Does a head coach have enough bandwidth to also call plays on offense? That was a debate Longhorns fans and critics had last winter as Texas faded out of the college football playoffs. But Sark says it’s all he’s ever known.
After flopping at the Swamp in a 29-21 loss to a struggling Florida Gators team, it was suggested Sarkisian give up play-calling. Sarkisian shut down the questions, saying it is why he’s been successful.
“It’s why I got hired,” Sarkisian said last October. “Because I was a really good offensive coordinator. I believe in what we’re able to do. Every year, we have to continually evolve. Some years, we’re going to be better on offense than defense. There’s going to be years we’re better on defense than we are on offense. It’s like, if I’m the best outside sales guy, and I had a start up company, surely, I’m going to go to the sales meetings if I’m trying to sell something, right? So if that’s one of your strengths, I’m always going to tap into the strength that I have.”
The other side of the argument is that the job of coaching college football has gotten so complex with NIL and the transfer portal, a coach can’t adequately put the time into game-planning and play-calling that they used to.
Over the weekend, Sarkisian spoke at the Texas High School Coach’s Association and the topic came up. Sark further explained why he’s not giving up play-calling anytime soon. He believes being the offensive coordinator, in addition to head coach, gives him more of a connection with his players.
“One of the advantages for me, I definitely have a real connection with our players, because I’m in and around them every single day,” Sark told the THSCA. “I’m coaching these guys. I’m installing plays. I’m around them. We’re talking game plans. We’re doing those things. So, I think from a connection standpoint that helps.”
Sark believes there are even more benefits during games, because as the play-caller, he has more control over the pace.
“I think on game day, of trying to manage the game and control the game,” Sark said. “When you want to speed up. Maybe, when you want to slow down. When you go for it on fourth down. When you don’t. The impact that can have on your team if you make it. If you don’t make it. The field position with the defense and things of that nature. So, that’s obviously very helpful.”
But the Texas head coach said there are some drawbacks, especially if you’re too aligned with the offensive side of the ball.
“I think one of the areas where it can be difficult is trusting those guys on defense,” Sarkisian told the group. “Because if I’m trying to make adjustments on the offensive side of the ball between series, its having trust in the defensive coaches that they’ve got a good grasp of what we’re doing. If a time out is needed, why? And what that situation looks like.”
That is the big reason Sark decided to make a change at defensive coordinator. Sarkisian seemed to lose trust in former DC Pete Kwiatkowski. Hiring Will Muschamp, a former high-level defensive coordinator and two-time SEC head coach, gives Sarkisian some peace when the defense is on the field.
“For me, it’s great having Will Muschamp back,” Sarkisian said at the THSCA this weekend. “A guy that’s been a head coach twice in the Southeastern Conference. I think his understanding and his ability to really lead young men in our locker room is big for me. It’s huge for me.”
After Muschamp’s hiring, Sark said he was spending too much time on defense.
“I don’t have to be on the defensive headset every single play of defense,” he said. “I can go talk to Arch. I can be with coach (A.J.) Milwee, coach (Kyle) Flood. … There’s some reasoning behind what we did to help, not only the defensive side of the ball, but actually help us offensively.”
But ultimately, Sark will continue as the primary offensive play-caller because it’s really all he’s ever know.
“This is the only way I know it, I’ve never done it any other way,” he said over the weekend. “I grew up in the profession with a guy that did it that way as well in Pete Carroll, he called the defense. When I went to the Oakland Raiders early in my career and Norv Turner was the head coach, he called the plays.”
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Should a head coach also be play-caller? Texas’ Sarkisian weighs in
Reporting by Trey Luerssen, Longhorns Wire / Longhorns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Trey Luerssen, Longhorns Wire | USA TODAY Network
