major applewhite

[Dann]

i posted on the b12 board about good oc's future hc's type thread just to see what ppl say names wise and i couldn't believe one response i got. major applewhite. back when i was in hs, one of my friends went to a cuse camp and raved about him being the coolest/his favorite coach he had met on the trail back then. i forget all the details but cuse was one of his top schools just becuase of him and he wasn't even a qb. he was a ol/dl kid. im not sure how i completely forgot about him but now hes a co oc at texas. after doing a little research i think he should be target #1 for UConn this winter, hands down. i also got the feeling that he would get na shot as HC for a bcs school within the next 3 years as hes young and has a lot going for him. he may be the home run we need. spend a handful of years he and build us into something and then go big time down in sec land somewhere. but he could be a gamechanger for this program imho. your thoughts?

 

[Sean]

Have a feeling Applewhite is looking for a bigger next step than UConn.

 

[Dann]

Have a feeling Applewhite is looking for a bigger next step than UConn.

i do also, but hes a couple years away from that. thats why i think we could have a shot at landing him this winter, letting him build something great here and then move on to a big time school down south. he would get his shot at a bcs level school but not a lsu/texas type. he can prove himself while also building uconn into something great. then we can go on a coaching search down the road for the next guy in great shape.

 

[pj]

I wouldn't mind a short-term coach if he's building a consistent style that we'll maintain for decades under multiple coaches. I think Applewhite would be good but he wouldn't be here long. He was at Syracuse 1 year, Rice 1 year, Alabama 1 year. The only school he's shown any loyalty to at all is Texas. He's clearly a Texas guy. His first good year with us, he'd be gone.

 

[Nostical]

Applewhite is a Louisiana kid who will never be comfortable at UConn. Furthermore he was hired at Syracuse by Greg Robinson--a great judge of talent--then moved to Rice and Alabama where he was not stellar, either recruiting or game planning--they lost their last 4 games that year. He was named RBCoach and Co-OC at Texas, but Mack Brown recently named his other Co-OC, former Boise St OC, to call all the plays. Move on.

 

[huskymedic]

Applewhite is a Louisiana kid who will never be comfortable at UConn. Furthermore he was hired at Syracuse by Greg Robinson--a great judge of talent--then moved to Rice and Alabama where he was not stellar, either recruiting or game planning--they lost their last 4 games that year. He was named RBCoach and Co-OC at Texas, but Mack Brown recently named his other Co-OC, former Boise St OC, to call all the plays. Move on.

But his name is cool...

 

[sdhusky]

i posted on the b12 board about good oc's future hc's type thread just to see what ppl say names wise and i couldn't believe one response i got. major applewhite. back when i was in hs, one of my friends went to a cuse camp and raved about him being the coolest/his favorite coach he had met on the trail back then. i forget all the details but cuse was one of his top schools just becuase of him and he wasn't even a qb. he was a ol/dl kid. im not sure how i completely forgot about him but now hes a co oc at texas. after doing a little research i think he should be target #1 for UConn this winter, hands down. i also got the feeling that he would get na shot as HC for a bcs school within the next 3 years as hes young and has a lot going for him. he may be the home run we need. spend a handful of years he and build us into something and then go big time down in sec land somewhere. but he could be a gamechanger for this program imho. your thoughts?

more cowbell

 

[Carl Spackler]

John McNulty.

Veteran NFL assistant John McNulty begins his fourth season with the Cardinals and first as quarterbacks coach after being named to the position on 2/8/12. He previously served as Arizona’s wide receivers coach for three seasons after being hired on 2/18/09. McNulty came to Arizona after working five seasons at Rutgers, coaching the last three seasons as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks after originally joining the staff as the wide receivers coach in 2004. McNulty has previously worked in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars (1998-2002) and Dallas Cowboys (2003).

While coaching receivers, McNulty’s top pupil, Larry Fitzgerald, had another standout season in 2011 as he earned his sixth Pro Bowl selection (fifth consecutive) while also becoming the franchise leader in career receiving yards (9.615) receiving TDs (73), 100-yard games (32) and career TDs (73). He had 80 receptions for 1,411 yards and eight TD’s, averaging a career-best 17.6 yards per reception. With his 1,411 yards, he became just the fourth player (Randy Moss, Marvin Harrison, Jerry Rice) in NFL history with at least 1,400 receiving yards four times in their career. He also had his team record sixth 1,000-yard receiving season.

In 2010, Fitzgerald had 90 receptions for 1,137 yards and was selected to his fifth Pro Bowl. He became the franchise all-time receptions leader and also became the first player in NFL history to record 90+ receptions five times in their first seven seasons. Under McNulty’s guidance, Fitzgerald also had an NFL-high 13 receiving touchdowns in 2009 and became the first player in Cardinals history with three straight seasons of 10+ touchdown receptions (2007-09).

McNulty began his tenure at Rutgers in 2004 as the wide receivers coach before taking on the duties of assistant offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 2006. That same season, McNulty took over the play calling duties and the Scarlet Knights finished the season ranked 12th in the country with an 11-2 record. The following season, McNulty was promoted to offensive coordinator/quarterbacks and Rutgers set school records for total offense (5,841 yards), points scored (421) and first downs (295). They also became the first team in NCAA history to have a 3,000-yard passer (Mike Teel-3,147 yards), a 2,000-yard rusher (Ray Rice-2,069 yards), and two 1,000-yard receivers (Kenny Britt-1,232, Tiquan Underwood-1,100 yards). During McNulty’s five seasons at Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights posted a record of 38-24 and won three consecutive bowl games while he was in charge of play calling.

Prior to joining Rutgers, McNulty spent six seasons in the NFL, the first five in Jacksonville as an offensive quality control coach (1998-2000) and wide receivers coach (2000-02). In Jacksonville, McNulty worked with one of the NFL’s top receiving tandems in Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell. During the 2000-01 seasons, the pair combined for 390 receptions and 4,903 yards, while Smith earned All-Pro honors both years. In 2002, Smith had 80 receptions for 1,027 yards, his seventh consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season. McNulty helped Jacksonville to playoff appearances in 1998 (11-5 record) and in 1999 (14-2 record).

McNulty then spent the 2003 season with the Dallas Cowboys as the wide receivers coach as the Cowboys went 10-6 and earned a playoff berth.

Before making the jump to the NFL, McNulty spent three seasons (1995-97) at Connecticut working with wide receivers and special teams. At UConn, McNulty helped wide receiver Carl Bond earn Division I-AA All-America honors in 1997.

McNulty was a safety at Penn State (1988-90) and was a member of two Nittany Lion bowl teams. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant with the wide receivers at the University of Michigan in 1991. Michigan won two Big Ten titles and appeared in four bowl games including two Rose Bowl appearances during his time in Ann Arbor. In 1994, McNulty worked with standout wide receivers and future NFL players Amani Toomer and Mercury Hayes.

After attending Abington Heights High School (Clarks Summit, PA), McNulty received his bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Penn State in 1990. McNulty and his wife, Kim, have four daughters Abigail, Allison, Megan, and Kaitlyn.

 

[Jax Husky]

Have a feeling Applewhite is looking for a bigger next step than UConn.

Never been a head coach, and this would put him starting out in the BE. That is about as good a first gig as you'll get. Had family that played HS ball with Major in Baton Rouge...good guy, great mind, comes from a coaching family. He has now been coaching for a number of years, so I think it would be an acceptable choice.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I'm not sure if Manuel and McNulty ever crossed paths at Michigan, but they both have MIchigan football ties, and McNulty was playing at Penn State, hwen Manuel was playing at Michigan.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Huskydan,

any athletic director has got to have a short list in a drawer somewhere when it comes to all their sports coaches.

I"ve listed who'd I have at the top of my short list for offensive coordinator. THis is a guy that knows the region, recruited the region, and has experience calling plays in teh region and conference. Would there be mutual interest? Is he ready for the HC gig?

If the money's right - I think there's a chance there would be plenty of mutual interest.

 

[Dann]

Huskydan,

any athletic director has got to have a short list in a drawer somewhere when it comes to all their sports coaches.

I"ve listed who'd I have at the top of my short list for offensive coordinator. THis is a guy that knows the region, recruited the region, and has experience calling plays in teh region and conference. Would there be mutual interest? Is he ready for the HC gig?

If the money's right - I think there's a chance there would be plenty of mutual interest.

i hope warde has a list. my fear is that the bball stuff has taken a lot of his time so this fball issue has hit hit without much to be prepared for in short time. i think your sugestion is a good one as i look him up and learn about him. i just throw names out for fun and interest in the convo but i like your list to date.

 

[Carl Spackler]

i hope warde has a list. my fear is that the bball stuff has taken a lot of his time so this fball issue has hit hit without much to be prepared for in short time. i think your sugestion is a good one as i look him up and learn about him. i just throw names out for fun and interest in the convo but i like your list to date.

McNulty knows the area. He recruited Khaseem Greene to Rutgers out of Avon, CT a couple years ago. He's an eastern PA born and bred guy. He's had great players wherever he's been coaching and had future NFL talent when he was OC at Rutgers when they had their last good run in the mid/late 2000s - he had good playersincluding UConn in the mid 90s too. Funny how coaches seem to do really well when they've got good players. It's all about recruiting. He's also I think the exact same age as Warde - and that kind of thing usually makes for good long term relationships b/w a major money making sport and the AD. He's got zero head coach experience, but thats not a necessity in a HC hire. You have to hire somebody that can recruit at the level you want to play at.

McNulty is one example, of many, many football coaches out there that fit the profile. The guy you got up here, on this topic title, doesn't fit the profile.