The boundaries between college and NFL football have become increasingly blurry in recent years, as run options and run/pass options (RPOs) have become a legitimate part of NFL schemes. However, there is still a significant gap in what college and NFL coordinators must prepare for each week. Despite this, teams have been hiring coordinators from the college ranks. This offseason, four coordinators were hired from the NCAA: Buccaneers OC Liam Coen, Chargers DC Jesse Minter, Packers DC Jeff Hafley, and Seahawks OC Ryan Grubb.
Is this hiring trend an anomaly or a sign of things to come? Understanding what aspects of college systems, schemes, and procedures NFL teams adopt or avoid might provide some insights to answer that question.
While NFL teams still prefer to hire college coaches with NFL experience, three out of the four coordinators hired from college this offseason have NFL backgrounds. Minter, for example, was a defensive assistant with the Baltimore Ravens before becoming a coordinator at Vanderbilt and Michigan. After a successful stint in college, he returned to the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks.
minter on the mic pic.twitter.com/0HEgFICzwB
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) May 23, 2024
Hafley also had NFL experience before moving to college, working as a defensive assistant for various NFL teams before becoming the defensive coordinator at Ohio State and taking the head coaching job at Boston College.
In contrast, Coen spent most of his career in college coaching but recently moved to the NFL as offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his previous role as offensive coordinator for the Rams, he mainly worked under head coach Sean McVay, but this season, he will be calling plays in the NFL for the first time.
While offensive schemes from college have made their way into the pros, the game planning and play calling in the NFL remain more complex. Grubb, who lacks NFL experience, is a rare example of a coach given the opportunity to call plays in the NFL immediately.
Grubb’s Washington offense demonstrated NFL-like features, blending under-center and shotgun formations, utilizing a variety of concepts, and incorporating creative motion and shifts. However, challenges may arise in developing sophisticated protection schemes typical of NFL playbooks.
As NFL teams adopt elements from college offenses, the hiring trend of college coaches may continue. Coaches like Minter and Macdonald, who ran pro-style schemes in college, brought their NFL experience to enhance their college defenses and transitioned back to the league successfully.
While some NFL teams may experiment with college concepts, fundamental differences persist between NFL and college defenses. College defenses often emphasize match coverage and quarters coverage, while NFL defenses rely more on zone technique and soft coverage.
Coaches like Hafley are implementing spot drop defenses, reminiscent of the Cover 3 system used by the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets. Hafley’s emphasis on vision and creating a strong run defense reflects a strategic shift in defensive philosophies.
Ultimately, the bridge between college and NFL coaching continues to evolve, with both sides borrowing insights from each other while maintaining distinct approaches to the game.
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(Top photo of Jeff Hafley, Ryan Grubb, and Liam Coen: Dan Powers / USA Today, Steph Chambers and Cliff Welch / Getty Images)