Josh Dooley
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You’re Nuts: Who should Ohio State target for its open running backs coaching position?
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
The Buckeyes are in a need of a new RB coach.
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
Last week, in a stunning turn of events, it was announced that longtime and now-former Ohio State running backsBenedict Tony Alford had chosen to leave Columbus – after the start of spring practice (!) – for a similar position in Ann Arbor... Michigan. Wow. Of all places.
It has been rumored that Alford switched allegiances for a few years of guaranteed employment and a small raise, despite already being one of the highest paid RB coaches in college football. And while guaranteed money sounds like something everyone should or would jump at, we’re talking about a man who has/had received overtures from other programs basically every offseason since he joined the Buckeyes’ staff under Urban Meyer. Football wasn’t kicking him to the curb anytime soon.
Even if Alford had performed poorly at OSU this year and was subsequently fired by Ryan Day, he would have been inundated with new offers. Probably from several programs with stable coaching situations and less... uhh... “sanctiony stuff” going on. Then again, I’m sure all will be fine up north. It’s not like two alums just left Wolverines’ football program for dead and/or ran their basketball program into the ground. Good luck, Mr. Alford.
But seriously, what the hell, man!? I get that Alford may have been on the chopping block in Columbus, but this coulda, woulda, shoulda been his redemption season! He was gifted TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins and Dallan Hayden — all of whom could have chosen to play elsewhere in 2024. Even I could get production out of that trio. Which means that Alford probably could have helped coach them to a 3,000-yard (combined) season.
I just don’t get it. I really don’t. Which is fine, because Alford’s decision wasn’t mine to make. As a person, I hope that he finds happiness and/or whatever it is he might be looking for. But strictly as a football coach and a rival, I hope that he gets his teeth kicked in regularly.
With that out of my system, it is time to look toward the future. Ohio State is now in semi-desperate need of a RB coach. I say “semi-desperate” because of Alford’s poor timing... Which seemed intentional if I’m being honest. Ryan Day, Chip Kelly, and others can help fill the void for a few practices or a few weeks, but doing so in March is less than ideal. And while finding a proven position coach would not typically be an issue for OSU, the timing makes this particular search a little more complicated.
To aid in said search, Gene and I decided to share our ideal candidates. We are convinced that Ryan Day and Ross Bjork will listen, and frankly, we think we have some great ideas. So without further ado...
My top choice for the job is yet another Ohio native and former OSU position coach. He is also a current head coach, which would just be sort of weird at this point, right? Nothing but former Buckeyes and poached HCs? But hear me out. The coach I am referring to is none other than Stan Drayton.
Currently the HC at Temple, Drayton probably wouldn’t mind a change of scenery. Temple just isn’t a great program, and things aren’t likely to improve anytime soon. Not because of Drayton but rather because of NIL, super conferences, and the whole deal. Hell, I wouldn’t be shocked if the Owls don’t even have an FBS football program in 5-10 years. So the timing might be right.
But make no mistake, Drayton knows ball. And he can both coach the heck out of the RB position and recruit. Just look at his three roles prior to landing at Temple: He helped recruit and develop Ezekiel Elliott at Ohio State, winning a national championship in the process. He coached Jordan Howard as a rookie with the Chicago Bears, when the latter rushed for 1,300 yards... You (reading) don’t even remember Jordan Howard! And finally, while at Texas, Drayton stole Bijan Robinson from OSU and helped him become a unanimous All-American and Doak Walker Award winner.
Drayton has everything you’re looking for in a RB coach and a recruiter, and he understands The Rivalry. He also came up under Urban Meyer. So there is an indirect link to Ryan Day, potentially making this an even better/easier hire.
Eddie George ain’t walking through the doors of The Woody, folks. At least not anytime soon. Drayton is both qualified and attainable, and he’s got some Scarlet and Gray blood already in him. Just make the call, Coach Day. Make Ohio State RB recruiting great again!
I’m going to cheat a little bit and pick two candidates for my portion — one of which I think is pretty unlikely, and another that is probably more doable.
In my opinion, the top overall candidate on the board should be Alabama’s Robert Gillespie. A running backs coach in the Power 5 since 2006, Gillespie made stops at South Carolina, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina before landing at Alabama under Nick Saban. With Kalen DeBoer now at the helm, the former Washington head coach made a strong move to try and keep Gillespie in town by adding ‘assistant head coach’ to his job title, which makes him a bit tougher to pry out of Tuscaloosa.
While it may be a tough ask to lure him away from the Crimson Tide, it is certainly worth a try. In three recruiting cycles with Alabama, Gillespie has landed five composite five-star prospects, four of which he served as the primary recruiter — including 2023 five-star running back Justice Haynes, whom he directly beat out Ohio State for. While the tailback is obviously his bread and butter, his recruiting chops aren’t limited to just his position group, as he was also listed as the primary recruiter for 2023 five-star edge rusher Keon Keeley.
Gillespie doesn’t have any real ties to Ohio State, but he also doesn’t have any allegiance to DeBoer just yet either. Either way, in Gillespie you know you are getting a guy who would be a force on the recruiting trail in addition to understanding the pressures of working in a job that demands near-perfection year in and year out. It’s likely a long shot, but Ryan Day should at least make the call to Gillespie to gauge his interest.
My second candidate, and likely a more attainable one, is Notre Dame’s Deland McCullough. If that last name sounds familiar to you, it’s because Ohio State once held a commitment from his son, Dasan McCullough, before he ultimately flipped to play for his father at Indiana.
The elder McCullough has been coaching running backs at both the Power 5 and NFL level since 2011, beginning his tenure at the position with Indiana for five years before a one-year stint at USC and a three-year gig with the Kansas City Chiefs. McCullough returned to college football with the Hoosiers again in 2021, and has spent the last two seasons at Notre Dame,
McCullough checks a lot of boxes, having strong Midwest ties having been born in Pittsburgh, playing his college football at Miami (Ohio), and spending his lone NFL season with the Cincinnati Bengals, in addition to his work at Indiana, Notre Dame and in the NFL. He also likely has a prior relationship with Day and other members of the Ohio State staff from their time recruiting his son.
As a recruiter, McCullough helped land a top-100 player in RB Jeremiyah Love in 2023 as well as the No. 4 RB in the country in 2024 in Kedren Young out of Texas. On the field, the Fighting Irish ranked No. 13 in the country in yards per attempt rushing the football this past season, and running back Audric Estime is now viewed as one of the top players at the position in the 2024 NFL Draft.
There are a number of ways Ohio State can go to fill its void at running backs coach. At the end of the day, the Buckeyes and Ross Bjork have not been scared to throw some money around to improve the program, as evidenced by their hiring of Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator. Day should have virtually his pick of the litter, and I don't think there is any reason for concern that the next hire won’t be up to the standard.
Continue reading...
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
The Buckeyes are in a need of a new RB coach.
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
This week’s topic: Who should Ohio State target for its open running backs coaching position?
Josh’s Take
Last week, in a stunning turn of events, it was announced that longtime and now-former Ohio State running backs
It has been rumored that Alford switched allegiances for a few years of guaranteed employment and a small raise, despite already being one of the highest paid RB coaches in college football. And while guaranteed money sounds like something everyone should or would jump at, we’re talking about a man who has/had received overtures from other programs basically every offseason since he joined the Buckeyes’ staff under Urban Meyer. Football wasn’t kicking him to the curb anytime soon.
Even if Alford had performed poorly at OSU this year and was subsequently fired by Ryan Day, he would have been inundated with new offers. Probably from several programs with stable coaching situations and less... uhh... “sanctiony stuff” going on. Then again, I’m sure all will be fine up north. It’s not like two alums just left Wolverines’ football program for dead and/or ran their basketball program into the ground. Good luck, Mr. Alford.
But seriously, what the hell, man!? I get that Alford may have been on the chopping block in Columbus, but this coulda, woulda, shoulda been his redemption season! He was gifted TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins and Dallan Hayden — all of whom could have chosen to play elsewhere in 2024. Even I could get production out of that trio. Which means that Alford probably could have helped coach them to a 3,000-yard (combined) season.
I just don’t get it. I really don’t. Which is fine, because Alford’s decision wasn’t mine to make. As a person, I hope that he finds happiness and/or whatever it is he might be looking for. But strictly as a football coach and a rival, I hope that he gets his teeth kicked in regularly.
With that out of my system, it is time to look toward the future. Ohio State is now in semi-desperate need of a RB coach. I say “semi-desperate” because of Alford’s poor timing... Which seemed intentional if I’m being honest. Ryan Day, Chip Kelly, and others can help fill the void for a few practices or a few weeks, but doing so in March is less than ideal. And while finding a proven position coach would not typically be an issue for OSU, the timing makes this particular search a little more complicated.
To aid in said search, Gene and I decided to share our ideal candidates. We are convinced that Ryan Day and Ross Bjork will listen, and frankly, we think we have some great ideas. So without further ado...
My top choice for the job is yet another Ohio native and former OSU position coach. He is also a current head coach, which would just be sort of weird at this point, right? Nothing but former Buckeyes and poached HCs? But hear me out. The coach I am referring to is none other than Stan Drayton.
Currently the HC at Temple, Drayton probably wouldn’t mind a change of scenery. Temple just isn’t a great program, and things aren’t likely to improve anytime soon. Not because of Drayton but rather because of NIL, super conferences, and the whole deal. Hell, I wouldn’t be shocked if the Owls don’t even have an FBS football program in 5-10 years. So the timing might be right.
But make no mistake, Drayton knows ball. And he can both coach the heck out of the RB position and recruit. Just look at his three roles prior to landing at Temple: He helped recruit and develop Ezekiel Elliott at Ohio State, winning a national championship in the process. He coached Jordan Howard as a rookie with the Chicago Bears, when the latter rushed for 1,300 yards... You (reading) don’t even remember Jordan Howard! And finally, while at Texas, Drayton stole Bijan Robinson from OSU and helped him become a unanimous All-American and Doak Walker Award winner.
Drayton has everything you’re looking for in a RB coach and a recruiter, and he understands The Rivalry. He also came up under Urban Meyer. So there is an indirect link to Ryan Day, potentially making this an even better/easier hire.
Eddie George ain’t walking through the doors of The Woody, folks. At least not anytime soon. Drayton is both qualified and attainable, and he’s got some Scarlet and Gray blood already in him. Just make the call, Coach Day. Make Ohio State RB recruiting great again!
Gene’s Take
I’m going to cheat a little bit and pick two candidates for my portion — one of which I think is pretty unlikely, and another that is probably more doable.
In my opinion, the top overall candidate on the board should be Alabama’s Robert Gillespie. A running backs coach in the Power 5 since 2006, Gillespie made stops at South Carolina, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina before landing at Alabama under Nick Saban. With Kalen DeBoer now at the helm, the former Washington head coach made a strong move to try and keep Gillespie in town by adding ‘assistant head coach’ to his job title, which makes him a bit tougher to pry out of Tuscaloosa.
While it may be a tough ask to lure him away from the Crimson Tide, it is certainly worth a try. In three recruiting cycles with Alabama, Gillespie has landed five composite five-star prospects, four of which he served as the primary recruiter — including 2023 five-star running back Justice Haynes, whom he directly beat out Ohio State for. While the tailback is obviously his bread and butter, his recruiting chops aren’t limited to just his position group, as he was also listed as the primary recruiter for 2023 five-star edge rusher Keon Keeley.
Gillespie doesn’t have any real ties to Ohio State, but he also doesn’t have any allegiance to DeBoer just yet either. Either way, in Gillespie you know you are getting a guy who would be a force on the recruiting trail in addition to understanding the pressures of working in a job that demands near-perfection year in and year out. It’s likely a long shot, but Ryan Day should at least make the call to Gillespie to gauge his interest.
My second candidate, and likely a more attainable one, is Notre Dame’s Deland McCullough. If that last name sounds familiar to you, it’s because Ohio State once held a commitment from his son, Dasan McCullough, before he ultimately flipped to play for his father at Indiana.
The elder McCullough has been coaching running backs at both the Power 5 and NFL level since 2011, beginning his tenure at the position with Indiana for five years before a one-year stint at USC and a three-year gig with the Kansas City Chiefs. McCullough returned to college football with the Hoosiers again in 2021, and has spent the last two seasons at Notre Dame,
McCullough checks a lot of boxes, having strong Midwest ties having been born in Pittsburgh, playing his college football at Miami (Ohio), and spending his lone NFL season with the Cincinnati Bengals, in addition to his work at Indiana, Notre Dame and in the NFL. He also likely has a prior relationship with Day and other members of the Ohio State staff from their time recruiting his son.
As a recruiter, McCullough helped land a top-100 player in RB Jeremiyah Love in 2023 as well as the No. 4 RB in the country in 2024 in Kedren Young out of Texas. On the field, the Fighting Irish ranked No. 13 in the country in yards per attempt rushing the football this past season, and running back Audric Estime is now viewed as one of the top players at the position in the 2024 NFL Draft.
There are a number of ways Ohio State can go to fill its void at running backs coach. At the end of the day, the Buckeyes and Ross Bjork have not been scared to throw some money around to improve the program, as evidenced by their hiring of Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator. Day should have virtually his pick of the litter, and I don't think there is any reason for concern that the next hire won’t be up to the standard.
Continue reading...