David Cutcliffe Gives Duke Hope
Blue Devils Look to Rebuild Program Under Former Tennessee Assistant
In Cutcliffe's last game at Tennessee, the Volunteers gave indication of the strength of Cutcliffe's offense with a 21-14 victory over Wisconsin in the 2008 Outback Bowl
Tennessee gave Duke fans a hint of what they can expect, as the Volunteers rode the arm of quarterback Erik Ainge to a 21-14 victory over Wisconsin in the 2008 Outback Bowl.
Ainge, under the tutelage of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach David Cutcliffe, completed 25 of 43 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns.
Such is the offensive philosophy of Cutcliffe, who worked his final game for Tennessee after already having accepted the head-coaching position at Duke.
The Blue Devils have struggled since the long-ago departure of Steve Spurrier, and Cutcliffe is hopeful of infusing them with the firepower that he unleashed at both Tennessee and Ole Miss.
Certainly, Cutcliffe has the credentials to indicate that he can succeed. He had a hand in the development of both Peyton and Eli Manning. Cutcliffe worked with Peyton during Cutcliffe’s first tenure at Tennessee, a 17-year stint that included the final six years as offensive coordinator.
Cutcliffe served as Ole Miss’ head coach from 1999-2004, during which time he worked with Eli. Both Peyton and Eli have since become NFL quarterbacks, with Peyton a premier signal-caller for the Indianapolis Colts and Eli an emerging standout with the New York Giants.
In addition to the Mannings, Cutcliffe cultivated the talents of Andy Kelly, Heath Schuler, Tee Martin and Todd Helton.
Kelly became the leading passer in the Arena League and Shuler was the third pick overall in the 1994 NFL Draft. Shuler later was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina.
Martin guided Tennessee to the 1998 national championship. Helton, after a brief appearance as Tennessee’s quarterback, opted for baseball. He has since become an All-Star first baseman for the Colorado Rockies.
While at Ole Miss, Cutcliffe led the Rebels to a 4-1 bowl record. They won a share of the 2003 Southeastern Conference Western Division championship, earning Cutcliffe SEC Coach of the Year honors.
Under Cutcliffe’s guidance, the Rebels set single-season records for total offense, passing offense and scoring offense.
He joined the Notre Dame coaching staff in 2005 but resigned for health reasons before returning to Tennessee for the 2006 season. He made an immediate impact, with the Volunteers, as they improved their output nearly 10 points and 50 yards per game from the previous season.
Cutcliffe takes over a moribund Duke program that has won just 22 games in the 13 years prior to his hiring. Cutcliffe replaced Ted Roof, who left with a 6-45 record.
Entrusted with turning things around, Cutcliffe promises to turn to what's worked in the past to give Duke a brighter future.
