By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, AUG. 22, 2016 – Shaun King geared up for his first season leading USF's quarterbacks by gaining some invaluable coaching experience at the highest level.
King picked up several gems of football coaching knowledge during his NFL Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship with the Pittsburgh Steelers this summer.
“Now that I'm in this profession, I want to get to know as many people as possible, especially good people and coaches, so I can take a little bit and hopefully be a good coach for the young men here at the University of South Florida,” King said.
USF quarterbacks have been eager to learn from their new coach that's done it all at the position. As a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, King made NFL history as the first rookie quarterback to start and win a playoff game. King also was a member of the Bucs' Super Bowl XXXVII championship team. Before his six-year NFL career, the four-year starter at Tulane was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year in 1998 and a Heisman Trophy candidate.
“He's done a great job relating to our guys, where they can be open with him and ask questions,” head coach Willie Taggart said. “I think every day is a learning day for Shaun and I think he's going to be a really good coach because he wants to be a really good coach.”
King brought many new coaching ideas back with him to USF after making the most of the fellowship that's had nearly 2,000 participants since 1987. All 32 NFL teams take part in the program that's included Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin, the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl. King also got to learn from other big names like Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley, outside linebackers coach Joey Porter and receivers coach Richard Mann, who held the same position in Tampa while King was a Bucs QB.
“There were a lot of pre-existing connections there,” King said. “They embraced me, accepted me and made me part of the family. I was able to sit and learn in meetings, and watch Ben Roethlisberger and how he leads and embraces practice.”
King has already taken a page out of Big Ben's book after watching the two-time Super Bowl champion's leadership skills off the field in training camp. Roethlisberger stops by each position group's meeting room to go over signals with his teammates. Roethlisberger has players write down the meaning of each signal, the role of each skill player on the play and what each responsibility entails before grading each paper out loud.
“I thought that was really interesting and it's something I have our quarterbacks doing,” King said. “It's another way to develop some leadership qualities in our quarterback room and it's also a way to hold your teammates accountable. Great teams, or championship teams, are kind of self-policed.”
King also took note of the way Tomlin teaches the Steelers that little things mean a lot over the course of a season.
“Within every day-to-day battle, he has a big picture point and I think that's very important,” King said. “It kind of shows those guys why the day matters, why this drill matters, why this competition is significant. As I become a better coach, I'll continue to implement that more and more with how I relate to my guys.”
King got started in his new career as an assistant head coach at St. Petersburg's Gibbs High School, his alma mater, in 2006 and coached the program's quarterbacks in 2008. King gained more coaching experience at the prep level in 2015 and now gets to work alongside USF's veteran group of coaches led by Taggart, who interned with the Eagles and Raiders in the NFL early in his career. USF defensive coordinator Raymond Woodie also spent time with the Buccaneers during his NFL Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship in 2014.
“I know what an internship did for me, when I had an opportunity to go and do it,” Taggart said. “It did wonders for my career and my understanding of how to run a program. I think he's doing all the right things to be great as a coach.”
Coming off the program's first bowl appearance in five years, USF returns school season record holders at quarterback, running back and wide receiver and four all-conference selections. The Bulls return 93 percent of their offensive yards from a record smashing offense that posted school marks of 5,741 yards and 54 offensive touchdowns in 2015. While the Bulls averaged 33.6 points and 441 yards of offense per game, the defense ranked in the top 25 in the nation in interceptions (14th), turnovers gained (24th), and tackles for loss (13th), and in the top 35 of seven statistical categories. The Bulls return seven of their top nine tacklers and players that accounted for 12 of their 17 interceptions and 16 of 25 turnovers gained.
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