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2011 Feb 22
Beck: Change Is Good
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After three years of a hybrid West Coast/spread attack that played to diminishing returns in big games and had critics sniping at the heels of Shawn Watson, the new leader of Nebraska's offense - Tim Beck - is officially hitting the reset button and putting the “gas pedal to the floor.”
In a bold, upbeat first interview since becoming NU's latest offensive coordinator, Beck told the “Sports Nightly” radio program Tuesday night that he intends to completely overhaul the Huskers' attack for their inaugural Big Ten season in 2011.
“You can't be afraid to start over and junk everything and get a system in place,” Beck said during a 15-minute, wide-ranging chat. “Even though there may be things your guys know, change is good. And you've got to make those changes and live through those early times, because once the foundation is laid on what you plan on doing, you're going to be set for years to come with it.”
And what will Nebraska's offense look like? Beck didn't offer precise details. But he gave two notable statements:
*“We're going to run the ball first and foremost and we're going to hang our hat on that.”
*“We're going to go where they're not – and attack. I just think you gotta be an attacking offense nowadays and constantly put pressure on defenses and put the gas pedal to the floor. Go after them.”
Beck's comments matched up with those of his boss, head coach Bo Pelini, who told “Sports Nightly” last Friday that he wanted the way offense was taught at NU to mirror methods he and his brother, Carl Pelini, had used to radically – and successfully - revamp Nebraska's defense.
It's also what Beck said he did as a co-offensive coordinator at Kansas under Mark Mangino. KU peaked with a 12-1, Orange-Bowl-winning season in 2007, when the Jayhawks' high-octane, no huddle attack – led by diminutive quarterback Todd Reesing – was the No. 7 total offense and No. 2 scoring offense in the country.
“We overhauled it, started from scratch, put in the system we needed to put in, had enough flexibility and kept it simple,” said Beck, who added that Kansas had no “five-star players.” Instead, “we had a bunch of guys who worked hard, and we gave them a chance to have success. And that's what the offense allowed them to do.”
One mistake coaches often make, Beck said, was to “tie in so many different philosophies, techniques and verbiage that it becomes a whole bunch of stuff. And it becomes 'What am I supposed to do on these plays?' as opposed to 'How we do run these plays and why do we run these plays?'
The “how and why” method of learning the offense, Beck said, starts with the quarterback. Nebraska returns two signal-callers who started games last year – sophomore Taylor Martinez and junior Cody Green.
The dynamic Martinez enjoyed a smashing start to the season. After a severe ankle injury, however, he struggled executing whole chunks of NU's shotgun zone-read attack. Green, who lacks Martinez's big-play running ability, successfully led the Huskers to wins over Iowa State and Colorado. Brion Carnes, Kody Spano, Ron Kellogg and Jamal Turner will also participate in spring camp at QB.
Beck said he'd look at a quarterback's leadership – in the huddle and elsewhere – above any other attribute when picking a starter.
“He's got to be able to convince those guys that, no matter what, we're going to have success,” he said.
After that, the quarterback's mastery of the new offense – which will be installed during spring camp and again in fall practice – will be another key factor.
“I'm not going to know every single time where they're 'not going to be' based on formations or whatever it is their defensive coordinator wants to do,” Beck said. “The plan is to have that quarterback and myself be on the same page. He understands the offense. He understands why we want to run the plays we want to run. 'How do I get to the best play?' And that's what we're putting in.”
The new OC hedged somewhat on confirming whether NU would employ a “check with me” sideline audibling system that he used at Kansas. He did tell “Sports Nightly” he expected to be in the press box calling plays.
He'll also be open to taking suggestions from boss and long-time friend Pelini, whom Beck said “knows as much about offense as he does about defense.”
“Because he knows what hurts them,” Beck said. “Knowing me like he does – and I know him – he's not ever going to hurt my feelings by coming in and saying 'How about this?' or 'What do you think of this?' or 'We ought to run this or this.' I hope he does it. He's an extremely smart guy.”
Beck also lauded his new, revamped offensive staff during the interview. Nebraska hired Rich Fisher to coach wide receivers and John Garrison to assist with the offensive line. Neither are bursting with recent credentials – Fisher coached high school football and gave golf lessons, while Garrison served as an intern with the Huskers – but Beck didn't care.
“I don't believe a resume ever won any ballgames,” Beck said. “It's about people. People win games. Players win games. It's not about plays. It's not about resumes.
“...We needed some hungry guys. Some guys from outside the realm of Nebraska. Just being different. Bringing a different view of everything that was going on. That's kind of what these guys had. They're hungry. They're aggressive.”
Moving former tight ends coach Ron Brown to oversee running backs – Beck's responsibility in 2010 – was a no-brainer given that incoming freshmen Aaron Green and Ameer Abdullah are expected to contribute early and often behind presumed starter Rex Burkhead.
“We needed some experience there, some leadership there to make sure that they understood what they're getting into,” Beck said. “They're going to be a tailback at the University of Nebraska. That's a different deal now. Expectations are higher. The physical play those guys need to bring to the table, the pride they need to play with. Who better to teach that than Ron? He's as good as they get.”
Beck talked at length about only two offensive newcomers – Abdullah and Turner.
On Abdullah: “He's a huge get. I think he's an electrifying player...he plays big. He plays tough and physical.”
On Turner: “He kinda has the “It” factor. Extremely hard worker. Very unselfish player. And he's shown it. He's gained a lot of success already – an instant credibility from the way he works. I know our older players have a tremendous amount of respect for him.”
Beck said he has not yet talked to NU's other quarterback recruit for 2011, Bubba Starling, since the changes were officially announced by Pelini last via cell phone.
McKewon Commentary: The Boldness of Beck
Grade Bo's Revamped Coaching Staff
In a bold, upbeat first interview since becoming NU's latest offensive coordinator, Beck told the “Sports Nightly” radio program Tuesday night that he intends to completely overhaul the Huskers' attack for their inaugural Big Ten season in 2011.
“You can't be afraid to start over and junk everything and get a system in place,” Beck said during a 15-minute, wide-ranging chat. “Even though there may be things your guys know, change is good. And you've got to make those changes and live through those early times, because once the foundation is laid on what you plan on doing, you're going to be set for years to come with it.”
And what will Nebraska's offense look like? Beck didn't offer precise details. But he gave two notable statements:
*“We're going to run the ball first and foremost and we're going to hang our hat on that.”
*“We're going to go where they're not – and attack. I just think you gotta be an attacking offense nowadays and constantly put pressure on defenses and put the gas pedal to the floor. Go after them.”
Beck's comments matched up with those of his boss, head coach Bo Pelini, who told “Sports Nightly” last Friday that he wanted the way offense was taught at NU to mirror methods he and his brother, Carl Pelini, had used to radically – and successfully - revamp Nebraska's defense.
It's also what Beck said he did as a co-offensive coordinator at Kansas under Mark Mangino. KU peaked with a 12-1, Orange-Bowl-winning season in 2007, when the Jayhawks' high-octane, no huddle attack – led by diminutive quarterback Todd Reesing – was the No. 7 total offense and No. 2 scoring offense in the country.
“We overhauled it, started from scratch, put in the system we needed to put in, had enough flexibility and kept it simple,” said Beck, who added that Kansas had no “five-star players.” Instead, “we had a bunch of guys who worked hard, and we gave them a chance to have success. And that's what the offense allowed them to do.”
One mistake coaches often make, Beck said, was to “tie in so many different philosophies, techniques and verbiage that it becomes a whole bunch of stuff. And it becomes 'What am I supposed to do on these plays?' as opposed to 'How we do run these plays and why do we run these plays?'
The “how and why” method of learning the offense, Beck said, starts with the quarterback. Nebraska returns two signal-callers who started games last year – sophomore Taylor Martinez and junior Cody Green.
The dynamic Martinez enjoyed a smashing start to the season. After a severe ankle injury, however, he struggled executing whole chunks of NU's shotgun zone-read attack. Green, who lacks Martinez's big-play running ability, successfully led the Huskers to wins over Iowa State and Colorado. Brion Carnes, Kody Spano, Ron Kellogg and Jamal Turner will also participate in spring camp at QB.
Beck said he'd look at a quarterback's leadership – in the huddle and elsewhere – above any other attribute when picking a starter.
“He's got to be able to convince those guys that, no matter what, we're going to have success,” he said.
After that, the quarterback's mastery of the new offense – which will be installed during spring camp and again in fall practice – will be another key factor.
“I'm not going to know every single time where they're 'not going to be' based on formations or whatever it is their defensive coordinator wants to do,” Beck said. “The plan is to have that quarterback and myself be on the same page. He understands the offense. He understands why we want to run the plays we want to run. 'How do I get to the best play?' And that's what we're putting in.”
The new OC hedged somewhat on confirming whether NU would employ a “check with me” sideline audibling system that he used at Kansas. He did tell “Sports Nightly” he expected to be in the press box calling plays.
He'll also be open to taking suggestions from boss and long-time friend Pelini, whom Beck said “knows as much about offense as he does about defense.”
“Because he knows what hurts them,” Beck said. “Knowing me like he does – and I know him – he's not ever going to hurt my feelings by coming in and saying 'How about this?' or 'What do you think of this?' or 'We ought to run this or this.' I hope he does it. He's an extremely smart guy.”
Beck also lauded his new, revamped offensive staff during the interview. Nebraska hired Rich Fisher to coach wide receivers and John Garrison to assist with the offensive line. Neither are bursting with recent credentials – Fisher coached high school football and gave golf lessons, while Garrison served as an intern with the Huskers – but Beck didn't care.
“I don't believe a resume ever won any ballgames,” Beck said. “It's about people. People win games. Players win games. It's not about plays. It's not about resumes.
“...We needed some hungry guys. Some guys from outside the realm of Nebraska. Just being different. Bringing a different view of everything that was going on. That's kind of what these guys had. They're hungry. They're aggressive.”
Moving former tight ends coach Ron Brown to oversee running backs – Beck's responsibility in 2010 – was a no-brainer given that incoming freshmen Aaron Green and Ameer Abdullah are expected to contribute early and often behind presumed starter Rex Burkhead.
“We needed some experience there, some leadership there to make sure that they understood what they're getting into,” Beck said. “They're going to be a tailback at the University of Nebraska. That's a different deal now. Expectations are higher. The physical play those guys need to bring to the table, the pride they need to play with. Who better to teach that than Ron? He's as good as they get.”
Beck talked at length about only two offensive newcomers – Abdullah and Turner.
On Abdullah: “He's a huge get. I think he's an electrifying player...he plays big. He plays tough and physical.”
On Turner: “He kinda has the “It” factor. Extremely hard worker. Very unselfish player. And he's shown it. He's gained a lot of success already – an instant credibility from the way he works. I know our older players have a tremendous amount of respect for him.”
Beck said he has not yet talked to NU's other quarterback recruit for 2011, Bubba Starling, since the changes were officially announced by Pelini last via cell phone.
McKewon Commentary: The Boldness of Beck
Grade Bo's Revamped Coaching Staff
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Tags: tim beck, rich fisher, ron brown, ameer abdullah, jamal turner, john garrison
Home > Blogs > Official Husker Locker Blog > Beck: Change Is Good
Beck sounds like the direct counterpart to Bo Pelini, which is awesome. He sounds like an aggressive, no-nonsense guy and I think he's going to kick the offense into high gear. I would be surprised if we didn't have some early struggles, but once he gets the foundation set, watch out. We might have a championship team.
– Feb 22, 2011 at 9:50 pm