New NC State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tim Beck will have to hit the ground running in adjusting to his new team.
Beck was the offensive coordinator for Texas the last three years, and is now reunited with NCSU head coach Dave Doeren, who he has known dating back to their days together at Kansas. NC State hasn’t made Beck available to the media, but he did do a recent sit-down with the school's Twitter account, and shared his thoughts on his new transition.
Beck said he has been able to stay connected with Doeren ever since, despite numerous coaching moves by both over the decades.
“I met coach when I was a high school coach in Texas, and coach was recruiting the area,” Beck said. “That is when I first met him. He did a great job and I have a lot of respect for him then as a recruiter, recruiting our players.”
The appeal of coming to the Raleigh area and working under Doeren made the decision an easy one for Beck, whose daughter is playing volleyball at Coastal Carolina.
“He’s a great leader, great person and great coach,” Beck said. “I’m excited to finally have the opportunity to work with him.”
Beck grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, and knew the three Stoops brothers — Bob, Mark and Mike — and Bo Pellini, who he worked with at Nebraska and Pellini now is at Youngstown State.
“We all kind of played together [at Cardinal Mooney] and [Jim] Tressell was at Youngstown State at the time,” Beck said. “There are a lot of great names and a lot of great coaches from that area. I just got it in my blood. For a kid growing up in the neighborhood, our street would play another street in football.”
NC State averaged 22.1 points, 151.2 rushing yards and 229.1 passing yards per game en route to a 4-8 record last year. Beck will hope to jump-start those numbers.
“I think I can help,” Beck said. “I see a group of young guys starving to continue to learn, compete and play at a really high level. That’s my goal, to bring all that stuff to them.”
Beck helped develop Texas junior quarterback Sam Ehlinger, who went 296-of-454 passing for 3,6663 yards, 32 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 663 yards and seven scores, and got sacked 34 times for the 8-5 Longhorns.
Developing redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary could be the key to NC State’s turn-around next year.
“As far as technique, mechanics and things like that, they have to understand defense, that’s No. 1,” Beck said. “No. 2, they have to understand the offense. The game is a simple game. We can overanalyze it and over coach them until they are paralyzed. I always tell the guys to go where they are not.”
Beck said the key is see where the weakness in the defense is.
“Some of the RPO stuff and things we are going to be doing is different and unique, however, I see more changes defensively,” Beck said. “They are trying to stop the creativity of the offensive coaches. There are times where you play defenses now that are unsound.
“The conference I just came from [Big 12] is similar. There was a lot of stuff because of the quarterbacks and the passing in that league because of the playmakers. A lot of defense to stop it.”
Beck is also an accomplished recruiter and he said part of that is knowing the different layers to a prospect's life.
"I'm going to know their girlfriends, the cars they drive and where they live and who they hang out with," Beck said. "I do it with my son and my daughter. You can't just act it, but to be about it. In the end, with parents there is a wow factor with facilities and wins and trophies and bowl rings, but it is how are you going to take care of my kid."
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