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There is no question that the person most affected by BYU's hire of Robert Anae as offensive coordinator (again) is Brandon Doman. The QB coach under Anae from 2005-2010, Doman was elevated to offensive coordinator status upon Anae's departure and results have been mixed.
With Doman now out as OC, it may never be known whether or not the offensive struggles were on Doman, the erratic play of Riley Nelson, or a combination of other factors -- at least until Doman is hired as an OC again, which I do believe he will. I think Doman has promise as a good offensive coordinator, it may have just been the wrong time to get started.
We do know, however, that Doman has been given the option of retaining his duties as quarterbacks coach which he continued to hold while OC. On Friday morning, Jay Drew reported:
Source tells me Anae and Mendenhall have asked Doman to stay on quarterbacks coach, but Doman is "mulling it over." #BYU
— Jay Drew (@drewjay) January 4, 2013
Then Friday night, Jeff Call gave us this:
I am hearing tonight that it is less certain than it was before that Brandon Doman remains on BYU's staff.
— Jeff Call (@AJeffreyCall) January 5, 2013
If there is one thing Brandon Doman is, it's humble. His interviews have always been frank, including about his coaching and playcalling. Doman could stay on a staff for the school he loves and a head coach he (at least used to) believes in. The fact that he is even considering this tells you this. It wouldn't shock me if he stayed.
But no man is 100% ego-less. While it is possible Doman himself may even think this move is for the best -- with his plate so full and his results relatively meager -- it has to be hard to know that Bronco Mendenhall called the move back to Anae as needed for better leadership.
Doman is a smart man, even at football despite the offense's struggles. After all, name me any other quarterback since who made a Gary Crowton offense thrive? Alas, Doman's offense was too much like Crowton's: inconsistent and lacking identity.
Still, I would expect Doman could get a job elsewhere quickly if he felt slighted, embarrassed, or a need for a change. It might not be at a big-name school, but he could probably continue honing his OC skills at a low-major FBS or a solid FCS program. If he did so, I'd expect he'd rise back to a solid FBS job soon.
So Doman's decision awaits. If he decides to jet, the following names have surfaced to replace him:
MAX HALL
Hall has exactly one year of coaching experience, an offensive student assistant at BYU in 2012. He spent two seasons in the NFL until injuries quickly forced him out. But he does have one thing going for him: His entire college career came in an Anae offense, and very, very successfully.
Hall mastered the Anae offense so well that he often called plays himself for drives at a time as a senior in 2009. He also gets this endorsement from graduating senior James Lark:
Max Hall can coach. I developed more this season from his coaching than my last two. He knows the game and knows how to coach technique.
— James Lark (@jlark_3) January 5, 2013
My tweet about Max wasn't intended to be a knock on Doman. It was to inform every1 of Max's coaching abilities incase the job becomes open.
— James Lark (@jlark_3) January 5, 2013
TY DETMER
Detmer's only official coaching experience is as a high school coach in Texas for the past four years. But, in his 11-year NFL career, Detmer became known as a teacher, helping coaches groom first-stringers into solid players. Some say he even helped craft game plans.
He also has that stiff-armed trophy, which at least sounds nice. Word has it that he has spent quite some time at BYU in the past few months and some role, even if not QB coach, may be given to him.
JASON BECK
The former BYU quarterback started just two games in his BYU career: 2004 at Stanford (a 37-10 loss, 23-46-232-0-3) and 2006 against Utah State (a 38-0 win, 20-28-305-1-1). He also has spent no time in the NFL, unlike the other two. But of this list, Ja. Beck would have the most college coaching experience.
Beck was a graduate assistant at BYU in 2007, then at LSU in 2008. From 2009-2011, Beck was quarterbacks coach at Weber State. In 2012, Beck served as offensive coordinator for Simon Fraser University, the Division II school in British Columbia (Canada's only NCAA school!). Simon Fraser's offense ranked 31st in DII at 440 yards per game, and the passing game averaged 297 yards per contest.
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Do any of those names move the needle for you? A recent player with a current-player endorsement, an icon of BYU's past with NFL mentoring experience, or an up-and-coming coach with college experience?