Feature image from Jeff Sentell / DawgNation

Who Is He?

Todd Monken has been the Offensive Coordinator for the Georgia Bulldogs for the last two seasons - you know, the two seasons where Georgia went from “really good blueblood” to “Death Star dynasty”. His current claim to fame is developing Heisman finalist and former walk-on QB Stetson Bennett improbably into the QB that finally won Georgia their first title in 40 years.

(More on that in a bit.)

The 56 year old Monken’s three decade coaching career is a long and winding one - starting in Chicagoland / Michigan / northern Indiana before moving south for stints at Oklahoma State, LSU, in the NFL with Jacksonville. Each of those stints were more notable for the coaches he crossed paths with than players (Tom Beck, Brian Kelly, Les Miles, Mike Gundy). Easily his most stint during this run was in 2006 as Passing Game Coordinator for JaMarcus Russell’s 2006 team - one of the more fun college football passing years.

His return to OK State, for 2011 and 2012, is when his career finally vaulted from “respected veteran assistant” to “offensive development guru” when he oversaw the second year of Justin Blackmon’s explosive career from a three-star local Oklahoma recruit into a back-to-back First Team All American and Biletnikoff Award winning receiver. The year before, Blackmon and QB Brandon Weeden already established a rapport, it continued under Monken, and like all good ladder-climbers he parlayed that into his first Head Coaching stint.

Monken took over the completely defeated CUSA Southern Miss Golden Eagles, where - to his eternal and genuine credit - rebuilt that program to 1, 3, then 9 wins within three years. He strangely voluntarily left that position to return to the NFL as Offensive Coordinator for Tampa Bay (2016-2018) and Cleveland (2019).

He then returned to college to be Kirby Smart’s OC, where they recruited former #1 overall recruit JT Daniels to finally helm Georgia’s most potent offense - only to have him beaten out by the former walk-on Bennett.

Why would he be successful at Purdue?

He’s experienced, he’s an offense-first guy, and even if he’s not been directly responsible for the development of underrated recruits into genuine college football superstars (usually showing up midway through their career), he’s crossed paths with enough of them to believe it’s not an accident.

Why could he flop at Purdue?

Georgia does not play the same sport at Purdue.

Lessons learned from the SEC’s latest college football juggernaut and emerging dynasty have almost no applicability to a program like Purdue, where every small advantage has to be milked into a long-term foundation.

To be fair, he did this very well at Southern Miss. But it was only three years, it was in the CUSA, and it was before the transfer portal. While his career started in the Midwest, he hasn’t been at a college here in decades, and his name or demeanor does not seem to ring as particularly charismatic among the kids he’ll try to recruit.

Would he come to Purdue?

He makes $2 million as Georgia’s OC.

Two. Million. American. Dollars.

Georgia. Is not playing the same sport. As Purdue.

Though some rumors have hit the typical mills linking Monken to Purdue, it makes absolutely no sense for either party - unless Monken wants that sweet sweet Big Ten buyout money.

There’s no way Monken would ever be able to land a job better than Purdue - so why are we considering him? Why do we think his experiences - fortunate crossings with a very limited number of college football stars, and the last few years at one of the richest machines in the sport’s history - have any applicability at Purdue?

This would be the worst way that Purdue could use its newfound Big Ten / Power 2 money. The way to continue the success of Jeff Brohm isn’t to pretend we can mimic Georgia’s machine by hiring it’s offensive coordinator for the last two years, with no active connection to the area. (Kirby, by the way, has been building the Georgia Death Star for the past seven seasons.)

Do not fall for the brand name. Remember that the goal should be to find the best coach with the best track record that can be applied to Purdue’s place in college football, it’s current resources, and it’s stylistic history of success. Monken is not it.