FootballScoop is proud to announce that James Cregg is the 2019 FootballScoop Offensive Line Coach of the Year presented by AstroTurf as selected by prior winners.
LSU had the best offense in college football in 2019, and one of the most fearsome in the school's history. No one scored more points or gained more yards in 2019 than the Tigers, who hit opponents with an average of 48.9 points and 564.1 yards per game.
That type of production simply isn't possible without a best-in-class offensive line, and the Tigers had that this year.
In fact, in December LSU won the Joe Moore Award as the nation's top offensive line unit.
Keyed by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Joe Burrow, LSU threw for 397.2 yards per game and 10.7 yards per attempt, both of which ranked among the top five nationally.
On the ground, the Tigers rolled up 2,337 yards on 481 attempts, placing them among the top 35 nationally in yards per carry.
As a unit, LSU gained 7,898 yards on 999 snaps. The Tigers will almost certainly become just the sixth offense of the decade to rack up 8,000 scrimmage yards in a single season.
Thanks to Cregg's offensive line, LSU was great situationally, ranking fifth nationally on third down at 50.89 percent and fifth in red zone touchdown percentage, finding pay dirt 55 times in 70 trips.
Center Lloyd Cushenberry was named a First Team All-SEC performer, while guards Adrian Magee and Damien Lewis earned spots on the second team.
A Colorado State graduate, joined the LSU staff in 2018 after spending four seasons with the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers. He joined the coaching profession as a graduate assistant at his alma mater in 1997, then earned his first full-time job as Colgate's defensive line coach in 2000. After three seasons there and three more coaching defensive lineman at Idaho, Cregg flipped sides in 2007, coaching the Oakland Raiders' offensive line in 2007-08. He then spent the 2009 campaign at Tennessee, butting heads each practice day with Vols defensive line coach Ed Orgeron. The pair then worked together at USC before going their separate ways, only to reunite again last year.
“Coach Cregg has a tremendous commitment to being the best," Orgeron said. "He spent all offseason and in season working to make his offensive line the best they can be. And he did that. He is the MVP for us.”
The FootballScoop Coaches of the Year awards presented by AstroTurf are the only set of awards that recognize the most outstanding position coaches in college football. The finalists (Bill Bedenbaugh [Oklahoma], Kyle Flood [Alabama], Alex Mirabal [Oregon] and Greg Studrawa [Ohio State]) were selected based off of nominations by coaches, athletic directors, and athletic department personnel. The prior winners selected this year's winner.
With LSU playing in the national title game during the AFCA convention, Cregg will receive his award at a date to be determined.
Previous winners of the Offensive Line Coach of the Year award are Steve Greatwood (Oregon, 2008), Tony Wise (Pittsburgh, 2009), Bob Bostad (Wisconsin, 2010) Greg Studrawa (LSU, 2011), Ed Warinner (Ohio State, 2012 and 2014), Mike Bloomgren (Stanford, 2013), Tom Manning (Toledo, 2015), Brian Callahan/Bill Kenney (Western Michigan, 2016), Bill Bedenbaugh (Oklahoma, 2017) and Glen Elarbee (UCF, 2018).
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