The case for Cam Cameron as Maryland's next head football coach

Over the coming weeks and months, the Maryland football program will search for a new head coach to replace the departed Randy Edsall. We know who the candidates are, but who should Maryland pick? We'll state every coach's case, whether he wants the job or not, in 500 words or fewer.

Cam Cameron: LSU offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach

Possibility Scale: 3/10

The resume

Cam Cameron was a very talented two-sport athlete at Indiana University, playing both basketball (under Bob Knight) and football (under Lee Corso) before a knee injury ended his collegiate career. After graduating from Indiana, Cameron began his coaching career at the University of Michigan in 1984 as a graduate assistant under Bo Schembechler. He remained at Michigan through 1993, eventually becoming the wide receivers and quarterbacks coach.

Cameron left Michigan to become the quarterbacks coach for the Washington Redskins in 1993, where he remained until he accepted the head coaching job at his alma mater. 

From 1997-2001, Cameron compiled  just an 18-37 record before being fired following the 2001 season, his best with the Hoosiers, when his team went 5-6.

Cameron returned to the NFL as the offensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers in 2002, where he helped engineer high scoring offensive attacks with Drew Brees, Philip Rivers and LaDainian Tomlinson.

In 2007, Cameron took his second head coaching job and his first in the NFL, taking over a struggling Miami Dolphins team. Unfortunately, his team went just 1-15 and he was fired after the season.

Cameron landed as the offensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens the following year, helping develop rookie quarterback Joe Flacco and leading an offense that helped get the Ravens to the playoffs each year he was in Baltimore. But with the team struggling midway through the 2012 season, Cameron was fired by the Ravens prior to their playoff run that ended with a win over the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. 

The following year, Cameron was hired by Les Miles as LSU's new offensive coordinator, where he's currently coaching today.

The benefits

There is little doubt that Cam Cameron has a great offensive mind and ability to develop players. He's done a great job throughout his career working with and adjusting his offense to the strength of those he's coaching, including Drew Brees, Joe Flacco and LaDainian Tomlinson. That would definitely carry a lot of weight on the recruiting trail.

Cameron has also worked with a number of outstanding coaches over the years, including: Bo Schembechler, Les Miles and John Harbaugh and would potentially bring an exciting offensive attack to College Park. He also spent five years in Baltimore with the Ravens, giving him familiarity with the area and the football talent within.

The drawbacks

While Cameron has shown a lot of success as a coordinator, he's really struggled as a head coach, compiling a 19-52 record in his stints at Indiana and with the Miami Dolphins. That's probably not going to excite a lot of people, despite Cameron potentially bringing a high-profile offense to College Park.

In 2015, Cameron also announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. While he's continued coaching, he might not want to take a head coaching job that would require even more time and energy than that of a coordinator.

In one sentence

Cam Cameron would bring an exciting offense to Maryland but his record as a head coach and health conditions will prevent him from coming to College Park.