Boston College Athletics
Photo by: John Quackenbos
Loeffler’s Focus is on Fundamentals
April 01, 2016 | Football
New offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler has gone back to basics with the quarterbacks unit
Scot Loeffler needed no convincing when Boston College football head coach Steve Addazio called about the Eagles' offensive coordinator position.
Loeffler already had a well-established reputation of grooming star quarterbacks and with youth the prevailing theme among the Eagles' signal callers, he would be a great fit at The Heights. Coupled with Addazio and Loeffler's long-standing relationship dating back to the duo's days at Florida, it was a natural fit when the call came.
"I've been around a lot of guys, and he's really one of the finest quarterback developers I've been around – just in terms of fundamentals, development, mechanics – he's outstanding," Addazio said. "We've got so many young guys around here, we needed a guy who can develop those young guys. So it was critically important to get that process started."
Loeffler's protégés include Tom Brady, Tim Tebow, Brian Griese, Chad Henne, Drew Henson, John Navarre and Logan Thomas, all who went on to play in the NFL.
"There was no sell," Loeffler said. "I respect Coach Addazio professionally, and obviously we have a great relationship off the field. We're close; we're friends. I've worked for him. He's been my boss before so it was an easy transition."
"We talked all the time," Addazio said. "We always wanted to be back together again. The situation hit right where there was turnover at Virginia Tech and Coach Beamer retired, so it was the right timing. Sometimes that's what it is: it's the right timing for guys to be able to get the right guys you want to get. So this worked out really well."
Now three weeks into spring practice, Loeffler's focus on fundamentals is on display at the Eagles' practices at Alumni Stadium.
Between stopping and redoing team reps to get plays and drills exactly right, or the extra time spent on the field after practice with the quarterback corps, it's all about the basics.
"First and foremost, it comes down to developing the quarterback, without a doubt," Loeffler said. "The most-critical job of any coordinator is to get your guys playing at a high level. It's not an easy position. It takes some guys two, three years to learn how to play the position. We're in a race against time to see how fast we can improve these next few months before the season starts."
And that means a focus on footwork, technique and position.
"We've had eight practices now and we've got a long way to go. They've done some really good things and they've improved on some things, but it's a new system. It's a new way of thinking, a demand for perfect technique and perfect footwork, perfect body position. It's everything.
"Things that the average fan sees on an incompletion goes into a ton of technical, fundamental aspects of the quarterback's job: the quarterback's weight transition, his body position, and all the little details. Usually the difference between the really good throwers and the average thrower is all details," Loeffler said.
Redshirt sophomore Darius Wade, who missed all but three games last season after suffering a broken ankle on Sept. 19 against Florida State, was excited when he learned of Loeffler's arrival at BC.
"I definitely love him a lot," Wade said. "He's a great coach. He's working with us hard. He's definitely a fundamentalist, so he's trying to perfect our craft so when the bullets are flying when we're in the game, we're able to step up and still make the right plays that we need to. I feel like I'm definitely improving a lot and every day is just me constantly get better, which is good."
With a focus on fundamentals and a young, eager group of quarterbacks at his disposal, Loeffler is jumping right in and preparing for the 2016 season.
And while the public's first glimpse of the 2016 team will come at the Spring Game on Saturday, April 16, Addazio already likes what he's getting out of Loeffler.
"We've been together at Florida and we've been together at Temple. We do our thing. We're just running our plays and doing our stuff. I'm comfortable with him. I trust him. I know him. It's less about turning an offense around. It's more about developing a group of young guys."
Loeffler already had a well-established reputation of grooming star quarterbacks and with youth the prevailing theme among the Eagles' signal callers, he would be a great fit at The Heights. Coupled with Addazio and Loeffler's long-standing relationship dating back to the duo's days at Florida, it was a natural fit when the call came.
"I've been around a lot of guys, and he's really one of the finest quarterback developers I've been around – just in terms of fundamentals, development, mechanics – he's outstanding," Addazio said. "We've got so many young guys around here, we needed a guy who can develop those young guys. So it was critically important to get that process started."
Loeffler's protégés include Tom Brady, Tim Tebow, Brian Griese, Chad Henne, Drew Henson, John Navarre and Logan Thomas, all who went on to play in the NFL.
"There was no sell," Loeffler said. "I respect Coach Addazio professionally, and obviously we have a great relationship off the field. We're close; we're friends. I've worked for him. He's been my boss before so it was an easy transition."
"We talked all the time," Addazio said. "We always wanted to be back together again. The situation hit right where there was turnover at Virginia Tech and Coach Beamer retired, so it was the right timing. Sometimes that's what it is: it's the right timing for guys to be able to get the right guys you want to get. So this worked out really well."
Now three weeks into spring practice, Loeffler's focus on fundamentals is on display at the Eagles' practices at Alumni Stadium.
Between stopping and redoing team reps to get plays and drills exactly right, or the extra time spent on the field after practice with the quarterback corps, it's all about the basics.
"First and foremost, it comes down to developing the quarterback, without a doubt," Loeffler said. "The most-critical job of any coordinator is to get your guys playing at a high level. It's not an easy position. It takes some guys two, three years to learn how to play the position. We're in a race against time to see how fast we can improve these next few months before the season starts."
And that means a focus on footwork, technique and position.
"We've had eight practices now and we've got a long way to go. They've done some really good things and they've improved on some things, but it's a new system. It's a new way of thinking, a demand for perfect technique and perfect footwork, perfect body position. It's everything.
"Things that the average fan sees on an incompletion goes into a ton of technical, fundamental aspects of the quarterback's job: the quarterback's weight transition, his body position, and all the little details. Usually the difference between the really good throwers and the average thrower is all details," Loeffler said.
Redshirt sophomore Darius Wade, who missed all but three games last season after suffering a broken ankle on Sept. 19 against Florida State, was excited when he learned of Loeffler's arrival at BC.
"I definitely love him a lot," Wade said. "He's a great coach. He's working with us hard. He's definitely a fundamentalist, so he's trying to perfect our craft so when the bullets are flying when we're in the game, we're able to step up and still make the right plays that we need to. I feel like I'm definitely improving a lot and every day is just me constantly get better, which is good."
With a focus on fundamentals and a young, eager group of quarterbacks at his disposal, Loeffler is jumping right in and preparing for the 2016 season.
And while the public's first glimpse of the 2016 team will come at the Spring Game on Saturday, April 16, Addazio already likes what he's getting out of Loeffler.
"We've been together at Florida and we've been together at Temple. We do our thing. We're just running our plays and doing our stuff. I'm comfortable with him. I trust him. I know him. It's less about turning an offense around. It's more about developing a group of young guys."
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