McGee spurns Oklahoma, stays at U of L
Louisville offensive coordinator Garrick McGee is staying put.
McGee was "connected to a few college and NFL openings" in recent weeks, particularly Oklahoma's open offensive coordinator position, but he ultimately stuck with the Cardinals and received a raise, ESPN reported Thursday night.
U of L could not confirm the details of the reported raise on Thursday night, but did announce McGee's choice to stay on head coach Bobby Petrino's staff.
CoachingSearch.com reported Thursday afternoon that the Sooners had targeted McGee, who played quarterback for two seasons at Oklahoma in the mid-1990s, to replace dismissed co-offensive coordinators Josh Heupel and Jay Norvell. He was expected to interview with Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops within the next few days.
Another coaching site, FootballScoop.com, reported that Petrino reached out to Stoops and recommended McGee, but a source with knowledge of the situation refuted that report, saying it was Stoops who contacted Petrino and asked for permission to speak with McGee.
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"I appreciate the offer from Bob Stoops and my alma mater to interview for their vacant OC position," McGee said in a statement released by U of L.
"OU has a special place in my heart, but Bobby Petrino and the University of Louisville are very special to me. I love where our program is headed, and I appreciate the investment the university has made in me and my family."
McGee, an Oklahoma native, just finished his first year at Louisville, where he also serves as the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach. He joined Petrino's staff last January after two seasons as the head coach at UAB.
The 41-year-old McGee's original three-year deal with U of L paid him $650,000 annually in salary, making him the 28th-highest-paid assistant coach among public-school programs last season, according to USA Today's coaches' salary database.
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Louisville finished the 2014 season with a 9-4 record and lost, 37-14, to Georgia in the Belk Bowl.
The Cardinals' offense endured a topsy-turvy season. Their starting quarterbacks were injured three times throughout the campaign, and star receiver DeVante Parker, a projected first-round NFL draft pick, missed the first seven games of the season with a foot injury.
Louisville also struggled with offensive line inconsistency and a lack of big-play threats at receiver when Parker was out. The Cards finished 53rd in the nation in scoring and 72nd in total offense, ranking 47th in passing and 95th in rushing.
They did, however, have four different rushers surpass the 100-yard rushing mark in a game this season, and Parker finished with 855 yards and five touchdowns in just six games.
McGee and Petrino both received praise for their handling of the quarterbacks, Will Gardner, Reggie Bonnafon and Kyle Bolin, each of whom had at least one big game for the Cardinals.
"Garrick is one of the brightest young offensive minds, and I am excited that he is committed to being a part of what we are building at the University of Louisville," Petrino said in the U of L statement.
"I've known Garrick for a long time, and he is someone I trust. We have won a lot of football games together, and I'm happy he wants to help U of L win a championship."