Danny Collins to DC per RB

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Great selection. We are not talking about neurosurgery. He has already spent years living and breathing football and I am confident he understands defense and what the appropriate tactics to be employed depending on the offensive schemes.
 

Eastside Forever said:
Great selection. We are not talking about neurosurgery. He has already spent years living and breathing football and I am confident he understands defense and what the appropriate tactics to be employed depending on the offensive schemes.
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It's not neurosurgery, but it is carpet science!
 


short ornery norwegian said:
maybe this is a semantics thing - but if he's being promoted to Defensive Coordinator, why not just say that instead of "defensive play caller?" Unless this is going to be one of those co-coordinator things like on offense, where Harbaugh is Co-coordinator with Simon but Harbaugh is the one calling the plays.
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Monroe is already the Co-Defensive Coordinator, so maybe the "play caller" language specifies that Collins will also be in the gameday play calling role? This is probably what Heatherman's role was. Just guessing.
 


I'm satisfied with this move. While I do have some worries about him not having any DC experience, I also think that the timing of this is tough and it might be hard to find an external DC candidate with experience that would mesh well with Fleck. As well, I think this is a move to hopefully provide some stability for the next few years, since Danny Collins has been with Fleck for a while now he probably is more likely to stay if other schools come calling should he do well at the position.

The last thing Fleck wants to happen, IMO, is to bring in a DC with experience but little ties to the rest of the coaching staff, the players, and the university just to have them jump ship at the end of next year because a different school with cash to burn poached them. Danny Collins has an established relationship with Fleck and (at least some of) the players on the team.

I hope he does well, but am already preparing for there to be some (hopefully very brief) growing pains next season in his new position.
 

Before you coach them, you have to recruit them. I would think Danny’s connection to the program long term makes him a more honest broker. Not sure that will land the right high schoolers and transfers though.
 

NateDawgUM said:
The best institutions groom and hire from within. This should be viewed as a positive.
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Not only that.....in an era where players are jumping ship and transferring all over the place....keeping coaches around who they have a relationship with is a good way to try and keep players committed to and invested in the program.
 

mngg11 said:
We've done well with DC since the firing of the dude that led to Rossi, I'm okay with this. He's an internal guy for a defense that's been spectacular on average since Fleck's been here.
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Robb Smith is still in the business as a defensive analyst for Penn State. I hope he has learned the importance of containing the edge (which he didn't do well at here). After leaving here, he was an analyst at Texas A&M for one year, defensive coordinator at Rutgers for two years, and defensive coordinator at Duke for one year, before landing his current spot in Happy Valley in 2023.
 





mkAz said:
Has he ever called defensive plays before? At any level?
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Kevin O'Connell never called plays before becoming the Vikings head coach and I think he has been 👌. Collins has been literally every kind of coach and assistant you can damn near be, from GA to QC to pass game coordinator to safeties coach, etc. He knows the defense, knows what Fleck wants and if I'm betting probably has some of his own wrinkles he will inject into this thing. Nevermind the best players being turned out of this program come from his neck of the woods. I think he'll be fine.

I also see it allows MSM to move up, which I also really like. Good young staff on that side of the ball, and it showed last year.
 






I've never coached, but if you're on the sideline, and I know every DC is different, how can you see the big picture without being in the booth. Seems that would be an advantage.
Just Askin'
 

Harrymannback77 said:
Kevin O'Connell never called plays before becoming the Vikings head coach and I think he has been 👌. Collins has been literally every kind of coach and assistant you can damn near be, from GA to QC to pass game coordinator to safeties coach, etc. He knows the defense, knows what Fleck wants and if I'm betting probably has some of his own wrinkles he will inject into this thing. Nevermind the best players being turned out of this program come from his neck of the woods. I think he'll be fine.

I also see it allows MSM to move up, which I also really like. Good young staff on that side of the ball, and it showed last year.
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This is what makes discussion boards great, the differing opinions. I think O'Connell is a very good head coach. I think he is terrible as a play caller. He needs to hand that job off IMHO. I also don't think much of Harbo as a play caller, but, to each his own I guess.
 

matt said:
Maybe, but I’m a bit nervous about a DC who only has 3 years experience at the position coach level and was a QC guy 5 years ago.

This is a B1G DC job - I would prefer someone with prior DC experience or more experience at the position coach level. It doesn’t mean Danny won’t be great, but I don’t think we need to be hiring someone who takes a year or two in the job to get up to speed like Harbaugh.
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If Danny has the right players, he'll be up to speed very soon. If he doesn't have the right players, it'll be a learning curve.
 


I like this move because 1) it fires up Koi bc his position coach is now the DC, making it less likely he’ll hit the portal (I know- he said he was all in on the Gophers after the bowl game); and 2) I like the thought of Collins, as DC, selling our program to recruits, especially with his resume of sending safeties to the NFL.
 

I will say that I think this move is also a sorta distant "vote of confidence" in the other defensive coaches abilities / performance. If you feel you got a good thing going promoting from within seems like it would be an easier choice.
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I will say that I think this move is also a sorta distant "vote of confidence" in the other defensive coaches abilities / performance. If you feel you got a good thing going promoting from within seems like it would be an easier choice.
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and cheaper.
 


MilosRevenge said:
and cheaper.
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I guess but I suspect at some point it's not a consideration.

I think people imagine a lot that might not be happening.

Non revenue coaching salaries exploded for a while, it's not like anyone was penny pinching there...
 

MilosRevenge said:
and cheaper.
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Possibly, but we're getting a $600,000 buyout and a lower salary. They could have gone outside, but Fleck wanted to promote the guy that has gone up the ladder in the program. I'm sure that is always a tough decision. I don't think it was 100% $$ related.

The Rams have a guy (Age 38) who was a D3 DC for one year and played with McVay at Miami (OHIO) in his first year calling NFL defense. There is not model to follow.
 

Maybe Collins is the guy behind the scenes that made our defense good? Rossi left, didn't set the world on fire in his first year at Michigan St. Hetherman was much more aggressive on defense.
My question: Is Collins personality to want the defense to be aggressive like last year's team?
He seems to have done very well with the safeties. PJ has been pretty good picking DC's.
 



nitramnaed said:
I've never coached, but if you're on the sideline, and I know every DC is different, how can you see the big picture without being in the booth. Seems that would be an advantage.
Just Askin'
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Because every coach has an iPad on the sideline where they can see every play just after it happens
+
They have guys who they trust and know how to communicate with up in the booth


So the real question is do you want your guy you trust to be on the field as the communicator with the players or up in the booth as your eye in the sky.

I think we will see a trend to more on the field with the ability of coaches to watch film on the sideline
I think before film on the sideline it was a much tougher question.
With film on the sideline the real reason to go up top is so you can call plays while nobody is around you. You might want to go up top for better focus.
 

Some guy said:
Because every coach has an iPad on the sideline where they can see every play just after it happens
+
They have guys who they trust and know how to communicate with up in the booth


So the real question is do you want your guy you trust to be on the field as the communicator with the players or up in the booth as your eye in the sky.

I think we will see a trend to more on the field with the ability of coaches to watch film on the sideline
I think before film on the sideline it was a much tougher question.
With film on the sideline the real reason to go up top is so you can call plays while nobody is around you. You might want to go up top for better focus.
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KOC should probably move to the booth.
 

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