rokamortis
July 16th, 2006, 06:28 AM
New CCU offensive coordinator has 31 years of coaching experience
By Ian Guerin
The Sun News
Thirty-one years ago, three current Coastal Carolina football assistants were under the age of 2.
Current Chanticleers head coach Dave Bennett was just beginning to emerge as a star quarterback at Cheraw High School.
Gary Smallen, however, was about to begin his first season of a lengthy coaching career.
But on Friday morning, the 56-year-old "retiree" was playing low man on the totem pole, returning a van the Coastal coaching staff rented for a retreat.
"High speed, low drag around here," said Smallen, who in a little more than two weeks will begin his first practices as the Coastal co-offensive coordinator. "I'm 56, but I don't have one foot in the grave."
Still, Smallen understands how his progression to Conway isn't the norm when it came to coaching timelines. He spent three seasons (1988-90) in the college ranks at Newberry, where Bennett served as his offensive coordinator.
...
Smallen and Jamie Snider will share the offensive coordinator title, but Bennett said Snider's role will have more to do with the offensive line than anything else.
That will leave Smallen in the coaches' box calling what he described as a ball-control version of the spread offense. Bennett hopes the Chants can get through their toughest schedule to date with the help of Smallen's "experience and maturity."
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/15050370.htm
By Ian Guerin
The Sun News
Thirty-one years ago, three current Coastal Carolina football assistants were under the age of 2.
Current Chanticleers head coach Dave Bennett was just beginning to emerge as a star quarterback at Cheraw High School.
Gary Smallen, however, was about to begin his first season of a lengthy coaching career.
But on Friday morning, the 56-year-old "retiree" was playing low man on the totem pole, returning a van the Coastal coaching staff rented for a retreat.
"High speed, low drag around here," said Smallen, who in a little more than two weeks will begin his first practices as the Coastal co-offensive coordinator. "I'm 56, but I don't have one foot in the grave."
Still, Smallen understands how his progression to Conway isn't the norm when it came to coaching timelines. He spent three seasons (1988-90) in the college ranks at Newberry, where Bennett served as his offensive coordinator.
...
Smallen and Jamie Snider will share the offensive coordinator title, but Bennett said Snider's role will have more to do with the offensive line than anything else.
That will leave Smallen in the coaches' box calling what he described as a ball-control version of the spread offense. Bennett hopes the Chants can get through their toughest schedule to date with the help of Smallen's "experience and maturity."
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/15050370.htm