WAC/National ??)

Passing: 238.2 (8th in nation)

Points: 25.3 (National ??)



1979 (Scovil back with BYU)

Total Offense: 521.4 3(1st in nation)

Passing 368.3 (1st)

Points: 40.6 (1st)



1980

Total Offense: 535.0 (1st)

Passing: 409.8 (1st)

Points: 46.7 (1st)

Definately Scovill. He was the brains behind the Offense that put BYU on the football map. We weren't noticed much until he was OC.

vancouvercougar wrote:
Definately Scovill. He was the brains behind the Offense that put BYU on the football map. We weren't noticed much until he was OC.

I think I'd have a dead heat between Scovill and French.



Scovill took the Gillman/Air Croyell WCO from the NFL and made it work in college ball. That's harder work than most people think. You can't just take the NFL WCO playbook and have college players run it. The NFL plays won't work on the college field. The WCO is based on the principles of timing and spacing. Timing doesn't change between the NFL and the NCAA, but spacing does. The college hash marks are 40 ft apart, but in the NFL they are only 18.5 ft apart. Plays that are based on NFL spacing don't work as well with the stronger strong side and weaker weak side of the college field. A play that might have a receiver wide open on the 9th step of his route in the NFL might have the same receiver in double coverage at that point in the college game. In adapting the WCO to college, Scovill basically had to master the principles of the WCO (that timing and spacing) and then create a playbook from scratch.



French took that foundational work from Scovill, and made it great. French's offenses are what people think of when they hear "BYU."



Chow can be in the conversation for QB coach.



Anae deserves a mention (but not any votes), and if we didn't mention him, Vai would write a blog about it and how Anae should start out with 10 votes because he gets bonus Poly points.

I would say scovill, however, if my memory is correct and it may not be, bit wasn't dewey warren the first OC to really go to the air with shide?



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