It is safe to say that Anthony Jones is no longer the head coach at Alabama A&M due in large part to an offense that could never be potent enough to win the SWAC championship even though the Bulldogs made several trips to the December contest during his 12-year tenure in Huntsville.
The 2013 season was symbolic of that offensive inconsistency, as AAMU not only finished with a 4-8 record, but only were able to muster 197 total points, which ranked No. 9 in the conference.
Quarterbacks Lee Jaymason and Brandon Wells combined to throw for 2,249 yards, 14 touchdowns and complete just 45 percent of their passes last year.
In comes first-year head coach James Spady, a man with an extensive offensive background, to revamp the unit ranked No. 10 in passing (185 yards per game) and No. 8 in passing efficiency (109.4 yards per game) a season ago.
Spady, who was a successful offensive coordinator at Grambling State from 2007-2009 (being responsible for a group that scored 1,041 points in three seasons), plans to install the Pistol, and will subsequently choose from a deep pool of quarterbacks to run it.
While Jaymason and Wells figure to battle for the starting job, Spady also will give a look to little-used Chris Leachman, who threw 12 passes last season and highly-touted signee Danny Johnson, who was described as “the jewel” of the 2014 recruiting class.
Damion May and Cody Lui-Yuen could be in the mix, but they are likely long shots to see playing time when the season begins.
Providing much-needed instruction for the group with be former Mississippi Valley State head coach and record-setting college quarterback Willie Totten. Totten, in his first season in the conference after a four-year hiatus, will serve as quarterbacks coach.
“That’s an offense I have always wanted to know more about,”Totten said. “(Spady) wants me seriously involved with the passing game and the quarterback and to really understand the Pistol. I am excited about running that and also bringing my own style in.”
