California offensive coordinator Jake Spavital will be Baylor’s new offensive coordinator, the program announced Thursday.
In his return to Cal this year, the 38-year-old helped the Bears get bowl eligible for the first time in five years. Cal ranked No. 37 in the nation in rushing after ranking No. 122 the year before he arrived. The Bears also moved up from last place in the Pac-12 to fourth.
Spavital took Fernando Mendoza, an unheralded former FCS recruit who had been a third-string freshman quarterback, and developed him into a capable starter. Mendoza led Cal to finish the season on a three-game win streak, throwing seven touchdowns in the process.
Spavital, an Oklahoma native, has spent extensive time in the Big 12 and in the state of Texas. He was the OC at West Virginia for two seasons before becoming the head coach at Texas State. He was also an OC at Texas A&M and on staff at Oklahoma State and Houston.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jake to Waco to lead our offensive attack,” head coach Dave Aranda said. “Jake brings so many things to the table and will be a tremendous asset to our program. Jake is one of the best offensive minds in the nation, having worked with some of the most innovative offenses in college football, and brings a great perspective to the offensive side of the ball as a former head coach in the state. He has coached elite quarterbacks throughout his career and has developed an offensive style that is exciting and challenging on the defense. I’m proud to welcome Jake and his family to Baylor.”
This year, Baylor ranked No. 13 in the 14-team Big 12 in yards per play and went 3-9. Aranda was on the hot seat, but has been given more time after presenting a strong plan to re-energize the program and improve play on both sides of the ball.
Significant staff changes were part of the plan Aranda presented. He will call the defense and become heavily involved in defensive game-planning, a departure from the approach he has taken in his first four years in charge. As a result, Aranda sought an experienced offensive coordinator, preferably with head coaching experience, to handle that side of the ball. Spavital fits the bill.
On Sunday, Baylor parted ways with Jeff Grimes, who Aranda hired as offensive coordinator prior to the 2021 season. Grimes was part of the Baylor team that went 12-2 and won the Big 12 title, but scoring dropped from 32.2 points per game in 2022 to 23.1 points per game this season, which ranked last in the conference.In addition to Spavital, Baylor will also break in a new starting quarterback as Blake Shapen — the Bears starter the last two years — told ESPN on Monday that he intends to enter the transfer portal.
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(Photo: Darren Yamashita / USA Today)
Source link : https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5096243/2023/11/30/baylor-california-football-jake-spavital/
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Publish date : 2023-11-30 03:00:00
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