Tyler Walker New OC

[Camo_Cat]

If there was one way tried and true way to hire coaches we’d all know what that is and the coaches would always follow it.

If the offense or defense fails this year it won’t be because Vigen didn’t do his due diligence. He’s the most thorough coach I’ve been around.

It took Jeff three years to find the best fit at OC when he started at MSU. The only coach who figured out how to make our offensive personnel the best version of themselves was Matt Miller...who had zero playcalling experience. I still remember his first game against Idaho State. We lost but the offensive looked a little different in alignments/formations as well as personnel. We lost the game but offensively it looked like the version that fit Troy as a QB.

Housewright built an offensive around running the ball in various ways and getting your outside playmakers one-on-one opportunities in the pass game. Here were his final Big Sky ranks (I hate when they list FCS ranks because conferences are so drastically different):

2021:

Points: 5th (28.7/game)
YPG: 5th (402.0/game)
Rushing: 1st (220.9/game - 45 yards better than second)
Passing: 12th (181.1/game)
Passing Efficiency: 2nd (This means we were incredibly productive when we did throw the ball...means you have a good playcaller...and maybe Lance McCutcheon)

2022:

Points: 1st (42.9/game)
YPG: 2nd (494.8/game)
Rushing: 1st (310.8/game)
Passing: 12th (184.0/game - improved by 3 yards!)
Passing Efficiency: 3rd (Again...very effective when we did throw the ball despite the low yardage ranking)

2023:

Points: 1st (39.9/game)
YPG: 1st (473.4/game)
Rushing: 1st (292.4/game)
Passing: 9th (181.0/game - improved the ranking but fell back to 2021 number!)
Passing Efficiency: 1st

What's the takeaway here? Looking at it objectively, its hard to call the Housewright experience anything but a resounding success given he was a first year playcaller in 2021. Again, focus was on running the ball but taking your shot plays through the air when they're available. However, being a fan you micro-analyze every slip up and this year we just had too many in big situations. Hard to have a stat for that but if I go back to every big moment, the results are going to be less than average. Whether it be execution or a poor playcall, it just didn't work this year. Also, we put a lot on Tommy and Sean on the ground despite having a talented backfield. 2022 numbers are so impressive because we missed Tommy for parts of the year, our RB room was decimated, and Lance could bail us out through the air anymore. Sean, Elijah Elliot, Garrett Coon, Willie P, and the Oline were huge for us. Anyway, good luck to Taylor and hopefully he continues to mature. Players loved playing for him but he never quite embraced the MSU community...not that its a requirement to lead an offense.

We need a stat for 5-6 minute drives to close out a game.

My takeaway from the "Housewright experience" is that he is a brilliant and creative play designer, who struggled to adjust if the game plan he came up with wasn't working for some reason.

I also think we all get caught up in the numbers and statistical success, and miss the details at times. One of the things I think we all appreciated about the Choate era, that we maybe forget about a little bit, is the ability to be able to get 1 yard in any situation no matter what.

When we had Cramsey as our OC, we put up tons of points and yards, but in close games where we just needed a few first downs to close the game out, we couldn't do it. With Choate (and maybe more so Troy and Isaiah), it seemed like that trended the right direction.

I don't think House was quite to the Cramsey level, but I do think at times (4th quarter of NDSU game as most recent example), it's ok to take 3-4 yards per play and finish with the ball and 0:00 on the clock rather than going for home runs, and he may have tried to overthink things.

Exactly. I have said several times that our offense was good under Housewright, but not necessarily at the right times when we needed it to be good. Picking up crucial first downs when it was 3rd & short or 4th & short was a challenge, and more times than not, the offense got cute/gimmicky, or like you said, went for the long ball when all that was needed was first down pick up.

[Cat4LifeHouseDivided]

I hope I am way off, but to me this seems like the kind of hire an Idaho State or Northern Colorado would do. We are a top 5 FCS team. We could easily be back in the Semifinals next season. I hope Walker is the real deal and that it feels odd because we know so little about him, but I guess I was expecting someone that has proven they are legit.

Proven where? We werent going to get FBS coordinators. Any solid FCS coordinator probably looks at this as a lateral move and in all likelihood a huge cost of living expense to live in Bozeman. In reality, we would be looking at FCS/FBS position coaches, which is where we ended up pulling from.

[coloradocat]

If there was one way tried and true way to hire coaches we’d all know what that is and the coaches would always follow it.

If the offense or defense fails this year it won’t be because Vigen didn’t do his due diligence. He’s the most thorough coach I’ve been around.

It took Jeff three years to find the best fit at OC when he started at MSU. The only coach who figured out how to make our offensive personnel the best version of themselves was Matt Miller...who had zero playcalling experience. I still remember his first game against Idaho State. We lost but the offensive looked a little different in alignments/formations as well as personnel. We lost the game but offensively it looked like the version that fit Troy as a QB.

Housewright built an offensive around running the ball in various ways and getting your outside playmakers one-on-one opportunities in the pass game. Here were his final Big Sky ranks (I hate when they list FCS ranks because conferences are so drastically different):

2021:

Points: 5th (28.7/game)
YPG: 5th (402.0/game)
Rushing: 1st (220.9/game - 45 yards better than second)
Passing: 12th (181.1/game)
Passing Efficiency: 2nd (This means we were incredibly productive when we did throw the ball...means you have a good playcaller...and maybe Lance McCutcheon)

2022:

Points: 1st (42.9/game)
YPG: 2nd (494.8/game)
Rushing: 1st (310.8/game)
Passing: 12th (184.0/game - improved by 3 yards!)
Passing Efficiency: 3rd (Again...very effective when we did throw the ball despite the low yardage ranking)

2023:

Points: 1st (39.9/game)
YPG: 1st (473.4/game)
Rushing: 1st (292.4/game)
Passing: 9th (181.0/game - improved the ranking but fell back to 2021 number!)
Passing Efficiency: 1st

What's the takeaway here? Looking at it objectively, its hard to call the Housewright experience anything but a resounding success given he was a first year playcaller in 2021. Again, focus was on running the ball but taking your shot plays through the air when they're available. However, being a fan you micro-analyze every slip up and this year we just had too many in big situations. Hard to have a stat for that but if I go back to every big moment, the results are going to be less than average. Whether it be execution or a poor playcall, it just didn't work this year. Also, we put a lot on Tommy and Sean on the ground despite having a talented backfield. 2022 numbers are so impressive because we missed Tommy for parts of the year, our RB room was decimated, and Lance could bail us out through the air anymore. Sean, Elijah Elliot, Garrett Coon, Willie P, and the Oline were huge for us. Anyway, good luck to Taylor and hopefully he continues to mature. Players loved playing for him but he never quite embraced the MSU community...not that its a requirement to lead an offense.

Did he really not embrace the MSU community or was it the other way around? Maybe I'm just forgetting but I'm not aware of anything he did negatively towards MSU/Bozeman/Montana/Alumni. I think people mostly just looked for reasons not to like him after every losing, or non-elite winning, performance. He didn't handle the 2001 Cat/griz loss well but otherwise I thought he was fine, especially for a non-HC.

[VimSince03]

If there was one way tried and true way to hire coaches we’d all know what that is and the coaches would always follow it.

If the offense or defense fails this year it won’t be because Vigen didn’t do his due diligence. He’s the most thorough coach I’ve been around.

It took Jeff three years to find the best fit at OC when he started at MSU. The only coach who figured out how to make our offensive personnel the best version of themselves was Matt Miller...who had zero playcalling experience. I still remember his first game against Idaho State. We lost but the offensive looked a little different in alignments/formations as well as personnel. We lost the game but offensively it looked like the version that fit Troy as a QB.

Housewright built an offensive around running the ball in various ways and getting your outside playmakers one-on-one opportunities in the pass game. Here were his final Big Sky ranks (I hate when they list FCS ranks because conferences are so drastically different):

2021:

Points: 5th (28.7/game)
YPG: 5th (402.0/game)
Rushing: 1st (220.9/game - 45 yards better than second)
Passing: 12th (181.1/game)
Passing Efficiency: 2nd (This means we were incredibly productive when we did throw the ball...means you have a good playcaller...and maybe Lance McCutcheon)

2022:

Points: 1st (42.9/game)
YPG: 2nd (494.8/game)
Rushing: 1st (310.8/game)
Passing: 12th (184.0/game - improved by 3 yards!)
Passing Efficiency: 3rd (Again...very effective when we did throw the ball despite the low yardage ranking)

2023:

Points: 1st (39.9/game)
YPG: 1st (473.4/game)
Rushing: 1st (292.4/game)
Passing: 9th (181.0/game - improved the ranking but fell back to 2021 number!)
Passing Efficiency: 1st

What's the takeaway here? Looking at it objectively, its hard to call the Housewright experience anything but a resounding success given he was a first year playcaller in 2021. Again, focus was on running the ball but taking your shot plays through the air when they're available. However, being a fan you micro-analyze every slip up and this year we just had too many in big situations. Hard to have a stat for that but if I go back to every big moment, the results are going to be less than average. Whether it be execution or a poor playcall, it just didn't work this year. Also, we put a lot on Tommy and Sean on the ground despite having a talented backfield. 2022 numbers are so impressive because we missed Tommy for parts of the year, our RB room was decimated, and Lance could bail us out through the air anymore. Sean, Elijah Elliot, Garrett Coon, Willie P, and the Oline were huge for us. Anyway, good luck to Taylor and hopefully he continues to mature. Players loved playing for him but he never quite embraced the MSU community...not that its a requirement to lead an offense.

Did he really not embrace the MSU community or was it the other way around? Maybe I'm just forgetting but I'm not aware of anything he did negatively towards MSU/Bozeman/Montana/Alumni. I think people mostly just looked for reasons not to like him after every losing, or non-elite winning, performance. He didn't handle the 2001 Cat/griz loss well but otherwise I thought he was fine, especially for a non-HC.

Agreed. It was definitely that first Cat/Griz loss that people immediately started questioning him. But then you have to give him credit working in Tommy to a National Title run. A very interesting three years.

[Nickisch]

Quick reminder that it was Walker who was the QB coach on the national championship run, and then he moved to tight end coach. Hard to argue with the development of the positions he has been in charge of. He's going to prove to be a great hire and IMO will take us back to Frisco.

[AFCAT]

Quick reminder that it was Walker who was the QB coach on the national championship run, and then he moved to tight end coach. Hard to argue with the development of the positions he has been in charge of. He's going to prove to be a great hire and IMO will take us back to Frisco.

Housewright was the QB coach in 2021. Walker was director of recruiting

[coloradocat]

If there was one way tried and true way to hire coaches we’d all know what that is and the coaches would always follow it.

If the offense or defense fails this year it won’t be because Vigen didn’t do his due diligence. He’s the most thorough coach I’ve been around.

It took Jeff three years to find the best fit at OC when he started at MSU. The only coach who figured out how to make our offensive personnel the best version of themselves was Matt Miller...who had zero playcalling experience. I still remember his first game against Idaho State. We lost but the offensive looked a little different in alignments/formations as well as personnel. We lost the game but offensively it looked like the version that fit Troy as a QB.

Housewright built an offensive around running the ball in various ways and getting your outside playmakers one-on-one opportunities in the pass game. Here were his final Big Sky ranks (I hate when they list FCS ranks because conferences are so drastically different):

2021:

Points: 5th (28.7/game)
YPG: 5th (402.0/game)
Rushing: 1st (220.9/game - 45 yards better than second)
Passing: 12th (181.1/game)
Passing Efficiency: 2nd (This means we were incredibly productive when we did throw the ball...means you have a good playcaller...and maybe Lance McCutcheon)

2022:

Points: 1st (42.9/game)
YPG: 2nd (494.8/game)
Rushing: 1st (310.8/game)
Passing: 12th (184.0/game - improved by 3 yards!)
Passing Efficiency: 3rd (Again...very effective when we did throw the ball despite the low yardage ranking)

2023:

Points: 1st (39.9/game)
YPG: 1st (473.4/game)
Rushing: 1st (292.4/game)
Passing: 9th (181.0/game - improved the ranking but fell back to 2021 number!)
Passing Efficiency: 1st

What's the takeaway here? Looking at it objectively, its hard to call the Housewright experience anything but a resounding success given he was a first year playcaller in 2021. Again, focus was on running the ball but taking your shot plays through the air when they're available. However, being a fan you micro-analyze every slip up and this year we just had too many in big situations. Hard to have a stat for that but if I go back to every big moment, the results are going to be less than average. Whether it be execution or a poor playcall, it just didn't work this year. Also, we put a lot on Tommy and Sean on the ground despite having a talented backfield. 2022 numbers are so impressive because we missed Tommy for parts of the year, our RB room was decimated, and Lance could bail us out through the air anymore. Sean, Elijah Elliot, Garrett Coon, Willie P, and the Oline were huge for us. Anyway, good luck to Taylor and hopefully he continues to mature. Players loved playing for him but he never quite embraced the MSU community...not that its a requirement to lead an offense.

Did he really not embrace the MSU community or was it the other way around? Maybe I'm just forgetting but I'm not aware of anything he did negatively towards MSU/Bozeman/Montana/Alumni. I think people mostly just looked for reasons not to like him after every losing, or non-elite winning, performance. He didn't handle the 2001 Cat/griz loss well but otherwise I thought he was fine, especially for a non-HC.

Agreed. It was definitely that first Cat/Griz loss that people immediately started questioning him. But then you have to give him credit working in Tommy to a National Title run. A very interesting three years.

He did a lot to raise expectations higher than he was capable of reaching. Even though it was frustrating at times I'm glad he was here as long as he was. He'll have an impressive career.

Walker is set up well to take over with a big chunk of the offense returning. The biggest drop off is at his own position group which he's been developing so no real worry there. He's primed to be successful in year 1 as long as he can handle the game day pace as the man calling the shots.

[kennethnoisewater]

If there was one way tried and true way to hire coaches we’d all know what that is and the coaches would always follow it.

If the offense or defense fails this year it won’t be because Vigen didn’t do his due diligence. He’s the most thorough coach I’ve been around.

It took Jeff three years to find the best fit at OC when he started at MSU. The only coach who figured out how to make our offensive personnel the best version of themselves was Matt Miller...who had zero playcalling experience. I still remember his first game against Idaho State. We lost but the offensive looked a little different in alignments/formations as well as personnel. We lost the game but offensively it looked like the version that fit Troy as a QB.

Housewright built an offensive around running the ball in various ways and getting your outside playmakers one-on-one opportunities in the pass game. Here were his final Big Sky ranks (I hate when they list FCS ranks because conferences are so drastically different):

2021:

Points: 5th (28.7/game)
YPG: 5th (402.0/game)
Rushing: 1st (220.9/game - 45 yards better than second)
Passing: 12th (181.1/game)
Passing Efficiency: 2nd (This means we were incredibly productive when we did throw the ball...means you have a good playcaller...and maybe Lance McCutcheon)

2022:

Points: 1st (42.9/game)
YPG: 2nd (494.8/game)
Rushing: 1st (310.8/game)
Passing: 12th (184.0/game - improved by 3 yards!)
Passing Efficiency: 3rd (Again...very effective when we did throw the ball despite the low yardage ranking)

2023:

Points: 1st (39.9/game)
YPG: 1st (473.4/game)
Rushing: 1st (292.4/game)
Passing: 9th (181.0/game - improved the ranking but fell back to 2021 number!)
Passing Efficiency: 1st

What's the takeaway here? Looking at it objectively, its hard to call the Housewright experience anything but a resounding success given he was a first year playcaller in 2021. Again, focus was on running the ball but taking your shot plays through the air when they're available. However, being a fan you micro-analyze every slip up and this year we just had too many in big situations. Hard to have a stat for that but if I go back to every big moment, the results are going to be less than average. Whether it be execution or a poor playcall, it just didn't work this year. Also, we put a lot on Tommy and Sean on the ground despite having a talented backfield. 2022 numbers are so impressive because we missed Tommy for parts of the year, our RB room was decimated, and Lance could bail us out through the air anymore. Sean, Elijah Elliot, Garrett Coon, Willie P, and the Oline were huge for us. Anyway, good luck to Taylor and hopefully he continues to mature. Players loved playing for him but he never quite embraced the MSU community...not that its a requirement to lead an offense.

Did he really not embrace the MSU community or was it the other way around? Maybe I'm just forgetting but I'm not aware of anything he did negatively towards MSU/Bozeman/Montana/Alumni. I think people mostly just looked for reasons not to like him after every losing, or non-elite winning, performance. He didn't handle the 2001 Cat/griz loss well but otherwise I thought he was fine, especially for a non-HC.

I think that's a fair question and you're probably right. He didn't do much to ingratiate himself to Bobcat fans I don't think, and at some level that matters in coaching. People want to like their coaches. I also remember in one of his early interviews he was wearing Nike and no MSU gear, which was a bit of an odd look. He wasn't particularly engaging, even though he's actually very funny. And he does come across as pretty smug in interviews and in person. None of those things are terrible...they're just not going to win you a lot of forgiveness if you have a tough game calling the offense haha. Then you have a personal mistake like a DUI and that can't help convince the general fan base to embrace you.

[CelticCat]

Just look at the two last seasoned coordinators MSU hired - Garza and Messingham. Garza was fired and Messingham probably would have been if he didn't get the NDSU job.

[VimSince03]

Just look at the two last seasoned coordinators MSU hired - Garza and Messingham. Garza was fired and Messingham probably would have been if he didn't get the NDSU job.

Don't forget Bob Cole!

[Lord Vigo]

I have no problem with the internal promotion. My only concern is that it makes me wonder if Vigen knows he isn’t long for Bozeman. That is, I wonder if he doesn’t want to ask a coordinator to move here and join his staff because he figures in accepting a new job after this season.

[Hawks86]

[Long Time Cat]

I have no problem with the internal promotion. My only concern is that it makes me wonder if Vigen knows he isn’t long for Bozeman. That is, I wonder if he doesn’t want to ask a coordinator to move here and join his staff because he figures in accepting a new job after this season.

My dad always told me “don’t borrow trouble.“ I think that’s what you’re doing here.

[Lord Vigo]

I have no problem with the internal promotion. My only concern is that it makes me wonder if Vigen knows he isn’t long for Bozeman. That is, I wonder if he doesn’t want to ask a coordinator to move here and join his staff because he figures in accepting a new job after this season.

My dad always told me “don’t borrow trouble.“ I think that’s what you’re doing here.

Probably. Just a curiosity of mine regarding the changes. I’m not planning to be needlessly pessimistic.

[coloradocat]

I have no problem with the internal promotion. My only concern is that it makes me wonder if Vigen knows he isn’t long for Bozeman. That is, I wonder if he doesn’t want to ask a coordinator to move here and join his staff because he figures in accepting a new job after this season.

My dad always told me “don’t borrow trouble.“ I think that’s what you’re doing here.

Probably. Just a curiosity of mine regarding the changes. I’m not planning to be needlessly pessimistic.

Every year is self-contained so I doubt Vigen is thinking ahead. Even if he was planning on going somewhere that wouldn't stop him from bringing someone in and then taking them with him. Sounds like he decided the best course of action was to go with Walker, especially as it's a very collaborative staff.

[kwcat]

Just look at the two last seasoned coordinators MSU hired - Garza and Messingham. Garza was fired and Messingham probably would have been if he didn't get the NDSU job.

Don't forget Bob Cole!

I forget about Bob Cole. I was trying to remember one of the faces that came and gone the other day

[VimSince03]

Chuck Morrell is about to go from being the Montana Tech head coach as of 2019 to being a Co-DC at Alabama in 2024 (assuming DeBoer takes all his staff...coordinators usually follow). Coaches can rise fast!

[wbtfg]

Chuck Morrell is about to go from being the Montana Tech head coach as of 2019 to being a Co-DC at Alabama in 2024 (assuming DeBoer takes all his staff...coordinators usually follow). Coaches can rise fast!

That's so crazy.

And DeBoer was coaching against Mike Van Deist not that long ago.

[luckyirishguy25]

Chuck Morrell is about to go from being the Montana Tech head coach as of 2019 to being a Co-DC at Alabama in 2024 (assuming DeBoer takes all his staff...coordinators usually follow). Coaches can rise fast!

I don't think UW looks at Vigen, but it's moves like this that open doors elsewhere that make our coaching stability not as stable.

[Bocephus]

Chuck Morrell is about to go from being the Montana Tech head coach as of 2019 to being a Co-DC at Alabama in 2024 (assuming DeBoer takes all his staff...coordinators usually follow). Coaches can rise fast!

I don't think UW looks at Vigen, but it's moves like this that open doors elsewhere that make our coaching stability not as stable.

I wonder if Choate would’ve had a chance at UW if he hadn’t gone to Reno? He coached there before MSU.