Examining Offensive Line Coaches - Hudson Houck

  Posted 7/21 by Jeff Tefertiller, Exclusive to Footballguys.com

This is the second article in the series examining the effect of offensive line coaches on their teams' running games. The initial article looked at the tremendous impact Alex Gibbs had in Denver and Atlanta. This article will examine Hudson Houck. Houck has bounced around more than Gibbs and has enjoyed a longer career in the NFL coaching ranks. Houck has been coaching since the late 1960s. He played center for USC from 1962-1964, and won a National Championship in 1962 while playing for the Trojans.

Hudson Houck got his big break coaching the offensive line for the University of Southern California from 1976 until 1982. During this time, his offensive line was very successful. Some of the standout linemen from that era include: Anthony Munoz, Marvin Powell, Roy Foster, Bruce Mathews, and many more. With Houck in charge of the offensive line, the Trojans had two running backs win the Heisman Trophy, Charles White and Marcus Allen. His success did not go unnoticed.

Hudson Houck Gets Big NFL Break

In 1983, the Los Angeles Rams realized the job Houck was doing and offered him a job coaching their offensive line. He stayed with the Rams until 1991. In those nine seasons with the Rams, the team had seven 1,000-yard rushers. Most remember the year Eric Dickerson had in 1984 when he rushed for 2,105 yards. The Ram offensive line was very productive, producing five great players who totaled 21 Pro Bowls. Just to make sure this is fully understood. In nine seasons under the direction of Houck, the linemen accumulated 21 Pro Bowls. Not many teams or coaches can boast about anything close. But, the coach topped it later on in his career.

Houck Leaves The Rams For Seattle

In 1992, Hudson Houck left the Rams to join the Seattle Seahawks. He was only with the team one season. But, in that year, Chris Warren had the first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career. Here are the statistics for the two seasons prior to Houck's arrival:

This was not a team that ran the ball well. That is why they hired Houck. He had great expertise in turning around running games. In Seattle, Houck inherited a below average running team and improved the run game. Now let's compare the numbers above to see the improvement in the one season with Hudson Houck:

The Seahawks improved in a couple of categories. The yards per carry average improvement sticks out. After successful stints with the Rams and Seahawks, Hudson Houck was starting to get noticed. He left Seattle after the one season to go to a much better situation in Dallas. In Dallas, Houck and his line would soon be regarded as the best in the league.

A Look At The Before And After In Atlanta

Hudson Houck coached in Dallas from 1993 until 2001. The accomplishments of the offensive line in the nine-year period amazing:

• 203 Sacks yielded in nine seasons
• 22 Pro Bowls (by six linemen) in nine seasons
• Running back Emmitt Smith had two rushing titles

Twenty-two Pro Bowls in nine seasons is incredible. To show how well Houck turned the Cowboy running game around, here are the stats from the two years prior to arriving in Dallas:

The team was a little above average, but nothing special. After the arrival of the esteemed coach, the Cowboys were a dominant running team. Here are the numbers from the years Houck was in Dallas:

Look at that production. In six of nine seasons Houck was in Dallas, the team enjoyed a top eight finish in rushing yards. In the same nine-year period, the Cowboys had seven seasons with an average over 120 rushing yards in a game. Also, notice the one-year improvement from 1992 to 1993, when Hudson Houck took over for the Cowboys. They improved in yards per carry average, rushing yardage and NFL ranking.

Houck Heads Back to Southern California

In 2002, the veteran offensive line guru left Dallas for San Diego. Houck stayed with the Chargers until 2004. San Diego Charger running back LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for over 1,300 yards in each season that Houck was in San Diego. In 2004, the Chargers had five new starters on the offensive line. But, the team still had a top ten offense. He is a very good coach and it showed. His line in San Diego yielded 25 or fewer sacks each season.

In the two seasons prior to Houck's arrival in Southern California, the Chargers were one of the worst rushing teams in the NFL. Here are the stats:

The Chargers needed a healthy bump in production from the running game. With the help of Tomlinson, Houck and the Chargers vaulted to the top of the league in rushing. Here are the statistics for the Charger run game during the Houck era:

Notice the immediate impact. From 2001 to 2002, there was astounding increase in yards per carry (.7 YPC), 29 yards per game rushing, and a big move from the 20th ranked rushing team to a ranking of number eight. With a long history of proven ability, Houck leaves for Miami.

Houck Follows the Money To South Beach

In 2005, Miami Dolphin coach Nick Saban recognized the value of Hudson Houck and lured him to Miami with a huge contract. Saban offered Houck a three-year, $2.5 million dollar deal. That would be difficult for a line coach to pass up. This contract made him the second highest paid line coach in the NFL, behind Alex Gibbs. NFL teams know the value of these top line coaches. In 2005, Houck's first with the Dolphins, the team cut their sacks allowed total in half from the previous year. After Saban's departure, Cam Cameron retained Houck. They had worked together in San Diego. But, after Cameron was let go after the 2007 season, the Parcells regime fired Hudson Houck. Let's look at what Houck was able to accomplish in Miami.

The Miami Dolphins were not a good running team in the years preceding the arrival of Hudson Houck. In 2004, the team ranked 31st in rushing in the NFL. Below are the stats for the years leading up to Houck's arrival in South Beach:

Hudson Houck stepped into a challenging situation, inheriting a line that averaged just 3.5 yards per carry and 84 rushing yards per game. It took a lot of money to pry Houck away from San Diego with Tomlinson and a solid line to head to Miami and a poor situation. But, true to his past, Hudson Houck made the best of the situation. Notice the improvement below:

While the offense was still less than stellar, the huge increase in yards per carry and rushing yards is very noticeable. The Dolphins improved 35 yards per game in just one season and went from 31st in the NFL to a ranking of 12th. In the 2008 offseason, the Miami Dolphins brought in Bill Parcells to get the team back on the right track. Parcells hired a former line coach to be the head coach so Houck was not needed. After his release, it did not take long for the experienced and proven coach to land back in Dallas.

What Is To Come In Dallas?

The Dallas Cowboy running game ranked in the middle of the league the last two seasons. Below are the statistics in order to get an idea of the situation Hudson Houck comes into:

The Dallas Cowboys finished as the 17th ranked rushing team in 2007. Hudson Houck inherits a team that scored more points than all but one team in 2007. The team averaged 4.2 yards per carry and totaled 1,746 rushing yards per game. Last year, the Cowboys averaged 109 rushing yards per game and scored 14 touchdowns on the ground. The rushing game was led by Marion Barber III and the now-departed Julius Jones. It was a down year in the Cowboy running game compared to 2006.

Julius Jones is now in Seattle. The Cowboys drafted Felix Jones from Arkansas to replace Julius. The Cowboys rely on the arm of Tony Romo to move up and down the field. Marion Barber III should continue to be a top producing back. His numbers could actually rise with the addition of Houck to stabilize the offensive line. Also, Felix Jones should see 150-200 touches this season. He split time in college and worked well in a two-back system.

The Dallas Cowboys should have an improved running game with Hudson Houck as the new coach of the offensive line. They are a favorite to win the NFC. How far the Cowboys go will depend in part on how the offensive line performs protecting Romo and opening holes for Barber and Jones. Every time Hudson Houck joins a new team, the yards per carry average jumps between .20 and .80 yards per carry. Considering that the Dallas Cowboys rushed 419 times in 2007, this could yield to quite an improvement. The Dallas Cowboys have not been a great running team as of late, but this could change quickly.

Some of the information for this article came from Hudson Houck's Wikipedia page. It also has his profile and work experience: