Quarles

[The Jackal]

I noticed a couple of coaches started to follow Justin Roper on twitter, the OC/QB coach for Holy Cross.

These sleuthing efforts usually lead me astray (sometimes I think they do this just to screw with me), but sometimes at worst might give some insight into the type of coach the program is targeting.

Holy Cross won the Patriot League and made the playoffs. The offense averaged over 32 ppg.
They are obviously a more academic minded school.
Roper has coaching stops at Holy Cross, UNI, Slippery Rock, and Valdosta State
He played collegiately at Oregon before transferring to Montana. However, he's from Georgia and went to Buford (a school we pull kids from seemingly every recruiting class).
He recruits Georgia, SC, and NC for Holy Cross, which is right in our wheelhouse.

Not sure if he'd be an OC target or a QB coach target (or both), but he'd check a lot of boxes for Furman, I would think.

[Sad Din]

I noticed a couple of coaches started to follow Justin Roper on twitter, the OC/QB coach for Holy Cross.

These sleuthing efforts usually lead me astray (sometimes I think they do this just to screw with me), but sometimes at worst might give some insight into the type of coach the program is targeting.

Holy Cross won the Patriot League and made the playoffs. The offense averaged over 32 ppg.
They are obviously a more academic minded school.
Roper has coaching stops at Holy Cross, UNI, Slippery Rock, and Valdosta State
He played collegiately at Oregon before transferring to Montana. However, he's from Georgia and went to Buford (a school we pull kids from seemingly every recruiting class).
He recruits Georgia, SC, and NC for Holy Cross, which is right in our wheelhouse.

Not sure if he'd be an OC target or a QB coach target (or both), but he'd check a lot of boxes for Furman, I would think.

He might not be th OC guy but need to at least send the QBs to a camp with him

If he is the guy, obviuosly Coach has finally listened to the Forum experts' advice and is now focussing on QBs and QB Play!

[Paladin91]

And because he comes up so frequently, I think the jury is still out on Cronic. Of course, I feel the same about any new coach. I think you need to wait a few years to evaluate them.

First, before Bear objects, I think he was the right hire for Mercer. He's a talented coach with a record of success. He was an obvious choice for their program.

Second, I think there are still question marks that are yet unanswered.

For instance, he has moved around a good bit. He left Furman to coach with his father at Reinhardt, then inherited that program, and made quick stops at Furman then Lenoir Rhyne. I think there's an open issue about how he will do as an offensive play caller against good defensive coaches as they get more film on his offense.

I think there's an also open question as to how he will do as a recruiter. He was the recruiting coordinator under Bobby Lamb, and as we saw, the end of that administration really flopped on the recruiting front and ushered in a period of pretty week recruiting classes that plagued us through the next 4 or 5 seasons. Recruiting at Mercer against the SoCon schools will be a different animal than recruiting at a DII powerhouse or an NAIA school.

He may be a marvelous hire for Mercer, but I do not think you can make that determination after one season. I also think Furman fans need to let go this notion that Cronic is some offensive sage that we let get away.

Please lay off the Kool-Aid. Your purple mustache is showing. FYI, Cronic was 100% responsible for FU's offense when he was the coordinator. I know him personally - it was not a committee offense. Yes, Cronic had a decent QB, but his biggest problem (as he explained to me numerous times) was that he had no RB's who could get to the edge - the cupboard was bare in that department. Thus, his only option was to mainly run between the tackles.

You question how successful Cronic will be - well, he's already beat Furman in two seasons as a new head coach - that speaks volumes in itself. Unless FU hires a decent OC, FU will continue to be a doormat for Mercer.

[Afurmanfan]

Big to differ- Darius Morehead could definitely get to the edge, and CDC had PJ as his qb the one year he was our OC. I believe he is a good coach, and i consider him a friend also, but to say he didn’t have a rb who could get to the edge is wrong. And if PJ had been our qb the last two seasons, i believe most would agree that we would have had a much better record.

[The Jackal]

And because he comes up so frequently, I think the jury is still out on Cronic. Of course, I feel the same about any new coach. I think you need to wait a few years to evaluate them.

First, before Bear objects, I think he was the right hire for Mercer. He's a talented coach with a record of success. He was an obvious choice for their program.

Second, I think there are still question marks that are yet unanswered.

For instance, he has moved around a good bit. He left Furman to coach with his father at Reinhardt, then inherited that program, and made quick stops at Furman then Lenoir Rhyne. I think there's an open issue about how he will do as an offensive play caller against good defensive coaches as they get more film on his offense.

I think there's an also open question as to how he will do as a recruiter. He was the recruiting coordinator under Bobby Lamb, and as we saw, the end of that administration really flopped on the recruiting front and ushered in a period of pretty week recruiting classes that plagued us through the next 4 or 5 seasons. Recruiting at Mercer against the SoCon schools will be a different animal than recruiting at a DII powerhouse or an NAIA school.

He may be a marvelous hire for Mercer, but I do not think you can make that determination after one season. I also think Furman fans need to let go this notion that Cronic is some offensive sage that we let get away.

Please lay off the Kool-Aid. Your purple mustache is showing. FYI, Cronic was 100% responsible for FU's offense when he was the coordinator. I know him personally - it was not a committee offense. Yes, Cronic had a decent QB, but his biggest problem (as he explained to me numerous times) was that he had no RB's who could get to the edge - the cupboard was bare in that department. Thus, his only option was to mainly run between the tackles.

You question how successful Cronic will be - well, he's already beat Furman in two seasons as a new head coach - that speaks volumes in itself. Unless FU hires a decent OC, FU will continue to be a doormat for Mercer.

This isn't news breaking and was pretty obvious when watching the 2017 team play. Glad Cronic confirmed what we all saw.

I hold the same opinion on Cronic that I hold on every new coaching hire in the conference. I am going to wait a few years before I make any determinations on your success rate.

Chris Hatcher and Josh Conklin were two coaches that came into SoCon gigs and beat Furman a few times early. I'm not sure anyone would trade Furman's coaching staff or roster for Wofford's or Samford's right now.

[The Jackal]

Big to differ- Darius Morehead could definitely get to the edge, and CDC had PJ as his qb the one year he was our OC. I believe he is a good coach, and i consider him a friend also, but to say he didn’t have a rb who could get to the edge is wrong. And if PJ had been our qb the last two seasons, i believe most would agree that we would have had a much better record.

Morehead was on the team and frequently lined up at wing that season. He didn't carry the ball much as the two fullbacks, and almost never between the tackles.

As a few on here have noted, sometimes a "good coach" is one that has a "good quarterback." A good QB can make a coach look like a genius.

[Paladin91]

Big to differ- Darius Morehead could definitely get to the edge, and CDC had PJ as his qb the one year he was our OC. I believe he is a good coach, and i consider him a friend also, but to say he didn’t have a rb who could get to the edge is wrong. And if PJ had been our qb the last two seasons, i believe most would agree that we would have had a much better record.

Morehead was on the team and frequently lined up at wing that season. He didn't carry the ball much as the two fullbacks, and almost never between the tackles.

As a few on here have noted, sometimes a "good coach" is one that has a "good quarterback." A good QB can make a coach look like a genius.

Morehead was particularly injury-prone and could not be counted on. While he started out with great potential in games against Mich St., he could only be counted on in spot roles in his career due to numerous concussions.

Jackal, go back to some of your old posts where you nearly praise HS as the second coming at QB. If that was the case, GQ should have had a lot more success than he did.

And yeah, Fowler and Sorrells could only go 3-8 a year earlier with a veteran QB in Reese Hannon, but the turnaround a yr later was all due to PJ....NOT.

[FUBeAR]

He may be a marvelous hire for Mercer, but I do not think you can make that determination after one season. I also think Furman fans need to let go this notion that Cronic is some offensive sage that we let get away.

2 Seasons
11-5 (.688) in SoCon games. (2 of those losses came in 1st 3 SoCon games…10-3 (.769) since)

[AstroDin]

Switching subjects… I somehow ended up watching one regular season and the playoff game HC played.
I liked what I saw. Jackal beat me to the post - I've been reverse-engineering who have the coaches and players started following.

If I remember correctly Furman adm shuts down for the holidays — so we could see a hiring announcement this week.

[Furmanoid]

If we got the HC guy at least one person at FU would have March Madness experience.

[gofurman]

If we got the HC guy at least one person at FU would have March Madness experience.

now that's funny. well played

[Rokawaylifer]

This hc qb coach may be the second coming. Who knows. But for what it’s worth I know more than a few respected qb coaches who preach cleats in ground.

I noticed a couple of coaches started to follow Justin Roper on twitter, the OC/QB coach for Holy Cross.

These sleuthing efforts usually lead me astray (sometimes I think they do this just to screw with me), but sometimes at worst might give some insight into the type of coach the program is targeting.

Holy Cross won the Patriot League and made the playoffs. The offense averaged over 32 ppg.
They are obviously a more academic minded school.
Roper has coaching stops at Holy Cross, UNI, Slippery Rock, and Valdosta State
He played collegiately at Oregon before transferring to Montana. However, he's from Georgia and went to Buford (a school we pull kids from seemingly every recruiting class).
He recruits Georgia, SC, and NC for Holy Cross, which is right in our wheelhouse.

Not sure if he'd be an OC target or a QB coach target (or both), but he'd check a lot of boxes for Furman, I would think.

He might not be th OC guy but need to at least send the QBs to a camp with him

If he is the guy, obviuosly Coach has finally listened to the Forum experts' advice and is now focussing on QBs and QB Play!

[Paul C]

Per Football Scoop, GQ has hired Dru Duke to coach OL at ETSU.

[The Jackal]

Per Football Scoop, GQ has hired Dru Duke to coach OL at ETSU.

Sorry to see him go. By all accounts a good coach.

I'm a little surprised that he'd leave Furman as an OL coach, though.

Aspirational, but Robbie Caldwell just announced his "retirement" at Clemson. I'm also interested to know what Dakota Dozier's future plans are - he's been in the NFL close to 10 years, is from SC, and has always been friend of the program.

[AstroDin]

I could be way off… but this makes me think that the OC is going to come from outside the current staff.