BleedGopher
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this from the Pioneer Press:
http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_14407889?nclick_check=1
Q&A with Gophers offensive coordinator Jeff Horton
U's new coordinator eager to start
By Marcus R. Fuller
Updated: 02/15/2010 11:50:17 PM CST
Jeff Horton has been the University of Minnesota's offensive coordinator for only a few weeks, but he already has a solid idea about the system in place and how he can help the two quarterbacks who will battle for the starting job in the spring.
Horton, hired away from the Detroit Lions to replace Jedd Fisch, joined the Gophers after coaching quarterbacks in the NFL for one season. Fisch left after one year to coach quarterbacks with the Seattle Seahawks.
Horton began his coaching career with the Gophers as a graduate assistant under Lou Holtz in 1984 and was Wisconsin's quarterbacks coach from 1999-2005, where he helped develop Jim Sorgi, Brooks Bollinger and John Stocco.
In an interview with the Pioneer Press, Horton addressed how to turn around three-year starting quarterback Adam Weber, how to help possible successor MarQueis Gray and how to fix one of the nation's worst offenses.
Q: With you, the players will have had three offensive coordinators in four seasons. You won't leave in one year to go back to the NFL like Fisch, will you?
A: No question, I have to earn the players' trust that I'm not just a guy passing through town. This is where I want to be. I had a great situation in Detroit working under (offensive coordinator) Scott Linehan. Coaching the No. 1 pick in the draft (quarterback Matthew Stafford) was a plus. But when this opportunity came up, I really wanted it. I was excited about it. This is a great city and program. I would like nothing more than to be here for a long time. My career has been pretty good that way. I'm not a move guy. My wife and I would like to settle down here.
Q: Weber had a rough season in 2009, and he was blamed for a lot of the offense's problems. How do you repair his confidence?
A: I think one of my strengths is developing trust with my quarterbacks. He has to believe in me. I have to believe in him. My personality is even-keeled. I think that goes hand in hand with the position.
It's a tough position to play because you have a lot of highs and lows during the game. Yet a quarterback has to remain steady to give you a chance to win. You can't have him playing up and down. I have to build up his confidence and work on the things he does well. I want to build around those things and work on the areas he needs to improve. I want to rebuild him up to be the type of quarterback that I really believe he can be.
The first two years I saw him play, he was solid. It's going to be great working with him and MarQueis, watching them go at it. It's going to be a good position for us. We just need to have success, because that builds confidence more than anything.
Q: You mention Gray. How are you building up his confidence after he had a costly fumble at the end of the loss to Iowa State in the Insight Bowl?
A: Just in the short time I've been around MarQueis, I've seen what a great personality he has. He's always smiling and upbeat. He has to move on. Our offense is our package. Both guys have to be able to run what we do effectively.
That's what I'm going to push in the spring, that both guys get that feeling and understand that. No matter what the call, both guys have to be able to make something successful out of it. The great ones find a way to come back from (adversity). If he gets that opportunity again, he'll make a play. If you dwell on it, then something bad is going to happen.
Q: Would you possibly go with a two-quarterback system?
A: Usually, I like for The Guy to be The Guy. You never know if the situation dictates different things or results. But I've always firmly believed in having one quarterback. We rotated Brooks Bollinger and Jim Sorgi one year when I was at Wisconsin with mixed results, I think. I don't want to tie myself down. We haven't even been on the field yet. We have to work through the spring and see what we got.
Q: Do you think Weber has the edge over Gray, because he has more experience?
A: Obviously, Weber has started three years, and he's coming into his senior year. MarQueis did play (as a freshman). But during the course of the spring, I will give them both every opportunity with reps and things to show what they can do.
I hope it's a difficult decision, because that means I have two good quarterbacks. I've always said that, wherever I've been. I don't care who is out there as long as they give us a good chance to win. Preferably, it's whomever we put out there. I've always taken pride with the second-team guy going in or the third-team guy going in and being able to execute to help us win.
Q: Tim Brewster came in wanting to run the spread, but he went away from it last season with poor results. Did you understand why he changed to the pro style?
A: The biggest thing to me for the offensive unit is that I want us to be a physical team that can run the football. I really think it starts and ends there.
In October and November, in bad-weather games, we have to run the ball to win. I think that sets a tone and attitude of who you are and what you're all about. That's what I've been raised on. That's what we're going to try to do this spring, teach those things. We might get stuffed a ton, but we're going to eventually keep pounding away until we can run the football. That's going to help us in so many more areas.
Go Gophers!!
http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_14407889?nclick_check=1
Q&A with Gophers offensive coordinator Jeff Horton
U's new coordinator eager to start
By Marcus R. Fuller
Updated: 02/15/2010 11:50:17 PM CST
Jeff Horton has been the University of Minnesota's offensive coordinator for only a few weeks, but he already has a solid idea about the system in place and how he can help the two quarterbacks who will battle for the starting job in the spring.
Horton, hired away from the Detroit Lions to replace Jedd Fisch, joined the Gophers after coaching quarterbacks in the NFL for one season. Fisch left after one year to coach quarterbacks with the Seattle Seahawks.
Horton began his coaching career with the Gophers as a graduate assistant under Lou Holtz in 1984 and was Wisconsin's quarterbacks coach from 1999-2005, where he helped develop Jim Sorgi, Brooks Bollinger and John Stocco.
In an interview with the Pioneer Press, Horton addressed how to turn around three-year starting quarterback Adam Weber, how to help possible successor MarQueis Gray and how to fix one of the nation's worst offenses.
Q: With you, the players will have had three offensive coordinators in four seasons. You won't leave in one year to go back to the NFL like Fisch, will you?
A: No question, I have to earn the players' trust that I'm not just a guy passing through town. This is where I want to be. I had a great situation in Detroit working under (offensive coordinator) Scott Linehan. Coaching the No. 1 pick in the draft (quarterback Matthew Stafford) was a plus. But when this opportunity came up, I really wanted it. I was excited about it. This is a great city and program. I would like nothing more than to be here for a long time. My career has been pretty good that way. I'm not a move guy. My wife and I would like to settle down here.
Q: Weber had a rough season in 2009, and he was blamed for a lot of the offense's problems. How do you repair his confidence?
A: I think one of my strengths is developing trust with my quarterbacks. He has to believe in me. I have to believe in him. My personality is even-keeled. I think that goes hand in hand with the position.
It's a tough position to play because you have a lot of highs and lows during the game. Yet a quarterback has to remain steady to give you a chance to win. You can't have him playing up and down. I have to build up his confidence and work on the things he does well. I want to build around those things and work on the areas he needs to improve. I want to rebuild him up to be the type of quarterback that I really believe he can be.
The first two years I saw him play, he was solid. It's going to be great working with him and MarQueis, watching them go at it. It's going to be a good position for us. We just need to have success, because that builds confidence more than anything.
Q: You mention Gray. How are you building up his confidence after he had a costly fumble at the end of the loss to Iowa State in the Insight Bowl?
A: Just in the short time I've been around MarQueis, I've seen what a great personality he has. He's always smiling and upbeat. He has to move on. Our offense is our package. Both guys have to be able to run what we do effectively.
That's what I'm going to push in the spring, that both guys get that feeling and understand that. No matter what the call, both guys have to be able to make something successful out of it. The great ones find a way to come back from (adversity). If he gets that opportunity again, he'll make a play. If you dwell on it, then something bad is going to happen.
Q: Would you possibly go with a two-quarterback system?
A: Usually, I like for The Guy to be The Guy. You never know if the situation dictates different things or results. But I've always firmly believed in having one quarterback. We rotated Brooks Bollinger and Jim Sorgi one year when I was at Wisconsin with mixed results, I think. I don't want to tie myself down. We haven't even been on the field yet. We have to work through the spring and see what we got.
Q: Do you think Weber has the edge over Gray, because he has more experience?
A: Obviously, Weber has started three years, and he's coming into his senior year. MarQueis did play (as a freshman). But during the course of the spring, I will give them both every opportunity with reps and things to show what they can do.
I hope it's a difficult decision, because that means I have two good quarterbacks. I've always said that, wherever I've been. I don't care who is out there as long as they give us a good chance to win. Preferably, it's whomever we put out there. I've always taken pride with the second-team guy going in or the third-team guy going in and being able to execute to help us win.
Q: Tim Brewster came in wanting to run the spread, but he went away from it last season with poor results. Did you understand why he changed to the pro style?
A: The biggest thing to me for the offensive unit is that I want us to be a physical team that can run the football. I really think it starts and ends there.
In October and November, in bad-weather games, we have to run the ball to win. I think that sets a tone and attitude of who you are and what you're all about. That's what I've been raised on. That's what we're going to try to do this spring, teach those things. We might get stuffed a ton, but we're going to eventually keep pounding away until we can run the football. That's going to help us in so many more areas.
Go Gophers!!