What is Ole Miss getting in new offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, Jr.?
As first reported by On3 Sports’ Matt Zenitz, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is expected to hire South Florida offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Charlie Weis, Jr.
OMSpirit’s Ben Garrett was first to report the Rebels interviewed Weis, Jr., on December 26. It was the only on-campus interview Kiffin conducted during the search.
The two worked together in Boca Raton, Fla., at Florida Atlantic during Kiffin’s tenure in Conference USA (2018-19), as well as in Tuscaloosa as an offensive support staffer (2015-16).
Weis, the son of former New England Patriots offensive coordinator and college football coach Charlie Weis, has been in the industry since 2011, when he was hired at Florida as an offensive quality control analyst. He was also an offensive analyst in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons in 2017.
During his time at FAU with Kiffin, the offense under Weis’ command made a huge jump from 2018 to 2019, finishing 11-3 and winning a conference title and the Boca Raton Bowl over SMU. Quarterback Chris Robison threw for 3,701 yards and 28 touchdowns. He finished with a QBR of 144.9 and completed 62 percent of his passes.
On the ground, the Owls’ Malcolm Davidson ran for 711 yards and nine touchdowns while Larry McCammon III chipped in 324 yards and seven more scores. Alabama transfer BJ Emmons was the red zone finisher, adding six touchdowns. On the receiving end, Harrison Bryant was named a unanimous first team All-American, first team All-Conference USA and received the John Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end. He hauled in 65 passes for a team-high 1,004 yards and seven touchdowns.
Deangelo Antoine (771 yards, 5 TDs), Tavaris Harrison (523 yards, 2 TDs), John Mitchell (488 yards, 5 TDs) and John Raine (343 yards, 6 TDs) were also huge parts of the aerial attack for FAU.
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The 2019 FAU offense ranked 14th nationally in scoring (36.4 ppg) and 27th in total offense (448.6 ypg). Robinson ranked sixth nationally in passing yards and 16th in passing touchdowns while throwing just six interceptions. He set FAU season records with 3,701 yards passing and 291 completions.
In 2018, despite going just 5-7, FAU running back Devin Singletary ran for 1,348 yards and 22 touchdowns. He was named first team All-Conference USA and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round with the 74th overall pick.
After Kiffin left FAU for Ole Miss, Weis, Jr. was hired at USF under new head coach Jeff Scott. In his first season, the Bulls averaged 365.3 total yards per game. In 2021, the offense struggled and posted just 350.6 yards per game.
Despite a few rough seasons statistically in Tampa, the key here for Ole Miss is the familiarity and experience Kiffin and Weis, Jr. have with each other during their time together at various stops.
I’d imagine the interview process went well and the two know what to expect of each other in a professional capacity with running an offensive game plan together.
