COMMENTARY

Football: Drinkwitz handed keys to high-scoring offense

Drinkwitz
Drinkwitz

Imagine being handed the keys to the most thrilling rides at Disney World in Florida or Six Flags in Texas.

That's how Eli Drinkwitz has to feel after being named offensive coordinator at Boise State. Drinkwitz was promoted by Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin last week to replace Mike Sanford, who left to become offensive coordinator at Notre Dame.

Boise State has long been recognized as one of the most entertaining football teams in America with a high-scoring offense and tricks plays that leave opposing teams dazed and confused. Oklahoma was victimized in 2007, when the Broncos dusted off the "Statue of Liberty" play to stun the Sooners 43-42 in the Fiesta Bowl.

Drinkwitz should have plenty of toys to play with as the play-caller for Boise State. The Broncos return 18 starters from a team that finished 12-2 overall and 7-1 in the Mountain West Conference.

"Boise State is an unbelievable university with great tradition in football," said Drinkwitz, who will also coach quarterbacks for the Broncos. "To be an offensive coordinator is something I've always wanted to do and to do it at Boise State is something special."

Drinkwitz is a familiar name to football fans in Northwest Arkansas. He was an an-state linebacker at Alma, where he played for Frankie Vines. After graduating from Arkansas Tech, Drinkwitz coached seventh-grade football at Alma before coming to Springdale, where he coached from 2006-2009 under Kevin Johnson and Gus Malzahn.

He then joined Malzahn at Auburn and Arkansas State before joining Harsin's staff as tight ends coach at Boise State. Drinkwitz, 31, will make his debut as offensive coordinator when Boise State opens the season against Washington on Sept. 5.

Drinkwitz is close friends with Zak Clark, who was recently named head football coach at Springdale High. The two were assistants at Springdale in 2008-2009 when Clark coached the quarterbacks and Drinkwitz was offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for the Bulldogs.

"I owe a lot to Eli," Clark said. "He helped get me into coaching and taught me a lot about game planning and hard work. Professionally, he's the best thing to happen to me."

Clark said he first began to notice Drinkwitz's work ethic during the annual high school all-star game in Arkansas when Vines was head coach of the West team. Vines brought along Drinkwitz, who was an underclassman at the time, as a team manager.

"Basically, Eli was the water boy, and he spent the week doing things most people would;t want to do," Clark said. "But he outworked everybody and he took it seriously. No job was too small for him to do. That showed me a lot."

Drinkwitz isn't the only former assistant for Malzahn making his mark in college football. Former Fort Smith Northside quarterback and Auburn receiver Kodi Burns recently left the Samford program to become wide receivers' coach at Middle Tennessee State. After flirting with some head coaching positions, former Shiloh Christian and Arkansas quarterback Rhett Lashlee remains the offensive coordinator at Auburn under Malzahn, who is 29-10 as a head coach.

Drinkwitz was in Arkansas last week and spoke at a coaching clinic in Hot Springs. But he's adapted well to living in Idaho, where he enjoys snow skiing.

"Boise is similar to Northwest Arkansas," Drinkwitz said. "You get the lakes, the mountains, and the fresh air, but without the humidity."

So, what can Boise State fans expect this fall with Drinkwitz calling the plays?

More entertainment with plenty of downfield passing and maybe, just maybe, a Fumblerooskie or two.

Rick Fires can be reached at nwadg.com or on Twitter at @NWARick

Sports on 02/22/2015

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