What Scott Linehan brings to LSU’s passing game

The LSU Tigers hired Scott Linehan as their new passing game coordinator. Here is what the former NFL offensive coach brings to the Bayou Bengals’ offense.

Scott Linehan has the tall task of replacing Joe Brady at LSU.

The LSU Tigers made a splash hire by landing the long-time NFL offensive coordinator as Brady’s successor. Linehan spent 2019 out of football, having last been the Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator from 2015-2018.

He has coordinated offenses since the late 1980s from his days as a high school coach. Linehan served as an NFL head coach for three seasons with the Rams from 2006-2008. His teams went 11-25 but this isn’t about him as an NFL head coach, but as an overqualified college offensive assistant.

Replacing the Broyles Award winner who helped LSU shatter records and win a national title in one year won’t be easy, but if there is any coach with a résumé as an offensive coach that lets you know he’ll get it done, it’s Linehan.

Though he hasn’t coached in college football since 2001 when he was with the Louisville Cardinals, it’s not like LSU had any problem buying into Brady’s NFL concepts from his time with the New Orleans Saints.

While making sure the quarterback play is solid in the post-Joe Burrow era is paramount, we know one thing is certainly coming from Linehan: he will coach up the wide receivers. For a guy coming off a Biletnikoff-winning season as a true sophomore, perhaps Linehan can take Ja’Marr Chase from an All-American and turn him into a Heisman Trophy contender?

Linehan will work under LSU offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger, who has been with LSU for a decade in various roles. He specializes in coaching tight ends and has served as quarterbacks coach before, including during last year’s unforgettable season. Brady got a lot of the attention and credit but it was Ensminger who still called most of the plays.

Ensminger will handle quarterback Myles Brennan‘s development, as well as getting the most out of five-star tight end signee Arik Gilbert. All Linehan has to do is focus on getting this talented receiving corps he inherited into open space to create easier throwing lanes for Brennan and whoever is under center for LSU.

It’ll be close to impossible for Linehan to match what Brady did in one year. However, the system is in place, so when LSU reloads with personnel, the offense should light up the scoreboard again.

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