Jim Beseda has a very complete story up already right here. Included is a list of potential replacements. It’s a big hire for that athletic director — critical to that school’s athletic future. I hope he does his due diligence.

The name that interests most football people around here is Robin Pflugrad, a very experienced assistant coach in the Northwest and also a former Viking player. Be nice to get a Vik to head up the program. He might even invite Mouse back to help — as he should have never been pushed out of the program last summer. The offense wasn’t broke, the defense was.

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Tags: Dwight Jaynes, football, Jerry Glanville, Portland State Vikings, Robin Pflugrad

…  it’s worse than that. His pants are on fire. Really, he should be gone by the end of the day.

I thought it was the right move to hire him — but only with Mouse Davis as his offensive coordinator. When he started messing with Mouse’s offense, he had to know Mouse would walk. Bad move.

The result was that then they couldn’t play offense OR defense, because as we all have seen this season, the only thing Jerry knows about offense is that he can’t stop it.

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Tags: Dwight Jaynes, Jerry Glanville, Mouse Davis, Portland State Vikings

Will Portland State bring Jerry back next season? I keep hearing that it’s likely that he won’t be back.

Man, this is a guy whose football identity is tied into defense. He’s supposed to be able to stop people. That’s his thing. It was his thing throughout his entire National Football League coaching career. But his Portland State Vikings can’t stop anyone. Not even close.

I was a big advocate of hiring him in the first place. I admit that. I thought it was a great idea, particularly as a package deal with Mouse Davis. But Mouse is gone after walking away last summer when Glanville wanted to mess with his offense.

Now the Vikings not only can’t stop anyone, they can’t move the ball, either. The string of three-and-outs in the second half Saturday was an embarrassment at a home game.

I just don’t see how it can continue.

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Tags: Dwight Jaynes, Jerry Glanville, Portland State Vikings

Man, when you’re starting to get blown out of home games in PGE Park, in your third season as the head coach, there are problems.

But I’d also say the even larger problem is that when Oregon and Oregon State are in bye weeks and you’re the only big-school game in the state that day, and all you can draw is a crowd generously called in the 6,000 range, you’re in some trouble.

Glanville made a terrible move last summer when he forced Mouse Davis out of his job as the offensive coordinator because he figured that offense scored so quickly it put his defense in a difficult position. Glanville wanted to establish the run, take time off the clock and not have the poor defense on the field all the time.

That’s after Mouse installed an offense that was one of the best and most efficient in the country.

Now Glanville is stuck with a defense that is still on the field all the time, but now instead of scoring too quickly the offense is punting too quickly. And let’s face it, Glanville is supposed to be a defensive wizard. That’s his coaching strength.

But the sad fact of the matter is the Vikings haven’t stopped anybody since he got there and the problem seems to get worse instead of better.

I just don’t see any progress. In  fact, I see a lot of regression. And it’s becoming very clear, the wrong guy left the program last summer. And it’s a shame.

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Tags: Dwight Jaynes, Jerry Glanville, Mouse Davis, Portland State University

More than a few times I’ve wondered what 19-year-old college football players must think of Jerry Glanville. I mean, they aren’t old enough to actually remember him as an NFL coach. Or even an NFL commentator on television.

So here’s this little guy wandering around the practice field, struggling to remember his players’ names, speaking with (although he’s from Ohio) a southern drawl, dressed all in black — and yesterday wearing a black Army calvary hat with the crossed swords and everything.

Man, who is this guy?

We’re going to find out who he is this season. He admits that this is the first Portland State football team that he feels is all his. His players and the way he wants to play. Gone is one of the great offensive minds in football history, Mouse Davis — who no longer felt welcome when Glanville wanted to mess with the run-and-shoot offense. You have Mouse, you get the run and shoot — if you want him gone, you merely even suggest using a tight end or giving him a little help with the play calling.

That’s fine. Glanville’s the head coach. But I’d also suggest what the PSU coach is attempting to do — basically going without an offensive coordinator with one of the most intricate offensive schemes around — is close to really, really stupid. My guess will be that the longer the season goes, the more removed the players get from Mouse’s teachings, the worse things will get. When adjustments have to be made, I’m not sure who is going to be there to make them.

Look, I admit a bias. I’ve covered Mouse Davis since he coached at Sunset High School and we were trying to figure out what to call that goofy little offense he was running. That was back when everyone in football said that it was impossible for pass receivers not to run predetermined routes. They said there was no way high school kids would be smart enough to read defense, then make moves accordingly — and for the quarterback to make the same reads. They said you couldn’t play without a tight end and you needed to have two backs in the backfield.

Now just about everybody in football is using some form of what Mouse created.

This could be a triumphant season for Jerry Glanville. By now, he should have his defensive unit ready to play his aggressive style. It could all come together and it’s my alma mater, so I wish him the best. But honestly, I have no confidence in the whole thing.

Without Mouse at the helm of that offense, I have my doubts.

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Tags: Dwight Jaynes, Jerry Glanville, Mouse Davis, Portland State football

Man, just about the only thing Portland State football had going for it was Mouse Davis. The man’s a legit offensive genius and from the first down of the season two years ago, he had the Vikings dashing up and down the field scoring points.

His offense is still, all these years later, about the coolest thing in football.

It certainly appears, though, that head coach Jerry Glanville has tried to mess around with the offense, with has always been a no-no with Davis. He’ll bring the circus to town, as long as he can be the ringmaster, but he doesn’t put up with a lot of interference.

UPDATE: Kerry Eggers has the story from Mouse… and yes, Glanville wanted to make some changes.

I’m sorry, because I like Jerry — but I’ve been a Mouse guy since he was coaching at Sunset and Hillsboro High School. I love the guy. And if he’s not running the offense at PSU, why, exactly, would I be going to the games?

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Tags: College football, Dwight Jaynes, Jerry Glanville, Mouse Davis, Portland State Vikings

Last night on Talkin’ Ball, Jerry Glanville broke it all down for us:

Pittsburgh has the best defensive coordinator in the world, the Cards won’t be able to run the ball, the Steelers will likely double Larry Fitzgerald and take him away from Arizona, Curt Warner is a great quarterback but only when he’s comfortable in the pocket while Big Ben can beat you even if he’s being flushed out of  the pocket.

Thanks, coach. And if you make money off betting the Steelers, you are obliged to spend some of it on season tickets to watch Glanville’s Vikings next season.

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Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Dwight Jaynes, Jerry Glanville, Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl, Talkin' Ball

Tonight, Portland State and long-time NFL coach Jerry Glanville is schedule to appear on Talkin’ Ball, which, depending on what time the Blazer-Bobcat game ends, should air about 10 o’clock.
I’m looking forward to hearing his take on the Cardinals and Steelers. That’s Talkin’ Ball at 10 tonight on Comcast Sportsnet — starring, of course, Jim Pasero.

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Tags: Comcast Sportsnet, Dwight Jaynes, Jerry Glanville, Jim Pasero, Super Bowl, Talkin' Ball