re: Official Coaching Search Thread: The Search Is Over

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I'm sure Saban, Jim Tressel, Kirby Smart and the University of Colorado's AD all feel differently than you do about Mel Tucker and that's the bottom line. My point is that Golding wasn't as proven as past DC and even DB coaches that coached at Bama in recent years. Golding's play calling this past season left a lot to be desired. And, if Golding will be the DC this upcoming season Saban has put a contingency plan in place by bringing in Sal Sunseri and Charles Kelly, two veteran coaches to help pilot the defense if need be.
This post was edited on 1/20 at 12:34 am

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Price of tea in China

That is a very nice pull.

Charles Huff - Miss State | Video: Charles Huff

Title: Assistant Head Coach
Position(s): Run Game Coordinator/RBs
Year at MSU: 1st
Twitter: @CoachHuff

Head coach Joe Moorhead knew immediately who his first staff hire would be when Charles Huff was announced as Mississippi State’s new assistant head coach, run game coordinator and running backs coach on December 1, 2017, just one day after Moorhead’s official press conference. An elite recruiter and developer of talent, Huff helped solidify a Top 25 recruiting class for the Bulldogs just two weeks on the job.

Huff, a Denton, Md., native spent the past four seasons (2014-17) as Penn State’s running backs coach and special teams coordinator. He recruited and developed one of the game’s most electrifying players in running back Saquon Barkley, who in 2018 became the highest drafted NFL running back since Reggie Bush went No. 2 overall in 2006. Barkley was called with the second overall pick by the New York Giants.

Huff enters his 14th season of coaching in 2018, a career which includes NFL and Southeastern Conference experience. In addition to Penn State, he’s served at Western Michigan (2013), the Buffalo Bills (2012), Vanderbilt (2011), Hampton (2010), Maryland (2009) and Tennessee State (2006-08).

Records fell at the running back position and on special teams under Huff’s guidance at Penn State. Barkley, a 2017 consensus All-American, became the first Big Ten running back in history to win Offensive Player of the Year honors twice. He was the first Nittany Lion running back to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors in three straight seasons in 20 years. A Walter Camp National Player of the Year finalist, Barkley ranked second nationally in all-purpose yards in 2017 (2,329). He broke four school career records, including rushing touchdowns (43), total touchdowns (53), all-purpose yards (5,538) and consecutive games with a touchdown (15) in just three seasons.

The 2016 season saw the Nittany Lions claim the Big Ten Championship, and it was Huff who mentored two record breakers. Barkley broke the Penn State sophomore record for rushing yards (1,496), all-purpose yards (1,972) and points scored (132) en route to winning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Big Ten Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year.

Junior kicker Tyler Davis collected All-Big Ten first team honors after tying the Big Ten season record for kicking points (128) and breaking the school record for field goals by a junior (22) and consecutive field goals made (18). Davis also won the Vlade Award for the nation’s most accurate kicker, given by the Touchdown Club of Columbus.

Huff recruited Barkley to Penn State, and his freshman season of 2015 was spectacular. The Freshman All-American broke the school freshman season rushing record with 1,076 yards. He was named the Big Ten Network’s Big Ten Freshman of the Year in the process.

Huff spent the 2013 season at Western Michigan as the running backs coach and helped the unit nearly double its rushing yards from 2012. The Broncos ran for 1,394 yards in 2013 after running for just 735 yards the year before.

Huff’s tenure includes one year in the NFL. During the 2012 season as the assistant running backs coach for the Buffalo Bills, he helped C.J. Spiller to his first career 1,000-yard rushing campaign and a Pro Bowl invitation. The Bills topped 2,000 rushing yards as a team for the first time in 13 seasons and ranked sixth in the NFL with 2,217 yards in 2012.

Huff was also a member of James Franklin’s 2011 staff at Vanderbilt as the offensive quality control coach and they worked together at Maryland in 2009, when Huff was the assistant offensive line coach.

Huff mentored NFL first-round pick Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie as the tight ends and special teams coach at Tennessee State from 2007-08. Rodgers-Cromartie was all-conference return specialist.

Huff is a 2005 graduate of Hampton University. He served as a team captain, starting 12 games at center as a senior in 2005. He also played guard, fullback and tight end in his career.

Huff was a member of three Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference (MEAC) championships, including the undefeated 2005 squad. The Pirates also made two FCS playoff appearances during his playing days.

Personal Information
Hometown: Denton, Md.
Education: Hampton University, 2005 (B.S. Physical Education)
Birthday: April 26, 1983

Coaching Career
2018-present: Mississippi State (Assistant Head Coach/Run Game Coordinator/Running Backs)
2014-17: Penn State (Special Teams Coordinator/Running Backs)
2013: Western Michigan (Running Backs)
2012: Buffalo Bills (Assistant Running Backs)
2011: Vanderbilt (Offensive Quality Control)
2010: Hampton (Offensive Line)
2009: Maryland (Assistant Offensive Line)
2007-08: Tennessee State (Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends)
2006: Tennessee State (Offensive Line)

Bowl Games as a Coach
2016: Rose Bowl (Penn State)
2015: TaxSlayer Bowl (Penn State)
2014: Pinstripe (Penn State)
2011: Liberty Bowl (Vanderbilt)

I wonder if State would try to match salary to keep him.
ETA: Did some reading on him. Looks like he is an elite recruiter.

Potential 2019 staff -- various possibilities:

OC/QB - Sarkisian
RB - Huff, Pannunzio or Jones
WR - Taylor or Jones
TE/ST - Banks (see note on STs)
OL - Flood

DC - Lake, other* or Golding
DBs - Scott and Kelly, Golding or DC
ILB - Golding (CoDC or DC), Kelly or Roach
OLB - Kelly, Sunseri or Roach
DL - Kugliowski, Sunseri, Roach, Bates or Davis

* I seent rumblings that Saban has two other experienced DC candidates.

STs could be split; e.g., Banks - Kicking STs, Kelley or Huff - Return STs.

TW: "Nothing has been ironed out with Jones... His situation is TBD."

Note: I heard Pannunzio needs a major knee surgery. He and Jones may both be off-field.

I am not sold on Banks. Anyone see any impact he has made? He is another one I thought was a guru. Not impressed so far.

He didn't get to choose his specialists. Bulovas actually had an improved season in terms of FG kicking and because kickers can be so fragile mentally, it's impossible to know what Banks could've done to snap him out of what was clearly a mental things on the XP.

On top of that Alabama had the best overall non kicking special teams this season. Banks had a tremendous impact there. The reason we could get away with the shorter punts is because of how well he did with the punt coverage unit.

I don't know. If he's good, then I think it's likely.

It would be hard for him to be worse than what we have

Like Ben Davis, LB from Gordo.

He has not at all played like his dad.

Was it a waste of a scholly?