Loran - Smith
Loran
With the flurry of the hiring of young guns in the National Football League in the last half dozen years, it is interesting that there was opportunity last week for one geezer who has never been an NFL head coach— Todd Monken with the Cleveland Browns. He is not without credentials, however. The announcement of his hiring did not rank with the sensation that marked the tapping of Sean McVay, Rams; Liam Coen, Jaguars; Kevin O’Connell, Vikings; Brandon Staley, Chargers; Matt LaFleur, Packers; and Zac Taylor, Bengals as head coaches.
When it comes to football knowledge, however, Monken is as alert and comprehensive as they come at age 60. The question is, “How good is the personnel he inherited?”
There is that debate about quarterback Shedeur Sanders, as it always will be with this position—the eternal focal point of any team. That is certainly a sensitive situation, but he knows about coaching quarterbacks and the fallout that comes with the position and performance.
The fan base at Georgia wanted JT Daniels to start at quarterback, but the coaching staff went with Stetson Bennett for one consequential reason— Stetson’s exceptional ability to make plays running the football. The offensive staff and the head coach felt that Stetson’s rushing acumen gave the Bulldog offense an edge.
Monken, who grew up in Wheaton, Illinois, the birthplace of the legendary Red Grange, comes from a family of coaches so he was always comfortable spending countless hours in the film room. He knew what it was like to coach at places where there were a lot of long bus rides and salaries that meant he had to be as creative with the family budget as he was with the game plan.
With the latent good news of Monken’s hiring, it is appropriate that we confirm that this long-time coach has paid his dues. He deserves his day in the sun.
At stops such as Eastern Michigan, Louisiana Tech, and Oklahoma State, there was often a dearth of exceptional talent to work with which caused him to find way to be novel and inventive but keeping connected with the fundamental concepts such as being able to run the football and stop the run.
I remember conversations with him as Georgia was preparing to play TCU for the Bulldogs glory days of back-to-back national championships, the high-water mark of Georgia’s football history.
“As a coach,” he told me, “I’m a heck of a lot smarter today than I was yesterday, and what I was a week ago, and a year ago in terms of development. You must work at it and try to stay ahead of the curve and stick to what you believe in. You experience growth as a coach, which affects your thinking.
“In all the years I was in the NFL, they did statistical value analysis of the continued from page
best teams, their win/loss records, their turnover margin, explosive plays, and giving up or getting explosive touchdowns in the red zone.
“Lost-yardage plays, third down conversions can be so critical. Lately it has been finding quarterbacks such as Patrick Mahomes who can get outside and make plays. When the defense breaks down, he can take advantage. Stetson Bennett had those qualities—an ability to get outside the pocket and make plays. It is great when you can use your quarterback as a runner. That is why we played Stetson, believing that he gave us the best chance to win.”
It was always illuminating to listen to him when he was waxing philosophically about his life as a football coach, talking about a game for which he holds the deepest regard.
“You have certain priorities, such as not turning the ball over. How do we become explosive with the talent that we have? How do we score touchdowns in the red zone? How do we, if we aren’t explosive, convert on third and fourth downs; the conversion downs are so critical. How do you eliminate low yardage plays so that you stay ahead of the chains?”
During his time at Georgia one of his graduate assistants, Ryan Williams, was always lobbying for trick plays. “I believe in trick play packages, but you better have a feel for the percentages before you suggest such a call to the head coach.”
Kenny McIntosh— now with the Seahawks but will miss the Super Bowl with a torn ACL— threw a halfback pass in the Orange Bowl in 2021 that helped the Bulldogs defeat Michigan 34-11 on the way to Kirby Smart’s first national championship.
Before he accepts applause for that memorable occasion, he will tell you that the play never worked in practice. He would never throw caution to the wind when he is calling a game.
Those who worked with Monken at Georgia are confident that the troubled Browns have hired a winner, but the former Bulldog offensive coordinator is a firm proponent of the adage that, “You can’t win without the hosses,” so let’s hope that General Manager Andrew Berry can enhance Monken’s longevity by giving Monken the personnel he needs for the Dawg Pound to experience nirvana.
