New offensive coordinator, old school

Published on August 20, 2011 by Tacoma News Tribune (Feed)     

In some ways, Pete Carroll’s hiring of offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell represents a shift back to a scheme the Seattle Seahawks had so much success with during the Mike Holmgren era.

With a twist.

Bevell, 41, is a West Coast offense believer who cut his teeth in the NFL in Green Bay under Mike Sherman – one of the many Holmgren disciples who went on to become a head coach.

The same terminology and verbiage that Holmgren used in his precise, rhythm passing attack is what Bevell uses.

But what makes Bevell’s offense different is his belief in a run-first approach driven by the zone blocking scheme preferred by new offensive line coach Tom Cable and Carroll.

“Ideally, I’d like to be a guy that runs the football, and then uses that run to set up all of the big plays that you try to get, the explosive plays,” Bevell said.

So far, Carroll is pleased with his new offensive coordinator.

“Darrell is an accomplished play caller,” Carroll said. “He owns the throwing game that we’re working with, he totally understands the concepts and the principles and the calling of our run game that Tom is really the kingpin in. … He’s a young, bright coach that’s going to be a head coach someday. He’s just got his act together, and he gets it. We’re really lucky to have him.”

At his core, Bevell is a teacher on the field, which jibes well with Carroll’s style – an always-positive approach with less berating of players on the field.

It’s one of the reasons Carroll moved on from his previous offensive coordinator, Jeremy Bates.

“I feel like I teach really well,” Bevell said. “I like to go up and see exactly what happened, figure it out and then we can go and teach from that point and get the things corrected. And we try to keep tempo up here.

“We are really are preaching tempo, tempo. So if you’re stopping between every play and saying, ‘OK, here’s what I want to have happen,’ then you’re not getting that tempo. So we kind of coach on the run, and then we go in and watch the tape and make the corrections inside.”

Bevell’s handling of the Seahawks’ running game will be assisted by Cable, who was hired to pump up a ground attack that has not averaged 100 yards per game since 2008.

Bevell says that working with Cable so far has been a good experience.

via New offensive coordinator, old school | Seattle Seahawks – The News Tribune.

Tags: Believer, Coach Tom Cable, Darrell Bevell, Disciples, First Approach, Green Bay, head coach, Jeremy Bates, Kingpin, Mike Holmgren, Mike Sherman, offensive coordinator, Offensive Line Coach, Old School, Pete Carroll, Run Game, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS, Tempo Tempo, Verbiage, West Coast Offense