Spaziani moves quickly

Tranquill hired to coach BC offense

FRANK SPAZIANIHelp wanted

Boston College football coach Frank Spaziani returned to The Heights yesterday after a week of recruiting and hired close friend and former Navy coach Gary Tranquill as his offensive coordinator, according to sources close to the program.

Spaziani moved quickly to fill the opening after offensive line coach and assistant head coach Jack Bicknell departed from his alma mater to become the assistant offensive line coach of the New York Giants.

With recruiting season ending in less than two weeks and another big recruiting weekend looming, Spaziani still has to put together a coaching staff and a recruiting class.

Tranquill's hiring should be announced today.

The in-house favorite had been wide receivers coach Ryan Day, considered a rising star and top recruiter.

After a day of phone calls and interviews, Spaziani settled on an old friend with vast experience. Tranquill's relationship with Spaziani dates more than 20 years, and they worked on George Welsh's staff at Virginia in 1990, Spaziani as defensive coordinator, Tranquill as quarterbacks coach.

Tranquill, 58, has more than 40 years of coaching experience on the college and professional levels. He was the head coach at Navy for five seasons (1982-86), compiling a 20-34-1 record. He left his post as offensive coordinator at North Carolina after the 2005 season, announcing his retirement.

Spaziani must also solidify his defensive staff, with linebackers coach Bill McGovern expected to be promoted to coordinator.

Bicknell joined former head coach Jeff Jagodzinski (fired) and offensive coordinator Steve Logan (resigned) on the list of former BC coaches.

Bicknell wanted to be BC's head coach after Jagodzinski was fired by athletic director Gene DeFilippo two weeks ago. Bicknell also was among the candidates for the head job at the University of Massachusetts, which went to Kevin Morris, who was the Minutemen's offensive coordinator.

"I've got nothing bad to say about BC," Bicknell said yesterday. "To me, at this point in my career, I felt I had been a coordinator, I've been a Division 1A head coach, I've been a position coach. I haven't done it in the NFL. I want so see what it's like.

"Working with Coach [Tom] Coughlin [once the quarterbacks coach at BC for Bicknell's father, Jack] in one of the great organizations is an opportunity I could not pass up."

University of Miami coach Randy Shannon is close to naming former UMass coach Mark Whipple offensive coordinator, according to a source close to the situation. Whipple is an offensive assistant coach for the Philadelphia Eagles.