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Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Why Doman hire is great for BYU

Brandon Doman is BYU'S OC. Was this the best choice for BYU?

Like his predecessor, Doman has been a polarizing figure. In anticipation of his hiring, bloggers, commentators, and message boarders have been split on the prospect of the young coach taking over the reigns of the offense. Nay-sayers say he's too young and inexperienced and cite rumors that he favors Riley Nelson over Jake Heaps. Band wagoners point to Bronco's praise for Doman and cite rumors that Doman is a hot commodity in the coaching market.

Big Bro's thoughts: While Doman's experience is minimal, his upside is demonstrable. As QB coach he proved his worth as a coach. He churned out two NFL players in Max Hall and John Beck, both of whom displayed great play-making and leadership ability. He played a huge role in BYU's ability to land Heaps, the top quarterback blue chip in the nation, and Heaps has been vocal about his love for Doman.

But the best reason why Doman is a great pick for OC is his commitment to BYU and its mission. One of the biggest reasons for Bronco's success has been his ability to embrace BYU's culture and history and use it to his advantage. It started with bringing back a modern version of the old logo and has recently been evidenced by his players lifting him on their shoulders after a 7-6 season. His signature "Band Of Brothers" tee-shirt sells like hotcakes. He has earned the respect of fans, players, writers, recruits, and boosters. Doman has bought into his scheme, and I think it will be a symbiotic relationship that can flourish for years to come.

Perhaps Doman's youth can be an asset. As BYU blazes the independence trail, a new OC who could be there for a long time (a la Norm Chow) could be valuable. Hiring from within means the learning curve of losing your OC will be minimal.

So, nay-sayers beware. Like Bronco said, Doman was probably the best QB coach in the country, and if he is nearly as good of a OC, the offense could be dangerous next year. Combined with Bronco's signature defense and bring young stars like Heaps, Hoffman, Van Noy, and Quezada, and the next few years could be special.

4 comments:

  1. IF he was the "best QB coach in the country", why move him to OC?

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  2. Most lower-level assistant coaches are looking to move up. QB coach is the ideal training ground for a future OC because it deals so intimately with the offensive scheme. As in any business, if you don't give your quality employees upward mobility, then they will find it elsewhere.

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  3. "He churned out two NFL draft picks in Max Hall and John Beck..."

    Actually, Max Hall was an undrafted free agent, but I get what you are trying to convey: Doman has coached two guys who are collecting NFL paychecks.

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  4. Thanks for the correction. I forgot that detail. I'll edit it now.

    ReplyDelete