Peterson: Mouser hiring brings continuity to what should be a very good Iowa State football offense
AMES – The best advice someone can offer Taylor Mouser, Iowa State’s new offensive coordinator, is nestled within these three words:
Overthinking not allowed.
The Cyclones are loaded on offense. Playmakers are throughout the depth chart, starting with freshman All-American quarterback Rocco Becht. If a veteran offensive line can keep improving (and yes, it improved throughout most of last season), that side of the ball could be very, very good.
Again, overthinking not allowed.
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Starting over is not what this unit needs, after the Los Angeles Rams hired away 2023 OC Nate Scheelhaase. This isn’t like making over an offense that’s broken. Offensive coaches know their guys. They know the plays. They know what needs to be done. Becht, receivers Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins, tight end Ben Brahmer, and running back Abu Sama (among others) - they know what to do.
What this offense needs is continuity. This is no time to fill proven stars’ heads with a new playbook. Plus, with four starters and 57 combined career starts among the returning offensive line, Mouser’s biggest job for 2024 is to, bluntly:
Refine – and not mess up what’s already been started.
No current offensive assistant coach knows the players (and Campbell) better than Mouser, who will be 33 when the season starts Aug. 31 against North Dakota at Jack Trice Stadium. They worked together at Toledo. Mouser came with Campbell to Iowa State in 2016. He’s been a graduate assistant, an assistant director of scouting, and he was in the offensive quality control department, before becoming the Cyclones’ tight ends coach in 2021.
“Taylor has been an integral part in the success of our program through the years, working his way up from graduate assistant to this position as offensive coordinator,” Campbell said in a release announcing the hiring. “He is well-respected by both our staff and our players and has earned this opportunity. I have great confidence in him and look forward to seeing him in this role.”
He played hockey. He’s the son of a former professional hockey goalie. He still plays occasionally on Sundays at RecPlex in West Des Moines. If there’s a street fight, I’m hanging with him – as long as he’s got his hockey stick in tow.
“His hockey mentality is that 'We’ll fight you to the end,'” said Chase Allen, a former tight end under Mouser. “That carries over. I couldn’t be more fired up for more people to get the opportunity to be coached by (Mouser). The energy he brings, and how hard he can get his guys to play for him and for themselves, is special.”
He’s been with the Cyclones for six bowl games, including a New Year’s Six Fiesta Bowl victory against Oregon. He was on the Big 12 championship game staff, but there's more.
He’s been a coaching part of the offense that has turned out greatness, such as running backs David Montgomery and Breece Hall. And let’s not forget Brock Purdy and Charlie Kolar and Allen, among others. He’s now running the offensive team meetings, working with Iowa State veteran assistants Ryan Clanton (offensive line), Noah Pauley (receivers) and Jake Waters, a longtime staffer and former Kansas State quarterback who is moving into the quarterbacks coaching role.
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“From a staff standpoint, having continuity and understanding of who we are in the run game and the pass game – we’re a few steps ahead of last offseason,” Scheelhaase told me last week. “You know who’s getting the ball next year. You can probably start writing about the first game already. You know who’s getting the ball, and you know one or two guys did something unexpected.”
The only newcomer on Mouser’s side of the ball is running backs coach Tyler Roehl, who spent the past five seasons as the offensive coordinator at North Dakota State.
“He’s been a part of many championship teams and has great understanding of the habits needed to perform at a high level," Campbell said of Roehl. "The experience he has will be a positive to our program going forward.”
Translated: With so much offensive experience returning, both players and coaches, Mouser’s hiring provides the Cyclones a great deal of offensive stability.
Since becoming the tight ends coach in 2021, Iowa State has led the Big 12 in tight end receiving yards, tight end receptions and tight end touchdowns.
There’s something to be said for that kind of resume, all of which is good, and now his job is about adding to what’s already in place.
“Mouser has been with the Cyclones for so long,” Allen said. “He’s seen so many iterations of the offense; he knows whatever pitfalls there may be.”
He’s seen what works. He’s seen what doesn’t work.
“He was the (coach) that was on the field with our best (receivers), making them better,” Allen said, mentioning such players as Allen Lazard, Hakeem Butler, Kolar, and yes, and Allen himself.
From coaching tight ends to the coach in charge of a major college offense? It happens.
Who was the coach Campbell hired to make Cyclones tight ends relevant, back when they were barely a part of the team?
Alex Golesh, who not only had a hand in recruiting new players but also helped turn them into stars.
More: Peterson: The evolving Iowa State tight end — from liability to a vital part of the offense
Where is Golesh today?
He’s the head coach at South Florida—after stints as the OC at UCF and Tennessee.
Is Mouser on that same type of career path?
Right now, he’s just trying to work up game plans to beat North Dakota, Iowa, and Arkansas State, before facing nine Big 12 opponents in a row.
Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson is in his 52nd year writing sports for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, on X @RandyPete, and at DesMoinesRegister.com/CyclonesTexts
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Taylor Mouser as Iowa State football offensive coordinator makes sense
