New Defensive Coordinator Robb Smith

Donate To GopherHole

Well this seems like a step back from our previous defensive regime. Fleck better somehow solve our offensive problems instantly.
 

minibeaver said:
Maybe he's a solid recruiter? In any case, let's trust Fleck to know what he's doing. There's a reason he brought HIM in, and not someone else.


Stayin' positive.
Click to expand...

I will stay positive as well. We had 3 common opponents with WMU this year. Illinois, Northwestern and Wisconsin. We both went 2-1 in those games. We gave up 60 points in those games and they gave 55. Based on that he probably could have supported bringing his current staff in. They led the MAC in turnover margin and were 3rd in total defense.

I'll trust that he thinks Smith is better.
 

bottlebass said:
Well this seems like a step back from our previous defensive regime. Fleck better somehow solve our offensive problems instantly.
Click to expand...

Jeez....The guy hasn't even set foot on the practice field yet and the skeptic's are alive and well
 

I'd have preferred they kept Sawvel, but I'll hope for the best.
 




A) stealing someone off Bieliema's staff is a small victory
B) Having some ties to the south for recruiting is helpful (it seems like WMU largely pulled from midwest)-perhaps he will bring some of his Assistants with him.
C) Having a history of a top 10 D is fine by me (not sure what kind of talent they had or injuries they faced). NFL coaching experience has to be helpful in recruiting.
 

Yup

MaxyJR1 said:
I will stay positive as well. We had 3 common opponents with WMU this year. Illinois, Northwestern and Wisconsin. We both went 2-1 in those games. We gave up 60 points in those games and they gave 55. Based on that he probably could have supported bringing his current staff in. They led the MAC in turnover margin and were 3rd in total defense.

I'll trust that he thinks Smith is better.
Click to expand...

And another "recruit" that PJ has a relationship with at two different stops and he wants to work with PJ...move his family, possibly take a pay cut or make similar money..yet he's signing on. I agree PJ has to think he is better and I am impressed another guy is willing to flip to come and work with him.
 



mkAz said:
I'd have preferred they kept Sawvel, but I'll hope for the best.
Click to expand...

I am sure someone can pull this data from somewhere but I would be willing to bet a new coach rarely retains any of the coordinators from the previous staff. Maybe a position coach or two but most coaches want to bring in their own guys to run the offense and defense.

I am sorry to see Sawvel go as well but I am not surprised one bit.

I do love the people judging the hire before the guys first game as DC here making the assumption that we are guaranteed to take a step back on that side of the ball. He was DC at an SEC school, not like we plucked this guy from some small school in the middle of nowhere. Granted that doesn't mean he will be a success but he is at least fairly highly regarded.
 

Very sad to lose our defensive coaches and the defense against the pass that went with that. No one blew us out the past two years, not even the best teams in the nation.
 


We lost Sawvel for this sh*t? Not happy at all.
 



Also look deeper into Arkansas team this year. They were 13th in the SEC in rushing and 3rd in Passing offense. They were 13th in Turnover margin as well at -4. Their offense did not do the defense any favors this year. They were 8th in takeaways, but the offense was 3rd in giving the ball away.
 

John Galt said:
We lost Sawvel for this sh*t? Not happy at all.
Click to expand...

While I certainly loved our outgoing defensive staff, Sawvel and Claeys have never had a top-15 defense in FBS. Smith has done it twice. It's not like he's total dog ****, he has had successes and he has had failures. I hope he has more successes at Minnesota.
 

bottlebass said:
Sorry for liking our defense the last few years.
Click to expand...

You can like our defense from the past few years AND not think this is a terrible move. Honestly, Sawvel probably would have gotten a shot at becoming a HC somewhere in the near future anyway. Bottom line is that teams don't hang onto coordinators during coaching changes most of the time so someone new was almost certainly going to be hired on both sides.
 

Where are people getting this idea that Sawvel was willing to stay here from? Seems to be more hoping and wishing than an actual realistic thing. Kill's crew has largely been trashed by the higher ups...the new guy (that he would work under) is preaching change of culture every chance he gets...Sawvel was a large part of the culture that was built here. It's different with Sherels because of his ties to the U but it's hard for me to understand how people think Sawvel would be willing to stick around.
 



Three different posters from the Arkansas 247 board.


If BB was not allowing Smith to do what he wanted with the D then it will be more of the same no matter the hire. Will be interesting to see how Smith performs in Gopher land.
Click to expand...
Good for Robb. I don't then he is as bad as his defenses have looked the past couple seasons but it is time for Arkansas to try something else.
Click to expand...
Thank you baby Jesus although I'm not sure he was calling the shots on defense in the first place. We shall see... now go hire a recruiter for whichever position on defense this eventually results in opening up.
Click to expand...

http://arkansas.247sports.com/
 

GopherinPhilly said:
Yup no top 25 teams in the big ten.
Click to expand...

If you're equating the SEC West with the B1G West, look at the teams Arkansas goes against year in and year out? Minnesota had one ranked team in their division at the end of the year -- SEC West had/have 3 teams in the top 20. Again, Smith will not see the same level of talent in the B1G. That's pretty obvious. Compare Northwestern, Wisky, Iowa, and Nebraska to Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M and Auburn? the B1G as a whole is on par with the SEC, but the division Smith will be coaching in will only benefit him compared to coaching in the SEC West.
 

Sawvel still gets a little overrated on here. And I'm not discrediting Sawvel who was a good DB coach and recruiter. Tracy was still running this defense even as a head coach, and he wasn't coming back. We really don't know how good Sawvel is as a DC without Tracy.
 

MNVCGUY said:
You can like our defense from the past few years AND not think this is a terrible move. Honestly, Sawvel probably would have gotten a shot at becoming a HC somewhere in the near future anyway. Bottom line is that teams don't hang onto coordinators during coaching changes most of the time so someone new was almost certainly going to be hired on both sides.
Click to expand...

Can't argue against it being a step back. Not sure why you are so butt hurt about someone liking our old defensive regime better. Quick google search tells me per ESPN stats we are going from 20th to 74th... Like I said, a step back. And like I said Flecky better come up with a lot more offense and ASAP.
 

Maybe it will turn out that BB wasn't letting Smith do his job and we'll see better defense than what Arkansas showed this year.
 

savagerube said:
If you're equating the SEC West with the B1G West, look at the teams Arkansas goes against year in and year out? Minnesota had one ranked team in their division at the end of the year -- SEC West had/have 3 teams in the top 20. Again, Smith will not see the same level of talent in the B1G. That's pretty obvious. Compare Northwestern, Wisky, Iowa, and Nebraska to Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M and Auburn? the B1G as a whole is on par with the SEC, but the division Smith will be coaching in will only benefit him compared to coaching in the SEC West.
Click to expand...

Oh, Im sorry...didn't realize our goal was to win the Big Ten west...I thought we were spending $160 million on facilities and $30 million plus on new coaches plus $5 million to get rid of old coaches to compete for a championship. Glad you cleared that up for me.
 


GopherinPhilly said:
Oh, Im sorry...didn't realize our goal was to win the Big Ten west...I thought we were spending $160 million on facilities and $30 million plus on new coaches plus $5 million to get rid of old coaches to compete for a championship. Glad you cleared that up for me.
Click to expand...

We are spending the money as in attempt to catch up with the rest of the B1G. $160 million, $30 million, etc.. All huge numbers because the UofM is way behind when it comes to facilities, etc. . We're spending the aforementioned because the program simply wants to compete with the Iowa's, Wisky's, Huskers, etc.. A big difference from winning the B1G West. We're not there yet, haven't been for 50 years. Winning the B1G West is the most logical goal. In the end, we're playing catch up. It's gonna take a lot more than $200 million to magically make us competitive with the rest of the division.
 

caliGopher said:
Oregon Gopher said:
True.

My dad grew up in Little Rock and I was raised rooting for the Hogs. When time came for me to apply to colleges, I was thinking about applying there just to make him happy. I sent my SAT scores to them when I took the test but before I'd applied. I got accepted without even applying and my SAT scores were good. But not Elite.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I only took an ACT and got into the UofM
Click to expand...
 

If history is any indication, getting a guy from Arkansas is a good thing! Hope we don't lose him to ND in a year.
 

Just to make sure, we're lamenting the loss of a DC whose defense had one elite performance?

The same DC who got absolutely shredded by......Rutgers?
The same DC who let Penn State walk right down the field in the 4th Quarter and OT?
The same DC who let leads slip away against Iowa and Nebraska? (He gets a pass for Wisconsin....I still put that on Leidner)

In the words of Magic Mike Tice.....Ok, Calm Down....
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom