"I am happy to be a part of the rebirth of Old Dominion football. Offensively we will be wide open. We'll look to recruit the top players in the state and let them showcase their ability in front of 20,000 people at Foreman Field. We will run the "spread" offense similar to Florida, and try to create mismatches for our playmakers. We will constantly put pressure on the defense with our up-tempo style of play. Our fans will be excited to watch the style of offense we will play. "
- Coach Scott
Brian Scott has been with Old Dominion football since the beginning in 2009 and finished his 12th season as offensive coordinator in 2018.
Scott led the high-flying offense to 30.8 points per game, up 10 points per game from 2017 and fourth in Conference USA, and averaged 297.0 yards per game through the air, second in Conference USA and No. 15 in FBS.
Blake LaRussa took over in the fourth game of the season at quarterback and led ODU to one of the biggest upsets in college football history as ODU defeated No. 13 Virginia Tech, 49-35. LaRussa threw for a C-USA best 495-yards, the second most ever allowed by a Tech defense. LaRussa earned multiple National Player of the Week awards and was named C-USA Player of the Week. LaRussa finished second in C-USA with 274.1 yards per game and led league quarterbacks with six, 300-yard passing games. His 274.1 yards per game was 14th in FBS.
Under Scott's tutelage, wide receivers Travis Fulgham and Jonathan Duhart became the first ODU duo to record 1,000 yard receiving in the same season. Fulgham led Conference USA with 1,083 yards, while Duhart finished with 1,045, and led C-USA with 74 receptions. Fulgham played in the Reese's Senior Bowl, while Duhart participated in the East-West Shrine Game.
A year after graduating senior quarterback David Washington, the ODU offense was taken over by true freshman Steven Williams in 2017. Williams' first career start came at Virginia Tech and the improvement each week from the then 17-year old was noticeable. In the final four games of the year, Williams completed 68 percent of his passes for 664 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers, while rushing for 101 yards and two more touchdowns.
Ray Lawry, Nick Clarke and Isaac Weaver earned honorable mention Conference USA honors, while Weaver earned all-freshman accolades.
Lawry leaves the Monarchs as the program's all-time leading rusher and all-time leading FBS rusher in Virginia.
Scott led the ODU offensive attack to its best finishes in Conference USA, leading the league in rushing and setting a school record with 2,559 yards, and finishing fourth in scoring offense at 35.1 points per game.
Running back Ray Lawry led the team with 1,255 rushing yards, breaking his old record, while Zach Pascal caught 65 passes for 946 yards and nine touchdowns. Quarterback David Washington, in his first full season as the starter, completed 202-of-340 passes for 2,836 yards and 31 touchdown passes and finished second in the country in touchdown to interception ratio.
Switching to a more ground orientated attack in 2015 due to the graduation of four-year starter and current Minnesota Viking Taylor Heinicke, Ray Lawry led the way for the 2015 Monarchs on offense becoming ODU's first 1,000 yard rusher as he led C-USA with 1,136 yards. Lawry also became ODU's all-time leading rusher with 2,083 yards. Zach Pascal registered 68 catches, second most in a single-season and set a program record with 1,549 all-purpose yards. Both Pascal and Lawry were named to the All-Conference USA team.
In Old Dominion's first full season in FBS and Conference USA, ODU averaged 33 points per game and 442 yards per game.
Scott's offense finished second in Conference USA in passing offense and third in total offense. Quarterback Taylor Heinicke finished in the top-10 in the FBS in passing yards and touchdown passes while running back Ray Lawry was named Conference USA Freshman of the Year, and led all freshman with 7.1 yards per carry. Wide receiver Antonio Vaughan led the league with 1,019 receiving yards and was named FIrst-Team All-Conference while center Josh Mann received First-Team accloades.
The 2013 version of the ODU offense was just as action packed as past groups, as the Monarchs offense finished ranked in the top-10 in the FBS in scoring offense, total offense and passing offense. ODU averaged 42.3 points per game which was seventh in the country and 519 yards per game which was also seventh in the nation. The passing offense averaged 359.4 yards per game and rounded out the year in sixth.
For the second-straight season, quarterback Taylor Heinicke surpassed 4,000 yards passing and 30 plus touchdowns, while wide receivers Larry Pinkard and Antonio Vaughan led a group of receivers that had four players garner more than 40 receptions.
The offensive line was led by four-year starter Jack Lowney, as well as seniors D.J. Morrell and David Born. Born injured his knee midway through the season and was replaced by Tyler Fisher who started the final six games at left guard and became ODU's first ever true freshman to start on the offensive line.
Prior to the 2012 season, the ODU offense under Scott was one of the best in the nation, ranking in the top-10 nationally in several categories. In 2012 the Monarchs took off, leading the FCS in scoring offense with 45.15 points per game, passing offense at 393.85 and total offense with 548.23 yards per game. ODU quarterback Taylor Heinicke led the nation in passing yards, passing yards per game, touchdown passes, total touchdowns, total offense and points responsible for. Wide receiver Nick Mayers finished the year with 16 touchdown catches, which tied him for second in the country.
The ODU offense led by Scott had six players on the CAA All-Conference team while Heinicke, Nick Mayers and Jack Lowney earned numerous All-America honors. Left guard David Born and Lowney at left tackle earned All-CAA honors. Heinicke, Mayers and Lowney also earned All-America honors. Scott was a finalist for Footballscoop.com Coordinator of the Year.
Scott was elevated to Associate Head Coach following the Monarchs’ 2011 campaign that saw ODU reach new heights with a 10-3 overall mark, a No. 10 national ranking, and a berth to the NCAA Division I Football Championships.
In 2011, Scott’s offense not only was among the top of the highly competitive Colonial Athletic Association, but the nation yet again. The Monarch offensive line helped pave the way for ODU to rank fifth nationally and lead the CAA in scoring offense at 36.69 points per game as well as 10th nationally among FCS schools and top the league in total offense averaging 439.08 yards per contest. ODU averaged 168.15 yards of rushing offense, third in the league, and 270.92 yards of passing offense, second in the league and 18th in the country. Four Monarchs from the offense earned All-CAA honors in ODU’s first season in the league.
The second season of Old Dominion football in 2010 saw the Monarchs collect an 8-3 mark in its final season of playing independent football before moving to the CAA. The Monarchs ranked eighth in the country in scoring offense fueled by quarterback and Walter Payton Award Watch List member Thomas DeMarco who finished seventh in the nation in total offense. The Monarch offense averaged 33.55 points per game.
After helping head coach Bobby Wilder and his team to a 9-2 overall mark in the inaugural campaign for Old Dominion in 2009, Scott was among the four finalists for FootballScoop.com’s D-1AA Coordinator of the Year.
Under Scott’s leadership in the inaugural campaign, the ODU offense finished third nationally in scoring offense averaging 35 points per contest and 18th nationally in total offense averaging just under 400 yards per game. Additionally, the Monarchs ranked second nationally in sacks allowed and ninth among all FCS schools in fewest turnovers on the year with 14. ODU’s offensive efforts saw the Monarchs score 28 touchdowns in 39 red zone opportunities.
Prior to joining the Monarch coaching staff, Scott had served as recruiting coordinator, offensive line, running back and tight ends coach at Maine since 2003. In his first season as the offensive line coach, he helped tutor senior co-captain and center Ben Lazarski, who was named an Associated Press third-team All-American. He also tutored Josh Radulski who earned second team All-Atlantic 10 honors in 2004 as he totaled 29 receptions for 271 yards and five touchdowns.
Scott coached the wide receivers, tight ends, and kickoff return team during the 2001 season at the University of Tennessee-Martin. Two of his receivers finished in the top five in receptions per game in the Ohio Valley Conference. He also guided the Skyhawks kickoff return team from last place in the nine-team league in 2002 to third place in the league in 2003.
Before Tennessee-Martin, Scott served as the quarterback coach in 2002 at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, an NCAA Division II institution. He was instrumental in developing a new passing scheme that set new school records for completions, pass attempts and passing yards in a single season.
In 2000 and 2001, Scott was the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at Cony High School in Augusta, Maine. He implemented a new offensive game plan that helped Cony reach the Class A State playoffs for the first time in 10 years.
After a brilliant high school career as a quarterback at Waterville High School, Scott joined the Maine football team in 1995. He served as a back-up quarterback for three seasons before getting the nod as the starter in 1999. He won the Maine Sports Hall of Fame Special Achievement Award, and is the tenth all-time leading passer at the school.
Scott earned a B.S. in Communications from the University of Maine in 2000.
The Scott File:
Hometown: Waterville, Maine
High School: Waterville
College: Maine `00
Recruiting Areas:
Primary: All Offensive Prospects
Auxiliary: Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, California, New Mexico, Texas
JUCO/Prep: California, Arizona, New Mexico
Coaching History:
2014: Old Dominion University - Associate Head Coach/Offensive Game Plan and Play Caller
2012 -2014: Old Dominion University - Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line
2007 - 2011: Old Dominion University - Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line
2004 - 2006: University of Maine - Recruiting Coordinator/Offensive Line/Running Backs/Tight End
2003: University of Tennessee - Martin - Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends/Special Teams
2002: University of Massachusetts - Lowell - Quarterbacks
2000 - 2001: Cony High School - Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
All-Conference Monarchs Under Coach Scott:
2017: Ray Lawry (RB) - C-USA HM
2017: Nick Clarke (OL) - C-USA HM
2017: Isaac Weaver (OL - C-USA HM
2016: Zach Pascal (WR) - Second-Team All-C-USA
2016: Troy Butler (OL) - Second-Team All-C-USA
2015: Ray Lawry (RB) - Second-Team All-C-USA
2015: Zach Pascal (WR) - Second-Team All-C-USA
2015: Nick Clarke (OL) - C-USA HM
2014: Antonio Vaughan (WR) - First-Team All-C-USA
2014: Josh Mann (WR) - First-Team All-C-USA
2014: Taylor Heinicke (QB) - C-USA HM
2014: Tyler Fisher (OL) - C-USA HM
2014: Zach Pascal (WR) - C-USA HM
2012: David Born - Second Team All-CAA
2012: Jack Lowney - Third Team All-CAA
2011: Jeremy Hensley - Third Team All-CAA