TCU is gearing up for the Alamo Bowl against No. 16 USC, and with Kendal Briles now off to South Carolina, the Horned Frogs have made a key decision about who will be calling the shots on offense. Tight ends coach Mitch Kirsch will take over play-calling duties, stepping into a pivotal role as TCU looks to finish the season strong.
But this won't be a one-man operation. Head coach Sonny Dykes made it clear that the entire offensive staff will be hands-on in crafting the game plan.
“We’ll kind of do it as a staff,” Dykes said Friday. “It’s put a little bit more onus on everybody in the room.
I think it’s been good for our coaches. I think our guys are really dialed in on a game plan.”
That collaborative approach is about more than just spreading out responsibilities - it’s about tailoring the offense to what quarterback Ken Seals does best. With Josh Hoover entering the transfer portal, Seals steps in as the starter, and the coaching staff is focused on building a plan that plays to his strengths. Dykes emphasized the importance of keeping things “simple, yet creative,” a balance that could be the difference-maker against a USC defense that’s had its share of ups and downs.
As for game-day logistics, Kirsch will be up in the press box, while Dykes stays on the field. Assistant tight ends coach Jacob Oehrlein will handle direct communication with the quarterbacks. It’s a team effort, but Kirsch will be the one with the headset and the final say on play calls.
This is a big moment for Kirsch, who’s been quietly climbing the coaching ladder since joining TCU in 2021 as a senior offensive analyst. He was promoted to tight ends coach in 2024, and now he’ll have a chance to show what he can do with the keys to the offense in a bowl game setting.
Dykes even brought up a familiar name when talking about Kirsch’s opportunity: Lincoln Riley. Back in 2009, Riley was a young wide receivers coach at Texas Tech when a coaching change thrust him into the play-caller role during a bowl game. He made the most of it, eventually becoming Ruffin McNeill’s offensive coordinator at East Carolina - and the rest, as they say, is history.
“There’s a guy that had this same opportunity,” Dykes said. “He called the game, they scored a bunch of points, and then Lincoln went on to be Ruffin’s offensive coordinator at East Carolina. And you know, he had a decent career.”
That “decent career” has led Riley to the other sideline in this very game. Now the head coach at USC, Riley enters the Alamo Bowl with a 90-27 record between his time at Oklahoma and Southern Cal.
For Kirsch, this is more than just a one-game audition - it’s a chance to prove he’s ready for more responsibility in the future. And for TCU, it’s an opportunity to see how their offense responds to a new voice in the booth, with a quarterback looking to make his mark and a staff rallying together to keep the momentum going.