Wow: Kirk Ciarrocca Takes OC Job at Rutgers

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Some Day...Maybe said:
Then Fleck isn’t as smart as I think he is. Come help me with “cultural sustainability” but if you leave after one season that’s fine. “I’ll support you”. You think that’s what Fleck is looking for in an OC???
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...... Mike Sanford Jr.

Somehow, I don't think you're appreciating how big of a mess that turned into and how desperate Fleck was to get out from beneath it.
 

Gophers_4life said:
Those trying to hold lack of passing game against Simon:

did you hold very poor defensive play by LB’s in 2018 against Rossi, before Robb Smith was fired and Rossi was hired?
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Rossi was a quality control guy brought in as insurance if Smith continued to falter. Not really comparable. I'm not going to be mad if Simon gets it, he called a good outback bowl, grant it was KC game plan but Simon deserves credit for in game adjustments as well. I think there's pros and cons to promoting him. I imagine the assistant we had who coaches TE and had record breaking offenses as a JUCO HC would get some consideration
 

tjgopher said:
Why would PJ do that? Zero chance. None.
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...... Mike Sanford Jr.

Somehow, I don't think you're appreciating how big of a mess that turned into and how desperate Fleck was to get out from beneath it.
tjgopher said:
KC is now leaving a man (PJ) who gave him an OC job at WMU when KC couldn't get one literally anywhere else
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Says who??
tjgopher said:
then took him back after a total failure at PSU.
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Come now. After one season? He was scapegoated by Franklin, to save his own hide. Anyone can see that
tjgopher said:
And now, KC has chosen to go to work for a man (Schiano) who fired him in 2010 at the very same program that still has very little upside.
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This is correct.

Either you believe Schiano is off his rocker, or, perhaps, it's possible that Kirk C has improved since the 2010 season when Rutgers offense ranked 114th out of 120 FBS teams (at that time)?

He was also "co-OC" with Kyle Flood, for those two seasons.
tjgopher said:
And, doing it all just a few weeks after agreeing to a three-year extension at Minnesota for about $1m per year.
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This is the biggest part where I agree with you.

Bad timing.


Obviously, if KC had known that Schiano was interested in having him back to Rutgers, then he never would've agreed to the extension in the first place.
 


CoachBrewMotivator said:
Matt Simon seems like the obvious choice.

If I can fall down the rabbit hole and suggest an external candidate, Kansas OC Andy Kotelnicki comes to mind. Probably hard to poach him for the same position here, but with what we've seen these last few days, I guess anything is possible.

From Litchfield Minnesota, has Minnesota roots, so maybe that would entice a return home.
Arrived at Kansas in 2021 along with Lance Leipold. Kansas offensive ypg has improved from 260 in 2020 (before his arrival) to 440 ypg this past year, and 6th in offensive yards per play.

Athan isn't quite the athlete that Jalon Daniels is, but Kotelnicki runs a lot of read option and RPO that heavily utilizes slant routes, something that's been pretty successful here.
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I know nothing about him but you sold me. I'd be good with him.

Something about going to a program that is traditionally poor to very poor and improving it to the point that they are respectable.
 


Dupreefor3 said:
Rossi was a quality control guy brought in as insurance if Smith continued to falter. Not really comparable. I'm not going to be mad if Simon gets it, he called a good outback bowl, grant it was KC game plan but Simon deserves credit for in game adjustments as well. I think there's pros and cons to promoting him. I imagine the assistant we had who coaches TE and had record breaking offenses as a JUCO HC would get some consideration
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Rossi was brought in as QC in 2017, the first year that Fleck was here with Robb Smith as DC.

https://gophersports.com/sports/football/coaches/2017

I don't think there was every any inkling by Fleck to bring him in as a back-up OC emergency plan. I think Schiano said "hey, you should grab Rossi, really like him, needs a job".


Then our first DL coach (Paup?) left and they gave that job to Rossi. Then Smith imploded and they named Rossi interim, and the defense immediately got better. Step change, night and day. He earned the DC.


If you have a link to back the idea that Rossi was brought in specifically to be a DC option if Smith didn't do well, then please share.
 

Another thing, along the lines that supposedly the OC must also be the QB coach.

Kirk C coached WR's from 1992 - 2008, including his first year at Rutgers. He then switched to coaching QB's and being (co-)OC at Rutgers 2009-2010.


Therefore, Simon can do exactly the same.


It's not like Kirk ever played QB in his life. Probably can't hit the broad side of a barn with a football. That probably doesn't matter much, to be honest, in what a QB coach does in high-level football.

They could always bring in a former QB as a grad assistant or something like that, hell maybe Tanner?? If you wanted someone to evaluate and help with actual throwing mechanics, drills, etc?
 



Stuff said:
I hope pj brings in someone new for OC. Simon was the co-oc during the 2021 season. 2021 was not elite
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he was also co-oc for the 2022 season as well. but much like Hayes as co-dc. it was on paper only. neither of those two had much to do with actual in game play calling
 


What loyal gem, PJ takes him back after Penn State kicked him out and he leaves again! Good riddance!
 

Full Speed Ahead said:
Me, looking at Joe Rossi

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I'm guessing Rossi has had no shortage of offers the past two years. It probably would need to be the right offer. If I had a family with young kids that fit well in the community, it would be hard to participate in the gypsy lifestyle that awaits most coaches.
 



JHC. Between the coaching carousel and portal drama I am sick of this.

Bring on Jerry Kill and his original staff.
 

Ok so I’ve been through the several pages here and obviously Simon is a candidate at least to fans here but not entirely sure PJ has him as a candidate at this point. I’m open to him getting it but would prefer to take the best candidate available so who do we think are other legit candidates for OC and what are the pros and cons of them?
 



The Big coaches are a bunch of vultures picking away at the Gophers carcass! doesn't anybody else in the country have good coaches? Will Shiano and PJ still be showering each other with praise? Good riddance for the second time!
 


CentralGopher said:
Ok so I’ve been through the several pages here and obviously Simon is a candidate at least to fans here but not entirely sure PJ has him as a candidate at this point. I’m open to him getting it but would prefer to take the best candidate available so who do we think are other legit candidates for OC and what are the pros and cons of them?
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Burns had a tweet when Ciarrocca came back in 2021 that it was likely short term and for more grooming of Simon. Was that to be this year, next or the next we will never know. Might as well be now if Simon is the guy.
 

Gopher Ally said:
The Big coaches are a bunch of vultures picking away at the Gophers carcass! doesn't anybody else in the country have good coaches? Will Shiano and PJ still be showering each other with praise? Good riddance for the second time!
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Here's the thing. Fleck has a really small tree to fall back on. He coached for Kill, Schiano, and Tressel. He ascended to HC quickly. (Grad Assistant to HC in 7 years) Guys go for the $$ and connections. Every guy that has left has gotten a promotion, raise, or had a history with the coach they went to work for. Not a one of them had any tie to the University of MN.
 

CentralGopher said:
Ok so I’ve been through the several pages here and obviously Simon is a candidate at least to fans here but not entirely sure PJ has him as a candidate at this point. I’m open to him getting it but would prefer to take the best candidate available so who do we think are other legit candidates for OC and what are the pros and cons of them?
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Great question.

If there were obvious names, I think people would've already listed them.

So, I think that's your answer, on that ...
 

MaxyJR1 said:
Here's the thing. Fleck has a really small tree to fall back on. He coached for Kill, Schiano, and Tressel. He ascended to HC quickly. (Grad Assistant to HC in 7 years) Guys go for the $$ and connections. Every guy that has left has gotten a promotion, raise, or had a history with the coach they went to work for. Not a one of them had any tie to the University of MN.
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Maybe we're seeing the same damn thing that makes recruiting here tough for guys who didn't grow up in this region: it's far away from home and cold.

For a lot of such people, the idea is: you come here to get a leg up and be able to move somewhere else in a better position than when you started. 🤷‍♂️
 

MaxyJR1 said:
Here's the thing. Fleck has a really small tree to fall back on. He coached for Kill, Schiano, and Tressel. He ascended to HC quickly. (Grad Assistant to HC in 7 years) Guys go for the $$ and connections. Every guy that has left has gotten a promotion, raise, or had a history with the coach they went to work for. Not a one of them had any tie to the University of MN.
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I get it, but Kirk had a history with PJ at Western Michigan too. You think he would be more loyal to PJ after he took him back
 

MaxyJR1 said:
Burns had a tweet when Ciarrocca came back in 2021 that it was likely short term and for more grooming of Simon. Was that to be this year, next or the next we will never know. Might as well be now if Simon is the guy.
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I didn't see this and it would be cool to see that Tweet if anyone still has it. Thanks for bringing this up!
 


Gophers_4life said:
Great question.

If there were obvious names, I think people would've already listed them.

So, I think that's your answer, on that ...
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Lol “since nobody blindly speculates clearly there are no options”
-gophers4life
 



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