PJ Targeting Ciarrocca for Return as OC?

I predict they won’t announce in now until game day to catch WVU off guard. Similar to how Fleck approaches player availability.
 


As the co-offensive coordinator, does this mean Simon is taking a demotion???
 


Contracts and paperwork take time. Probably don't want to make an announcement until all the details are finalized.
Maybe. I mean, they announce heads coaches in 3 minutes though. It's odd this has run into 8 days with early signing day coming up. I get he's not as important as the HC, but some offensive players very much may care who the coach is and what their style is.

It's getting weird.
 



This is probably hold up. Maybe Ciarrocca has some ethics and is figuring out how to depart team Gophers are matched up against. Won’t get paid if walks before contract up.
 

This is probably hold up. Maybe Ciarrocca has some ethics and is figuring out how to depart team Gophers are matched up against. Won’t get paid if walks before contract up.
Yeah this is a weird situation.
 

Starting to feel like more and more he's not coming. You would think if he really wanted to be here and it was just a papers hold up or something, it would be done by now.
 



So are we assuming Simon is THEE OC (solo) for this game? From game planning to play calling. Simon will implement the plan? We will get the truest sense of how he’d be as an OC in this game? Since Ciarocca had already implemented the plan for Auburn and Simon called the plays. Of course he’ll be somewhat limited by it being the offense the team has been practicing for 2 years under Sanford? Or do the begin the change back to Ciarocca immediately? Or will it be a combination?
 


So are we assuming Simon is THEE OC (solo) for this game? From game planning to play calling. Simon will implement the plan? We will get the truest sense of how he’d be as an OC in this game?
Not to be argumentative but I would argue there is infinitely more to being a successful OC than what kind of game plan you can put together in a month against a middling 6-6 team from the Big 12
 

I listened to a bit of the latest Gopher Gridiron Pod this morning and Burns says it's 100% Ciarocca as the new OC even if pen isn't to paper yet. Burns said he'll be recruiting this week, in fact, but thinks it's near 0% he calls plays for the bowl game. Might help design the gameplan and feed WV info to the defensive staff, but that's about it. So yeah, I think we can all rest assured KC will be calling the plays come spring.
 



I listened to a bit of the latest Gopher Gridiron Pod this morning and Burns says it's 100% Ciarocca as the new OC even if pen isn't to paper yet. Burns said he'll be recruiting this week, in fact, but thinks it's near 0% he calls plays for the bowl game. Might help design the gameplan and feed WV info to the defensive staff, but that's about it. So yeah, I think we can all rest assured KC will be calling the plays come spring.
I sure hope so. The Gophers need to get the Offense rocking and rolling again.

Maybe he and PJ Fleck have arranged a work-from-home strategy for him when he doesn't have to be at the Athletic Village with generous access to air transportation.

If they are empty-nesters, maybe he and Mrs. Ciarrocca have considered relocating.
 


STrib today:

As of early Sunday evening, Kirk Ciarrocca was a senior offensive analyst for the West Virginia football team.

Also as of early Sunday evening, Ciarrocca was Gophers coach P.J. Fleck's target to return to Minnesota to fill the vacant offensive coordinator's job.

And by the way, West Virginia and the Gophers on Sunday accepted bids to play in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Dec. 28 in Phoenix, a turn of events that made for interesting news conferences with each head coach.

"It's a unique situation,'' Mountaineers coach Neal Brown responded when asked if Ciarrocca will be part of the West Virginia staff through the bowl game. "We're going to kind of work through that. This is maybe a first in my career. … We'll figure it out here in the next day or so.''

Fleck sees a resolution coming soon.

"We're working our way towards making a hire here very shortly,'' he said. "We've made a decision, but I'll keep that internal right now. Our staff knows what we're going to do and how we're going to do it. … I really like our plan as we move forward.''

Mike Sanford Jr. was the Gophers co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the past two seasons, taking over for Ciarrocca, who left for Penn State following the 2019 regular season. After the Gophers struggled in the passing game this season, Fleck let Sanford go.

"I just felt like we needed a change on offense,'' Fleck said. "Mike is a tremendous person and a wonderful football coach. I just felt like we needed a new direction and leadership in that position.''

Fleck and Brown both have worked under Ciarrocca and have supervised him, too. Fleck was wide receivers coach at Rutgers in 2010, when Ciarrocca was the Scarlet Knights' offensive coordinator, then hired him to be his offensive coordinator at both Western Michigan and Minnesota. Brown was wide receivers coach at Delaware in 2005 when Ciarrocca was offensive coordinator.
 

By the way, guess which position group WV's current OC coaches?

Wide Recievers!!!


OMG!!!! THE HORROR!!!! NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! :ROFLMAO:
 

By the way, guess which position group WV's current OC coaches?

Wide Recievers!!!


OMG!!!! THE HORROR!!!! NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! :ROFLMAO:
What does this have to do with anything? We aren't hiring their OC and it doesn't look like Simon will be the OC here.
 


Right but how is that relevant to KC who is NOT their OC? This is just MPLS spouting off his lame talking points that have zero value or validity.
 

Listened to the new episode of "Gopher Gridiron Radio" podcast. One of the hosts went through the situation, and said Kirk C is a done deal. In fact, the host said Kirk "is recruiting for MN this week." discussed how much input he may have into game-planning for the WVU game - mainly helping the defense prepare for the WVU offense.
 

Listened to the new episode of "Gopher Gridiron Radio" podcast. One of the hosts went through the situation, and said Kirk C is a done deal. In fact, the host said Kirk "is recruiting for MN this week." discussed how much input he may have into game-planning for the WVU game - mainly helping the defense prepare for the WVU offense.
He is recruiting for them… that’s even weirder…
 

Listened to the new episode of "Gopher Gridiron Radio" podcast. One of the hosts went through the situation, and said Kirk C is a done deal. In fact, the host said Kirk "is recruiting for MN this week." discussed how much input he may have into game-planning for the WVU game - mainly helping the defense prepare for the WVU offense.
Gotta believe that a scenario like this has not happened many times where you are going to hire a coach from the team you got paired up with in a bowl game.

I mean this is a massive advantage for us even in KC isn't doing much with our offense leading up to the game. He can spend the time with Rossi telling him everything he needs to know about the WVU offense and the personnel they have on that side of the ball. He is going to know the best ways to attack it and where the weak points are. No doubt Rossi could figure that stuff out on his own but having someone from the inside just makes his job that much easier.
 

Trying to think what the situation must be.

I wonder if there is some buy-out language both sides are trying to negotiate through for an earlier release.
 

Home market is nuts and tight. Could be quibbling around how the relocation itself gets handled.
 

Could be them negotiating a 1 month non compete
 








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