WVU Looks to Ignite Offensive Play-Calling Chemistry

Head coach Neal Brown and offensive coordinator Graham Harrell are working on game-style communication ahead of the season opener.

WVU's new offensive coordinator won't be on the sidelines.

Graham Harrell spent one season maneuvering plays from the turf before opting for the height, and air conditioning, of collegiate press boxes.

Now that's he's about to spend a season as a fixture at Milan Puskar Stadium, communicating with his new head coach has taken some maneuvering of its own.

"I was on the field the first year at North Texas," Harrell said. "I didn't hate it, but you go back on Sunday and say, 'Well, if I had known that, it may have really helped,' so I like being down there. I like being around the guys. I like being able to look into the quarterback's eyes and stuff like that, so there's definitely some advantages of being down on the field."

Harrell said that he appreciates coaching from both positions, but sitting up off the field level allows him to watch plays develop with increased accuracy. He is able to see minor differences in positioning that would have been missed from a lateral viewpoint.

He's is opting to stay in the coaches' boxes atop Milan Puskar Stadium during action, but that adds a layer of complexity with his new staff: communication down to the field is strictly through headsets.

The combination of Harrell's distance from the action and his rookie season with the Mountaineers requires a bit of a dress rehearsal prior to Sept. 1.

"We practiced it quite a bit," Harrell said of communication run-throughs with Brown. "Being on headsets and stuff like that, so yeah. We've done a lot of work on what the sideline is going to feel like and who's going to be up, who's going to be down and kind of the mechanics behind it all."

Brown said that the communication channel between head coach and offensive coordinator takes practice, and roles still have the potential to fluidly shift. It's an area of his game plan that remains open to adaptation.

"That's something we've been working on," Brown said. "That's something that will get talked about a lot. Chemistry on game day. When you have new staff members, you have to practice that, because it's different. We've been intentional about doing that this spring and all during fall camp."

As of now, Brown is planning on controlling the game from the sidelines. He's stepping back from play-calling and letting Harrell take the reins.

"I'll be a resource for him," Brown said. "That's really what I've been working on all spring and fall camp... I want to be a resource for him, but he'll call [plays]. If I feel strongly about it, I'll give him some ideas, but for the most part, I just want to be a resource and ask questions. If he wants to ask me something, he can."

How this communication style plays out, as well as pinpointing its inherent benefits and disadvantages, will be put in the spotlight on Thursday at Acrisure Stadium in front of a sold-out crowd.

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