As one of the most storied quarterbacks in Washington State football history, Jason Gesser left a lasting impact on the Palouse and more specifically a Cougar team that experienced its first back-to-back 10-win seasons during his tenure. Having turned 33 last week, Gesser, despite his youth, has brought experience and familiarity to his newly acquired offensive coordinator position at Idaho.
The Honolulu native made quick work during the little time he’s had in Moscow, and after spending a year as the Vandals’ running backs coach, Gesser was named WAC Recruiter of the Year after his efforts helped Idaho attain the top recruiting class in the conference.
While Gesser’s offensive coordinator role at Idaho appears to be a demanding one, especially with a Vandal offense that finished last in the WAC in 2011, the relationships he has with the coaching staff may provide an extra sense of comfort.
During his time at Washington State, he built relationships with Robb Akey, who was the Cougars’ defensive line coach, and Idaho receivers coach Mike Levenseller, who took on offensive coordinator responsibilities at WSU in 2001, Gesser’s junior year.
“Akey’s been a guy I’ve respected and loved for a handful of years, from the first day he stepped on at WSU as one of our assistant coaches,” Gesser said. “For a coach like that to say, ‘Hey here you go I think you’re ready for it, you’ve got all my trust and respect and everything,’ that meant a whole lot to me.”
Akey describes Gesser as “a tough son of a gun” and someone who makes the most of opportunities. His competitive nature is a gleaming characteristic Akey said he recognized almost immediately after he was hired at WSU 13 years ago.
“What I saw over there was a great competitor … He was a tremendous leader for us and his competitiveness alone was something pretty special and he made some things happen during a championship season,” Akey said. “He was beat up pretty good for a scrawny little dude and he came in there and played his tail off at all points in time.”
Gesser’s burning passion for football led him to a professional career that saw him manage the Tennessee Titans of the NFL, Calgary Stampeders of the CFL and Utah Blaze of the AFL.
After a few years coaching high school football in western Washington, Gesser returned to the Palouse, where Akey didn’t hesitate to bring him on as the running backs coach.
Akey is less than surprised that a number of the qualities he saw in Gesser as a quarterback have translated to his offensive coordinator responsibilities.
“I saw a lot of things I expected to — I saw the competitiveness, I saw a good teacher and that’s the bottom line,” Akey said. “He’s got a passion about what he does, he did a nice job recruiting for us and he certainly latched onto the new opportunity that is in front of him right now.”
Still, Gesser would be lying if he said he wasn’t star-struck by the opportunity that Akey bestowed upon him.
“I was stoked obviously, I was hoping to become the quarterbacks coach, that’s the position I was most comfortable with … But also to be the coordinator, it was something that I really didn’t know how to take at the time, one of those things that you’re so happy, you don’t know how to respond,” Gesser said.
As a quarterback Gesser earned Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year honors, but his knowledge isn’t limited to the position he became acquainted with in eighth grade, when a broken left arm prevented him from playing every other position in a physical education class.
Vandal players appreciate his versatility, something that will be necessary as Idaho’s offensive signal caller this fall.
“When I think of Gesser I don’t think of him as a previous running backs coach or a quarterbacks coach or offensive coordinator,” wide receiver Mike Scott said. “He knows so much about every position, obviously playing quarterback you have to know what each and every person on offense is doing at all times so when it comes to receiver, it seems like he’s played receiver.”
At 33, Gesser is nearly half as old as Idaho’s previous offensive coordinator Steve Axman, who retired at age 64.
Though some of the Vandals’ older coaches contribute experience, according to Scott, Gesser is able to relate to the players better.
“There are some guys who are more old-school, they have their old tendencies … But Gesser, he’s young, he’s hip, he knows what happens now, he has his little Mohawk,” Scott said. “We can talk to him as someone who’s played a few years ago. He has a good feel of where we’re at.”
Idaho’s offense will remain fairly unchanged from last season, and while Gesser may not employ a different approach to the offense during the spring season, the authoritative role he’s acquired allows him to try out new schemes.
“Now since he has that OC on his nametag it’s kind of like, ‘Yo, I’m running the show now, I’m the puppet master and these are my puppets,'” Scott said.
Theo Lawson can be reached at [email protected]