Maryland head coach Mike Locksley had new Michigan Wolverines football offensive coordinator Josh Gattis for a few hours before Gattis changed his mind and accepted the same job with Jim Harbaugh. Locksley made it clear at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago weeks ago that he was the one who called the plays at Alabama last year when he and Gattis were co-coordinators.
For the record, Gattis said Wednesday, he never disputed that.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mike Locksley. He called every play … there were never any other comments about that,” Gattis said. “I’m 100 percent confident [I can do it]. Mike Locksley can say I watched him call every play, but ask him where the game plans usually came from?
“So I’m fine with that. He did call every play, and I’ve got a notebook upstairs with all the game plans written down in them. But I’ve got tremendous respect for him, obviously.”
He called Locksley a mentor and added former PSU coordinators Joe Moorehead and John Donovan as guys he’s also learned from. Being taught by coaches who helped develop ownership and entitled and empowered everyone helped shape him, Gattis said, and he plans to do the same with his staff.
He also made it clear he's played a very important role in every offense he’s coached for as a result.
“One of the things that’s important when you talk about play calling and games, your call sheet is won Monday through Friday,” he said. “What is called Saturday is about putting your kids in position to be successful. There have been coordinators that have been coordinators for 20 years that aren’t successful … it’s because they’re not putting their kids in position to be successful.
“You win the game Monday through Friday. That’s something I took a tremendous amount of pride in over the years, making sure I’m a big part of the game plan process at places I’ve been. Also, just because I haven’t called plays before, I’ve recommended a lot of plays during games. That’s what it comes down to.”
He did call one play, he admitted.
“It was a game winner … the last [play] at Iowa when I was at another institution [Penn State],” he said with a grin.
Gattis has complete confidence in his ability, noting he’s prepared for this opportunity by putting himself in position to be a “figure that’s important.” Harbaugh has done his part by letting Gattis run the show on offense, as promised.
“When he came up to me and said he isn’t going to be involved in the offense, he’s held his word … but he’s my head coach, and we’ll do whatever he asks,” Gattis said. “But our offense is the offense I’ve brought in and the offense we’ve run.”
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