Wenger Gone

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Finally. No where to go but up in the punt return and KO return game.

I liked what Chip Scoggins suggested on Pair and a Spare podcast:
"Game 1, you put Koi Perich on punt return, and you let him RIP!"
 

FINALLY

Special Teams has just been mediocre under Wenger. There have been some individual special teams players who have stood out, but as a whole it's been nothing special.

It's time for a change. We need someone who will improve our kickoff/punt coverage, as well as someone who will encourage and develop our returners so that fair catching everything isn't our best option.
 


Sparlimb said:
That would be my guess. Pursue other opportunities usually means you don't have a job yet, but we'll make it look good for you.
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Is "pursue other opportunities" better or worse than "going to spend more time with family"?
 

Maybe PJ saw Beanie Bishop return a punt for a TD this week. Began to wonder why a guy like Bishop wasn't even given a chance to participate in the return game at the U. Or maybe PJ saw Le'Meke return a kickoff for 50 yards against BGSU and wondered why, during the season, the Gophers almost never elect to return KOs or punts. Still the biggest mystery for me of the PJ years.
 




this does mean that going forward, episodes of Gopher Gridiron Radio and the Pair and a Spare podcast will be about 10 minutes shorter each week, because the "Ryan Burns complains about Rob Wenger and the Special Teams" segment will be eliminated.

honestly, when the Gopher special teams screwed up - or just did nothing positive - I always looked forward to hearing Burns go on a rant about it on the next podcast.

I don't remember the final stat, but every week Burns had an update on how much yardage the Gophers were losing to the opponents based on kicks returned or not returned.

also - another 'original' coach gone. FWIW - here was the original coaching staff for MN in 2017

Head Coach - Fleck
OC/QB's - Ciarrocca
DC/LB's - Robb Smith
Ass't HC/DB's - Mo Linquist
RB's - Kenni Burns
TE - Brian Callahan
D-Line - Bryce Paup
WR - Matt Simon
OL/Run game coordinator - Ed Warinner
Special Teams coordinator - Rob Wenger
 




Gophergrandpa said:
Maybe PJ saw Beanie Bishop return a punt for a TD this week. Began to wonder why a guy like Bishop wasn't even given a chance to participate in the return game at the U. Or maybe PJ saw Le'Meke return a kickoff for 50 yards against BGSU and wondered why, during the season, the Gophers almost never elect to return KOs or punts. Still the biggest mystery for me of the PJ years.
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The reason they didn’t return kicks is they couldn’t get returns to the 25

Which is a problem. But a different problem than you identified
 


Some guy said:
The reason they didn’t return kicks is they couldn’t get returns to the 25

Which is a problem. But a different problem than you identified
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You accept some returns to the 23 and the 20 if you have someone who can periodically break one for 40 or 50 yards or even a TD. The investment is small. I think PJ is more afraid of penalties and turnovers on KO returns than he is about starting at the 22 rather the 25 yard line.
 

Must have been a difficult breakfast conversation with Wenger, he’s been with PJ a long time.
 



Hates Monikers said:
You're assuming this was Wenger's choice. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. You're assuming money wasn't a factor for Rossi and KC.
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You might be right on all points, no argument from me. As the old saying goes “I’m not saying, I’m just saying”.
 

MplsGopher said:
While not disagreeing … you don’t possibly think that Wenger was out there coaching the kickers on how to kick the ball? That’s a really specialized skill.
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I have no idea. I just know it doesn’t show kicking game specialist under anyone’s job title, just special teams. But yes I agree with you that is a very special skill set, I assume someone is doing that though?
 

Gophergrandpa said:
You accept some returns to the 23 and the 20 if you have someone who can periodically break one for 40 or 50 yards or even a TD. The investment is small. I think PJ is more afraid of penalties and turnovers on KO returns than he is about starting at the 22 rather the 25 yard line.
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I agree generally. But specifically to the gophers it didn’t work that way. Fair catching all year would’ve been a better strategy

Which is a problem
 

NotAFanOfBecky said:
I have no idea. I just know it doesn’t show kicking game specialist under anyone’s job title, just special teams. But yes I agree with you that is a very special skill set, I assume someone is doing that though?
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My guess is that no college teams directly employ anyone to directly coach kicking, punting, or long snapping. My thinking is these guys get private coaching in the off-season, perhaps go to off-site camps in the summer.

It’s easy enough to video yourself doing reps and have video conferences with a private specialist who gives you some things to tweak, try out, etc.

It’s like coaching a golf swing. Baby steps, then just a million reps.
 

MplsGopher said:
My guess is that no college teams directly employ anyone to directly coach kicking, punting, or long snapping. My thinking is these guys get private coaching in the off-season, perhaps go to off-site camps in the summer.

It’s easy enough to video yourself doing reps and have video conferences with a private specialist who gives you some things to tweak, try out, etc.

It’s like coaching a golf swing. Baby steps, then just a million reps.
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I agree that most specialist are on their own and pretty self motivated. The coaching coming in for coverages, knowledge/teaching for when to fair catch/return, blocking, fakes, and game planning.

When Tyler Nubin is playing on ever special teams unit, I think it's a problem and possibly a lack of attention to special teams.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
I agree that most specialist are on their own and pretty self motivated. The coaching coming in for coverages, knowledge/teaching for when to fair catch/return, blocking, fakes, and game planning.

When Tyler Nubin is playing on ever special teams unit, I think it's a problem and possibly a lack of attention to special teams.
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Yes.

ST Cordinators earn their money by game planning for and coaching the coverage and return teams.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
this does mean that going forward, episodes of Gopher Gridiron Radio and the Pair and a Spare podcast will be about 10 minutes shorter each week, because the "Ryan Burns complains about Rob Wenger and the Special Teams" segment will be eliminated.

honestly, when the Gopher special teams screwed up - or just did nothing positive - I always looked forward to hearing Burns go on a rant about it on the next podcast.

I don't remember the final stat, but every week Burns had an update on how much yardage the Gophers were losing to the opponents based on kicks returned or not returned.

also - another 'original' coach gone. FWIW - here was the original coaching staff for MN in 2017

Head Coach - Fleck
OC/QB's - Ciarrocca
DC/LB's - Robb Smith
Ass't HC/DB's - Mo Linquist
RB's - Kenni Burns
TE - Brian Callahan
D-Line - Bryce Paup
WR - Matt Simon
OL/Run game coordinator - Ed Warinner
Special Teams coordinator - Rob Wenger
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Head Coach - Fleck - Still Here
OC/QB's - Ciarrocca - PSU OC -> WVU Analyst -> Minn OC -> Rutgers OC
DC/LB's - Robb Smith - Texas A&M Analyst ->Rutgers DC -> Duke DC -> PSU Analyst
Ass't HC/DB's - Mo Linquist - Texas A&M CBs ->Dallas Cowboys DB -> Buffalo Head Coach
RB's - Kenni Burns - Kent State Head Coach
TE - Brian Callahan - Still Here
D-Line - Bryce Paup - Northern Iowa D-line
WR - Matt Simon - Still Here
OL/Run game coordinator - Ed Warinner - Michigan Oline -> Florida Atlantic Run Game Coordinator
Special Teams coordinator - Rob Wenger - Pursuing other opportunities
 

MaxyJR1 said:
I agree that most specialist are on their own and pretty self motivated. The coaching coming in for coverages, knowledge/teaching for when to fair catch/return, blocking, fakes, and game planning.

When Tyler Nubin is playing on ever special teams unit, I think it's a problem and possibly a lack of attention to special teams.
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I think Nubin played special teams because he wanted to. It's a route to immediate playing time in the NFL.
 

I’ve always wondered if this day would come.
No hard feelings, Rob, but I am pleased with this news.
 

CurveballJesus said:
Head Coach - Fleck - Still Here
OC/QB's - Ciarrocca - PSU OC -> WVU Analyst -> Minn OC -> Rutgers OC
DC/LB's - Robb Smith - Texas A&M Analyst ->Rutgers DC -> Duke DC -> PSU Analyst
Ass't HC/DB's - Mo Linquist - Texas A&M CBs ->Dallas Cowboys DB -> Buffalo Head Coach
RB's - Kenni Burns - Kent State Head Coach
TE - Brian Callahan - Still Here
D-Line - Bryce Paup - Northern Iowa D-line
WR - Matt Simon - Still Here
OL/Run game coordinator - Ed Warinner - Michigan Oline -> Florida Atlantic Run Game Coordinator
Special Teams coordinator - Rob Wenger - Pursuing other opportunities
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of course, Callahan switched from TE to OL coach when Warinner left. So Simon is the only 'original' coach still coaching the same position group. But, Simon has also added Co-OC to his title - so if I wanted to be pedantic, I could argue that Fleck is the only coach still with the same duties, but that would be quibbling on my part.

I don't have the time or inclination to compare this to other B1G schools. It would be interesting to see which B1G teams have had the most and least turnover on their coaching staffs during the same time period. the Gopher turnover - for all I know - could be very normal over a 7 or 8-year period.
 


Odd a college coach staying as long as he did as a ST coach with his results. A B1G coaching position should be a magnet for quality coaching candidates. Brewster excluded.
 



short ornery norwegian said:
of course, Callahan switched from TE to OL coach when Warinner left. So Simon is the only 'original' coach still coaching the same position group. But, Simon has also added Co-OC to his title - so if I wanted to be pedantic, I could argue that Fleck is the only coach still with the same duties, but that would be quibbling on my part.

I don't have the time or inclination to compare this to other B1G schools. It would be interesting to see which B1G teams have had the most and least turnover on their coaching staffs during the same time period. the Gopher turnover - for all I know - could be very normal over a 7 or 8-year period.
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I think we’ve had four or five DL coaches, and some of the other positions have turned over quite a bit too.
 

Some guy said:
Georgia always plays starters in special teams
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I agree with this 100%, especially for the kick coverage teams and kick returners themselves. Big returns, for or against, are game changers.
 

MplsGopher said:
My guess is that no college teams directly employ anyone to directly coach kicking, punting, or long snapping. My thinking is these guys get private coaching in the off-season, perhaps go to off-site camps in the summer.

It’s easy enough to video yourself doing reps and have video conferences with a private specialist who gives you some things to tweak, try out, etc.

It’s like coaching a golf swing. Baby steps, then just a million reps.
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Concur with this. I was with Chip and Adam Kelly in 84. Coaches worked with us on placement, high punts for hang time, etc... but not on actually kicking/punting. If you were a D1 punter/kicker you need to already know how to kick/punt the ball. Different for QB's.
 

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