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February 19, 2013
LSU football fans clamoring for offensive change in Baton Rouge got their wish this week.
Tigers’ coach Les Miles announced Friday afternoon that he has hired former NFL head coach Cam Cameron to be the team’s offensive coordinator.
In addition to head coaching experience, Cameron lands at LSU after several seasons as a successful coordinator in the NFL – a career that has saw the coach guide players like Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, Ray Rice and Joe Flacco.
Cameron’s last stop was with the Baltimore Ravens, where he coached the team’s offense for five seasons – leading the team to the playoffs every year.
“This is a key hire and a great day for LSU football,” Miles said. “I think this is an opportunity to add a very quality football coach and a quality man to our staff. … He just has a great background. I think he’ll bring a lot to the table.”
With Cameron in charge of LSU’s offense, fans should expect the Tigers’ offensive philosophy to slightly change.
Cameron’s offenses typically place an emphasis on short, efficient passing that emphasizes tight end play and halfbacks catching the ball out of the backfield.
With the Chargers, Cameron called plays for a high-octane offense that featured Brees and his favorite weapons – Tomlinson and All-Pro tight end Antonio Gates.
Under Cameron’s tutelage, the Chargers finished 14-2 in 2006 and 12-4 in 2004. During the team’s 2006 run, they led the NFL in scoring with 492 points on the season.
From San Diego, Cameron was the head coach of the Dolphins for one season in 2007.
He then moved to be the coordinator in Baltimore, where he molded the framework for the team’s recent offensive success, which equated in a Super Bowl Championship this season.
Cameron was fired midway through the season and did not coach in the playoffs.
But Baltimore’s players and coaches have said since the firing that Cameron deserved a large amount of credit for the team’s successes.
Since winning the championship, the team has announced that Cameron will receive a Super Bowl ring for his early-season efforts.
With LSU, Cameron said he hopes to see a similar level of output and offensive prowess.
He added that his philosophy is similar to the one Miles had previously had in place.
“My philosophy is the LSU football style already – it’s physical,” Cameron said. “It’s tough. It’s bringing in guys that football is important to them. … We want to play smart, aggressive football. It’s got to have a physical nature to it.”
Cameron added that he likes the college game because of the flexibility coaches have in being able to select the players they want for their programs.
“What can they do best? That’s what we’ll do,” Cameron said. “If you’ve got great running backs then you’ll run the football. If your quarterback is a two-dimensional guy or just a thrower, we’ll adjust. We’ll adapt and dabble to what our players do best.”
The marriage between Miles and Cameron is a likely pairing.
The two coaches worked together at Michigan as assistants under legendary coach Bo Schembechler. During that time, the two coaches shared an office and were very close – a bond that remains in place today.
“Our families are intertwined,” Miles said.
“I was in an office about the size of that little corner over there with the guy,” Cameron said, remembering his time at Michigan with Miles. “He’s one of the toughest men I’ve ever been around. I know what he brings to the table and I know the mindset that he has. Our offense is going to carry that torch, as well.”
With Cameron taking over the LSU offense, the Tigers also made a few other coaching changes.
Miles announced that former offensive coordinator Greg Studrawa will again become the team’s offensive line coach.
Studrawa held that position for several years before becoming the offensive coordinator two seasons ago when then-offensive coordinator Steve Kragthorpe was forced to resign because of Parkinson’s disease.
Upon resignation, Kragthorpe became the team’s quarterback’s coach.
Miles said at the press conference with Cameron’s hiring, Kragthorpe would no longer be on the team’s coaching staff. He will shift into an administrative role in the program.
Miles said he wanted to thank Studrawa for the work he did as a coordinator the past two seasons, emphasizing that Cameron’s hire was not a punishment to the coach.
“This is just an opportunity for us to add instead of subtract,” Miles said.
