The departure of Clarion offensive coordinator Jesse Correll after one season and just a little over a week before Fall camp starts is a blow to second-year head coach Chris Weibel’s efforts to rebuild a program that has been near the bottom of the PSAC for nearly two decades give or take a season here or there.
(Photo of Connor Simmons and head coach Chris Weibel. Courtesy of Clarion University athletics)
(See Correll leaves Clarion for Shepherd)
Correll did some good things for the Golden Eagles offense in his only season as coordinator helping quarterback Connor Simmons set the school record for passing yards in a single season (3,582) while wide receiver Matt Lehman set the school mark for touchdown catches in a year with 15.
Clarion’s offense led the PSAC West in passing yards per game while ranking sixth in the PSAC in yards per contest and seventh in scoring. Behind that offense, the Golden Eagles started 7-0 and went 7-4 last year, their first winning season since 2009.
It’s not that Correll, who is headed back to his alma mater, Shepherd, for an unnamed coaching position, is irreplaceable. Everyone is replaceable.
It’s not even that Correll is going back to a place he most likely calls home.
It’s the timing of the move.
It flat out it stinks. It’s unfair to the Clarion program. It’s unfair to the players and it’s unfair to Weibel, who did some great things his first year at helm of his alma mater.
Even if Weibel, who through a Clarion University spokesperson said a search is underway, is able to find someone to replace Correll as offensive coordinator – a tall task at this time of year – that person, if he comes from the outside, will in no way, form or shape be up to speed with Clarion’s offense by the time the season starts Sept. 1.
In fact, the Golden Eagles best option at this point is probably to have Weibel, the offensive coordinator before becoming head coach, call the plays full time.
That alone hurts Clarion.
Not because Weibel, who was also an All-American quarterback at Clarion, can’t call plays – in fact he spent a great deal of time involved in the offensive game planning last year and had a hand in calling some of the plays during the games. But, because if he is calling plays and running the offense full time that takes time away from his other duties as head coach including being able to sometimes watch what the defense or special teams are doing.
There also becomes a communication issue with whoever calls the plays and the offensive, and specifically Simmons.
The relationship between an offensive coordinator and his quarterback is a unique one in sports. Probably a lot like the relationship between a catcher and a pitcher.
The quarterback needs to be one the same page as his offensive coordinator and vice-versa. They need to be thinking as one.
With only a limited time to call a play between snaps in high-pressure situations, having a quarterback and offensive coordinator who are on the same page is paramount.
Now, this isn’t to say that Simmons can’t or won’t communicate well with Weibel.
From all indications he does.
But Weibel hasn’t been the person calling Simmons’ plays through last season or even in spring ball. Correll was. It will take time for Simmons to build up that communication with Weibel or whoever ends up being the play caller like he had with Correll.
And with a daunting opening schedule that includes Bloomsburg, Shippensburg and Mercyhurst all on the road in weeks two through four, there isn’t a lot of time for that trust and familiarity to be built up.
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