As the running backs coach with the Baltimore Ravens, Thomas Hammock watched a lot of college tape of guys on their draft board.
Coincidentally, that's how he found the guy that he targeted to be his offensive coordinator at Northern Illinois, according to the Daily Chronicle. Hammock's first hire as a head coach was South Dakota State offensive coordinator Eric Eidsness.
The article lays out the story:
"Four years ago, I had the chance to watch [running back] Zach Zenner from South Dakota State, and I was really impressed with the style of offense I saw,” Hammock said. “Then last year, we were evaluating a tight end [from South Dakota] and seeing the offense and the way [Eidsness] adapted it to the players he had led me to believe Eric is the type of offensive coordinator who will adapt to his players and put them in position to be successful. I’m excited to have him here and working with him to develop this Huskie offense.”
Most guys, especially at the college level, have their coordinators in mind and have either worked with them someone they trust has an intimate knowledge of them, but this might be the first time I've heard a story like that shared on how a new head coach decided on his coordinator hire.
Which reminds me about the story behind how Mike Gundy researched and targeted Division II offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich to be his new offensive coordinator back in 2013.
Let those two stories be a lesson to coaches out there that there are always coaches watching and evaluating you, even when you don't feel like that's necessarily the case.
In addition to Eidsness, Hammock has also announced the additions of two defensive assistants in former Liberty defensive coordinator Robert Wimberly and North Dakota defensive line coach Jordan Gigli. Their exact roles are yet to be announced as the rest of the staff comes together, but it is our understanding that Wimberly is expected to coach the linebackers and Gigli is expected to work with the defensive line.
Head here to read the full article on all three additions, and more on Eidsness' offensive philosophy that caught Hammock's attention.