FanPost

Looking at the Coaches: Offensive Line


Offensive Line Coach: George Yarno

Lions Bio:

George Yarno enters his second season as Detroit’s offensive line coach. Prior to joining the Lions’ coaching staff, Yarno spent the 2008 season as the assistant offensive line coach with Tampa Bay after spending 17 years at the college level working with the offensive line.

From 2003-07, Yarno worked at his alma mater, Washington State, in his second stint as the school’s offensive line coach. During the 2003 season, he guided All-Pac-10 selections Josh Parrish (first team) and Calvin Armstrong (honorable mention) to become 2003 Holiday Bowl champions. Yarno began his coaching career with the Cougars from 1991-94.

Over the course of his 17-year college coaching career, Yarno served as an offensive line coach at both LSU (2001-02), helping the team win an SEC title (2001) and at Arizona State (2000). Yarno also served as an assistant head coach/offensive line coach at Houston (1998-99) and as an offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at Idaho (1995-97).

Prior to coaching, Yarno was a two-time Pack-10 conference honoree as a defensive lineman at Washington State (1975-79). In1979 he signed as a free agent with Tampa Bay where he played for five years (1979-1983). Yarno later joined the Denver Gold of the upstart USFL (1984-85) before returning to the Buccaneers (1985-87). Yarno finished out his NFL playing career with Atlanta (1988), Houston (1989) and Green Bay (1990).
Born August 12, 1957, Yarno and his wife, Cindy, have three children, Josh, Adrianne and George.


YARNO’S COACHING BACKGROUND

Detroit Lions 2009-present
• Offensive Line 2009-present

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2008
• Assistant Offensive Line 2008

Washington State 2003-07
• Offensive Line 2003-07

Louisiana State 2001-02
• Offensive Line 2001-02

Arizona State 2000
• Offensive Line 2000

Houston 1998-99
• Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line 1998-99

Idaho 1995-97
• Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line 1995-97

Washington State 1991-94
• Offensive Line 1991-94

What we have here is a guy that was a defensive player in the league for 9 years, with a 1 year stint in the forgettable USFL. At first I found it a bit odd that a defensive lineman goes into coaching and ends up an Offensive Line Coach. Then I started to think...

Who knows better what a defensive lineman is going to do to try and beat their offensive opponent? A defensive lineman. I like the idea that we have a guy that was coached up as a player on how to beat an offensive lineman, now he's taking the tricks he learned and helping create better offensive lines.

In the Lions bio it talks about how good his offensive lines were where he coached. I just have one thing to point out to show that this guy knows what he's doing. Jeff Backus has played probably his best football of his career the last two years. Here is a guy that was sturdy (although many of us will say he's reliable as far as starting, but not as far as blocking) and an average left tackle. The Lions FO and coaches went out of their way and singled him out this past year saying that he was playing at a pro bowl level.

Not enough proof? Let's look at Gos. How many people were scratching their heads and cursing Millen's name with this pick? I'll raise my hand with no hesitation. I thought this was the most boneheaded idiotic pick of the draft. I still don't think it's great, but with Yarno as the coach Gos has started turning into a pretty decent player.

My biggest complaint about Yarno, his line isn't the best run blockers. I'm not sure if he teaches more about pass blocking, or run blocking is more difficult. I'm hoping that it just takes a little longer to fine tune a good blocking scheme.

I look forward to seeing what Yarno can do with Jason Fox and Johnny "The Cobra" Culbreath...okay, that's not really his nickname but I think it's catchy. If this guy can turn Backus into a guy the coaches think is pro bowl material, and make me rethink my despise of the Gos draft pick, I look forward to seeing if he can polish these two up. If he can get the run blocking going and the players can stay healthy, the Lions OLine could be pretty formidable.

**Correction**

While the Lions website lists him as being a defensive line man. It appears he actually played as an offensive lineman at the pro level. I'm not sure now if the Lions blundered on their page, or if he switched after college. One thing I do know, Yarno did attempt an extra point in extra point while playing with the Bucs in 1983. Unlike Suh, he made his. He also did it left footed(guessing he's right handed because I don't know why this would be mentioned otherwise).

Thanks for the notice YpsilantiJeff

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