Nebraska football: Why Casey Thompson is key to a Huskers rebound
By John Scimeca
2. Play-caller Mark Whipple has a proven track record of success
New offensive coordinator Mark Whipple comes to Frost’s staff at Nebraska from Pitt, where he just directed a prolific offense under first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett and the Biletnikoff Award-winning wide receiver Jordan Addison.
That Panthers’ offense last season was terrific, ranking third in the nation in scoring after racking up nearly 42 points per game. Pickett finished the year with 4,319 passing yards and 42 passing touchdowns while leading Pitt to an ACC title — the first time Clemson didn’t win the conference since 2014.
Included in his 40 years of coaching experience is time as a quarterbacks coach with the Cleveland Browns, where Whipple helped direct former Texas quarterback Colt McCoy (2,733 yards) and former Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden (3,385 yards) to career-high marks in passing yards.
Whipple also has head coaching experience, having roamed the sidelines from 2014 to 2018 in charge at UMass.
All of this is to say one thing: Whipple has experience directing highly productive offenses, and he won’t expect to let up in Lincoln this fall with Thompson.