WANTED: Creativity and toughness.
Utah football coach Ron McBride says those are priorities for the new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach he'll hire by Christmas to replace Tommy Lee.
McBride says he has some people in mind for the position but had not contacted anyone as of Thursday afternoon. That was when he met with his staff, players and the media to talk about how he would shake up a 4-7 team that came nowhere near preseason predictions of a second straight Mountain West Conference championship.
"I just want to see a creative offense utilizing all your talent . . . and I want to see some real toughness in the offense," said McBride about the kind of offensive coordinator he's seeking. "I'm looking for a good leader, a guy who has some creative ideas and for a guy that will improve our situation."
As part of the fallout of an unproductive offense and kicking game, Lee resigned Thursday along with special teams/running backs coach Sean McNabb, who has spent the past 24 years on the hill working for four Ute coaches. Both were given the option of taking new responsibilities and remaining on the Ute staff, McBride said, and both chose to leave.
Lee spent six years with the U., the past three as offensive coordinator and QB coach. McBride said as soon as word gets out that Lee is available, he will get job offers. "His phone will ring off the hook," said McBride, who defended his friend's coaching and said he is well respected by the football community. "It wasn't all Tommy's fault," he said of an offense considered drab by fans. Execution on the field limited what the offense could attempt.
"I always have felt very strongly about Tommy. I'm a big believer in him, but things didn't work at this point, and we had to make a change," McBride said.
McNabb, special teams coach since 1977, will remain on the staff until June 30 in an administrative role. "I would have created something for Sean," said McBride, who has known him for 30 years and still hopes to find a way to keep him on staff in some capacity.
Missed scoring kicks hurt Utah the past few years. And, in hindsight, McBride said Utah should have encouraged tailback Adam Tate to complete his junior college degree earlier so he would have arrived on campus in time to take part in two-a-day fall practices. He arrived a week before the first game. Tate, and to a lesser extent Dameon Hunter, another JC transfer, took several games to adjust to blocking schemes. With an injured offensive line, that was critical to the whole offense.
McBride pondered his changes for some time. "You've got to know that Sean McNabb and Tommy Lee are two of my favorite people," he said. "It's very difficult, but you've got to make decisions. What you've got to do is what's going to be best for your football team, and what's going to give you your best chance to succeed — and I intend to succeed."
McBride's son-in-law, John Baxter, is an innovative special teams coach for Fresno State. However, McBride said, "We probably couldn't afford John Baxter." Baxter coaches only special teams and is recruiting coordinator for the Bulldogs.
Asked specifically about them by the media, McBride said he would consider former Weber State and Utah State coach Dave Arslanian and former Alabama quarterbacks coach and BYU product Charlie Stubbs, but he has a list of candidates. There's a "dead" period in recruiting around Christmas, and McBride plans to have his staff in place by then.
Thursday's changes also include moving graduate assistant Lee Leslie, the former Hillcrest High head coach, to running backs coach. McBride said he also might consider hiring someone to help coach the offensive line.
McBride began the staff shake-up by firing linebackers coach Fred Whittingham Monday. McBride cites a personality conflict with the former Oakland Raiders defensive coordinator and nine-year NFL playing veteran.
Fred Whittingham's son, Kyle, is the bright, young coordinator of a Ute defense that was first in the Mountain West in total defense, pass defense and scoring defense. Kyle is not certain about his future. But Thursday, he spoke to the Deseret News about Utah's recruiting needs and players he needs to hone for the coming years.
McBride said he understands any Whittingham anger but hopes the younger Whittingham will remain at Utah.
"Wouldn't you be upset if somebody fired your father? Family is thicker than water," McBride said. "Family is first, and everything else is second, so obviously that's a problem. But Kyle is still on board here, and he and I have talked. I would hate to lose Kyle because Kyle is a great coach, and he adds a lot to what we're doing."
E-MAIL: lham@desnews.com