New Director of Football Operations named.

**Clonefan94** · 01-09-2009, 11:45 AM

What does a Director of Football Operations do?

Is it in any way similar to the Assistant to the Traveling Secretary for the New York Yankees?

**cybsball20** · 01-09-2009, 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by Clonefan94

Is it in any way similar to the Assistant to the Traveling Secretary for the New York Yankees?

It is probably very similar to the Traveling Secretary actually, not the assistant.

**Jonecy** · 01-09-2009, 12:09 PM

Welcome aboard Brian!....and your family too. Glad to have you with us. :)

**ISUFan22** · 01-09-2009, 12:28 PM

What the DFO does depends on the program and person. Some guys are just glorified secretaries and others are very involved - even in coaching to some extent.

Chizik noted at one of the coaching seminars that his DFO was working toward becoming a coach.

**zach** · 01-09-2009, 06:36 PM

His resume also indiactes he was a three-time academic all-America. I don't think much of this staff fits the "dumb jock" mold.

I likee

Z

**Bobber** · 01-09-2009, 06:45 PM

I like the semi-pro connection. Can't hurt.

Also like the Iowa connection. He obviously doesn't mind living here.

**bfross** · 01-09-2009, 06:55 PM

People made a relatively big deal about Travis Pearson getting the Football Ops job when he was hired (because he was a big time Alabama high school coach with a following) and what positive impact did he have while he was here? You can't come up with anything. Doesn't mean he didn't have a huge impact, it's just that the guys in this position don't get a lot of the glory. They are glue guys like the recruiting coordinator. However, if they weren't important, there would not be a position for them, but since every school has them, they are in fact important and have an impact on the team.

In the case of this position I would not get too worked up over who was hired and I would say that having Iowa ties is a positive, but by no means a criteria for his hiring.

**wiscocyclone** · 01-10-2009, 09:14 AM

I heard we are going to blowup the scoreboard at the last game on our last score.

**nj829** · 01-10-2009, 09:33 AM

I would bet if you did a search for the last DFO, you would only see threads on him when he was hired and nothing in the 2 years since...I've worked with the Arkansas DFO and the South Carolina DFO (and will be working with Auburn's DFO this year, have to decide if the job is worth messing with chiz). They really are the travel secretary/paper pusher/right hand admin type for the head coach. Some can be complete chiz's, and others are great to work with.

**Wesley** · 01-10-2009, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by nj829

I would bet if you did a search for the last DFO, you would only see threads on him when he was hired and nothing in the 2 years since...I've worked with the Arkansas DFO and the South Carolina DFO (and will be working with Auburn's DFO this year, have to decide if the job is worth messing with chiz). They really are the travel secretary/paper pusher/right hand admin type for the head coach. Some can be complete chiz's, and others are great to work with.

Do they help with recruiting during the clinics and working the state high school coaches?

**iowacubjim** · 01-10-2009, 09:43 AM

so calling it the DFO is just a way to jazz up a say......adminastrative assistant?

**Wesley** · 01-10-2009, 09:49 AM

With this guy's background and qualifications, I would be shocked to find out he is just glorified admin. PR is too smart not to fully utilize this fellow in other ways. He may even end up on the staff as a coach next year. I think this guy's name may have come out of the blue and PR found a way to reach out and get him. PR may have had several good people to choose from after seeing the recent announcments of whom he picked.

**nj829** · 01-10-2009, 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by Wesley

Do they help with recruiting during the clinics and working the state high school coaches?

Can't answer that part, I'm in the travel industry and the DFO is the main contact for all of their travel plans. I would say they have enough time to be out and about during the clinics and organizing the clinics, etc., but from what I have seen their time on the road is spent visiting travel locations and making bus arrangements, etc. and being the primary paper pusher vs. being a true recruiter and coach having impact on the team/players other than an atta boy.

Here is what the bio on Arkansas's DFO says:

At A&M, he assisted with the day-to-day operations of the program, including team travel, practice, game day operations, recruiting and coaching. He assisted the staff with recruiting letters and videos, worked with the compliance office, handled player guest tickets, coordinated various activities and functions related to bowl games, assisted with recruiting weekends and official visits, put together a player policy manual and supervised team building activities.
As a volunteer assistant during the 2003 season, he was responsible for quality control during practices, assisted with the creation of the playbook and supervised the player lounge.

http://www.hogwired.com/ViewArticle....ATCLID=1364563

**Aclone** · 01-10-2009, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by Wesley

Do they help with recruiting during the clinics and working the state high school coaches?

The NCAA requires each school to designate a certain number of positions as active off campus "recruiters". Generally that doesn't include the DFO, since most coaches include the coaching staff and recruiting coordinator. It's just a way the NCAA has of equalizing the number of people on a staff who can have contact with recruits.