Being the offensive coordinator for BYU football is not an easy job. The school is steeped in tradition and is best known for putting up Nintendo numbers on offense.

During the LaVell Edwards era, the Cougars frequently ranked near the top in the NCAA in passing yards and scoring. Anyone who dares to be the offensive coordinator at the Y has to face incredibly high expectations, and the Cougar faithful have run a few out of town.

The man charged with this difficult task currently is Robert Anae. Anae has been the subject of heavy criticism during much of his time as the Cougars' primary offensive play-caller. Two games into the 2015 schedule, and with many years backing up this sentiment, it's time that Anae be given his dues as a terrific offensive coordinator. Here are a few reasons why.

Anae is adaptable
One of the consistent criticisms of Anae during his tenure at BYU is that he is inflexible and not capable of adapting. During the last two seasons, however, Anae has displayed an impressive ability to adapt to his team's strengths and put them in the best position to succeed.

In his second go-around as the chief play caller, Anae installed an offensive scheme molded to suit BYU's uber-athletic quarterback Taysom Hill. In 2013, the Cougs were a running team with the staple play being the zone read. Hill and Jamaal Williams put up 2,577 rushing yards and put the ball in the end zone 17 times on the ground.

In 2014, Anae began opening the playbook as Hill progressed as a passer but still tailored his offense to Hill's abilities as a runner. When Hill went down and Christian Stewart was called upon, Anae completely revamped the offense and turned the Cougars into a pass-first team. Surprisingly enough, the offense actually had a higher point per game average after Hill got hurt in 2014. All told, Stewart wound up throwing for 25 touchdowns in just nine games.

Likewise, Anae has put backup Tanner Mangum in great positions to succeed in his first two games at the helm. Against Boise State, Anae continued to pound the ball to take pressure off of his young quarterback. Anae has shown a willingness to adapt schemes to the talent he has around him, and that's part of what has made him a successful coordinator.

Anae knows how to install offensive schemes
There have been many complaints directed at Anae, but most BYU fans admit that Anae knows how to install and run great offensive schemes. During his first reign as coordinator, Anae implemented a version of the Texas Tech offense. Through his first couple of games in 2005, Anae called predominantly pass plays and did not try to incorporate the run game. When this offense did not have the desired results, Anae modified the scheme and implemented a more balanced offense. The tinkering with the scheme paid great dividends, and the team became an offensive powerhouse in his six seasons as the main offensive mind. In Anae's first six years controlling the offense, the Cougars ended up in the top 25 in scoring three times, including two top 10 finishes.

In his second go-around, Anae brought a completely different offensive scheme to the Cougars with a hurry-up offense he called "go fast, go hard." He's had similar results with this new offense; last year, BYU averaged 34.8 points per game which was good for the 23rd highest scoring average in the nation. With both schemes that he has implemented at the Y, Anae has garnered results and has shown that he knows how to install quality offensive schemes.

Anae is great at developing players
One thing that Anae does not get enough credit for is his ability to develop players. He has gotten the best out of many of his players and their growth is a byproduct of his ability to teach the game of football.

One case in point is the first quarterback he worked with: John Beck. Beck's first two seasons as a Cougar under Gary Crowton were up and down and the only thing that was consistent with Beck was his inconsistency. By the time Anae got to him, he was somewhat of a mess. As a full-time starter in 2004, Beck only logged 15 touchdown passes. In Anae's first season, Beck would almost double his production and threw for 28 touchdowns. By the end of his senior year, Beck had become the conference player of the year and is often regarded as one of the best signal callers to play for Quarterback U.

Another case in point is former Cougar signal caller Jake Heaps. When Heaps got to BYU he had a lot of hype, but his first few career starts were nothing short of ugly. Heaps was erratic and looked like a deer in the headlights much of the time. By the end of the season, however, Heaps looked like the next great quarterback at BYU. It would have been interesting to see what Heaps could have done had Anae stayed after the 2010 season.
All told, Anae coached players that ended up breaking records at BYU. He took a walk-on in Dennis Pitta and turned him into the school's all-time leading receiver and an NFL-caliber tight end. He got the most out of Max Hall, the team's winningest quarterback in school history. Anae also helped Curtis Brown and Harvey Unga become the school's all-time leading rushers. It will be exciting to see what he can do for the rest of the season with the young and inexperienced Mangum.

Anae has a great win-loss record
At the end of the day, winning is the most important thing. Stats are great, but nobody cares about them if the team is not winning. In this regard, Anae has been a very successful offensive coordinator. In all, teams he has coached have compiled a 74-31 record or a 70 percent winning percentage. Each one of his teams has reached a bowl game — an impressive feat. With Mendenhall leading the defense, Anae has proven that he is capable of generating points through his first nine seasons. The Cougars have ridden his offensive mind to consistent year by year results.

It's time BYU fans acknowledge what that they have in a pretty darn good offensive coordinator.