The Arizona Cardinals are expected to hire University of Minnesota’s Winston DeLattiboudere as their new defensive line coach...

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ComoCraig said:
I understand where you're coming from, but I think it's wrong to put experience above all else. We just saw a 34 year old Kenny Dillingham at ASU come within an inch of bringing a less storied program than ours to a national semifinal. Winston has roughly the same amount of experience as Dillingham did when he got his first OC gig. I think when you have an up and coming alum, a shining example of the culture that your program is built on, you need to make the necessary steps to keep him on staff.
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Don't think it would have mattered if he was DC or not. Rallis could pay him whatever and most he would make as Gopher DC was maybe $1M.
 

I just hope everything works out for him. Will be interesting to see what happens from here on out.
 

ComoCraig said:
I understand where you're coming from, but I think it's wrong to put experience above all else. We just saw a 34 year old Kenny Dillingham at ASU come within an inch of bringing a less storied program than ours to a national semifinal. Winston has roughly the same amount of experience as Dillingham did when he got his first OC gig. I think when you have an up and coming alum, a shining example of the culture that your program is built on, you need to make the necessary steps to keep him on staff.
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I'm more interested in seeing the long game with ASU. I'd be willing to bet Dillingham will be long gone from there in a few years and they'll be back to a below middling program. I don't think I'd trade a playoff bid for another 30 years of suck. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems more and more often we see guys try to translate short term success into a bigger payoff. Like us, ASU is only a long term destination for a very small number of head coaches. I think we're lucky to have Fleck, we're moderately but predictably successful and he's hung around for a long time, hopefully for the long haul. We'll get a new Dlo or he'll come back when he's ready to return to the college game.
 

ComoCraig said:
I understand where you're coming from, but I think it's wrong to put experience above all else. We just saw a 34 year old Kenny Dillingham at ASU come within an inch of bringing a less storied program than ours to a national semifinal. Winston has roughly the same amount of experience as Dillingham did when he got his first OC gig. I think when you have an up and coming alum, a shining example of the culture that your program is built on, you need to make the necessary steps to keep him on staff.
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You can’t promote everyone. Collins was more deserving in my opinion. He’s been with the program and moved up through the ranks as well, and he has more experience. I don’t think there is a ton to suggest Winston was ready to be promoted to DC.
 

rowdaboat said:
He should have been promoted to DC, easily biggest loss of the offseason now
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Not much to suggest he’d do better than Collins. There was a lot of hand wringing when we lost Mo Linguist, several nfl safeties later and I think we see the position coaches aren’t exactly irreplaceable. Was Winston a great culture guy, yes, did he bring great energy, yes, was he an awesome example of what the program is about, yes. Did he bring coaching and recruiting knowledge and skill that is impossible to replace, probably not. We all loved him and want him here, but we’ll survive without him.
 


I preface this by saying Winston seems like a great dude and I hope he crushes it. I do think it is a bold move though. He leaves behind the biggest tool in his coaching bag, recruiting. He is going to be coaching some guys who are older than him and all of them have accomplished more at the pro level than he did. And the Cardinals are maybe a year away from a coaching change.

Again hope he succeeds but he is definitely taking the riskier route.
 

ComoCraig said:
I understand where you're coming from, but I think it's wrong to put experience above all else. We just saw a 34 year old Kenny Dillingham at ASU come within an inch of bringing a less storied program than ours to a national semifinal. Winston has roughly the same amount of experience as Dillingham did when he got his first OC gig. I think when you have an up and coming alum, a shining example of the culture that your program is built on, you need to make the necessary steps to keep him on staff.
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I'm not saying they should or did put experience above all else. It would just be crazy to me if he left because he was mad he didn't get the DC job at this point in his coaching career.
 

ComoCraig said:
I understand where you're coming from, but I think it's wrong to put experience above all else. We just saw a 34 year old Kenny Dillingham at ASU come within an inch of bringing a less storied program than ours to a national semifinal. Winston has roughly the same amount of experience as Dillingham did when he got his first OC gig. I think when you have an up and coming alum, a shining example of the culture that your program is built on, you need to make the necessary steps to keep him on staff.
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You have no clue if it has anything to do with it or if he even made a serious play for the job.

And why did he deserve it over Collins exactly other than you like him?
 

btowngopher said:
Not much to suggest he’d do better than Collins. There was a lot of hand wringing when we lost Mo Linguist, several nfl safeties later and I think we see the position coaches aren’t exactly irreplaceable. Was Winston a great culture guy, yes, did he bring great energy, yes, was he an awesome example of what the program is about, yes. Did he bring coaching and recruiting knowledge and skill that is impossible to replace, probably not. We all loved him and want him here, but we’ll survive without him.
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And I bet he will come back and talk to the team every year, and it never hurts to have former players and coaches at the highest level.
 



Dave H said:
You have no clue if it has anything to do with it or if he even made a serious play for the job.

And why did he deserve it over Collins exactly other than you like him?
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You certainly don't make the decision to make him coordinator just to keep him happy.
 

WoodburyTim said:
I preface this by saying Winston seems like a great dude and I hope he crushes it. I do think it is a bold move though. He leaves behind the biggest tool in his coaching bag, recruiting. He is going to be coaching some guys who are older than him and all of them have accomplished more at the pro level than he did. And the Cardinals are maybe a year away from a coaching change.

Again hope he succeeds but he is definitely taking the riskier route.
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Good point. He could be unemployed a year from now and it's not like we can "demote" the guy who took his place in order to get him back here.
 

Dave H said:
You have no clue if it has anything to do with it or if he even made a serious play for the job.

And why did he deserve it over Collins exactly other than you like him?
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Woodbury Tim made a nice point when he said "He (Winston) is going to be coaching some guys who are older than him and all of them have accomplished more at the pro level than he did". While Collins certainly won't be coaching anyone older than him, every player in the program has accomplished more as a player than Danny. I don't mean to come across as though I am trying to bash DC whatsoever, I hope that man is the next great name in the Fleck coaching tree. I just think there is value in having been in your player's shoes before, and I think that same idea applies to the recruiting landscape. You can have great X's and O's, but in this era of CFB, Jimmys and Joes reign supreme.
 

ComoCraig said:
This isn't just the loss of a position coach, this is the loss of a pinnacle example of RTB culture. Winston was the ultimate final product of what this culture has to offer, which is part of what made him such a great recruiter. I have to feel as though this departure is, in some degree, a response to being overlooked for the DC position. Winston is the embodiment of what this program should strive to be. I am really, really happy for Winston. He is going to kill it wherever he goes. This one hurts bad though.
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I agree with all of this except the move was triggered by being overlooked for DC. He's getting an opportunity for the same position at the NFL level working for a guy that he knows well (Rallis) and probably making significantly more money. I think it's as simple as that. But I agree that this one hurts. He seemed to be the face of our recruiting and the "buy-in" to the RTB culture from him seemed to be sincere. I agree that this one hurts a lot.
 



I thought Winston had been coaching here longer for some reason. Actually makes me feel better about the recruiting angle as we brought in plenty of talent on the dline prior to him being here.
 

Shama chimes in:

A concerning trend has developed with the U football staff. Offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca left for Rutgers after the 2022 season and defensive coordinator Joe Rossi departed for Michigan State following 2023. Rossi’s replacement, Corey Hetherman, recently left for Miami and this week comes news that defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere is headed to the NFL Cardinals.

All left for more money, including Ciarrocca who reportedly has received an extension that will pay him $2 million in 2027. Head coach P.J. Fleck attracts quality assistants but it’s difficult to retain them when the salary pool for his staff is at or near the bottom of the 18-member Big Ten Conference.

DeLattiboudere, who becomes the Arizona defensive line coach, played with Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, the Edina native, when the two were Gophers. Rallis was named defensive coordinator in 2023.


Go Gophers!!
 

btowngopher said:
I thought Winston had been coaching here longer for some reason. Actually makes me feel better about the recruiting angle as we brought in plenty of talent on the dline prior to him being here.
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Yeah I mean I love Winston as much as the next guy but you would think based on some of the comments that we just let Dick LeBeau walk out the door.
 


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