As a little kid following the team as closely as I could, I recall hearing for the first time of an offensive coordinator. George Allen was a defensive-minded head coach for Washington, but I was learning they had this coach in charge of the offense (to some degree), and he was Ted Marchibroda (1971-74).
I learned in just a few years that Marchibroda really knew offense when as head coach of the Colts, his teams were exciting on offense, winning the AFC East. I began hearing how Allen had actually been too conservative, handcuffing Marchibroda.
Charlie Waller (1975-77) was the next Washington offensive coordinator. I naturally thought he must be great. Until a couple of years later and I heard Joe Theismann praising then-offensive coordinator Joe Walton (1978-80) for being his most organized ever, coordinating the quarterback pass drops with the timing of the offense.
I was a teenager (didn’t know nearly as much as I thought I did) but have always remembered this Theismann comment because it struck me, causing me to wonder what Waller had been doing with the offense the previous seasons.
When Joe Gibbs was the head coach, Joe Bugel (1981-89) was listed as the offensive coordinator, but it was Coach Joe always calling the plays. Steve Spurrier didn’t have an OC, either. That time it didn’t work out so well.
When Coach Joe came out of retirement, he determined he needed not one but both Al Saunders (2006-07) and Don Breaux (2004-07) as his offensive coordinators.
Sherman Smith (2008-09), Kyle Shanahan (2010-13), Sean McVay (2014-16), Matt Cavanaugh (2017-18), and Kevin O’Connell (2019) all brought their own backgrounds and philosophies to the role.
Frankly, I don’t know what type of OC Scott Turner (2020-22) was. I heard all of the complaining about the play-calling this season. But I do know this. When I watched the All-22 viewpoint, I often saw guys schemed open and Washington quarterbacks not getting the ball to them.
Yes, it is important whom they hire, but in 2023 they are going to NEED better offensive line play and better quarterback play.
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