Josh Gattis and Iowa football need each other

Josh Gattis got fired by the Miami Hurricanes on Friday and Iowa football should make a move to get him as offensive coordinator. 

There were two fanbases excited about the news that the Miami Hurricanes have moved on from Josh Gattis as their offensive coordinator.

A year ago around this time, Mario Cristobal seemed to be making a splash hire when he landed the former Broyles Award winner at Michigan (2021) as his offensive coordinator in Miami.

Yet, the offense was a disaster. Tyler Van Dyke, who many projected as a first-round pick to start the season, really struggled. Miami ranked 97th in scoring offense and averaged just 367 yards per game.

However, Josh Gattis has a solid background. He worked for James Franklin at Penn State and was the co-offensive coordinator at Alabama before he left to call the plays at Michigan.

The Wolverines didn’t have a ton of success during the first two seasons with Gattis. Michigan was loaded in 2019 with talented wide receivers but the Wolverines didn’t meet their potential.

However, with more of a run-based offense in 2021, Gattis led an offense that won the Big Ten championship and scored 42 points in a win over Ohio State, as well as 42 in a 39-point win over Iowa football in the Big Ten championship game.

Of course, when Gattis was fired on Friday, the other fanbase I talked about that was happy — is the Iowa football fanbase (Miami is the other) who have been dying for a new offensive play caller.

Why Josh Gattis to Iowa football would be perfect

Two former Michigan football players have already gone to Iowa via the transfer portal and one was a former starting quarterback under Josh Gattis in Cade McNamara.

Iowa scored 17 points per game in the 2022 season and ranked 123rd overall in the NCAA in scoring. The Hawkeyes landed tight end Erick All in addition to McNamara and if Brian Ferentz goes to the NFL as the rumor mill has been suggesting, hiring Gattis would be a no-brainer.

Gattis knows the Big Ten, he understands McNamara and he isn’t going to abandon the run for a pass-happy offense. At least you wouldn’t think so after the success he had in 2021.

But Gattis would breathe new life into an Iowa football offensive scheme that desperately needs it. The defense has been on a Big Ten title level for years and with Gattis, maybe the offense can get there. At the very least, it can at least approach respectability.