Hafley wins...so does LSU

It would have been nice for BC and the ACC if Clemson had won the National Championship but LSU pulled away in a long and disappointing game. For BC fans the real story of the game was Jeff Hafley's work in ESPN's Coaches' Film Room. Our new coach shined.

Despite being the junior guy in the room, Hafley showed no fear and talked shop throughout. He was very knowledgeable without being geeky or coming off like a know it all. He slipped in a little humor and understood when to defer to his peers. For a new guy and someone who hasn't done much TV, he was a natural.

As much as I would like to say these skills translate into winning football, remember that his predecessor was good in the Film Room too. But Hafley was very different from Addazio. Where Addazio came off as booming and liked to talk about the trenches, Hafley showed a little more depth and a lot more nuance. He will be a welcome change.

Congrats to the Coach. Hopefully he will be in this game one day and other coaches will be talking about him.

Addazio does well in Film Room again

As Alabama pulled away early in the first half, I tended to switch from the primary broadcast to ESPN's Coaches Film Room, which included Steve Addazio. However, as Oklahoma made it interesting, I kept it on the Film Room because I found it more more compelling, in part because of Addazio.

While Addazio does come off well in these things, he wasn't the star Saturday night. That was Herm Edwards. The Arizona State coach served as the quasi-host but also has such a big personality that he dominated the game. Addazio picked his moments and once again explained line play well. I also feel like he had good chemistry with Edwards, so maybe we should schedule a game with Arizona State.

The biggest takeaway for me was Addazio was clearly the most conservative coach in the room. Whenever strategy came up (onsides, going for two, punting) he tended to take the conservative option. I hope these sorts of settings has him reevaluating his view.

I also found his longing for option play interesting. I don't think he is going to change the offense, but he did seem to want to work in some option concepts. And it is not a bad idea, as long as we can execute it well.

These sorts of opportunities for Addazio are not program changers. But it is good for him and BC to keep getting this sort of exposure. Clearly ESPN likes him because he keeps getting invited back.

Steve Addazio: TV Star

As I tweeted Monday night, I loved the "Film Room" aspect of ESPN's BCS Megacast. For those who didn't watch, Film Room was a mix of coaches and analysts watching and commenting on the National Championship Game live. Addazio, Kevin Sumlin and Paul Chryst were the coaches selected for the broadcast. Aside from the Xs & Os aspect of the game, what I liked most was getting to see Addazio in a natural setting. Obviously he's a smart guy and knows he's on TV, but it is hard to keep up your guard over four hours. You could see he's got a very good feel for the game and his "rah rah" attitude is not a front. Addazio popped up after good tackles and was quick to point out blocking assignments. BC fans would also be glad to know that anytime they surveyed the coaches to discuss strategy, Addazio -- more often than not -- suggested an aggressive approach.

The format earned rave reviews (The Big Lead | Smart Football). Sumlin was a natural, but I could also see Addazio on TV after his coaching days are over. It certainly plays to his strengths.

While this is a great tool for BC and Addazio to raise his profile among recruits, I also think it helps with BC fans. Aside from the occasional interview and an occasional booster/donor event, we rarely get to see the coach in a relaxed open setting. I know personally the more he does this, the more impressed I am with Addazio. Despite the tags on him from prior jobs, the guy really is a good Xs & Os coach. If you didn't think so after this season, all you have to do is watch him watch football to confirm it.