McNulty Arrives With New Perspective for ‘No-Brainer’ Opportunity at BC

John McNulty was coaching in the NFL by the time he was 30. He was on staff with the Jacksonville Jaguars. But he also referred to it as “BC South.”

Tom Coughlin, now a role model of McNulty’s, was the Jags’ head coach. Tight end Pete Mitchell, BC’s third all-time leading receiver, was on the roster. So was linebacker Tom McManus.

“I understand a lot about the fabric and history of this place and how special it is,” McNulty said during his Boston College introductory press conference Tuesday. “This is a great opportunity. But I take it very seriously because it’s also a great responsibility.”

McNulty, most recently Notre Dame’s tight ends coach, is replacing Frank Cignetti Jr.—who was hired away by Pittsburgh this offseason—as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator. McNulty has 15 years of NFL coaching experience and twice served as Rutgers’ OC: first in 2007-08, then in 2018-19.

McNulty discussed getting another chance at calling plays after his latest stint at Rutgers as well as how he has evolved as a coach and offensive mind the last few years. All while injecting some humor.

“I hope this news doesn’t upstage [Tom] Brady’s announcement here in Boston,” McNulty quipped.

It’s no secret that McNulty, like many assistant coaches in the sport, has bounced around the country during his career. So when he landed at Notre Dame in 2020 coaching tight ends—one of the program’s most decorated position groups—leaving for a new job wasn’t at the forefront of his mind. McNulty said that he got calls from NFL teams this offseason inquiring about his availability to return to the league as a position coach. He also heard from other college teams about open OC gigs. But McNulty wanted to stay in South Bend. That was, until BC head coach Jeff Hafley called.

“When it came down to Coach Hafley and this program, that kind of changed everything,” McNulty said.

McNulty and Hafley had crossed paths in the NFL. They both coached under Greg Schiano in Tampa Bay back in 2013. McNulty was the Bucs’ quarterbacks coach, while Hafley served as the team’s defensive backs coach.

“You knew then what was coming ahead for him,” McNulty said. “I think everybody did. … And it’s sort of right on that verge of getting ready to take the next step. So, to me, it was a no-brainer.”

McNulty’s first go-around in Piscataway, New Jersey, was successful. And, at times, even magical. He was there for five years. McNulty started as a wide receivers coach, then was promoted to assistant offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2006, a season in which Rutgers went 11-2, finished No. 12 in the AP Poll and won its first bowl game in school history.

The next year, McNulty was handed the play-calling keys, and he helped the Scarlet Knights become the first FBS program to boast a 3,000-yard passer (Mike Teel), a 2,000-yard rusher (Ray Rice) and a two 1,000-yard receivers (Kenny Britt and Tiquan Underwood). That year, Rutgers set single-season records for scoring (426 points), first downs (294) and total offense (5,841 yards).

McNulty followed that up with a second consecutive 8-5 season, albeit less prolific, in 2008. Still, he made the necessary adjustments to turn a struggling offense—Rutgers averaged 17.5 points over the first six games—into somewhat of a juggernaut. The Scarlet Knights closed the year with a seven-game win streak, racking up 38.9 points per contest.

When he came back to Rutgers in 2018, however, he didn’t pick up where he left off. This time coaching under Chris Ash, McNulty decided to roll with true freshman quarterback Art Sitkowski—the No. 17 pro-style quarterback in the Class of 2018—and it backfired. Sitkowski posted a miserable 4:18 touchdown-to-interception ratio, Rutgers averaged the fewest points in the nation (13.5 per game) and the Scarlet Knights limped to a 1-11 record, including an 0-9 mark in Big Ten play.

McNulty and Ash lasted just four games the subsequent season. After a season-opening win over UMass, Rutgers lost its next three contests by a combined 112-16.

“That was not a great experience,” McNulty said Tuesday. “I quite frankly don’t think it was enough time to really find out how it was going to go. I thought the young quarterback was starting to play well. And then that was it. Which was, in the end, somewhat of a blessing.”

McNulty got a job with Penn State, where he walked on as a safety and won two bowls as a player. He was an offensive analyst for the Nittany Lions that season. Then he was hired by Notre Dame.

In the three years between his coordinator opportunities (Rutgers and now BC), McNulty believes he’s grown as a coach, not only schematically but also interpersonally.

McNulty noted that he was too reliant on pro-style elements in his second stay at Rutgers. He came to realize that, while still important, the pro-style offense isn’t fool proof at this point. More variety and ingenuity is necessary in today’s college football.

“Having a lot of the college elements at your disposal as well, especially when you have athletic quarterbacks who can run and really do a lot of different things,” McNulty said, “it opens up a lot of possibilities that either I was not as comfortable or versed in at that time, or we weren’t really set up to do. But, either way, I think in those three years, or whatever it’s been, I’ve changed a lot.”

McNulty is 53 years old and has been around the block, but he’s not stuck in his ways. He just came from Notre Dame where he worked under offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, a 29-year-old former Fighting Irish quarterback. He made it clear Tuesday that he’s trying to learn from young minds in the profession like Rees. Perhaps what stuck out the most to McNulty about Rees was his ability to connect to players.

“I like the way that he handled the players just [with] a lot more relatability. … I just liked the way he handled his business.”

McNulty conceded that, for most of his career, side conversations with players weren’t prioritized during the whirlwind that a season can be. He said those exchanges were often “lost in translation.” But at Notre Dame, and especially Monday when he officially left the program, McNulty understood just how valuable those interactions are. He recounted how new Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman called the team up to announce McNulty’s departure. The players got up, clapped and gave McNulty goodbye hugs, at which point McNulty had moments with individual players he said he could have and should have shared earlier.

“I had conversations with guys from all positions that I didn’t really have this past season,” McNulty said. “Like a young receiver, I was like, ‘Listen, man, I love you. I think this is what’s in front of you. I think you do this and this, you’re going to be. …’ I’m thinking, ‘Why didn’t I—what was the difference about telling them that yesterday?’”

At BC, McNulty wants there to be accountability within the offense, preferably led by the players, he said. Equally important, though, he wants an open, back-and-forth dialogue between players and coaches.

“I don’t want this to be some sort of transactional feel where I tell you to do this, you do this,” McNulty said. “Like that doesn’t happen anymore, and maybe it shouldn’t have happened ever. I really want to have a good relationship with these guys. And understand that, look, we got each other’s backs.

“We’re all we got.”

McNulty explained that—although he’s going to hit the players with an “avalanche of information” the next few weeks, in regard to his scheme—he’s going to slow things down. Because he wants it to be about BC’s players. He admitted that, when he got to Rutgers in 2018, he immediately put an emphasis on recruiting and developing a scheme before constructing a culture.

“I think I got a lot of work in front of me here to, number one, build a relationship before I worry about how we’re going to get the playbook done.”

Not every offensive coordinator gets to start out with an NFL prospect under center.

“The number one thing is to have an experienced quarterback that’s shown that he can do it at a high level. That is a huge advantage. And he’s returning. That’s a huge advantage.”

As excited as McNulty is to work with redshirt senior quarterback Phil Jurkovec, he is well aware of what happened to BC last season. And he knows the importance of having other quarterbacks ready to perform—with plays that suit their strengths. McNulty doesn’t want to just “throw the book down and say, ‘Hey, here’s the system.’” He favors collaboration and adaptability.

McNulty mentioned how Notre Dame evolved on offense this season with a completely new offensive line and three different quarterbacks.

“I thought it was good that we played three quarterbacks this year at Notre Dame,” McNulty said. “Because I think you have to involve everybody you can on your roster, especially these days in college football. So if there’s a role for a couple guys to do it, then we’ll make sure we let a couple guys have some chances in the games.”

McNulty wants to develop the entire quarterback room, which, of course, is led by Jurkovec. His partner in crime, Zay Flowers, is back, too. And McNulty practically had to pinch himself to believe that Flowers is really here to stay for his senior season.

“He’s been in my office twice already,” McNulty said Tuesday. “I’ve been here since 9 a.m.”

McNulty continued: “Every time the guy was in games, he made ridiculous plays. That’s what it felt like. Like it got to the point as we were watching cut-ups, it was like, ‘Oh, this guy again.’”

McNulty said he already told Flowers and fellow wideout Jaelen Gill that he’s going to lean on them next season. He brought up how offense is all about getting the ball to your best playmakers, early and often. That means speed sweeps and screens, he said.

“There are enough dynamic players here on the perimeter and in the backfield that it’s really going to be about getting the ball to them and letting them work,” McNulty said.