Be careful what you wished for, LSU fans — it’s finally here.
Steve Kragthorpe is taking the reins as LSU’s newest offensive coordinator.
It’s a move many LSU fans have begged for as the offense plummeted in national rankings during the past three seasons.
Whether former offensive coordinator Gary Crowton’s departure to Maryland was of his own choosing, it was the right move for both sides to end what had become an increasingly unsuccessful partnership.
That being said, a small group of Tiger fans believes Crowton’s play-calling was handcuffed by LSU coach Les Miles in recent years.
If Miles does have his fingerprints on the offense, don’t expect the play calls that have infuriated fans in recent years to improve. Every short-side option will make Miles’ new seven-year contract extension look like a prison sentence.
Kragthorpe, formerly the head coach at Louisville and Tulsa, has a reputation for succeeding with quarterbacks. Despite struggling to a 6-6 season in his first season at Louisville, he helped Brian Brohm command one of the top-10 passing and scoring offenses in the country. Prior to his head coaching stints, he helped re-establish Drew Bledsoe as an NFL starter and Pro Bowl selection with the Buffalo Bills in 2002.
The offensive mess awaiting him in Baton Rouge might require his best work yet. Kragthorpe inherits an offense that managed just 10 passing touchdowns compared to 11 interceptions in 2010. Rising senior quarterback Jordan Jefferson managed just a 114.7 passer rating, ranking 100th out of 116.
Jefferson fended off fellow quarterback Jarrett Lee to keep the starting job in each of the past two seasons.
With highly touted sophomore quarterback Zach Mettenberger now enrolled at LSU, it will be interesting to see if Jefferson’s three-touchdown explosion in the Cotton Bowl will be enough to earn the starting spot when the Tigers open their 2011 season against Oregon.
All quarterback uncertainty aside, if Kragthorpe is allowed to run the pro-style offense that has come to define him, there will be no room for excuses.
LSU’s offense is unquestionably more talented than any of the units he coached at Texas A&M, Tulsa or Louisville. He will also have a pro-style quarterback who played in the NJCAA title game in December.
In reality, it will be hard for Kragthorpe to fail, at least initially. Worsening an offense that finished 107th out of 120 teams in passing offense is a nearly impossible task.
Just how far the offense improves from that disaster might be a measure of how much freedom Miles gives his new coordinator.
If Kragthorpe’s play-calling leash is a tight one, prepare for a long seven years.
Follow Ryan Ginn on Twitter @TDR_Ginn.
 
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Contact Ryan Ginn at [email protected]