Clearing Up Some Confusion About Littrell

Cerebus · December 1, 2015

I have seen many confused points about Seth Littrell posted over and over, so I wanted to clear some of them.

He is just a position coach

This has come about because the nature of the "Offensive Coordinator" title has changed over the years. It used to mean the coach in charge of the offense, who set the offensive system, game plan and (usually) called plays. Then the big programs started naming assistants that they wanted to keep (by paying more money) as co offensive coordiators. TCU does that with Meacham and Cumbie, Meachum is "the guy" and he calls the plays, but Cumbie is a talented coach they didn't want to lose and so they pay him a coordinator salary.

Larry Fedora has raised the confusion bar at North Carolina by not only having two OC's, but then having the actual game planning and play calling be under the charge of the "Assistant Head Coach for Offense", Seth Littrell. Think of Littrell as the actual OC, with other coaching talent they want to keep being handed the OC title in order to get the big money boosters to cough up coordinator level pay for them.

I've never even heard of him, is he any good?

I have a year by year break down here, but the short and sweet of it is:

Has been an OC for six years, five of those years his offense has been Top 25 in Total Offense or Passing Offense.
Over those six years NT has been ranked as the 93rd overall offense, Littrell's team have a combined ranking of 31st.
Even though it is a spread offense that racks up a ton of passing yards, play calling is balanced and in four of the six years the Littrell offense out rushed the run heavy North Texas offenses.

Can he recruit Texas?

Littrell seems to be one of those rare cats that can recruit anywhere, anytime. Take a look at his 247sports profile and you can see he has been able to pull in talent where ever he is coaching at the moment. Compared to Meacham's, it looks very favorable.

SilverEagle · December 1, 2015

I have seen many confused points about Seth Littrell posted over and over, so I wanted to clear some of them.
He is just a position coach
This has come about because the nature of the "Offensive Coordinator" title has changed over the years. It used to mean the coach in charge of the offense, who set the offensive system, game plan and (usually) called plays. Then the big programs started naming assistants that they wanted to keep (by paying more money) as co offensive coordiators. TCU does that with Meacham and Cumbie, Meachum is "the guy" and he calls the plays, but Cumbie is a talented coach they didn't want to lose and so they pay him a coordinator salary.
Larry Fedora has raised the confusion bar at North Carolina by not only having two OC's, but then having the actual game planning and play calling be under the charge of the "Assistant Head Coach for Offense", Seth Littrell. Think of Littrell as the actual OC, with other coaching talent they want to keep being handed the OC title in order to get the big money boosters to cough up coordinator level pay for them.

I've never even heard of him, is he any good?
I have a year by year break down here, but the short and sweet of it is:
Has been an OC for six years, five of those years his offense has been Top 25 in Total Offense or Passing Offense.
Over those six years NT has been ranked as the 93rd overall offense, Littrell's team have a combined ranking of 31st.
Even though it is a spread offense that racks up a ton of passing yards, play calling is balanced and in four of the six years the Littrell offense out rushed the run heavy North Texas offenses.

Can he recruit Texas?
Littrell seems to be one of those rare cats that can recruit anywhere, anytime. Take a look at his 247sports profile and you can see he has been able to pull in talent where ever he is coaching at the moment. Compared to Meacham's, it looks very favorable.

Being from Oklahoma. Playing at Oklahoma. Studying under Leach at Texas Tech.

Close enough.

GOMG2013 · December 1, 2015

I like both finalists and they both bring things to the table.

Meacham recently coaching at UH and TCU cannot be minimized like some are trying to do. Having recent success at local schools in Texas is HUGE. Especially with the last two seasons and pub at TCU. I also like the fact that he wants to stay in the area. If he is good, he can be at UNT a long time.

Littrell brings youth and enthusiasm to the table. I think he can be a head coach that will get on the road and recruit. In my opinion, I think meacham will use his recent success to get his staff in the door, but may not hit the road much. I think meacham will hit DFW hard...and that may be enough...Littrell may be able to relate to the younger generation better due to being younger and like some say, he is hungry. Recruits and parents will see that hunger. But since Littrell is young, he may jump ship as soon as a top school comes calling. If he has two good years, he's gone.

MeanGreenTexan · December 1, 2015

I like both finalists and they both bring things to the table.
Meacham recently coaching at UH and TCU cannot be minimized like some are trying to do. Having recent success at local schools in Texas is HUGE. Especially with the last two seasons and pub at TCU. I also like the fact that he wants to stay in the area. If he is good, he can be at UNT a long time.
Littrell brings youth and enthusiasm to the table. I think he can be a head coach that will get on the road and recruit. In my opinion, I think meacham will use his recent success to get his staff in the door, but may not hit the road much. I think meacham will hit DFW hard...and that may be enough...Littrell may be able to relate to the younger generation better due to being younger and like some say, he is hungry. Recruits and parents will see that hunger. But since Littrell is young, he may jump ship as soon as a top school comes calling. If he has two good years, he's gone.

Burying the lead here. "2 Good Years" is a fantastic thing!

People need to stop citing this as a BAD thing... it's not. We're not trying to hire a Bobby-Bowden-lifer right now. We're trying to hire the best HC we can.

GOMG2013 · December 1, 2015

Burying the lead here. "2 Good Years" is a fantastic thing!
People need to stop citing this as a BAD thing... it's not. We're not trying to hire a Bobby-Bowden-lifer right now. We're trying to hire the best HC we can.

true...and Meacham may still be at TCU...so maybe he can make up his mind the second time around.

UNTcrazy727 · December 1, 2015

After looking over Littrell's resume, I'm really surprised he isn't in line for a more high profile HC job. The guy has produced tremendous numbers at three different P5 schools. If we do end of signing him I think we are very lucky.

Cerebus · December 1, 2015

I like both finalists and they both bring things to the table.

That is exactly how I feel. I do give a slight edge to Littrell, but I would be really happy to get either. In fact if Meacham could guarantee Luper and a couple of promising GA's then I think the pendulum might swing in his favor.

I just posted because I think a lot of people were looking down their noses at Littrell, when in reality they know a lot about Meacham mainly because he is in Fort Worth and the media here is B12 biased. Both are great finalists.

GOMG2013 · December 1, 2015

That is exactly how I feel. I do give a slight edge to Littrell, but I would be really happy to get either. In fact if Meacham could guarantee Luper and a couple of promising GA's then I think the pendulum might swing...

I am pulling for meacham as a short term mean green fan. Once mcclain is gone there will be no more fort bend athletes to follow here. Once Joseph left, fort bend recruiting fell off for UNT.

Reason I am pulling for meacham because I am hoping for a miracle QB to be brought in for next year as a juco or transfer and I feel meacham gives us the best shot at that with his TCU success.

H-towngreen · December 1, 2015

I am pulling for meacham as a short term mean green fan. Once mcclain is gone there will be no more fort bend athletes to follow here. Once Joseph left, fort bend recruiting fell off for UNT.
Reason I am pulling for meacham because I am hoping for a miracle QB to be brought in for next year as a juco or transfer and I feel meacham gives us the best shot at that with his TCU success.

is the OL from FB Austin still on the team?

meangreen08 · December 1, 2015

I have seen many confused points about Seth Littrell posted over and over, so I wanted to clear some of them.
He is just a position coach
This has come about because the nature of the "Offensive Coordinator" title has changed over the years. It used to mean the coach in charge of the offense, who set the offensive system, game plan and (usually) called plays. Then the big programs started naming assistants that they wanted to keep (by paying more money) as co offensive coordiators. TCU does that with Meacham and Cumbie, Meachum is "the guy" and he calls the plays, but Cumbie is a talented coach they didn't want to lose and so they pay him a coordinator salary.
Larry Fedora has raised the confusion bar at North Carolina by not only having two OC's, but then having the actual game planning and play calling be under the charge of the "Assistant Head Coach for Offense", Seth Littrell. Think of Littrell as the actual OC, with other coaching talent they want to keep being handed the OC title in order to get the big money boosters to cough up coordinator level pay for them.

I've never even heard of him, is he any good?
I have a year by year break down here, but the short and sweet of it is:
Has been an OC for six years, five of those years his offense has been Top 25 in Total Offense or Passing Offense.
Over those six years NT has been ranked as the 93rd overall offense, Littrell's team have a combined ranking of 31st.
Even though it is a spread offense that racks up a ton of passing yards, play calling is balanced and in four of the six years the Littrell offense out rushed the run heavy North Texas offenses.

Can he recruit Texas?
Littrell seems to be one of those rare cats that can recruit anywhere, anytime. Take a look at his 247sports profile and you can see he has been able to pull in talent where ever he is coaching at the moment. Compared to Meacham's, it looks very favorable.

I hope your right about recruiting. that was one area that I was hesitant about Littrell to begin with.

GOMG2013 · December 1, 2015

Dominic walker is still there, but buried on the depth chart. Sad part is mcclain is his younger cousin. I assume Dominic will graduate this year with a year to play. He may transfer if he wants to play, or he may stick around. I guess he will see what happens this spring.

H-towngreen · December 1, 2015

Dominic walker is still there, but buried on the depth chart. Sad part is mcclain is his younger cousin. I assume Dominic will graduate this year with a year to play. He may transfer if he wants to play, or he may stick around. I guess he will see what happens this spring.

Fort Bend has so much talent, I'd love to see it recruited harder.

greenminer · December 1, 2015

This is his football history, after HS:

Seth Littrell Coaching Year-By-Year
2014-present - North Carolina Assistant Head Coach for Offense/Tight Ends
2012-13 - Indiana Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends/Fullbacks
2011 - Arizona Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends/H-Backs
2010 - Arizona Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs/Tight Ends
2009 - Arizona Running Backs & Tight Ends Coach
2005-08 - Texas Tech Running Backs Coach
2002-04 - Kansas Graduate Assistant

Graduate of OU.

My only concern with Litrell at this point is that he has been raised through the P5 system. Does he have any experience or understanding of our budget differences?

Wag Tag · December 1, 2015

This is his football history, after HS:

Seth Littrell Coaching Year-By-Year
2014-present - North Carolina Assistant Head Coach for Offense/Tight Ends
2012-13 - Indiana Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends/Fullbacks
2011 - Arizona Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends/H-Backs
2010 - Arizona Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs/Tight Ends
2009 - Arizona Running Backs & Tight Ends Coach
2005-08 - Texas Tech Running Backs Coach
2002-04 - Kansas Graduate Assistant
Graduate of OU.
My only concern with Litrell at this point is that he has been raised through the P5 system. Does he have any experience or understanding of our budget differences?

Captain of the 2000 Natl Champ team as a fullback!!!!!!!!!!

Cerebus · December 1, 2015

Good interview where Littrell talks about his offense and breaks down some plays:

James · December 1, 2015

Good interview where Littrell talks about his offense and breaks down some plays:

Diggin' the accent. It'll fit right in.

Aldo · December 1, 2015

Man and with Latimer and Hughes at WR, they were killin it.

Cerebus · December 1, 2015

Diggin' the accent. It'll fit right in.

He's an Okie from Muskogee, what do you expect?

I think a very best case scenario would be that he builds a winning program here and then sticks around for 5-10 years waiting for Stoops or Gundy to retire. Maybe he falls in love with the place, becomes our Patterson.

Side Show Joe · December 2, 2015

This is his football history, after HS:

Seth Littrell Coaching Year-By-Year
2014-present - North Carolina Assistant Head Coach for Offense/Tight Ends
2012-13 - Indiana Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends/Fullbacks
2011 - Arizona Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends/H-Backs
2010 - Arizona Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs/Tight Ends
2009 - Arizona Running Backs & Tight Ends Coach
2005-08 - Texas Tech Running Backs Coach
2002-04 - Kansas Graduate Assistant
Graduate of OU.
My only concern with Litrell at this point is that he has been raised through the P5 system. Does he have any experience or understanding of our budget differences?

I agree. I like Littrell, but worry that he has never faced the challenges of developing a successful program within the parameters in which we have to work. We don't have the resources of any of the P5 programs he has been at. To me, he seems to be somewhat of a gamble.

Edited December 2, 2015 by Side Show Joe

MeanGreenZen · December 2, 2015

Almost every school Littrell has been at has fewer resources than its peers. Kansas/TX Tech vs rest of Big 12. Indiana vs. rest of Big 10. Even Arizona and UNC have their challenges. The guy's job is to recruit football players and coach football players. Ultimately it is not about the budget. It is about football.

TheReal_jayD · December 2, 2015

Almost every school Littrell has been at has fewer resources than its peers. Kansas/TX Tech vs rest of Big 12. Indiana vs. rest of Big 10. Even Arizona and UNC have their challenges. The guy's job is to recruit football players and coach football players. Ultimately it is not about the budget. It is about football.

and honestlyou unt has greaterror resources than almost all if not all of conference usa. We have to stop treating us like a bottom feeder we have just has some bad coaching

Green92 · December 2, 2015

and honestlyou unt has greaterror resources than almost all if not all of conference usa. We have to stop treating us like a bottom feeder we have just has some bad coaching

Yeah, there is no reason we shouldn't be the conference bully every year.

Cr1028 · December 2, 2015

Fedora makes it pretty clear who calls the plays at this PC. After you get to the one minute mark when he stops talking about Littrell, skip to 22:30 to hear Seth.

Cerebus · December 2, 2015

Yeah, there is no reason we shouldn't be the conference bully every year.

Every year, when people talk about CUSA they should ask "Besides NT, who else has a chance to win the west." Winning the conference should be something we do several times a decade.