The Todd Monken file: Meet Oklahoma State’s new offensive coordinator
Todd Monken, right, is coming back to Oklahoma State. Monken was OSU's receivers coach when Oklahoman photographer Steve Gooch captured him talking to Cowboys quarterback Josh Fields and then-head coach Les Miles in a 2003 game against Wyoming. Monken was named OSU's offensive coordinator Wednesday.
A couple weeks ago our OSU beat writer John Helsley told me Todd Monken was a guy Mike Gundy would seriously consider as Oklahoma State’s next offensive coordinator.
Way back in December, when Dana Holgorsen left, assistant sports editor Ryan Sharp played the Monken card. Guess I should have listened.
Monken was the Cowboys’ receiver coach when Gundy was offensive coordinator under Les Miles. When he left for LSU with Miles, I remember being a little disappointed. I met the guy at media day one year and talked to him again at another function. He seemed like a reporter’s dream: Bright, funny, congenial.
Oklahoma State announced Wednesday afternoon that Monken will be the Cowboys’ new offensive coordinator, about 24 hours after I blogged my theory it would be Doug Meacham. It would have marked the first time Gundy hired a coordinator from within. I also thought it would help him maintain some of the continuity from last season’s record-setting offense.
Wrong.
Gundy has now hired six straight coordinators from the outside — sort of. Monken comes to Stillwater after four seasons as receivers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. But he has the advantage of being an insider and outsider.
Gundy has said he viewed play-calling experience as a priority for his next coordinator. Monken’s last season calling plays came in 1998-99 at Eastern Michigan.
Here’s a Q&A with Monken that Oklahoma State’s sports information department just sent out:
On why he is returning to Oklahoma State and the college game:
“It’s a great opportunity to serve as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State. I was there with Les Miles and the program has had tremendous success under Coach Gundy. My family loves Stillwater and I have always enjoyed coaching college football.”
On what he knows about Oklahoma State’s current coaches and players:
“I was there with Coach Gundy and Joe DeForest and there are other people in the program that I am familiar with like Mack Butler, Gary Calcagno and Dale Patterson. My wife and I came up to Stillwater last spring and we saw the new facility and how the program has changed. I am not as familiar with the current players other than from what I have seen on some of the film we got with the Jaguars.”
On what he plans to do offensively at Oklahoma State:
“I want to blend what this team has done with what I’ve done to make this Oklahoma State’s offense. We want to have flexibility with it. With all of the returning starters, it would be silly to break up what they already have going. When I was at Louisiana Tech, we were no-huddle. When I was at Oklahoma State under Les, it was power running and going straight ahead. The key is to be flexible.”
On taking over an already-productive offense:
“Dana Holgorsen did a great job and I’m just trying to come in and find what fits best. Even before Dana was there, Oklahoma State didn’t lack in offensive productivity. It’s never been an issue under Coach Gundy. The biggest thing is just to have an identity where this is Oklahoma State’s offense and we know what we want to do.”
Here’s some things I found interesting about Monken:
– He’s been part of a coaching staff that reached the NFL Playoffs — Jacksonville reached the second round of the 2007 playoffs — and the SEC title game (2005 LSU).
– In Monken, Justin Blackmon gets former OSU star receiver Rashaun Woods’ old position coach as a coordinator. He also gets someone who can start prepping him for the NFL right away. That decision to stay in school and forego the NFL Draft looks better.
– Jacksonville thought enough of Monken to promote him to quarterback coach last month. Monken thought enough of the OSU job to pass on that job. I’ll be interested to see what his OSU salary will be — probably more than what an NFL assistant with four years experience makes in Jacksonville.
– Brandon Weeden is getting a guy who can start prepping him for the NFL right away. Back to the Jacksonville QB coach decision: The Jaguars preferred Monken over incumbent Mike Shula. Here’s what ESPN AFC South blogger Paul Kuharksky — a guy I worked with at The Tennessean way back in the Music City Miracle days — had to say about Monken’s Jacksonville promotion last month:
“Monken is a great teacher and he has experience with quarterbacks from his work on the college level. I’ve watched him work with the Jacksonville receivers at practices and really have an appreciation for the way he operates. He’ll be missed in that group, but if he has the same influence on David Garrard and a drafted quarterback, they will be fortunate to work with him. Cox will have a tall task to do Monken-caliber work with the wideouts.” Read the entire post here.
– Monken was mentioned as a candidate for the LSU offensive coordinator job that went to former Tulsa and Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe. Last month Mark Rodgers said on the Sports Animal that a source told him the OSU offensive coordinator job was Monken’s if he wanted it.
Maybe he was waiting to see if he could get the LSU job, maybe not. But we now know Monken wanted the OSU job.
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Comments
Jaguars fan here. Monken took over a receiving corp in Jacksonville that was in complete shambles. Maybe the worst in the league. Four years later and he has helped develop Mike Sims-Walker and Mike Thomas into very good starting receivers. You’re getting a good one.
Thanks, JJ.
I think all OSU fans know that he is a great positions coach. The question a lot of us have is whether or not he can effienctly call plays.
It sounds like a good fit for the Cowboys. I’m a season ticket holder and looking foward to the first game this year…….
[...] 2. Mike Sherman with a good rundown on Todd Monken – Like I said yesterday, I’m going to reserve judgement until this plays out a little bit. Off the cuff, yes, it seems a little bit odd and not completely in line with the direction I though OSU would go. But then again, I’m just some little blogger with a domain name and Mike Gundy is running the best offense in the nation. He probably knows a little bit more about the situation than I do. (News OK) [...]
When you really think about it–an excellent choice for all concerned. Monken will be propelled into what you would think would be a no way you can fail next season type of deal. Plus–he’ll probably be on the fast track to becoming a head coach–if that’s what he wants.
Weeden and Blackmon will get an NFL guy who will prepare them for the next level of play–and maybe this is something Gundy promised both of them as lures for them to stay in Stillwater.
Plus–if Monken stays for his second year and beyond…Gundy will have an OC who can morph the offense in 2012 for what should be an awesome trifecta of running backs and an untested QB.
A very smart hire when you really think about it.
We got in on high caliber of kids in Texas because of Holgorson (JW Walsh & Stewart)because of his relationships with Texas high school coaches. Monken brings none. Dana’s style was perfect for the vast number of outstanding high school programs here in Texas and kids got excited. Dana could make the adjustments during a game which Mike Gundy never could. Is this a situation where he hired someone that is not a threat to him because Holgorson is very soon to make far more money than Gundy? Also, why should we trust this guy to stay around when he has already left us once before?
Steven – Dana H didn’t bring us very many kids from Texas —we have been recruiting talented kids from there for years.
He wasn’t around long enough to bring in too many players.
NC, I am an OSU grad, alum and ticket holder. I actually worked in 2005 as the OQCC at U of Tulsa. I am well aware of how long OState has recruited in Texas. My concern is not staying with the style I see everyday here that worked very well for us last year. I agree he wasn’t with us long enough but every high school coach in Texas knew him from Tech and Houston. With Dana you knew you were getting something very special. With Monken, you are hoping.
PS. I watched five Guyer games this year and I wanted Josh Stewart worse than Walsh. He completely shut down LaDarius Brown and his interception against Abilene Cooper, not to mention his punt return for a TD in that same game, made your heart miss a beat. We got Walsh because of Holgorson and got Stewart because of Walsh.
Gundy learned his lesson . . . he had success giving the offensive reigns to a guy who’s star was rising in Dana H. Dana left when the right opportunity presented itself. Gundy has now landed a guy who will stick around a few years with the right financial incentive. Monken’s primed for the next level, has the weapons to succeed right away, and will only have had 1 year of “Big Time” coordinator experience at the end of 2011. Gundy needs 1 to 3 more seasons before he’ll start contending for a BCS bid AND Monken will most likely stick around for that ship to come in. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BIG PICTURE.
Good news. We are getting a OC with a family and morals. Hopefully, he will buy a house and not live in a motel. Hopefully, he will not be late to coaches meetings. Hopefully, he will not be late for the tam bus to K-State
Dana will fit in very nice in West Virginia.
No one…and I mean NO ONE should ever doubt that Mike Gundy wants the best for the OSU Cowboys.
I believe this will prove to be an excellent hire.
Holgorsen is a hot commodity in coaching. He helped propel OSU to new heights, but he wasn’t the only cog in the wheel.
Mike Gundy has looked long and hard for the right fit for his coaching staff.
This is just another one.
How long Monken will stay is a mystery. The coaching carosel
goes round and round for each and every university. It’s constantly changing and the results aren’t in until the end of the season.
But, I trust Mike Gundy to hire the finest coaches he can.
So welcome back, Monken.
About the comments made by Steven about Dana H being able to make in game adjustments. Maybe, but he lost the game that all cowboy fans want to win more than any, the OU game. This is only my personal opinion but his game plan for that game was terrible and he made no in game adjustments. He got to the big game and chocked.
You think I could use some of the post for my website? I am not gonna copy your whole post or anything, I simply would like to mention some of it and comment on it. I most certainly will leave a link back to your web site as a thanks 
Get back with us and let me know.
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