Great playcallers? Born or groomed?

by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter @BChatmon

Replacing Dana Holgorsen won’t be easy. Oklahoma State’s former offensive coordinator was a key contributor to one of the best seasons in Cowboys history.

OSU coach Mike Gundy said one of the biggest reasons he hired Holgorsen in January 2010 was his playcalling ability.

So with OSU searching to find an offensive coordinator with similar attributes to Holgorsen, the big question is this: Are great playcallers born or groomed?

“I think it’s a combination of both,” Holgorsen said. “You have to learn everything, then have answers for what they’re doing defensively.”

Meaning you can learn the offense extremely well and learn the counters to the various defensive looks you will see, then comes the hard part.

Calling the right play, at the right time. And it’s a trait that is a combination of natural instinct and experience.

“The only way to find out if you can make decisions in two seconds and adjust to things in three seconds is by trial and error,” Holgorsen said.