With 23 offensive lettermen returning, the biggest addition to Duke this off-season may have come on the sideline in the form of an offensive coordinator.
For the first time in his tenure at Duke, head coach Carl Franks will share the play calling duties. The incorporation of a coordinator into the offense should only help the Blue Devils.
But like most moves made by the Duke football program, the decision to promote former quarterbacks coach Jim Pry to coordinator has not gone without controversy. Some members of the press have hinted that Pry's move to coordinator meant a different and perhaps less significant role for head coach Carl Franks, implying that if Franks had not hired a coordinator for this season he would not have retained his job. Franks would beg to differ.
"My role won't change very much from what we've been doing," he said. "My responsibility is to oversee everything. I'm responsible for the offense, I'm responsible for the defense and I'm responsible for the kicking game."
Regardless of how similar or different Franks' role will be from last season, there is little question that the promotion of Pry to coordinator will benefit the offense. The fact that Pry will be calling at least a portion of the plays means that Franks will be able to spread more of his focus to other parts of the game than he was in the past. For the Blue Devils, an equal concentration on offense and defense should only mean greater success---at least in theory. "[Pry's hiring] gives coach Franks an opportunity to focus on all parts of the game, not just the offense," junior wide receiver Senterrio Landrum said.
The controversy surrounding Pry's promotion did not just revolve around Franks' job status. There were those who criticized the promotion itself, with the complaint being that Duke should have hired someone from outside the program. Those in favor of the move to promote Pry point out that he has more knowledge of the existing system than an outsider would. Those are the ones who feel that the current system is the best method for victory, which is what Franks believes.
"Jim's doing a lot of the same things now that he's been doing in the past," Franks said. "It wouldn't have made very good sense to break up the continuity of what we've been doing. Our guys have a lot of confidence in our system and in what we've been doing and to disrupt that would not have been very prudent."
Pry himself showed little concern with the criticism that has been made when asked about it. He, like Franks, pointed to the advantage of his knowledge of the existing the system and the relationship that he has already established with the head coach.
"Coach Franks and I collaborate on a lot of things having to do with the offense," Pry said. "We both know the system well." Pry also touched on some of the keys to the offensive success, pointing to the implementation of a two-back offense and a need to establish the passing game.
"The opposition is going to be going after the running game," he said. "With that in mind, we really need to make sure that our passing game is effective."
Junior quarterback Adam Smith, who worked most closely with Pry in his previous capacity as quarterbacks coach, praised the new offensive coordinator for his enthusiasm.
"[Pry] brings a lot of excitement and a lot of emotions just to everyday practices," Smith said. "He's a coach that is loud and let's you know what's going on. He's definitely a guy with a lot of knowledge. He knows defenses well and should help the offensive game plan a little bit more."
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