Hueber to join Childress with Vikings

**singersp** · 01-08-2006, 06:22 PM

From the Wisconsin State Journal

[size=18px]UW football: Hueber to join Childress with Vikings [/size]

TOM MULHERN
608-252-6169
[email protected]

New University of Wisconsin football coach Bret Bielema has yet to announce who his assistants will be, but already the makeup of his staff is changing.

Offensive line coach Jim Hueber, who has been at UW for 14 seasons and is one of three assistants from the staff of former coach Barry Alvarez who was expected to be retained by Bielema, reportedly has agreed to take a job with new Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress.

It has long been speculated that whenever Childress got his first head-coaching job, the former UW assistant would bring in Hueber to coach the offensive line.

When reached on his cell phone Saturday, Hueber, who spent Friday on the road recruiting for the Badgers, said nothing was official yet and he was unable to comment further.

"I don't have a contract or a (plane) ticket in my hand or anything like that," Hueber said. "I've known Brad for so long, people are putting two and two together."

Still, sources said Hueber will join Childress, who was a former quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator under Barry Alvarez from 1991 to '98.

Childress made clear the importance of the offensive and defensive lines at his introductory news conference Friday.

"You have to run it and you can't throw it with the quarterback laying on his back," Childress said. "Great defense starts on the front with the defensive line. They apply the pressure and choke off the run. For those reasons, we will move quickly to solidify both of those fronts."

Hueber was a highly respected offensive line coach with the Badgers, and more than 25 of the players he has coached in his career have made NFL rosters. He started out coaching running backs for UW from 1992 to '94.

Going back to the Twin Cities seems like a perfect fit. Hueber coached with the Gophers from 1984 to '91, and he and his wife, Nancy, have a son - one of four children - living in the Twin Cities. Nancy Hueber also has a brother living there.

The leading candidate to replace Hueber on Bielema's staff could be Mike Devlin, 36, who just finished his second season as offensive line coach at Toledo. Devlin was an offensive lineman and college teammate of Bielema's at Iowa, and the two are close friends.

Even if Hueber remained, Devlin was thought to be a candidate to join Bielema's staff. Despite speculation Hueber could possibly coach another position at UW, he was going to remain with the offensive line. That means Devlin was likely considered for another position, perhaps tight ends.

In his two years as a college coach, Devlin has been part of highly productive offenses. The Rockets ranked No. 15 nationally in total offense in the recently completed season, averaging 447.1 yards per game. They ranked 13th in rushing, averaging 216.8 yards per game.

Toledo (9-3) beat Texas-El Paso 45-13 in the GMAC Bowl and was the leader among other teams receiving votes in the season's final Associated Press poll.

Devlin played seven seasons in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals. He started his coaching career as an assistant offensive line coach with the Cardinals in 2000 and added the duties of offensive quality control assistant from 2001 to '03.

Bielema is expected to announce his staff this week, possibly by Wednesday. The only coaches under Alvarez who are now believed to be returning are co-offensive coordinator Paul Chryst, who will be the offensive coordinator and coach the quarterbacks, and wide receivers coach Henry Mason.

**Mr. Purple** · 01-08-2006, 06:29 PM

So fill me in here (NCAA NUTS) is this guy really good at offensive line?

**singersp** · 01-08-2006, 06:44 PM

Vikings | Team to hire Hueber
Sun, 8 Jan 2006 07:50:46 -0800

Tom Mulhern, of the Wisconsin State Journal, reports Wisconsin offensive line coach Jim Hueber reportedly has agreed to take a job with new Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress. Hueber was a highly respected offensive line coach with the Badgers, and more than 25 of the players he has coached in his career have made NFL rosters.

**mnjamie** · 01-08-2006, 07:13 PM

"WilliamsonOfTroy" wrote:

So fill me in here (NCAA NUTS) is this guy really good at offensive line?

If you were a Big Ten fan and followed it ... (You Gator lover .... :lol: ) you would know that WI "O" line is always tough and among the top 3 in the Big Ten year in and out. I think he will do well with what we have, not to mention a few additions through F/A and maybe later rounds in the draft.

**GreenBaySlackers** · 01-08-2006, 07:21 PM

Head Coach: Brad Childress (O-Coordinater, Eagles)
Defensive Coordinater: Mike Tomlin (Defensive Backs Coach, Tampa Bay)
Offensive Line Coach: Jim Hueber (O-line Coach, U of Wisconson)
Offensive Coordinator: Pat Shurmer (QB and TE coach, Eagles)
Wide Recievers Coach: Darrell Bevell (QB coach, Green Bay)
QB coach: Kevin Rogers (QB coach Virginia Tech)

those are all the rumors that i have heard, and if they're true then culpepper is definantly coming back.

**singersp** · 01-08-2006, 07:30 PM

"GreenBaySlackers" wrote:

Head Coach: Brad Childress (O-Coordinater, Eagles)
Defensive Coordinater: Mike Tomlin (Defensive Backs Coach, Tampa Bay)
Offensive Line Coach: Jim Hueber (O-line Coach, U of Wisconson)
Offensive Coordinator: Pat Shurmer (QB and TE coach, Eagles)
Wide Recievers Coach: Darrell Bevell (QB coach, Green Bay)
QB coach: Kevin Rogers (QB coach Virginia Tech)

those are all the rumors that i have heard, and if they're true then culpepper is definantly coming back.

The first 3 are a done deal!

**GreenBaySlackers** · 01-08-2006, 07:32 PM

"singersp" wrote:

"GreenBaySlackers" wrote:

Head Coach: Brad Childress (O-Coordinater, Eagles)
Defensive Coordinater: Mike Tomlin (Defensive Backs Coach, Tampa Bay)
Offensive Line Coach: Jim Hueber (O-line Coach, U of Wisconson)
Offensive Coordinator: Pat Shurmer (QB and TE coach, Eagles)
Wide Recievers Coach: Darrell Bevell (QB coach, Green Bay)
QB coach: Kevin Rogers (QB coach Virginia Tech)

those are all the rumors that i have heard, and if they're true then culpepper is definantly coming back.

The first 3 are a done deal!

yeah, i was just posting everything i heard... even if i heard it from a major newspaper :grin:

**Mr. Purple** · 01-08-2006, 07:37 PM

Wow...how did we ever go through a full season with Loney and Cotrell coaching offense and defense...we've been deprived.Bout time some tallent comes in here.

**COJOMAY** · 01-08-2006, 07:57 PM

Ya know what's really neat about all of this is that there's little news of all these goings on on any of the NFL Networks and news!
While all the news of the playoffs is filling up the airways, the Vikings are quietly going about their business putting together an great staff in my opinion.
Boy are there gonna be some surprized people around the league when this staff is finally finished!
And to answer the question about Ohio State's line play -- as it's been said it's one of the top in the national -- ALWAYS! We got a winner with Hueber!
I can't wait!
No more is this gonna be a team where people want to leave! It's gonna be THE team where people want to come including Free Agents.

**singersp** · 01-08-2006, 08:34 PM

"COJOMAY" wrote:

Ya know what's really neat about all of this is that there's little news of all these goings on on any of the NFL Networks and news!
While all the news of the playoffs is filling up the airways, the Vikings are quietly going about their business putting together an great staff in my opinion.
Boy are there gonna be some surprized people around the league when this staff is finally finished!
And to answer the question about Ohio State's line play -- as it's been said it's one of the top in the national -- ALWAYS! We got a winner with Hueber!I can't wait!
No more is this gonna be a team where people want to leave! It's gonna be THE team where people want to come including Free Agents.

Hueber is from the University of Wisconsin, not OSU. :smile: