The Offensive Coordinator Candidates

New Maryland Terrapins head football coach DJ Durkin has expressed a desire to be “deliberate” in the process of hiring his staff. He made a splash about one week after his arrival in College Park, hiring four assistant coaches over the course of a few days. However, he has yet to hire one of the most important assistant coaches: an offensive coordinator. Athletic Director Kevin Anderson and President Wallace D. Loh have expressed a strong desire for a spread offensive system, and a defensive-minded head coach like Durkin was likely hired with the expectation of hiring a strong spread-minded offensive coordinator.

While Durkin said that he would like to have an offensive coordinator by the end of this week, it has come and gone without much noise on that front. Let’s take a look at who he might tab as the man to run his offense in 2016.

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Zach Azzanni

Resume: Wide Receivers Coach/Passing Game Coordinator – Tennessee (2015-present)
Wide Receivers Coach/Recruiting Coordinator – Tennessee (2013-2014)
Wide Receivers Coach – Wisconsin (2012)
Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach – Western Kentucky (2011)
Wide Receivers Coach/Passing Game Coordinator – Florida (2010)
Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers Coach – Central Michigan (2007-2009)
Wide Receivers Coach – Bowling Green (2003-2006)
Graduate Assistant – Bowling Green (2001-2002)
Wide Receivers Coach – Valparaiso (1999-2000)
Playing Career: Wide Receiver (Central Michigan)

Azzanni is the candidate who has been linked most frequently to Maryland’s open coordinator position, and for good reason. He has strong connections to Durkin at both Bowling Green and Florida, meaning he has experience coaching under Urban Meyer. He is regarded as a very good wide receivers coach, but is also a relentless recruiter. He was Tennessee’s recruiting coordinator from 2013-2014 and is responsible for such recruits as 4-star WR Marquez North, 4-star WR Josh Malone, 4-star WR Tee Higgins, and 4-star WR Preston Williams. The Volunteers’ 2014 class was ranked as the 7th-best in the country by 247Sports, while their 2015 class was ranked as the 3rd-best. While he was at Florida, he helped out Durkin’s defense by securing the commitment of 4-star CB Marcus Roberson, who is currently playing in the NFL for the St. Louis Rams.

In addition to his recruiting prowess, Azzanni has quality experience as both an offensive coordinator and an assistant head coach. He served as Western Kentucky’s offensive coordinator in 2011 under then-head coach Willie Taggart. He also served as Central Michigan’s assistant head coach from 2007-2009 under then-head coach Butch Jones, who he later re-joined at Tennessee.

Along with this experience, Azzanni would bring the strongly-desired spread offense to College Park with him. Under Butch Jones, the Volunteers run a power-spread offense very similar to the ones run across the country. It’s a spread offense because it’s usually run with 3-4 wide receivers on the field at a time, but it’s a power offense because it’s built on a powerful, between-the-tackles running style. It can accommodate both a pocket passer and a dual-threat at quarterback, but would likely prefer a quarterback who can be a threat with his legs. The passing game is built on West Coast concepts, with most of the throws being of the short to intermediate range. However, it also uses a lot of play-action passes with the opportunity to throw the ball down the field.

Tim Beck

Resume: Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach – Ohio State (2015-present)
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach – Nebraska (2011-2014)
Running Backs Coach – Nebraska (2008-2010)
Wide Receivers Coach/Passing Game Coordinator – Kansas (2007)
Wide Receivers Coach – Kansas (2005-2006)
Offensive Coordinator – Missouri State (1996-1998)
Graduate Assistant – Kansas State (1991-1992)
Outside Linebackers Coach/Punters Coach – Illinois State (1990)
Playing Career: Quarterback (UCF)

Beck is the only other candidate whose name has been linked to Maryland’s coordinator job. He has never crossed paths with Durkin, but has an impressive coaching resume of his own. He currently serves as Ohio State’s co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, with 2015 being his first year with the Buckeyes. All of his collegiate coaching experience comes in the Midwest, and he has a number of years of Big Ten Conference experience. The gaps in his coaching resume come from his extensive time spent as a high school football coach in Texas and Arizona. He is one of the more well-regarded head coaches in high school football history.

Beck is regarded as a decent recruiter, but not an excellent one by any means. 4-star quarterbacks Tommy Armstrong and Johnny Stanton are at the top of his recruiting resume, along with a few other high-ranking recruits. While he is considered to be a talented offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Ohio State’s offense has struggled mightily this season. Towards the beginning of the season, it is rumored that co-offensive coordinator Ed Warriner was more involved with the team’s play-calling, and that it improved once Beck took over more of those duties. However, the team’s offense is still just a shadow of what it was last season under the leadership of Tom Herman, now the young superstar head coach of the Houston Cougars.

Ohio State’s offense can also be called a power-spread for the same reasons as Tennessee’s. However, the Buckeyes emphasize the quarterback more in the running game, and prefer to send him between the tackles while using the running back as a threat around the edge. Meyer has had great success with this system, producing quarterbacks such as Alex Smith, Tim Tebow, and Chris Leak. Off of these runs, the Buckeyes like to stretch the field off of play-action passes.

Jedd Fisch

Resume: Quarterbacks Coach/Wide Receivers Coach/Passing Game Coordinator – Michigan (2015-present)
Offensive Coordinator – Jacksonville Jaguars (2013-2014)
Offensive Coordinator – Miami (FL) (2011-2012)
Quarterbacks Coach – Seattle Seahawks (2010)
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach – Minnesota (2009)
Wide Receivers Coach – Denver Broncos (2008)
Assistant Quarterbacks Coach – Baltimore Ravens (2007)
Assistant Quarterbacks Coach/Wide Receivers Coach – Baltimore Ravens (2005-2006)
Offensive Assistant Coach – Baltimore Ravens (2004)
Assistant to the Head Coach – Houston Texans (2001-2003)
Graduate Assistant – Florida (1999-2000)
Playing Career: None

Fisch’s name has not been specifically linked to Maryland’s open coordinator position, but his experience working with Durkin at Michigan last season likely makes him a candidate. He has an extremely impressive resume, with most of his experience coming at the NFL level. His rise in the ranks is even more impressive when you consider that he never played football at the high school or collegiate level. He got his first job from Florida’s then-head coach Steve Spurrier, whom Fisch bothered relentlessly until he got an interview.

He is known as a light-hearted guy, always keeping things loose in the locker room and on the field. While not having a lot of experience at the collegiate level, he is an excellent recruiter. During his short time at Michigan, he has secured commitments from many high-ranking high school players such as Brandon Peters, Ahmir Mitchell, Zach Gentry, and Brad Hawkins.

Fisch is the only candidate on this list who would not bring a spread offense to College Park with him. He prefers a pro-style system, which is what he has worked with for his entire career. This is what makes him the least likely candidate listed here to end up as Maryland’s offensive coordinator.

Mike Locksley

Resume: Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach – Maryland (2012-present)
Head Coach – New Mexico (2009-2011)
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach – Illinois (2006-2008)
Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach – Illinois (2005)
Running Backs Coach/Recruiting Coordinator – Florida (2003-2004)
Running Backs Coach/Recruiting Coordinator – Maryland (1998-2002)
Running Backs Coach – Maryland (1997)
Wide Receivers Coach/Tight Ends Coach – Army (1996)
Outside Linebackers Coach – Pacific (1995)
Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach – U.S. Naval Preparatory (1994)
Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach – U.S. Naval Preparatory (1993)
Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach – Towson (1992)
Playing Career: Defensive Back (Towson)

Locksley is Maryland’s interim head coach, and has served as the team’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach since 2012. Terrapins fans know what they would be getting if Durkin elected to tab Locksley for the offensive coordinator position: an excellent recruiter, but a sub-par coordinator. While he is regarded as one of the best recruiters in the DMV area, his play-calling has come into strong question during his time at Maryland. As we have mentioned before, Durkin should make every attempt to keep Locksley on his staff, but not in a position where is is the team’s primary play-caller. The two men have been seen recruiting together recently, and a deal seems much more imminent now than it did when Durkin was first hired.