Brennan Marion to Pitt as Receivers Coach

[TU Pablo Jr]

Former TU Wide Receiver recently signed on with the University of Pittsburgh as the Panthers Receivers Coach. Marion appears to be a rising star. He has quickly moved through a number of chairs at schools such as Wayneboro High School in Pennsylvania, Offensive Coordinator at Howard University, William and Mary and recently Hawaii with Todd Graham. At Howard he employed the Go Go offense. Division II Howard beat UNLV with Marion's innovative offense.

I remember him as a sure fire NFL draft pick until he injured his knee on his last play for TU against East Carolina in the Conference USA Championship game.

I understand him going to Pitt, he was from Greensburg, PA, about 20 miles east of Pittsburgh. When TU played at Marshall in Marion's senior I attended the game in Huntington, WV after spending Thanksgiving with my dad in Pittsburgh. I parked my truck with an Oklahoma plate and a Steelers license plate in front. I parked next to Marrion's mother, several brothers and cousins. They asked me about the Steeler license plate. I told them about my Pittsburgh, Pitt, TU background. I ended up sitting with them It was a cold game but TU prevailed.

I think somebody will write a book or make a movie about Brennan someday. He lived in the Junior College locker room like Rudy, The first Junior college used him as a tight end, blocking back. His first knee injury kept him from getting drafted. His second and third kept him from playing for the Miami Dolphins.

I like perseverance. I hope he finds his way back to TU someday.

 

[HuffyCane]

He has quite a few coaching tutorials on YouTube talking about his particular offense. He’a going to be big time soon. Too big for TU soon I fear.

You forgot to mention he’s already a published author. If you like reading nerdy coaching books, I highly recommend it.

 

[TU Pablo Jr]

He has quite a few coaching tutorials on YouTube talking about his particular offense. He’a going to be big time soon. Too big for TU soon I fear.

You forgot to mention he’s already a published author. If you like reading nerdy coaching books, I highly recommend it.

I did not know about the book. He has come a long way from Grrensburg Salem High School or from living in the locker room in junior college.

 

[Gmoney4WW]

He has quite a few coaching tutorials on YouTube talking about his particular offense. He’a going to be big time soon. Too big for TU soon I fear.

You forgot to mention he’s already a published author. If you like reading nerdy coaching books, I highly recommend it.

Montgomery had his chance, and wouldn't even look at his watch for the guy. There probably went TU's 1st and last chance.(being one in the same)

 

[TU_BLA]

Montgomery had his chance, and wouldn't even look at his watch for the guy. There probably went TU's 1st and last chance.(being one in the same)

Marion came to Tulsa on his own dime to visit with Monty when Monty first got hired because Milkman wanted to be back here. Monty decided to go with a WRs coach who couldn't teach guys how to get out of the locker room. We didn't notice the deficiency in the 1st 2 seasons because we had 3 guys who just wanted the ball more than the guys covering them (Keyarris Garrett should have a statue erected in Norman for his effort there). Also, good QBs help to hide WR deficiencies...like Monty loves that quick slant even though we don't have guys who can run the route properly. Nor have we had a QB with the pinpoint accuracy that would also throw the ball on time to get it there since Dane left (hoping Brin is the guy to change this). Any WR coach would be able to see on film, when you get to the spot where the ball is to be thrown, you have to flatten out the route ever so slightly to keep the DB behind you and so they can't undercut it. If you keep driving more vertically, the DB can come under and knock the ball away. I think we have capable WRs in terms of catching the ball in tight spaces...they could be better if they understood some of the subtle things they could do to help their QB out. Milkman knows these things.

 

[HuffyCane]

Marion came to Tulsa on his own dime to visit with Monty when Monty first got hired because Milkman wanted to be back here. Monty decided to go with a WRs coach who couldn't teach guys how to get out of the locker room. We didn't notice the deficiency in the 1st 2 seasons because we had 3 guys who just wanted the ball more than the guys covering them (Keyarris Garrett should have a statue erected in Norman for his effort there). Also, good QBs help to hide WR deficiencies...like Monty loves that quick slant even though we don't have guys who can run the route properly. Nor have we had a QB with the pinpoint accuracy that would also throw the ball on time to get it there since Dane left (hoping Brin is the guy to change this). Any WR coach would be able to see on film, when you get to the spot where the ball is to be thrown, you have to flatten out the route ever so slightly to keep the DB behind you and so they can't undercut it. If you keep driving more vertically, the DB can come under and knock the ball away. I think we have capable WRs in terms of catching the ball in tight spaces...they could be better if they understood some of the subtle things they could do to help their QB out. Milkman knows these things.

All of this is of course correct. And of all the things I fault Montgomery for, wanting his own guys is not one of them.

That said, a large portion of his trouble is he came here thinking he could bring a Baylor staff intact and that would be sufficient. He hasn't been able to attract quality position coaches on a consistent basis. Wins, losses, attendance, in game stress filled decisions, these are the things that lose your job. But if you want a good barometer on the health of a program and the effectiveness of the coach, look at who is coming in and who is leaving.

There are two main differences between TG and BB and PM. The willingness to embrace offensive innovation and discard portions of your base offense that isn't effective. And a megalomaniacal ability to attract the best assistants and discard those that don't fit in. BB and PM lacked the professional connections and personalities to build a full quality staff. We saw warning signs of this from day one with BB. He had some really talented football minds on his staff. But there were several that just didn't have what you need for an FBS team.

Graham was a miracle worker with what we could pay people back then. So the idea that TU football is behind because we can't pay assistants is an excuse not an explanation. Its someone wanting more resources to over come one of their own deficient competencies. Marion spending a year at Hawaii then jumping to the P5 is a good example of that after 5 or 6 seasons offering to sweep the floor at any FBS school.

That said, you often wonder if that short term success is the source of our current situation. Both Rader and Kragthorpe were doing things that the pros still study today. More than one player left TU and went to the pros and complained it was simplistic compared to what they were doing here. Rader's concepts still influence coaches thirty years later.

Graham had success with high school guys and that led to the conclusion we can win with high school guys running really really simple offenses who will take less than established college assistants. But we've seen our offense grow simplistic and stale over the last 10 years as a result.

I could be wrong, but its something to think about.

 

[URedskin54]

Montgomery had his chance, and wouldn't even look at his watch for the guy. There probably went TU's 1st and last chance.(being one in the same)

Marion is a good coach and I’d love to have him, but he cost himself that chance. Acted like a clown. No coach that doesn’t know you is going to hire you when you do that. Monty’s at fault for plenty of things. Not hiring Marion isn’t one of them

 

[Gmoney4WW]

Marion is a good coach and I’d love to have him, but he cost himself that chance. Acted like a clown. No coach that doesn’t know you is going to hire you when you do that. Monty’s at fault for plenty of things. Not hiring Marion isn’t one of them

True, I suppose.

 

[cmullinsTU]

Graham had success with high school guys and that led to the conclusion we can win with high school guys running really really simple offenses who will take less than established college assistants.

We can win with high school guys. The difference is the guys Graham brought in had unique and not so simple offenses.

I know you know this but I feel like ranting. Montgomery runs one of the simplest offenses in D1. It is almost entirely reliant on spreading out the defense. As many on here have noted, it requires very talented WRs, an accurate QB, that is at least a threat to run.

 

[HuffyCane]

We can win with high school guys. The difference is the guys Graham brought in had unique and not so simple offenses.

I know you know this but I feel like ranting. Montgomery runs one of the simplest offenses in D1. It is almost entirely reliant on spreading out the defense. As many on here have noted, it requires very talented WRs, an accurate QB, that is at least a threat to run.

You can trick it out with two elite linemen, a deep threat, a QB with the ability to throw 50 yards with marginal accuracy and little or no other skill, and a mid tier running back.

 

[astonmartin708]

Marion could still return as an OC, if we ever choose to hire one.

 

[TulsaFan2000]

Marion could still return as an OC, if we ever choose to hire one.

If I were him I wouldn’t return. He would have no control over the offense. He would be forced to run Montgomery’s train wreck of an offense

 

[Gmoney4WW]

If I were him I wouldn’t return. He would have no control over the offense. He would be forced to run Montgomery’s train wreck of an offense

Kind of agree. Wait around till next year, when Montgomery gets canned or moves on with success. Then when we hire a new coach, and hope he sees the alum as a candidate for OC and hire him then. If it's Gillespie, then hopefully he will have an open mind to Milkman and the memory of the too early, begging interview. Hopefully he won't have someone already in mind for the OC.