The name and the concept might sound a little funny, but Kyle Whittingham feels his decision for offensive coordinator is anything but that.
Co-coordinators. That’s the direction the U football team’s offense has taken as Whittingham promoted both Andy Roderick and Dave Schramm to the post for next season. The decision came nearly a month after former offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig announced his decision to join Kansas State on Dec. 17.
“To keep good coaches in your program, you need to be ready to advance them when opportunities come along,” Whittingham said.
Both Roderick and Schramm joined the Utes in 2005 as part of Whittingham’s initial hires. Roderick has been serving as the team’s wide receivers coach since arriving at Utah. Schramm has served as the team’s running back coach and recruiting coordinator under Whittingham.
Both coaches will maintain their responsibilities under their new titles. Roderick, who was rumored to possibly being courted by Washington, will also take over as Utah’s quarterbacks coach. Roderick served in both capacities under former defensive coordinator Gary Andersen when he was the head coach down at Southern Utah. Roderick was also the offensive coordinator at SUU and now handle the play calling for the Ute offense on game day.
Schamm will maintain his duties as recruiting coordinator, but will be carry more of an on-field presence for the offense on game day. Both coaches will script the playbook and tailor it to their opponent next season, which is something Whittingham said they already do.
“Aaron and Dave have already been very involved in our game planning and play calling,” Whittingham said.
The fact that both coaches have worked so well with one and other for the past four years made the decision to have co-coordinators an easy decision.
Aaron and Dave are outstanding coaches and they both have a lot to offer to the program. They work very well together and they are ready to direct our offense as the co-coordinators.”
With Utah’s offensive coordinator situation now solved, Utah still has to fill the offensive line vacancy that Charles Dickey left when he joined Ludwig at Kansas State and one other offensive coaching spot.
Andersen, who was hired as Utah State’s head coach, has already left and the defensive coordinator spot was also filled in-house by linebackers coach Kalani Sitake. In all, six of Utah’s 10 coaches will either be new to the program, or serving in new capacities next season, including John Pease, who has a bit of NFL coaching experience.
Ironically, Utah’s head coach and top play callers on both offense and defense are now graduates of BYU.
Whittingham was a Cougar from 1972-1975. Sitake played at BYU until 2000 and Roderick graduated from BYU in 1998. They’re all now firmly Utah men now.
