Ellerson is a tremendous hire. His brother was the captain of the 1962 team at West Point, and he helped then-coach Bob Sutton install his version of the Desert Swarm defense (he was an Arizona assistant as well under Dick Tomey) for the 1996 season. That was the last time Army had a winning record, when it went 10-2 and played in the Independence Bowl. But Ellerson is mainly known for his offensive abilities, where he is largely regarded as a triple-option expert. The proof is in the numbers, as Cal-Poly led I-AA last year with 487 yards and 44 (!) points per game in 2008. Still, expect the learning curve to be a bit slow because of the lack of talent. The Black Knights will have to outhustle, outwork and outexecute their opponents if they are to win more than four games for the first time since 1997. |