By Jim Johnson
SouthernPigskin.com

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As much as fans want to get whoever the hottest name out there is, finding a good fit is equally, if not more, important. In Matt Canada, LSU has found both.

More than most people ever give credit for, assistant coaches often make or break their bosses. However, as much as fans want to get whoever the hottest name out there is, finding a good fit is equally, if not more, important. In Matt Canada, LSU has found both.

Canadas stock skyrocketed in 2016, as the Pittsburgh offensive coordinator put together, arguably, the programs most prolific offense ever. The personnel he is inheriting in Baton Rouge mirrors many of the aspects that highlighted the more successful offenses that he has coached over his career.

Having served as offensive coordinator for a couple of one-year stints at Butler in 1997, and Northern Illinois in 2003, Canadas first extended stretch as an OC began at Indiana in 2007. He has maintained that responsibility over the succeeding 10 seasons, at five different schools.

To evaluate Canada, one must evaluate the improvement he oversaw in each debut at the respective schools, relative to his predecessor, as well as the trends over the course of his two multi-year tenures, Indiana from 2007 through 2010 and NC State from 2013 through 2015.

In 2006, the Bill Lynch-led Hoosier offense finished 65th in total offense and 63rd in points per game. Under Matt Canada, in 2007, they jumped up to 39th in scoring offense. That first season was his best at Indiana, — he followed that up with a significant dropoff in 808 and only a moderate bounceback in 809 — but his 2010 campaign is highly underrated.

Using traditional statistics, the 2010 Hoosiers dont quite stack up to the 2007 iteration, but the team finished 37th in opponent adjusted offensive efficiency, up from 57th in his first season, and increased its touchdown rate from 26.2% of possessions to 26.5%, excluding garbage time. (All advanced stats are courtesy of Football Outsiders, use only FBS vs. FBS matchups and exclude garbage time, defined as 8a game is not within 28 points in the first quarter, 24 points in the second quarter, 21 points in the third quarter, or 16 points in the fourth quarter.)

His career in Indiana must be viewed through a unique lens, however, given that the head coach at the time was a former offensive coordinator, promoted from within the program.

Canadas first opportunity to truly prove his worth was when he moved to Northern Illinois, for the 2011 season.

The Huskies were good, offensively, in 2010. Under Canada, they became great. On the surface, the improvement is clear, albeit marginal. They improved from 19th to 11th in yards per game, increased their per game scoring, and remained in the top ten for yards per play.

More pronounced, though, is the improved efficiency, with which the Huskies played. Based on a combined metric (henceforth referred to as S&P+), adjusted for strength of schedule, derived from success rate (50 percent of necessary yardage on first down, 70 percent on second down, and 100 percent on third and fourth down), explosiveness, and drive efficiency, NIU leapt from 31st, nationally, up to 18th. The individual drive efficiency also improved to 17th, up from 35th.

His work at Northern Illinois landed him a job at Wisconsin, after just one season at the helm of the Huskies offense.

Again, the sheer volume numbers betray how well Canada actually did at Wisconsin, perhaps indicating why he flew, relatively, under the radar for so long.

The Badgers ended up a pedestrian 65th, 59th, and 42nd in total offense, scoring, and yards per play under Canadas one-year tenure, in 2012. Fine at best, mediocre at worst. Take a deeper look, though, and Canada coached a Wisconsin group that was 28th in opponent adjusted offensive efficiency, 26th in S&P+, 18th in drive efficiency, and scored a touchdown on 29.9% of non-garbage time possessions.

After 2012, Bret Bielema left for the Arkansas job, leaving some of his staff to find work elsewhere. Amongst them was Canada, who reunited with his former boss at NIU, Dave Doeren, at NC State.

Canadas first year heading up the Pack attack was one for the books. Not, like, real books, but coloring books that you would give to a child in hopes that they would ruin it to the point of disrepair.

The 2013 team stood at an atrocious 71st in yards per game, 98th in points, and 100th in yards per play. The advanced numbers were similarly unforgiving: 93rd in opponent adjusted efficiency, 92nd in S&P+, 94th in drive efficiency, and 112th in touchdown rate, with less than 16% of drives finishing in the end zone.

Obviously, Canada did not enjoy the same first-year success he always seemed to, prior to this job. Nevertheless, here he made, and proved he was capable of, his lone reclamation project, to date.

The following season, NC State miraculously skyrocketed its scoring to 57th in the country, and 42nd in 2015. From 71st, its total offense bettered to 60th in 2014 and 57th in 2015. Canadas unit improved their opponent adjusted efficiency from 93rd to 19th and 26th, their S&P+ to 43rd and 32nd, were 19th and 26th in success rate, and more than doubled their touchdown rate to 33.9% in 814 and 32.8% in 815, good for 27th and 29th, respectively.

That brings Canadas career to the beginning of 2016, now with Pittsburgh. There he reclaimed the one-year wonder title that his debut at NC State had put in jeopardy.

Pitts offense was hot garbage in 2015, under Jim Chaney. That Panther team was 82nd in total offense, 56th in yards per play, 68th in points per game, 42nd in opponent adjusted offensive efficiency, 38th in S&P+, and 58th in touchdown rate, getting six on 26.8% of offensive possessions.

Enter Canada, and a year later, Pittsburghs offense is lightyears better. From 82nd in total offense in 2015, the Panthers sit at 42nd. From 56th in yards per play, theyre 16th. From 68th in points per game, theyre in the top ten.

From 42nd, theyre 12th in opponent adjusted offensive efficiency. From 38th, theyre fourth S&P+. And from 58th in touchdown rate, at 26.8%, theyre amongst the games elite, finding the endzone on an astounding 42.1% of drives, good for ninth in the country.

Somehow, after what Chaney did at Pitt, he was named offensive coordinator at Georgia. Given that Matt Canada is, quite literally, twice as good as his predecessor, it was only a matter of time before he landed a major SEC job, as he has.

Matt Canada has always found a way to move the ball, but hes been at is best with great running backs and offensive line play. After that the rest just falls in place. He wont have Leonard Fournette next season, although no one will shed any tears for him having to settle for Derrius Guice. Coupled with what this year, according to Pro Football Focus, was college footballs highest rated offensive line, Matt Canada is walking into his dream scenario.

Only time will tell if he can invigorate Danny Etling, the way he did Nate Peterman, but all signs point to him at least making the signal caller serviceable.

Yes, Canada has always had talent, from Montee Ball to Jaylen Samuels to James Conner, but he is the common denominator.

Expect LSU to show immediate improvement under Matt Canada, one of the hottest names out there, and a perfect fit, as well. The superficial numbers havent always done him justice, but at a second glance, there arent many better offensive coordinators.