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Returning coordinator gives offense a makeover

Warinner says new strategy will provide more running time

By Asher Fusco

Monday, August 27, 2007

By almost any measure, Ed Warinner succeeded in his two years at Illinois.

After leaving Kansas at the end of the 2004 season, he took over as Illinois’ offensive line coach and pushed the Illini rushing attack to the top of the Big 10 Conference.

So why did Warinner leave a rising Illinois program to return to Kansas? He said his family’s ties to Lawrence and his connection with head coach Mark Mangino made the decision easy.

“The community, coaching staff and athletic department has embraced me,” Warinner said. “It’s been as smooth as can be. The family’s back in town and we love it.”

Year, School, Coaching position

1984, Akron, running backs

1985-86, Michigan State, linebackers, defensive backs

1987-99, Army, offensive line, defensive line, quarterbacks, offensive coordinator, football operations

2000-02, Air Force, offensive line

2003, Kansas, offensive line, run-game coordinator

2004-05, Illinois, offensive line, run-game coordinator

2007, Kansas, offensive coordinator, quarterbacks

Warinner coached the Kansas offensive line in 2003 and coordinated the Jayhawk run-game the following season. After spending two seasons in charge of Illinois’ run-game and offensive line, he returned to Kansas this past spring as the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach.

Warinner brings with him a long list of credentials and an emphasis on gaining yards in the trenches. Last season, he coached Illinois to its best rushing season since 1973 — the Illini averaged 188 yards per game.

In 2003, Kansas rushed for 165 yards per game under Warinner’s watch. From 2000 to 2002, he coached the offensive line at the Air Force Academy, a school known for its effectiveness running the ball. During Warinner’s tenure at the academy, the Falcons posted impressive statistics, averaging more than 300 rushing yards per game.

Surprisingly, Warinner’s return to Kansas might not involve any exaggerated reliance on the run-game. In fact, Kansas fans can expect to see the ball in the air more often than in past seasons.

“Our offense is an offense that provides the opportunity to run the ball because we throw the ball well,” Mangino said. “That’s going to be our philosophy.”

Former offensive coordinator Nick Quartaro, who resigned last December, relied on running backs like Jon Cornish and Clark Green to shoulder the offensive load. Kansas ran its plays out of a spread formation last season but rarely stretched the field with long passes.

Whether Warinner’s offense produces more big plays remains to be seen but the product could be more exciting. Last spring, sophomore quarterbacks Todd Reesing and Kerry Meier described the new offense as more up-tempo than past schemes.

The bits and pieces of the offense that fans and media glimpsed at the spring scrimmage and fall practices appeared similar to Missouri’s frequent use of the no-huddle offense and fluid play-calling technique. At media day, Warinner said fans would notice some changes, but the offensive makeover was more internal than external.

“We wanted to make the offense user-friendly,” Warinner said. “We’ve put everything in categories, and players understand that. It’s all packaged together as the work of the coaching staff so it would be easy for the players to learn.”

A simple offense could be the key to the success of Reesing, who has only thrown 24 passes in his collegiate career. Warinner said Reesing had learned the offense quickly and that the new system allowed the quarterback to grow and develop.

“I don’t have to think about as many things,” Reesing said. “Obviously we still have to understand where our reads are on each play, but they’re trying to take pressure off of the players so we don’t have to worry about thinking as much as playing.”

The offense Warinner has brought to Kansas is based on the players’ ability to communicate — whether they are communicating with one another on the field or with coaches in the meeting room. So far, the players have displayed that ability.

“Everything’s going great because we have great players on offense and our coaching staff has done a great job of teaching this new offense we’re running,” Warinner said. “I feel like there is a great relationship between coaches and players. It’s really coming along.”

— edited by Kaitlyn Syring

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