USF Promotes Canales, Hires Former NFL Wide Receiver

[TailGateBull08]

Per GoUSFBulls.com:

http://www.gousfbulls.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7700&ATCLID=3678650

TAMPA – USF head coach Jim Leavitt announced the promotion of Mike Canales to offensive coordinator and the hiring of former NFL player Phil McGeoghan to the position of wide receivers coach.  Canales will also oversee the quarterbacks.

Meet Phil McGeoghan

Present: USF Assistant Coach/Wide Receivers

Coaching Experience

2008 Prep School: Offensive Coordinator

2007 at Maine: Tights Ends/Wide Receivers

Playing Experience

2004: New Orleans Saints

2003: New York Jets & New Orleans Saints

2002: Denver Broncos & Berlin Thunder

2001: NY Jets, Oakland Raiders & Denver Broncos

Birthdate: July 8, 1979

Education: B.S., Marketing, University of Maine (2008)

Studied Under: Mike Shanahan, Gary Kubiak, Jon Gruden, Fred Biletnikoff, Chuck Bresnahan, Jim Haslett, Herman Edwards, Bill Callahan and Karl Dorrell

Pronunciation: McGeoghan = mick-gay-gen

“We are fortunate to have Coach Canales back as offensive coordinator and I know that he will do a tremendous job,†said Leavitt.  “Mike knows this program and the offense inside-and-out and I know that he will continue to be a tremendous leader for our offense. 

“Phil McGeoghan has a great football mind.  He is a first-class coach with a ton of character.  He is also very familiar with Coach Canales and the offense we will run.  Phil’s passion and expertise will immediately be tremendous assets to our program.â€

It will be Canales’ second stint as offensive coordinator at USF.  The 47-year old assistant was coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 1996-00. He worked for the New York Jets, NC State and did a three-year run as offensive coordinator at Arizona before coming back to USF in 2007.

Canales has an impressive history with quarterbacks. He tutored San Diego Charger and All-Pro signal caller Phillip Rivers while he was at NC State.  He also worked with former USF quarterback Marquel Blackwell during his freshman and sophomore seasons (1999 and 2000).  Blackwell would go on to become the USF career record holder in passing yards and touchdowns, along with a litany of other records. 

Canales spent the 2007 and 2008 seasons as the pass game coordinator for USF.  During that time the USF offense averaged over 400 yards per game and wide receivers Taurus Johnson, Carlton Mitchell and Jessie Hester had standout seasons.

It will be a reunion for Canales and McGeoghan (pronounced mick-gay-gen), who worked together in the NFL

After three seasons at the University of Maine (1998-00), McGeoghan played in the NFL for four seasons, including 2003 when Canales was the wide receivers coach.  McGeoghan was a part of four different organizations - New Orleans Saints, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders and Jets - in addition to playing in NFL Europe for the Berlin Thunder.

“It is a remarkable opportunity to coach at a BCS and BIG EAST school like USF,†said McGeoghan.  “Coach Canales has been my mentor as a coach, player and person since 2003. I feel so privileged to be a part of the Coach Leavitt’s staff and call myself a Bull.â€

McGeoghan put down the pads and picked up a headset in 2007 when he returned to the Maine as an assistant coach with responsibilities over the tight ends and wide receivers.  In 2008, he worked as the offensive coordinator for the Naval Academy Prep School, which oversees the professional and athletics development of midshipmen and cadet candidates.  He was hired to oversee the prep offense by the current Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo.

“We called him ‘full-go-Phil’ when he was with the Jets,†said Canales. “He never did anything half-speed.  He has a lot of energy and passion for the game.  I have been impressed with how thorough and organized he is as a coach, and I am excited to get him here to USF.â€

He ranks fourth all-time at UM in receiving yards and fifth in receptions.  He also earned two All-America honors as a member of the track and field team at UM.  He currently owns the America East Conference and UM high jump records with leaps of over seven feet. 

His work in the classroom may have been even more impressive. In addition to Academic All-America awards, he was also the recipient of the Arthur Ashe and Dean Smith academic honors.  He was president of the University of Maine’s Student-Athlete population, a member of the Senior Skulls (top one percent of the University of Maine students) and he received the top senior student-athlete achievement award.

McGeoghan has an impressive list of mentors, references and coaches that he has worked with including: Herman Edwards, Fred Biletnikoff, Mike Shanahan, Gary Kubiak, Jon Gruden, Paul Hackett, Mike McCarthy, Chuck Bresnahan, Jim Haslett, Bill Callahan and Karl Dorrell.

[slowdown]

Haven't heard of this guy but it is about what everyone had to be expecting.  My one question is that indicates he got his Bachelors from Maine in 08, but also states he was an excellent student.  What gives?  Typo I would assume.

[BullMedic]

Finally announced. I'm very curious to why not announce it a month ago. But whatever.

Our offense can't be as bad as last year.

[Matt]

did they want to wait until we had a WR coach in place?  and did it really take us that long to find a WR coach only to end up with this guy. a guy who was coaching WRs at Navy Prep?  coaching WR at Navy is like being a Hitting Coach for Pitchers on an American League baseball team.

i hope we got a diamond in the rough.

[Rizman]

Finally announced. I'm very curious to why not announce it a month ago. But whatever.

Our offense can't be as bad as last year.

Vegas would not even had odds on this one because it was so obvious it was going to happen.

Congrats Canales

[E.T.]

I'm excited about this !

I really expect an aggresive offense - CONSTANTLY !

Great interviewe on Brett's blog.

What's good about hiring a coach from a small school ... he most likley won't have an urge to return to his school. Seems more of a hire from Canales than Leavitt and I like passion.

Go BULLS !!!

[Orlando Bull]

I'm excited about this !

I really expect an aggresive offense - CONSTANTLY !

Great interviewe on Brett's blog.

What's good about hiring a coach from a small school ... he most likley won't have an urge to return to his school. Seems more of a hire from Canales than Leavitt and I like passion.

Go BULLS !!!

I think this is going to turn out to be a great hire. No doubt McGeoghan replays in his mind every chance that he had to stick in the NFL, that usually gives someone a lot of passion about helping others. On top of that, he's a young guy that kids can relate to, and I think they will have a lot of respect for him.

I am excited to see our offense this year with Chico at the helm. If I remember his first stint, our offense was a lot of fun to watch, and we had less talent.

[BULLfreak]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/players/5843/

[smazza]

it is a good hire if our wrs improve

[BULLO12]

Wow...Now that an OC has been hired / promoted then we have nothing to be concerned about do we??

We can all breathe easier...After all our dismal conference record can always be blamed on the inexperience of this new OC and we should let him develop the offense his way.  Right?? Right??