THE NEW GUY

Alex Van Pelt will be the starting quarterback for the Buffalo Bills on Saturday in Green Bay, a stunning development, acknowledges Van Pelt, who says he would never have made it to the NFL without a Paul Hackett make-over.

“I know one thing already,” Van Pelt said, “USC is going to have a great offense.”

Van Pelt, third on the depth chart at the University of Pittsburgh and physically limited by his lack of arm strength, spent four years being tutored by Hackett and shattered Dan Marino’s records.

“All because of Paul Hackett,” Van Pelt said. “I think he’s the guru of footwork, something that’s very important in the offense he runs because of it’s timing and rhythm.

“He’s very much the teacher, and working with him for four years, we giggled at the end because he would be teaching the same simple play as if he had never gone over it before, but that’s how much emphasis he places on fundamentals.

“When I first heard he was going to USC, I was kind of upset because I had been hoping he would wait a little longer before becoming a head coach again and take me along as his quarterbacks coach.”

Hackett, who became USC’s new coach Wednesday, is offensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs and is expected to remain with the Chiefs through the playoffs. He was an early disciple of San Francisco 49er Coach Bill Walsh, learning, stealing and refining the “West Coast offense,” a system designed to befuddle defenses with quick, short passes that allow wide receivers to use their athleticism to break free for bigger gains.

Hackett’s version of the West Coast offense, which he learned about after hearing Walsh lecture at the University of California in 1975, puts more emphasis on the run, although it’s unclear if that’s his wish or Chief Coach Marty Schottenheimer’s influence.

Before this season, the Chiefs ranked No. 2 in the NFL the last two seasons running the ball, a remarkable accomplishment considering they run by committee with Greg Hill, Marcus Allen and an additional cast of unknowns.

“The guy has a genius mind for offense, but I knew him and loved him as a head coach,” said Cincinnati linebacker Tom Tumulty, who played at Pitt. “If I had the chance to tell the parents of USC players what they’re getting, it’s a guy who will make sure their sons leave with a degree, a guy who will really take care of them.”

In contrast to rave reviews offered by Van Pelt and Tumulty, there are striking numbers to consider at Pittsburgh: 13 wins, 20 defeats and one tie, an 0-3 record against Notre Dame and 0-3 against rival Penn State.

“As bright a star as Paul has been, he would not have been as good a head coach for USC right now had he not been through the wars and paid the price at Dallas, the University of Pittsburgh and Kansas City; that seasoning was critical,” Walsh said. “If there was to be a change, I can’t think of a better hire than this one.”

Students at Pitt wore T-shirts that read: “I Can’t Hackett,” in the days before his dismissal after the Panthers lost nine of their final 11 games in 1992.

Hackett’s downfall at Pitt reportedly was recruiting with a much-too-heavy emphasis on students who couldn’t play big-time football, although New England Patriot running back Curtis Martin offers conflicting evidence.

“He’ll definitely have success at the collegiate level,” said Martin, the former Pitt running back. “He’s already done that at Kansas City on the professional level.”

Still there have to be questions about the failures at Pitt, and the possibility of history being repeated at USC.

“What happened at Pittsburgh should be an excellent building experience,” Walsh said. “There are certain jobs in college football where there is virtually no chance to be competitive, and if Pittsburgh and Penn State are recruiting an athlete, Penn State is going to win 99 out of 100 times.”

The Pitt program in ‘92, while dressed up by Hackett and improving its image at the same time it was being investigated by the NCAA for infractions that occurred during Mike Gottfried’s reign, had deteriorated to the point where only 14,065 showed up for Panthers’ final home game.

“Our collective grade-point average went up dramatically,” Van Pelt said. “But we suffered athletically, and our defenses weren’t great, which forced us to have to score a lot of points. Our attendance dropped, there were changes in the administration, and I think that’s why they made the change and let him go.”

Hackett’s supporters say he was only following the edict of the university’s president and athletic director when he placed the emphasis on academics after replacing Gottfried, now with ESPN.

His team’s 3-9 finish in 1992 was the school’s worst since 1972. Pittsburgh alumni, longing for the Jackie Sherrill days of a decade earlier when the Panthers went 50-9-1, reportedly donated almost a half a million dollars to buy out Hackett’s contract.

“They were harping on the academic issue when he came,” said Tumulty, a team captain, “but when football started, well, some people had to give up one or the other. You can’t have study hall all the time and not eventually fall, so it takes its toll. They said he couldn’t recruit too, but there are five or six guys just from my class in the NFL right now.”

Working with the Cleveland Browns, 49ers and Dallas Cowboys before going to Pitt, Hackett’s name popped up at times when there were head coaching openings, but he was never given serious consideration, although he was Joe Montana’s quarterback coach. His failures at Pitt probably sealed his fate as a lifelong NFL assistant with no chance of getting a head coaching job in the NFL.

Last season, Chief fans were upset with their team’s early departure once again from the playoffs, and Hackett became the lightning rod for criticism, igniting rumors that he might be fired. Instead, Schottenheimer elected to go on a shopping spree for more offensive talent.

The Chiefs started slowly, and a Kansas City columnist began waging a “Sack the Hack” campaign. But Hackett’s work with quarterback Elvis Grabac, who had already been groomed in the San Francisco offense being copied by Kansas City, began to pay off, and suddenly reporters were calling for Hackett’s wisdom after games rather than his job.

In the last month, the Chiefs have won with backup quarterback Rich Gannon, and in the last three games have averaged 34.3 points.

“This is a very, very bright, if not brilliant, football coach,” Walsh said. “I think at one time he would have liked to have replaced me or Tom Landry in Dallas, but the time just wasn’t right.”

Hackett, in addition to working under John Robinson at USC (1976-80), also has been an assistant at UC Davis (1970-71), Cal (1972-75) and Pitt (1989), and has been with the Chiefs since his dismissal at Pitt in 1992.

“The times have changed, and I think like John Robinson found out, it’s more difficult to run the ball down the throat of the opposition,” Walsh said. “Paul brings the versatility and flexibility needed today to compete, and believe me, if Paul has the chance to run the ball down someone’s throat, he will.

“But USC no longer has a corner on talent with the Arizona schools and Colorado emerging. It’s not like it was, and so Paul’s offensive mind gives a program more opportunities to answer the challenges. Paul is just a great choice for USC.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

THE HACKETT FILE

COACHING

AS HEAD COACH

1989: Pitt* 1-0-0 1.000

1990: Pitt 3-7-1 .318

1991: Pitt 6-5-0 .545

1992: Pitt 3-8-0 .273

Totals: 13-20-1 .379

*-Replaced Mike Gottfried at end of season and coached team in Hancock Bowl

AS AN ASSISTANT

* Coached UC Davis freshman team (1970-71)

* California quarterback coach under Mike White from 1972-75. Under his tutelage, Steve Bartkowski led the nation in passing in 1974.

* Assistant coach of Cleveland Browns under Sam Rutigliano from 1981-82.

* Quarterback and receivers coach of San Francisco 49ers under Bill Walsh from 1983-85.

* Offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys under Tom Landry from 1986-88.

* Offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs under Marty Schottenheimer from 1993 to present.

****

USC COACHES

Clair S. Tappaan / 1901

First year: 0-1-0 .000

Overall: 0-1-0 .000

John Walker / 1903

First year: 4-2-0 .667

Overall: 4-2-0 .667

Harvey Holmes / 1904-07

First year: 6-1-0 .857

Overall: 19-5-3 .759

Bill Traeger / 1908

First year: 3-1-1 .700

Overall: 3-1-1 .700

Dean Cromwell / 1909-10

First year: 3-1-2 .667

Overall: 21-8-6 .686

Ralph Glaze / 1914-15

First year: 4-3-0 .571

Overall: 7-7-0 .500

Dean Cromwell / 1916-18

First year: 5-3-0 .625

Overall: 21-8-6 .686

Elmer Henderson / 1919-24

First-year: 4-1-0 .800

Overall: 45-7-0 .865

Howard Jones / 1925-40

First year: 11-2-0 .846

Overall: 121-36-13 .750

Sam Barry / 1941

First year: 2-6-1 .278

Overall: 2-6-1 .278

Jeff Cravath / 1942-50

First year: 5-5-1 .500

Overall: 54-28-8 .644

Jess Hill / 1951-56

First year: 7-3-0 .700

Overall: 45-17-1 .722

Don Clark / 1957-59

First year: 1-9-0 .100

Overall: 13-16-1 .450

John McKay / 1960-75

First year: 4-6-0 .400

Overall: 127-40-8 .749

John Robinson / 1976-82

First year: 11-1-0 .917

Overall: 104-35-4 .741

Ted Tollner / 1983-86

First year: 4-6-1 .409

Overall: 26-20-1 .564

Larry Smith / 1987-92

First year: 8-4-0 .667

Overall: 44-25-3 .632

John Robinson / 1993-97

First year: 8-5-0 .615

Overall: 104-35-4 .741

IN QUOTES

‘I know one thing already. USC is going to have a great offense.’

ALEX VAN PELT

Buffalo Bill quarterback who played for Hackett at Pitt