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The Rice Thresher
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Wachenheim assumes role of offensive coordinator, Bland to coach QBs by Jose Luis Cubria thresher editorial staff
Scott Wachenheim has been promoted to offensive coordinator and John Bland has joined the staff as quarterbacks coach, head coach Ken Hatfield announced Monday. Wachenheim, Rice's offensive line coach for the past seven years, replaces David Lee at the helm of the Owls' triple option offense. Lee, who served as Rice's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for seven years, has been named quarterbacks coach at the University of Arkansas. The departure ends a 12-year working relationship between Lee and Hatfield. Before their time at Rice, the two worked together at Arkansas from 1984-'88. Hatfield was the Razorbacks' head coach, while Lee was quarterbacks coach for the first four years and offensive coordinator the fifth. "If I was in a battle and there was one guy who I had to take with me in the foxhole, it would be Ken Hatfield," Lee told the Houston Chronicle. "It's not been by luck or mistake that he is the eighth-winningest active coach in America." Under Lee, Rice established itself as one of the premier rushing offenses in the nation, finishing as high as second in rushing yards per game. Hatfield said the program won't miss a beat with Wachenheim's promotion. "One of the strengths of our offense at Rice has been our offensive line, and I know that Scott will have that same type [of] success with his new responsibilities," Hatfield said. "He has worked with a variety of offensive attacks ... and I know he's excited about this new opportunity." Wachenheim, 38, began his college football career as an offensive lineman at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where Hatfield was head coach. Wachenheim was a four-year starter from 1980-'83 and was named all-Western Athletic Conference and honorable mention all-America in 1983. He first coached under Hatfield at Arkansas in 1989. He also coached at Colorado State University and Utah State University before coming to Rice. In Wachenheim's time at Rice, he has coached offensive line standouts such as Charles Torello, who won all-America honors in 1997, and all-conference players in Chris Cooley, Jeremy Thigpen, Neal Gray and Rod Beavan. Rice had at least one all-conference offensive lineman in each of Wachenheim's seven years as the offensive line coach, a responsibility he will retain with his new coordinator duties. "I am very excited to be named ... offensive coordinator," Wachenheim said. "I appreciate the confidence coach Hatfield has shown in me. I look forward to doing my best to help my players become the best they can be." Bland also played under Hatfield, helping Arkansas to a pair of Southwest Conference titles. He was named the permanent captain of the Razorbacks' 1988 Cotton Bowl team and played in four bowl games. Before coming to Rice, Bland was most recently the head coach at Southern Arkansas University, a position he assumed in 2000 after three years as the Muleriders' offensive coordinator. Bland's flexbone attack broke six Southern Arkansas records and six Gulf South Conference marks during a 5-5 campaign last year. The 34-year-old started his coaching career as a student assistant under Hatfield in 1989, and he later worked at Auburn University before joining the Southern Arkansas staff. "John's character is tops," Hatfield said. "And his expertise as a player and coach will enable him to relate to our players well."
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