Teaching ability the calling card for Dunn

STORRS — If there has been one consistent aspect surrounding the offensively challenged UConn football program in recent years it has been the perpetual revolving door at offensive coordinator and quarterback.

Case in point, John Dunn will be seventh offensive coordinator (not counting interim stints by Shane Day and David Corley) in the last nine seasons. This will be the ninth straight season opener featuring a new offensive coordinator/starting quarterback tandem.

Dunn brings a different vibe to position than his predecessors. While he can unleash his fury and express his dissatisfaction with the best of them when something goes awry, but typically Dunn keeps his composure and realizes that he is first and foremost a teacher.

During 11-on-11 or even 7-on-7 drills, Dunn doesn’t stay within

arm’s length of the quarterbacks as some coordinators are known to do. Instead, he is usually about 10-15 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Each time one of his receivers runs a pattern, he is quick to remind them of the need for precision. It is not just simply a case of telling them that they were supposed to run seven yards down the field before making their cut, but explaining to them to reason why those simple details are so vital.

“I try to eliminate all gray, gray is not good in teaching,” Dunn said after Monday’s practice. “It is A or it is B, it is right or it is wrong. I think a lot of the things for me is teaching them what you want, tell them how you want them to do it and therefore they can

go execute it without any hesitation in their mind. That is the only way in my mind that you can play fast is you describe exactly what you want. I am a teacher and coaching is teaching and I try to narrow the game down, narrow down the focus as much as possible so instead of seeing 22 guys on the field which sometimes can seem like 80, you try to narrow the focus of what you are looking at, where are you eyes supposed to be.”

Dunn credits current Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains and former University of Maryland offensive coordinator Mike Locksley as being guiding lights in Dunn’s ascension to his first coordinator position.

Dunn has played key roles in devising game plans both at Maryland and with the NFL’s Chicago Bears but when UConn

plays host to No. 21 UCF in Thursday’s season opener, it will mark the first time he is calling all the shots for an offense.

Dunn won’t limit himself by scripting his first 15, 20 or even 30 plays although having a chance to go through the entire spring practice and preseason camp with Pindell getting the first-team work at quarterback has allowed the two to come up with about 15 plays that they feel most comfortable with.

“I think any time you get into a game adjustments are made but we will do a top 15,” Dunn said. “I’ve gotten off of it really fast and I followed it (in the past). We are certainly not married to it, but it is the kind of stuff we feel good about.”

Unlike the defense, which could feature as many as eight first-time starters, UConn features four offensive linemen with

starting experience and there is also a veteran presence at receiver and tight end.

It remains to be seen how good of a play caller Dunn will be, but certainly his players believe his teaching ability has been a real asset to the program.

“Having that next level experience, he knows what it takes to excel and get us to the next level,” UConn sophomore receiver Keyion Dixon said. “When he brought that here, guys had to buy into it. When he is stern and he is serious and he knows what he is talking about, it gives your players a different level of confidence. He definitely knows what he is talking about so he is a good person to learn from and understand so that definitely helps us out.”