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Wake-Up Call: 'Jags' will keep winning simple

News Channel 8 photo by BOB HANSEN

Former Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski hopes to keep the playbook uncomplicated.

By JOEY JOHNSTON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 3, 2009

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The Wake-Up Call greets you each weekday with news, views and a few Tampa Bay area sports offerings to anticipate for the day and night. We encourage suggestions and contributions.

Good morning!

If Jeff Jagodzinski has his way, the Bucs' offense will be efficient, opportunistic and physical. The playbook is uncomplicated. The starting quarterback is, well, unknown. And new faces are everywhere.

"It's a new challenge and it excites me,'' said Jagodzinski, the former Boston College head coach who is known as "Jags.''

Following a recent offseason workout, Jagodzinski, married with five children, talked about the Bucs and his new life.

Q: What kind of personality do you want for this offense?

A: Downhill. Never give up. Here they come again.

Q: It looks like a few of the offensive linemen have lost some weight. Is that by design?

A: I think so. All that bad weight doesn't help you anyway. We want to have guys who can get there and redirect if they get in a bad spot. Plus, if you're a heavier guy and have a lower leg injury, it's tough to come back from that.

Q: You are known for zone-blocking schemes. How much will we see that with the Bucs?

A: A lot. That's what we're going to hang out hat on. I think we've got some backs and the offensive line to do that. Derrick Ward [running back] has experience with it and [Earnest] Graham ran it well, too. It's just a matter of timing, seeing it over and over and over again. We'll be doing the same drills at the end of the season that we're doing now. It's what we do.

Q: What are your early impressions of Kellen Winslow?

A: He's going to be a great mismatch on some of the defenses we're going to play, especially when he and Jerramy [Stevens] are in the game at the same time. How are they going to play it on defense? We want to present problems for the defense, give them some things to think about.

Q: What's your ideal run-pass ratio?

A: If the run's working, run it. If the pass is working, pass it. I think we need to be balanced, but balanced, to me, is running what you're doing well.

Q: What's it like moving from head coach to offensive coordinator?

A: Obviously, the head coach is over everything and you're worried about a lot of things. Now I'm only worrying about the offense. It's probably a bigger change going from college back to the NFL. It's nothing but football now, no recruiting. I've made this transition before, so I have a pretty good feel for how it works.

Q: Pretty much everyone in your profession moves all over the country and changes jobs multiple times. How difficult is that?

A: Well, I've been looking for a house and trying to sell one in Boston. It can be very difficult on your family. You've got to have a great wife who understands. It's hard moving around, taking kids out of school. I've got one going into high school, one going into junior high, two younger ones in grade school. One of my girls has been in four different schools. That's very hard on them. My wife says I'm just changing jersey colors, but doing the same thing [coaching]. It's a bigger change for them. It's much harder on the family. Hopefully, we can have a long run right here.

Q: You're working for a first-year head coach in Raheem Morris. What kind of influence will he have on this team?

A: I'm sure this team will take on Raheem's personality. He's a guy who relates well with his players, gets after them when they make mistakes. He's a very, very organized guy. It always takes shape around the head coach, the whole mentality, the way the head coach sets the tone. The message that he sends, we will say it all the time, the same way. You get what you emphasize.

Q: Your defensive leader at Boston College, linebacker Mark Herzlich, was recently diagnosed with cancer. Have you spoken to him?

A: Yes, when I first heard about it. It breaks my heart. You talk about a guy who's got everything going for him. Now this? When you least expect it, life can hit you from the blind side. He's a strong person with a great family. This is difficult, but I'm sure he's going to handle this as well as possible.

Davis on the move

Sophomore quarterback Dominique Davis (Kathleen), after being placed on academic suspension, said Tuesday he will transfer from Boston College. Davis took over as the late-season starter when Chris Crane was injured. Davis started the ACC Championship Game at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium – a 30-12 loss against Virginia Tech, in which he was 17 of 43 for 263 yards.

Rupp resigns at Maryland

After nine seasons, Terry Rupp (Jesuit) has resigned as the University of Maryland's baseball coach. Rupp's teams were 227-271 with a 61-183 mark in ACC games. The Terrapins had winning seasons in 2002 and 2008. Maryland's 10 ACC victories this season represented the most conference wins by a Terrapin team since 1972. But the Terrapins failed to qualify for the ACC Tournament since the league expanded to 12 teams in 2006.

Prior to his arrival at Maryland, Rupp coached for five seasons at the University of Tampa, his alma mater. Rupp's 1998 Spartans won the NCAA Division II national championship.

Cruz homers again

Former University of Tampa player Lee Cruz (Pasco), a left fielder for Class A Winston-Salem, had his second home run in as many nights on Tuesday, leading a 15-3 victory against Myrtle Beach.

Perez on Lynn's national-title team

Sophomore infielder Gabriel Perez (Armwood) was a member of Lynn University's NCAA Division II national-championship baseball team. Lynn (46-16) defeated Emporia State 2-1 in Saturday's championship game. Perez played in 19 games and batted .429.

Athlon Sports: Bucs in last place

According to the Athlon Sports Pro Football magazine, the Bucs will finish fourth in the NFC South. Athlon picks the Atlanta Falcons to win the division, followed by the New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers and Bucs.

Bucs offensive lineman Davin Joseph is projected as an All-NFC team members.

The pick for Super Bowl XLIV? The New England Patriots over the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Claw undergoes renovations

The Claw at the University of South Florida, a public-access golf course, is rebuilding all 18 of its greens, but it will remain open during construction with temporary greens. The course work should be completed by mid-summer.

The course is installing Champion Bermuda grass, a hybrid turf specially developed for courses in the Southeast.

Here are some special under-construction prices: $18 for 18 holes with cart rental or $20 for 18 holes and cart rental (including a small bucket of range balls, a hot dog and soda).

Seniors can play 18 holes with a cart rental for $15.

For more information, call (813) 632-6893 or log onto www.theclawatusfgolf.com.

Birthday wishes

Happy birthday to former Bucs wide receiver Isaac Hagins, who scored on kickoff returns during back-to-back exhibition games in 1976. Alas, the Bucs needed 32 seasons, 141 different players and 1,865 returns before finally scoring on a regular-season kickoff (Micheal Spurlock in 2007). By then, Hagins was a footnote. Today, Hagins turns 55.

The Answer Man

Here's the answer to Tuesday's trivia question:

Former New York Mets third baseman Howard Johnson (Clearwater) is the only graduate of a Tampa Bay area high school to lead the National League in RBIs. Johnson had 117 RBIs in 1991.

Wednesday trivia

Here's our daily sports trivia question, featuring a Tampa Bay/Florida spin. Try your luck by commenting below.

Which two current Rays once played for the Kansas City Royals?

Check for the answer in Thursday's Wake-Up Call.

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