OK, I'm sold. At first, I was skeptical about East Carolina coach John
Thompson's decision to hire Noah Brindise as his offensive coordinator.
Don't ask why.
Maybe it was due to his lack of experience in recruiting and play-calling
at the Division I level. Or, perhaps it was my perception that his unwritten
position on the Washington Redskins staff was "official clipboard carrier
and towel fetcher" for Coach Steve Spurrier.
Whatever the reason, I second, third, and fourth-guessed his hiring.
Not anymore.
It took only two plays in the spring game to earn my approval. A deep
slant, followed by a sandlot special to open the day's festivities, and I
was a card-carrying member of the Flying Brindisiacs.
Had he gone for the trifecta — the trademark visor toss his mentor made
famous — you might have seen a 170-pound sportswriter of Irish descent
stage-dive from Level B of the press box. Just imagine the response had his
first three calls netted more than three yards.
Better yet, don't.
You have to admit it was a far cry from Rick Stockstill's offense.
Stuckstill was more like it. Heck, on most days it flat out Stunkstill.
That is, unless you prefer a system which relies on the two-yard out as
its bread-and-butter play. It's mighty effective on third-and-long
situations. Never fails.
But if last Saturday is any indication, expect a complete 180 with
Spurrier's apprentice calling the plays. Anything is fair game.
"I hope he has the productivity (of Spurrier) in college," Thompson said
following the spring game. "Noah is Noah. His pedigree and his background,
that's where he came from.
"You have to respect that and acknowledge that, and that's part of it.
But we hired Noah Brindise because we wanted what Noah Brindise could bring
to the table. We didn't try to hire Steve Spurrier."
Point taken. Guess we'll have to settle for a guy who not only has
experience teaching the Fun-n-Gun, but also knows a thing or two about
engineering it from under center.
Talk about having a unique perspective on one of the most explosive
offensive systems in college football. Think Brindise understands the
thought process and reads of his field general?
I surely believe so.
Too bad the same couldn't be said for Standstill. It often looked as if
the gap between him and Pirates QBs was wider than Sherman Klump.
Problem was, Staystill had no set philosophy, instead drawing on a
smorgasbord of plays and formations learned under Clemson coaches Danny
Ford, Ken Hatfield, Tommy West, and Tommy Bowden. Guess he chose the bad
ones, huh?
With Brindise, the Pirates shouldn't be prodded like a pack of purple
guinea pigs. His system is proven, and by design is a better fit for the
type of talent East Carolina historically has been able to recruit.
Let's just hope he doesn't steal a page from the Spurrier book on musical
quarterbacks. At this stage, that has to be the primary concern with
Brindise. That and the number of visors he'll muddy during the season.