Commentary

Florida State's Fisher, Trickett among top position coaches

Originally Published: August 9, 2007

By Todd McShay | Scouts Inc.

With more than 1,000 position coaches in college football's Division I-A, it's nearly impossible to zero in on the best of the best. With that in mind, the following is a look at a few assistant coaches who stand out to me -- after studying game film during the offseason -- as the most effective at their respective positions. Head coaches are excluded, and the only coordinators included are those who serve dual roles as position coaches.

Jimbo Fisher, Florida State quarterbacks (offensive coordinator)
Coach Bobby Bowden hit a grand slam when he hired Fisher. In addition to his impact as the new offensive coordinator, Fisher has the perfect résumé to sort out the mess that is Florida State's current quarterback situation. The thing that impresses me the most is Fisher's ability to tweak his system in order to mask quarterbacks' weaknesses and accentuate their strengths. After all, how many coaches in the nation can boast having five quarterbacks drafted in seven years as Fisher did at LSU with Josh Booty, Rohan Davey, Craig Nall, Matt Mauck and JaMarcus Russell.

Tennessee offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach David Cutcliffe, who fine-tuned the skills of Heath Shuler, Peyton and Eli Manning, and most recently Erik Ainge, comes in a close second.

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