Why Mike Leach recommended Brett Bartolone to run Deion Sanders’ offense at Jackson State

Seven or eight weeks into last season, Jackson State football’s offense had become so predictable that opponents were calling out plays before they happened, according to coach Deion Sanders.

So, when Sanders decided to take the offense in a new direction and hire a new offensive coordinator in the offseason, he turned to Mississippi State coach Mike Leach for suggestions.

One of the names Leach brought up was Brett Bartolone, the former Nevada offensive analyst whom Sanders ended up hiring for the position.

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“We’ve got to move the ball, we’ve got to be a lot more creative,” Sanders said during ESPN’s broadcast of JSU’s spring game. “So who do you go to? A guy like Mike Leach (and say) ‘Give me three guys that you think can do the job.’ We interviewed them well and extensively and Brett won it out.”

Bartolone was a member of Leach’s first Washington State recruiting class. He led the Cougars in catches as a freshman in 2012 before shoulder surgery ended his playing career the following year. He spent his junior and senior years in college as a student-assistant coach under Leach.

Leach continued to keep an eye on Bartolone’s career after he graduated.

“Just a really good mind for football, he always studied like crazy. Heck, he even went and coached in France,” Leach told The Clarion-Ledger. “You know a guy is going to be a pretty good coach if he’ll go anywhere and coach anywhere, which he does. He was at a couple schools I hadn’t heard of, and he just keeps getting better as a coach so I was very happy to recommend him to Coach Sanders.”

Story continues

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Frank Mazzotta, who coached Bartolone at La Habra High School near Los Angeles, describes Bartolone as an “old soul” who was more mature than other players his age. Bartolone played varsity all four years of his high school career.

“He was a receiver, but he did everything,” Mazzotta said. “Fly sweeps, screens, he carried the ball from the backfield, he was our wildcat quarterback. He was returning kicks. He was just a do-everything stud. I think that gave him a good perspective of offense doing all those things.”

Nevada offensive analyst Brett Bartolone has been named offensive coordinator at Jackson State.

Mazzotta said Bartolone, who was listed at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds during his playing days, had a knack for making plays. The footwork on his cuts, his knowledge of how to get separation on routes, and ability to read blocks on kick returns came early at the high school level.

“He (Bartolone) just had a great career, but he’s not the most imposing guy,” Mazzotta said. “So Mike Leach gets the job at Wazzu and he just falls in love with Brett. And I think, I’m just speculating, that maybe there was a little reminiscence, maybe a little Wes Welker look from his Texas Tech days. Brett got in there and started for Leach in his first season and if it weren’t for double shoulder surgery, who knows what he could have accomplished?”

Bartolone has already accomplished quite a bit as a coach, being hired to run Deion Sanders’ offense less than a decade after his college career was cut short.

He’s already established a level of trust with Sanders and quarterback Shedeur Sanders, which is key. Now he’ll be tasked with adding enough variety to the JSU offense to keep opponents on their heels.

“Shedeur felt good with him, I felt good with him,” Sanders said. “Coach Flea (running backs coach Gary Harrell) felt good with him, so we brought him in and he’s been doing a phenomenal job. He does not play, and I love it. But, it all depends on the offensive front.”

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Why Mike Leach suggested Brett Bartolone to run Deion Sanders’ offense