Scot Loeffler
Current Role: Offensive coordinator/QBs coach Virginia Tech
The connection: Loeffler was the QBs coach at Central Michigan when Butch Jones was on staff with the Chippewas under DeBord from 2000-01. He worked for Urban Meyer, somebody Jones lists as a friend and influence, as a quarterbacks coach at Florida in 2009-10. When we spoke to a source who worked with Jones in the past, Loeffler was one of the first names he mentioned as somebody Jones might consider. Update: Loeffler told Richmond.com that he and Butch Jones are “good friends” but he is not “involved with that job,” referring to the open UT offensive coordinator job.
Pros: Loeffler has a lot that Jones would seemingly be looking for in a coordinator. He has the personal connection with Jones, he’s worked in the NFL (Detroit, 2008), he’s been a play-caller at multiple stops in college football, he’s coached numerous big-name QBs such as Tom Brady and Tim Tebow, he has SEC ties and he has experience in a more traditional, pro-style offense and a spread background as well.
Cons/Questions: Loeffler was one of the hottest names in the CFB assistant pool just a few years ago, but took a massive hit in 2012 when his Auburn offense tanked and ultimately contributed to costing Gene Chizik his job on The Plains. It hasn’t been a lot better at Virginia Tech, where the Hokies have gone 15-11 with him as an OC the last two years and his offense has been far from explosive. VT came in 99th nationally in scoring offense in 2014. It wouldn’t be an impressive hire on the surface based on recent results, but one thing Butch Jones has done well is take guys who are a good fit with him that didn’t necessarily work somewhere else and produced good results (see: Willie Martinez & John Jancek). Could that be the case with Loeffler? There would probably be too much resistance to this one, but worth keeping an eye on.
