A little over a month has transpired since now former offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo was officially named the head coach at UNLV. In that time, the Oregon football program has inked a star-studded recruiting class headlined by a pair of five-star prospects, won a Rose Bowl, and received thrilling news that a quartet of juniors who had been considering early entry into the NFL draft collectively decided to return for their senior seasons in Eugene.
The only major post-regular season item left on Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal’s agenda was finding an offensive coordinator to replace Arroyo, who had become a lightning rod for criticism amongst the Oregon fan base during his tenure. Despite finishing second in the Pac-12 in scoring offense (35.4 points/game) and rushing offense (174.86 yards/game) this past season, the Ducks also ranked in the bottom half of the conference in standard situational categories such as 3rd down conversions (7th – 41.81%), 4th down conversions (8th – 52%), and red zone conversions (11th – 77.78%), which only contributed to the frustrating bouts of week-to-week inconsistency that came to define Arroyo’s two-year stint directing the Oregon offense.
Certainly injuries to key contributors on offense and general inexperience at the skilled positions had something to with some of the struggles the Oregon offense endured under Arroyo, but it’s hard to fault Duck fans who were expecting more given the talents of quarterback Justin Herbert and the tremendous experience and skill of one of college football’s most formidable offensive lines.
But as they say, what is past is prelude.
Since Tuesday evening, multiple reports have trickled out stating that sources close to the Oregon program have confirmed that the Ducks have reached an agreement with former Mississippi State head coach Joe Moorhead to become the team’s next offensive coordinator.
Former Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead expected to be new offensive coordinator at Oregon, source told @Stadium. Moorhead was OC at Penn State from 2016-17
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) January 15, 2020
With the month-long search now complete, WFOD examines Moorhead’s background and offers up insight for why Duck fans should be excited – and perhaps hesitant – with Moorhead officially in the fold.
Who is Joe Moorhead?
A 46-year old native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Moorhead has – until now – spent the entirety of his coaching career on the East Coast. In fact, prior to his two years at Mississippi State, Moorhead had never left the Northeast to coach football. A former quarterback at Fordham from 1992-1995, Moorhead began his coaching career as a grad assistant at the University of Pittsburgh from 1998-1999.
From there, Moorhead spent four seasons in Washington, D.C. as an assistant at Georgetown, beginning as the Hoyas running backs coach (2000) before being elevated to quarterbacks coach (2001-2002) and eventually taking over offensive coordinator duties in 2003. After Georgetown, Moorhead spent five seasons as an assistant at Akron, where he was promoted from wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator (2004) to assistant head coach and passing game coordinator (2005) to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2006-2008). Moorhead’s first taste of life in a BCS conference came in 2009, as Moorhead made the move to UConn to be the Huskies’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach until 2011.
At the end of 2011 season, Moorhead received his first head coaching opportunity at his alma mater Fordham (2012-2015), taking over a 1-10 team and engineering the second biggest turnaround in FCS in 2012 leading the Rams to a 6-5 record. The following three seasons saw Moorhead compile a 32-8 record with three straight trips to the FCS Playoffs before he made the leap back to the FBS to be the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Penn State (2016-2017). His two years in Happy Valley cemented Moorhead as one of the most innovative offensive minds in the sport, as the Nittany Lions broke numerous school records for offense and sent multiple players to the NFL from the offensive side of the ball, headlined by running back Saquon Barkley, quarterback Trace McSorley, wide receiver Chris Godwin, and tight end Mike Gesicki.
Moorhead was named the head coach at Mississippi State at the end of the 2017 season, where he went just 14-12 in two seasons with the Bulldogs. Though MSU would make back-to-back bowl appearances and sign back-to-back top 25 recruiting classes during Moorhead’s tenure, school administration was motivated to pull the plug on the Moorhead era, paving the way for his next opportunity at Oregon.
Why Duck fans should be excited about Joe Moorhead
Excluding his time at Mississippi State, Moorhead has had a major hand in helping elevate the profile of each and every program he has spent time with. As mentioned, Moorhead’s two years at Penn State were especially noteworthy, as the Nittany Lions went 21-5 overall (17-3 vs. Big Ten competition), won a Big Ten Championship, and appeared in two New Year’s Six bowl games.
During this time, Moorhead’s Penn State offenses averaged nearly 40 points per game (39.4), with their most prolific offensive season coming in 2017. That season, the Nittany Lions ranked seventh nationally in scoring offense (41.1 points/game), fifth in third-down conversion percentage (48.0), 14th in passing efficiency (153.6), 17th in yards per play (6.55), 19th in total offense (460.3 yards/game), 23rd in passing yards per game (290.2) and 21st in red zone conversion percentage (89.8), capping off the year with a 35-28 win over Washington in the Fiesta Bowl. Though the Penn State program was still dealing with the brunt of the sanctions that were placed upon them in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky scandal, Moorhead’s impact on the offense was dramatic. The season prior to his arrival, Penn State boasted one of the more anemic offenses in country, ranking 100th nationally in scoring offense (23.3 points/game) and 105th in total offense (348.6 yards/game) under former offensive coordinator John Donovan, who just days ago was named the new offensive coordinator at Washington.
At Fordham, Moorhead’s offenses were similarly prolific, as the Rams ranked in the top 20 of the FCS in total offense in each of his four seasons as head coach, including back-to-back top 10 finishes in 2013 and 2014. Additionally, Moorhead’s teams in the Bronx were known for lighting up the scoreboard, finishing 31st (31.2), 15th (37.6), fifth (40.6), and ninth (36.8) in points per game nationally in successive seasons.
Why Duck fans should be skeptical of Joe Moorhead
Though quality coaching often transcends geography or regionalism, it’s hard to ignore Moorhead’s lack of experience and success coaching outside the footprint of the Northeast. Despite his sparkling reputation as an offensive mind, Moorhead’s arrival at Mississippi State was met with some hesitation given his northern roots and lack of familiarity with the Bulldogs’ recruiting strongholds. Moorhead largely overcame that on the recruiting trail, but it never translated to overwhelming success on the field, which made it difficult for Moorhead to find traction with the fan base and administration in Starkville. Of course, competing in perhaps the most difficult division in college football – the SEC West – at a program without a winning tradition is a tall order to begin with, but the power brokers at Mississippi State felt strongly enough to cut ties with Moorhead nevertheless.
Ineptitude on offense (the Bulldogs finished 71st and 70th in total offense in 2018 and 2019, respectively), particularly in the passing game (the Bulldogs finished 112th and 110th in passing offense in ’18 and ’19, respectively) were the main complaints of Moorhead during his time at Mississippi State. That, plus a handful of off-field issues this past season, including academic impropriety involving 10 players before the start of the season, and a fight between linebacker Willie Gay and quarterback Garrett Shrader before the team’s bowl game last month, ultimately made the situation untenable in the eyes of those running the athletic department at Mississippi State.
The Takeaway
To say this is anything less than an impressive hire on Cristobal’s part would be selling the addition of Joe Moorhead short. Of the known and available options that were at Cristobal’s disposal following the departure of Marcus Arroyo to UNLV, Moorhead unquestionably topped the list in terms of his level of experience, proven record of success, and ability as a recruiter. The knocks on his experience being almost exclusively limited to the Northeast are worth taking into account, but this isn’t the first time the Ducks have looked towards that region of the country for a jolt on offense – which is exactly what Duck fans can anticipate with Moorhead’s arrival in Eugene.
Moving forward, there will be two main questions lingering on the minds of fans and those who cover this Oregon team. The first, and most immediate, question concerns what, if any, tweaks are made to the offense, specifically the Pistol. Oregon’s offensive production out of the formation has generated decidedly mixed results over the past two seasons, and it will be interesting to see if only minor alterations are made to that philosophy or if dramatic changes are in store. The other, longer view question surrounds the length of time Duck fans can expect Moorhead to remain in Eugene. Certainly some, if not all, of that will be predicated on his performance as offensive coordinator, but given his strong ties to the East Coast, one can’t help but wonder how much of a short-term rental this could be.
In any event, the addition of Moorhead should be regarded as a home run hire for Duck fans who have been pining for an infusion of creativity and production on the offensive side of the ball; something that matches what Andy Avalos has brought to the Oregon defense in his short time with the Ducks. Moorhead will have his work cut out for him as the Ducks look to replace a four-year starter at quarterback and four-fifths of their offensive line next season, but if a berth in the College Football Playoff and a shot at the national title is the primary goal for this program under Cristobal, then Oregon has taken a serious step in the right direction with the appointment of Joe Moorhead.
Top Photo: Former Mississippi State head coach Joe Moorhead (Photo: Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)