[terry]

Mike Bloomgren has become Stanford's offensive coordinator. He retains his job as the OL coach. Mike Sanford moves from coaching RBs to coaching QBs and WRs. So we now have an official WR coach. David Shaw apparently will work with Sanford on the passing game, according to the press release. Tavita Pritchard is the new RB coach.

http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-footb...13aab.html

[terry]

Mike Bloomgren has become Stanford's offensive coordinator. He retains his job as the OL coach. Mike Sanford moves from coaching RBs to coaching QBs and WRs. So we now have an official WR coach. David Shaw apparently will work with Sanford on the passing game, according to the press release. Tavita Pritchard is the new RB coach.

http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-footb...13aab.html

[washingtonismoney]

I believe the term is "Andrew Luck Director of Offense."

Hopefully Bloomgren does a better job replacing the first Andrew Luck DOO than the quarterback replacement thing worked out (or else we'll find out who the Kevin Hogan DOO is.)

[washingtonismoney]

I believe the term is "Andrew Luck Director of Offense."

Hopefully Bloomgren does a better job replacing the first Andrew Luck DOO than the quarterback replacement thing worked out (or else we'll find out who the Kevin Hogan DOO is.)

[stanfan]

Classy move by Shaw to take the pressure off Bloomgren on the passing game which is the biggest question mark for next year.

[stanfan]

Classy move by Shaw to take the pressure off Bloomgren on the passing game which is the biggest question mark for next year.

[Hurlburt88]

I love Tavita's development.  Nice to see loyal contributor moving up the ranks! 

[Hurlburt88]

I love Tavita's development.  Nice to see loyal contributor moving up the ranks! 

[stupac2]

I love Tavita's development.  Nice to see loyal contributor moving up the ranks!

That was my thought too. They must really think he has the right stuff if he's moving up that quickly. It's nice to see.

[stupac2]

I love Tavita's development.  Nice to see loyal contributor moving up the ranks!

That was my thought too. They must really think he has the right stuff if he's moving up that quickly. It's nice to see.

[fullmetal]

Tavita gets to coach BSJ...what a great opportunity! 

[fullmetal]

Tavita gets to coach BSJ...what a great opportunity! 

[GoodGrief]

Every time I see that subject heading, I think Terry's telling us that the bloom is off of Sanford and Pritchard, and I think, "What did they do wrong?"

[GoodGrief]

Every time I see that subject heading, I think Terry's telling us that the bloom is off of Sanford and Pritchard, and I think, "What did they do wrong?"

[Rando]

So it won't be hard or strange for a former QB like Tavita to coach HB's?

I always thought positional coaches should have some kind of experience at the posision. And I thought Tavita was okay coaching DB's because he knew it from the other angle of QB. But a former QB coaching the rushing game just sounds a little odd to me. Hope he does well!

[Rando]

So it won't be hard or strange for a former QB like Tavita to coach HB's?

I always thought positional coaches should have some kind of experience at the posision. And I thought Tavita was okay coaching DB's because he knew it from the other angle of QB. But a former QB coaching the rushing game just sounds a little odd to me. Hope he does well!

[DC]

I was thinking exactly the same thing.

[DC]

I was thinking exactly the same thing.

[tfeldstein]

Well the least important of the 9 coaching positions is the rb coach so not sure it makes much difference. Not sure why it's any different for Sanford.

[tfeldstein]

Well the least important of the 9 coaching positions is the rb coach so not sure it makes much difference. Not sure why it's any different for Sanford.

[Redrum]

It noted that the challenge with coaching RBs is that it's the most instinctive of all the positions.  Success less dependent on technique than any other position.  The coaching challenge is to take this instinctual athletes and make them think enough.  It's surprising, the commentary said,  how often a running back's instincts run counter to what the play is designed and schemed to do.  The greatest instinct they have to tame is the urge to bounce outside on a play before the line has time to make their work produce the opening.  The hard part of coaching RBs is knowing what not to mess with.  Guessing that Bo Jackson's RB coach had the cushiest job in football.

Just an observation:  Wilkerson seemed to me to have that tendency to jump outside, or show indecisiveness hitting the hole.  Like he was debating where to go.  OTOH,  new RB coach Tavita Pritchard might say I don't know WTF I'm talking about. That's another value-add a RB coach can make.

[Redrum]

It noted that the challenge with coaching RBs is that it's the most instinctive of all the positions.  Success less dependent on technique than any other position.  The coaching challenge is to take this instinctual athletes and make them think enough.  It's surprising, the commentary said,  how often a running back's instincts run counter to what the play is designed and schemed to do.  The greatest instinct they have to tame is the urge to bounce outside on a play before the line has time to make their work produce the opening.  The hard part of coaching RBs is knowing what not to mess with.  Guessing that Bo Jackson's RB coach had the cushiest job in football.

Just an observation:  Wilkerson seemed to me to have that tendency to jump outside, or show indecisiveness hitting the hole.  Like he was debating where to go.  OTOH,  new RB coach Tavita Pritchard might say I don't know WTF I'm talking about. That's another value-add a RB coach can make.

[washingtonismoney]

Just a hunch, but I bet Tavita will make a fantastic recruiter. He's still very young for a coach, and I'm sure he's got a passion for the school.

[washingtonismoney]

Just a hunch, but I bet Tavita will make a fantastic recruiter. He's still very young for a coach, and I'm sure he's got a passion for the school.

[Extra Point]

"But a former QB coaching the rushing game just sounds a little odd to me. Hope he does well!"

This isn't odd at all. We tend to think that the sole purpose of a quarterback is passing the ball. There is a lot more to it. A big part of a quarterback's job is recognizing when defenses are vulnerable to specific running plays. This is especially true at Stanford. Andrew was a master in this regard. When plays were sent in, he had a choice of running three different plays, and 60% of the time he called a running play.

[Extra Point]

"But a former QB coaching the rushing game just sounds a little odd to me. Hope he does well!"

This isn't odd at all. We tend to think that the sole purpose of a quarterback is passing the ball. There is a lot more to it. A big part of a quarterback's job is recognizing when defenses are vulnerable to specific running plays. This is especially true at Stanford. Andrew was a master in this regard. When plays were sent in, he had a choice of running three different plays, and 60% of the time he called a running play.

[stan01]

"But a former QB coaching the rushing game just sounds a little odd to me. Hope he does well!"

This isn't odd at all. We tend to think that the sole purpose of a quarterback is passing the ball. There is a lot more to it. A big part of a quarterback's job is recognizing when defenses are vulnerable to specific running plays. This is especially true at Stanford. Andrew was a master in this regard. When plays were sent in, he had a choice of running three different plays, and 60% of the time he called a running play.

That's a rare skill to have, but David Shaw did say that Tavita was one of the brightest young coaching minds he has ever been around. 

Your comment made me dream about the day when Andrew Luck decides to coach Stanford's football team after David Shaw retires.

[stan01]

"But a former QB coaching the rushing game just sounds a little odd to me. Hope he does well!"

This isn't odd at all. We tend to think that the sole purpose of a quarterback is passing the ball. There is a lot more to it. A big part of a quarterback's job is recognizing when defenses are vulnerable to specific running plays. This is especially true at Stanford. Andrew was a master in this regard. When plays were sent in, he had a choice of running three different plays, and 60% of the time he called a running play.

That's a rare skill to have, but David Shaw did say that Tavita was one of the brightest young coaching minds he has ever been around. 

Your comment made me dream about the day when Andrew Luck decides to coach Stanford's football team after David Shaw retires.

[Redrum]

Ummmm. Yeah.  I've heard that phrase many times before.  Usually a coach praising his own choice.  Might be true. Hope it is. But until Pritchard actually makes a mark in something greater than graduate assistant and RB coach I won't get carried away by the rhetoric.    Pritchard's dad is a minister and Tavita had talked about going into the ministry after Stanford.  So he chose between two of the most financially and geographically insecure professions going.  Got to give him props for confidence which is one of the requirements for leadership.

[Redrum]

Ummmm. Yeah.  I've heard that phrase many times before.  Usually a coach praising his own choice.  Might be true. Hope it is. But until Pritchard actually makes a mark in something greater than graduate assistant and RB coach I won't get carried away by the rhetoric.    Pritchard's dad is a minister and Tavita had talked about going into the ministry after Stanford.  So he chose between two of the most financially and geographically insecure professions going.  Got to give him props for confidence which is one of the requirements for leadership.

[Kathy]

Harbaugh frequently praised Tavita's team leadership skills as QB.

[Kathy]

Harbaugh frequently praised Tavita's team leadership skills as QB.

[washingtonismoney]

Kevin Gemmell passes on a note re: Bloomgren:

I can tell you he's extremely well-respected among his peers in the league and he was the natural choice for the job. Shaw clearly recognized that. I know he spent four seasons with the Jets and he and Noel Mazzone became good friends during that time and Noel can't stop raving about him. Give him a couple of seasons before we start talking about him moving up. But he certainly is one of the brighter pro-style minds in the country.

Having Noel Mazzone's endorsement is a nice outside validator.

[washingtonismoney]

Kevin Gemmell passes on a note re: Bloomgren:

I can tell you he's extremely well-respected among his peers in the league and he was the natural choice for the job. Shaw clearly recognized that. I know he spent four seasons with the Jets and he and Noel Mazzone became good friends during that time and Noel can't stop raving about him. Give him a couple of seasons before we start talking about him moving up. But he certainly is one of the brighter pro-style minds in the country.

Having Noel Mazzone's endorsement is a nice outside validator.

[ChicagoCard]

David Lombardi tweeted that USC tried to lure him away (recently I assume).

[ChicagoCard]

David Lombardi tweeted that USC tried to lure him away (recently I assume).

[Redrum]

I guess I'm just jaded.  I was actually sentient during the Buddy and Wlat years when other coaches would say what fine, knowledgeable coaches Buddy and Wlat were, how the Stanford program was in good hands...blah, blah, blah...and then proceed to play us like a $5 banjo.    Only performance, not praise, matters until the retirement dinner.

[Redrum]

I guess I'm just jaded.  I was actually sentient during the Buddy and Wlat years when other coaches would say what fine, knowledgeable coaches Buddy and Wlat were, how the Stanford program was in good hands...blah, blah, blah...and then proceed to play us like a $5 banjo.    Only performance, not praise, matters until the retirement dinner.

[stupac2]

I guess I'm just jaded.  I was actually sentient during the Buddy and Wlat years when other coaches would say what fine, knowledgeable coaches Buddy and Wlat were, how the Stanford program was in good hands...blah, blah, blah...and then proceed to play us like a $5 banjo.    Only performance, not praise, matters until the retirement dinner.

I agree, performance is all that matters. Shaw does seem to be pretty good at picking talent, but our sample size is really small. We need to see what they do on the field next year before getting too enthusiastic about these moves.

Still, like with the rest of our issues for the upcoming season, I'm cautiously optimistic.

[stupac2]

I guess I'm just jaded.  I was actually sentient during the Buddy and Wlat years when other coaches would say what fine, knowledgeable coaches Buddy and Wlat were, how the Stanford program was in good hands...blah, blah, blah...and then proceed to play us like a $5 banjo.    Only performance, not praise, matters until the retirement dinner.

I agree, performance is all that matters. Shaw does seem to be pretty good at picking talent, but our sample size is really small. We need to see what they do on the field next year before getting too enthusiastic about these moves.

Still, like with the rest of our issues for the upcoming season, I'm cautiously optimistic.