Tear Down This Wall
8/20/2006, 07:31 PM
Just in case you didn't know...
McGee's role grows with Wildcats
By Terry Bannon
Chicago Tribune
(MCT)
KENOSHA, Wis. _Garrick McGee tells the story of a day three years ago when legendary coach John Robinson taught him a lesson about dealing with players during practice at Nevada-Las Vegas.
A promising receiver named Earvin Johnson had let a pass slip through his hands, much to the consternation of McGee, the receivers coach. But Robinson, the former Southern Cal and Los Angeles Rams coach, took a unique approach.
"Coach said, `Erv, take that ball and throw it over the fence, because there's something wrong with that ball. There's nothing wrong with you,' " McGee said. "It was a way of telling Erv, `You're my guy.' I was ready to yell at Erv."
It's one of many lessons McGee has learned since leaving his hometown of Tulsa in 1991 to play quarterback, first at Arizona State and then at Oklahoma.
He has learned the frustration of missing the biggest game of his college career because of illness. He has learned how mistakes in judgment off the field can set back a career.
In six stops in a decade of coaching, he has been an assistant at Langston, Northern Iowa, Toledo, UNLV and Northwestern. He learned the complexities of NFL offenses and defenses breaking down game film as a quality-control coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. All of that, and he's only 33.
In one of Randy Walker's last major decisions, he promoted McGee from receivers coach to offensive coordinator in February after Mike Dunbar left for the same position at California.
"He dealt with adversity as a player_went to school, transferred_has been to the NFL and brings a great pedigree as coach to help him get through things," Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "And he's a tremendous leader. He's poised to take the offense to the next level."
McGee is also the quarterbacks coach, making his debut as NU searches for a successor to four-year starter Brett Basanez.
McGee knows well about picking quarterbacks, having been on all sides of the issue. As a junior at Oklahoma in 1994, he won the job and guided the Sooners to a 6-5 record and a berth in the Copper Bowl against Brigham Young. But before the bowl, he came down with spinal meningitis and couldn't play in Oklahoma's 31-6 loss.
"I was in the hospital 14 days and lost about 30 pounds," McGee said. "There was no way I could help the team. I was down that I couldn't play, but at that point you think about what's important."
When the Sooners regrouped for spring practice, Gary Gibbs was out and Howard *************** in as coach. And McGee was suddenly second string, never to start again.
He learned lessons then that he's applying to the decision he and Fitzgerald must make on Northwestern's starting quarterback. Sophomore C.J. Bacher, the most experienced candidate, has been slowed by a bruised leg.
"When I got back for spring ball (in `95), I was still battling it_my body wasn't quite right," McGee said. "I went out and hurt my shoulder, and what I learned from that is I'm not going to let C.J. go out and hurt himself worse."
Coming out of high school, where he played for his father. Larry, McGee looked west for college. He listened to the overtures from Arizona State assistant Lovie Smith. The Bears' head coach has remained one of McGee's mentors.
"I've not made a move in my career that Lovie has not been in the middle of," McGee said.
Smith said McGee is "not only a coach's kid, he's a quarterback, too, and they tend to be coaches on the field. That's how Garrick is. He knows offensive football. He has taken all the proper steps."
The head coach at Arizona State was Larry Marmie, who was fired in 1991 at the end of McGee's first fall there. In the spring, McGee was charged with involvement in three burglaries. He pleaded guilty to theft, paid restitution and was sentenced to three years' probation.
But during the investigation, McGee was suspended on the eve of the 1992 opener after winning the starting job. In all, he started only three games that season and transferred to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M for one season before going to Oklahoma.
"When you're 18 years old, you can't be judged on those things the rest of your life," McGee said. "I tell the kids that all the time. You made a mistake; it happens. They key is how you respond to it. Are you going to change that image people have of you, or are you going to let that continue?"
Smith understands.
"I'm a dad, and I know children will sometimes go off to school, experiment with things and make some bad decisions," he said. "He's a great kid from a great family. He has learned from his mistakes."
McGee's multiple stops as a coach and player have exposed him to a variety of offenses. Mike Martz, former St. Louis Rams head coach and now the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator, and Bobby Petrino, now the coach at Louisville, coached him at Arizona State. He later worked for Petrino in Jacksonville.
Dunbar, who hired him at Northern Iowa in 1999, was also a mentor.
"At times (learning many different systems) was tough, but it was a benefit for me because you have a lot of knowledge of what's going on because you've been taught as a player by some of the best coaches in the country," McGee said.
Now McGee gets to teach Northwestern's young quarterbacks in a continuation of Walker's tradition of a spread offense.
"They're going to say, `That's Northwestern,'
" McGee said. "It's who we are. Our kids believe in it. Our program believes in it. They'll look out and say, `There they go.' "
http://nusports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/mcgee_garrick00.html
McGee's role grows with Wildcats
By Terry Bannon
Chicago Tribune
(MCT)
KENOSHA, Wis. _Garrick McGee tells the story of a day three years ago when legendary coach John Robinson taught him a lesson about dealing with players during practice at Nevada-Las Vegas.
A promising receiver named Earvin Johnson had let a pass slip through his hands, much to the consternation of McGee, the receivers coach. But Robinson, the former Southern Cal and Los Angeles Rams coach, took a unique approach.
"Coach said, `Erv, take that ball and throw it over the fence, because there's something wrong with that ball. There's nothing wrong with you,' " McGee said. "It was a way of telling Erv, `You're my guy.' I was ready to yell at Erv."
It's one of many lessons McGee has learned since leaving his hometown of Tulsa in 1991 to play quarterback, first at Arizona State and then at Oklahoma.
He has learned the frustration of missing the biggest game of his college career because of illness. He has learned how mistakes in judgment off the field can set back a career.
In six stops in a decade of coaching, he has been an assistant at Langston, Northern Iowa, Toledo, UNLV and Northwestern. He learned the complexities of NFL offenses and defenses breaking down game film as a quality-control coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. All of that, and he's only 33.
In one of Randy Walker's last major decisions, he promoted McGee from receivers coach to offensive coordinator in February after Mike Dunbar left for the same position at California.
"He dealt with adversity as a player_went to school, transferred_has been to the NFL and brings a great pedigree as coach to help him get through things," Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "And he's a tremendous leader. He's poised to take the offense to the next level."
McGee is also the quarterbacks coach, making his debut as NU searches for a successor to four-year starter Brett Basanez.
McGee knows well about picking quarterbacks, having been on all sides of the issue. As a junior at Oklahoma in 1994, he won the job and guided the Sooners to a 6-5 record and a berth in the Copper Bowl against Brigham Young. But before the bowl, he came down with spinal meningitis and couldn't play in Oklahoma's 31-6 loss.
"I was in the hospital 14 days and lost about 30 pounds," McGee said. "There was no way I could help the team. I was down that I couldn't play, but at that point you think about what's important."
When the Sooners regrouped for spring practice, Gary Gibbs was out and Howard *************** in as coach. And McGee was suddenly second string, never to start again.
He learned lessons then that he's applying to the decision he and Fitzgerald must make on Northwestern's starting quarterback. Sophomore C.J. Bacher, the most experienced candidate, has been slowed by a bruised leg.
"When I got back for spring ball (in `95), I was still battling it_my body wasn't quite right," McGee said. "I went out and hurt my shoulder, and what I learned from that is I'm not going to let C.J. go out and hurt himself worse."
Coming out of high school, where he played for his father. Larry, McGee looked west for college. He listened to the overtures from Arizona State assistant Lovie Smith. The Bears' head coach has remained one of McGee's mentors.
"I've not made a move in my career that Lovie has not been in the middle of," McGee said.
Smith said McGee is "not only a coach's kid, he's a quarterback, too, and they tend to be coaches on the field. That's how Garrick is. He knows offensive football. He has taken all the proper steps."
The head coach at Arizona State was Larry Marmie, who was fired in 1991 at the end of McGee's first fall there. In the spring, McGee was charged with involvement in three burglaries. He pleaded guilty to theft, paid restitution and was sentenced to three years' probation.
But during the investigation, McGee was suspended on the eve of the 1992 opener after winning the starting job. In all, he started only three games that season and transferred to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M for one season before going to Oklahoma.
"When you're 18 years old, you can't be judged on those things the rest of your life," McGee said. "I tell the kids that all the time. You made a mistake; it happens. They key is how you respond to it. Are you going to change that image people have of you, or are you going to let that continue?"
Smith understands.
"I'm a dad, and I know children will sometimes go off to school, experiment with things and make some bad decisions," he said. "He's a great kid from a great family. He has learned from his mistakes."
McGee's multiple stops as a coach and player have exposed him to a variety of offenses. Mike Martz, former St. Louis Rams head coach and now the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator, and Bobby Petrino, now the coach at Louisville, coached him at Arizona State. He later worked for Petrino in Jacksonville.
Dunbar, who hired him at Northern Iowa in 1999, was also a mentor.
"At times (learning many different systems) was tough, but it was a benefit for me because you have a lot of knowledge of what's going on because you've been taught as a player by some of the best coaches in the country," McGee said.
Now McGee gets to teach Northwestern's young quarterbacks in a continuation of Walker's tradition of a spread offense.
"They're going to say, `That's Northwestern,'
" McGee said. "It's who we are. Our kids believe in it. Our program believes in it. They'll look out and say, `There they go.' "
http://nusports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/mcgee_garrick00.html