While Jim McElwain is preparing for the 2012 BCS National Championship with his Alabama Crimson Tide, it appears that he is also working hard at building his coaching staff for the Colorado St. Rams. McElwain is set to hire Utah State Aggies offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin to assume the same duties with the Rams, according to Kraig Williams of the Deseret News.
UPDATE: Baldwin was announced as the new offensive coordinator on Wednesday.
Baldwin developed a strong ground game for the Aggies this season with Robert Turbin rushing for 1,517 yards and 19 touchdowns. Michael Smith ran for 870 yards as well. The Aggies were sixth in the nation with 282.7 yards per game. However, Williams points out that no everyone was happy with an offense that finished 96th overall in passing:
Despite the lofty rankings, Baldwin's offense was sometimes criticized by fans for being overly conservative, specifically not utilizing the passing attack enough finishing (USU finished 96th in the country in passing yards).
McElwain assumes full time duties of the Rams once the BCS title game between Alabama and LSU ends on Jan. 9. At that point, we should start to learn who will be on McElwain's staff.
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