Strong hires Sanford as offensive coordinator
Though he is in Gainesville, FL, through the new year helping the Florida Gators prepare for the 2010 Sugar Bowl in what will be his last game as the team’s defensive coordinator, new Louisville Cardinals head coach Charlie Strong has made a big splash hiring. On Tuesday, Strong tabbed former UNLV Rebels head coach Mike Sanford as his offensive coordinator.
Sanford, who was Florida head coach Urban Meyer’s offensive coordinator with the Utah Utes from 2003-04, helped lead that team to back-to-back Mountain West Conference Championships and a victory over the Pittsburgh Panthers in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl. Under Sanford, quarterback Alex Smith won MWC Player of the Year, was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.
Hiring Sanford lends credence to the belief that Strong wishes to feature an offense similar to that of the Gators’ in recent years. Now all the first-time head coach must do is recruit the talent needed to fill the necessary roles.
The No. 1 Florida Gators averaged 28 points per game against Southeastern Conference regular season opponents in 2009, yet one of the hottest topics surrounding the team going into its final few games is its offensive struggles and need to open up the playbook. Much has been made of the drop-off in scoring (UF averaged 45 PPG in the same eight games in 2008), and critics are mostly attributing it to the playcalling and preparation provided by offensive coordinator Steve Addazio (compared to that of Dan Mullen) as well as the loss of wide receivers Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy to the NFL. Couple that with Tebow’s struggles and inconsistency from the offensive line, and you have the crux of the issue at hand.
