Wednesday, November 19, 2014

[gatortalk] Re: [gatornews] [SUN]: Roper: Muschamp didn't meddle

Well I want to believe what Mr. Roper said but I also think you wouldn't say he did even if he did. It's awfully coincidental that we've had 3 OC's that seemed like they operated under "lockdown"
Charlie
On 11/19/2014 8:44 AM, Shane Ford wrote:

Roper: Muschamp didn't meddle


 
Florida offensive coordinator Kurt Roper said it's been a pleasure working under Will Muschamp and has no regrets about taking the job.
Doug Finger/The Gainesville Sun
By Robbie Andreu
GAINESVILLE SUN Staff writer
Published: Tuesday, November 18, 2014 at 3:37 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, November 18, 2014 at 4:25 p.m.
 
 
Page all of 3
Rumor season started in Gainesville long before a coaching search got under way Monday. It began last season, when Will Muschamp landed on the hot seat during a 4-8 season, and has only grown in intensity this fall.
One popular rumor that's been swirling around Muschamp seemingly forever is that he handcuffs his offensive coordinator, forces him to run the ball, refuses to let him wander outside Muschamp's conservative comfort zone.
Kurt Roper, Muschamp's offensive coordinator, sacked that rumor Tuesday.
"Not true. Not true," Roper said. "In my experience, absolutely none of it's true. You know when we got here it was completely, 'Hey, do it how you best see fit.' And he doesn't call plays.
"You know we obviously talk about situations like the end of that game (against South Carolina). Do we want to be aggressive or do we want to take the timeout and use the time and all that? But I'm 100 percent on board with any of those decisions that are made. But as far as calling plays, absolutely (not). He's been great. He really is."
The popular perception is that life as an offensive coordinator under a defensive coach like Muschamp can be a tough, sometimes suffocating existence, where offensive creativity is checked at the stadium entrance before every game.
Not the case, Roper said.
"I'll say this, working for Will Muschamp is unbelievable," he said. "Everything you're hearing about him is not just people blowing smoke. That's a good person No. 1, and I learned a lot of football from him. I learned a lot of things. Shoot, it's been a great, almost a year. I got here in January. Almost a year. But it's been a great experience."
Roper knew he was taking a risk leaving a secure job at Duke to come to Florida, where the offense has been borderline inept at times over the past few seasons and the coach was clearly on the hot seat.
Now, less than a year later, Roper's time at Florida is coming to an end after Muschamp was fired Sunday.
Even though this is not ending the way he had hoped it would, Roper said he made the right career move coming to work for Muschamp.
"I don't have any regrets at all," he said. "I still think this is a great place. It's a place you can obviously win at a high level and get good football players here. I thought it was a great opportunity."
Like others in and around the program, Roper said he feels bad about Muschamp losing his job. He said some of the blame is on him because his spread, uptempo offense has not been as efficient as many, including Roper, thought it would be heading into the season.
The offense showed promising signs of life in back-to-back victories against Georgia and Vanderbilt, but regressed in the overtime loss to South Carolina last Saturday. UF threw only one pass in the second half, and just 11 for the game.
"Well, yeah, I think everybody takes responsibility when it doesn't go well," Roper said. "I think the right people do, that's what I tell the players all the time. One thing that I never wanted to be is a finger-pointer in anything that I ever do.
"There are plays in the game that are not called very good, they're bad calls at a bad time. I want to take ownership for that. There's plays that a player doesn't make and they need to take ownership for that. I think as a football team, if everybody accepts their own responsibility, then now you've got a team. You've got a group working in the right way. So everybody up in that building accepts their responsibility."
Roper signed a two-year contract with UF, so he'll be paid by the Gators unless he finds another coaching job. He said his focus for now is on these final games and trying to get the offense moving again.
"You take calls when the calls come," he said. "The No. 1 priority is to be prepared. We have two more weeks to focus. I've never been through this. To be honest with you, I think it gets harder a little bit as you go. It's getting harder rather than easier because it's just human nature. It is what it is. We want to go out there Saturday and have a plan, and not look like we didn't have a plan. We're working hard to prepare these guys and help them win a football game."
Some, of course, are probably speculating that now that the pressure is off Muschamp, maybe he'll turn Roper loose and let him do what he really wants to do with his offense.
But then Roper has been doing that since he's been here. His hands have not been tied by Muschamp, he said.
Roper was asked Tuesday if he'd work for Muschamp again if he had the opportunity.
"Absolutely," he said.
 
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