Published: January 14, 2008 09:33 am            

Clawson has chance to bring fresh style as Vols offensive chief

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Dave Clawson describes his offensive scheme style as one that changes with the talent on his team.

“I’d like to say that my style is we’re going to get the ball to our playmakers,” the new Tennessee offensive coordinator said after he was introduced on Saturday.

Clawson has a chance to bring fresh ideas to the Vols as the first offensive coordinator hired from outside the Tennessee program since Walt Harris’ stint from 1983-88. Clawson has spent the past four seasons at Richmond, where he led the Spiders (11-3) to the Football Championship Subdivision semifinals this season.

Clawson replaced David Cutcliffe, who left Tennessee to coach Duke. Cutcliffe and Randy Sanders are coach Phillip Fulmer’s only two offensive coordinator hires and both were promoted from within the Tennessee program.

Fulmer preceded Cutcliffe and followed Harris, who had not worked at Tennessee before serving as offensive coordinator.

Fulmer acknowledged this search was the most intensive he’s ever performed, but said he was ready for something new with Clawson. And even though Fulmer said he’ll be accountable for what happens on offense, “It’s his offense to run.”

“As we were talking football, he was just hardheaded enough to argue with me about a number of things, which I really liked,” Fulmer said. “I’m looking forward to moving on and looking at some other concepts that are out there.”

There will still be some of Tennessee’s classic offensive style when Clawson starts calling the plays — he wants a strong run game that will tighten defenses and allow for down-the-field passes — but he also wants to be unpredictable.

Clawson said he’s used a variety of schemes during his four years at Richmond, five seasons as Fordham head coach and five years as offensive coordinator at Villanova and Lehigh.

Villanova saw an offense that ended with about 4,000 yards passing one season, followed by a season that featured current Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook becoming the first player to have 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season.

Richmond’s 2004 and 2005 offenses used more of a spread scheme behind quarterback Stacy Tutt, who’s now a running back with the New York Jets, but became more traditional in the past two seasons.

“You have to adapt to your personnel,” Clawson said. “The one thing that I think that you learn coaching at the I-AA level is that you can’t be so system-regimented.”

Clawson will have the benefit of working with a fresh offensive staff as well — a staff he’s already somewhat familiar with. Fulmer hired Clawson’s wide receivers coach from Richmond, Latrell Scott, and new running backs coach Stan Drayton worked with Clawson at Villanova.

Clawson encouraged Fulmer to hire Scott, but said Drayton’s hire was completely coincidental.

Some fans have questioned the hiring of someone who’s never coached at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. Clawson said he’s had opportunities to interview for positions at three other Bowl Championship Series schools, but never pursued them.

“Obviously the players are going to be bigger, stronger, faster. The stadiums are going to be larger. But I believe football is football. This is a very natural step in a career,” he said.

Plus, Fulmer has two words for anyone who doubts his hire.

“Milwaukee, Wisconsin,” he said, referring to Tennessee basketball coach and fan-favorite Bruce Pearl, who previously coached at Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

        

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