It’s a dynamic that’s not often discussed in the game of college football,…or even in the NFL.
It’s true, the offensive and defensive coordinators don’t have to get along and certainly don’t have to coordinate with each other, but it’s certainly a pleasant surprise when they do.
In 1985 the Chicago Bears were one of the best teams in NFL history. Part of that dynamic was the relationship between offensive coordinator Ed Hughes and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan. Both were excellent at their respective positions, but it was also well-known they had a significant dislike for each other. But, in the end, it was Ryan’s 47 Defense that was the main reason why the Bears went 15-1 that year and eventually won the Lombardi Trophy.
But that is an outlier.
Teams would certainly like the two coordinators to not only get along but also complement each other to make each unit better.
That’s what Oregon is attempting to do in 2023 with its new offensive coordinator Will Stein and Tosh Lupoi on the defensive end.
There’s certainly no animosity between the two men and we’re not suggesting there ever was, but not every personality meshes with the other when the head coach builds his staff.
“I think really highly of the man,” Lupoi said of his counterpart Stein.
“I think he’s an elite coach and probably most importantly, just the continuity with us as a staff he’s someone that’s just gonna walk into my office or I’m gonna walk in his office and there’s a certain look we want to see or something we want to do,….us both being open-minded to be able to do that work with each other. So it all starts there. And again, just naturally from what they’re doing. So really good for us to see them.”
Lupoi might have a slight advantage over Stein as he is in his second year at Oregon and knows his personnel a little better.
But the first-year offensive coordinator is having a good time relating to his new players, especially his new quarterback Bo Nix.
“I think we share a lot of commonalities in terms of our personality, our intensity and our attention to detail,” Stein said on Thursday.
“Both of us played quarterback, so we share a lot of things on the field, but off the field as well. He’s a man of faith like I am. He’s a family man. He’s connected to his community like I feel I am and he’s just a great human being. So just trying to do everything I can to keep developing that relationship. We talk every single day after practice. I call him on the way home and he calls me so we’re always bouncing ideas off each other.”
Both coordinators are making an extra effort to connect with their players off the field in order to get better production on the field. It’s a practice Lupoi has been employing for over a decade.
“Around 15 years ago, but before not knowing anything about the coaching world and converting from an ex-player to that profession, I learned quickly that just connecting with your players and playing with relentless effort, puts you in a position to have a lot of success,” said Lupoi.
“So I think it’s important for us in our job to reach out to these guys doing something right now. I try to meet with a minimum of two players a day and really not talk a whole lot about football, but to just dive in and check on the mental health and something might come out but come out with my family or their family and ultimately, we’re gonna get a lot better result out there on the field, if we’re truly playing for something bigger than just ourselves.”
It also comes down to getting the most out of the player in between the hashes.
Let’s be real. Oregon isn’t paying those high salaries to their coaching staff to be life coaches. They’re football coaches.
Stein is excited by the talent he has at his disposal, especially with one receiver in particular and we’re not talking about Troy Franklin.
He said true freshman Jurrion Dickey could be one of those special players that don’t come around too often.
“He’s a football player. He’s got really, really good ball skills” explained Stein.
“He wants to be really good. He shows up early and he takes notes. He’s doing his best to be a pro. There’s still a lot of growth for him. He’s nowhere near ready to go out and produce at the level that he wants to, but day by day, he’s getting better. And I see a kid that wants it.”
OREGON DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR TOSH LUPOI DISCUSSES HIS SQUAD