What coaching background do you favor?

[DL65]

Few successful college coaches have enjoyed similar success in the pro ranks. At the same time, how many coaches in the pro ranks, who have cut their teeth in the professional league, enjoy great success in the college ranks? Pete Carroll is the only one that comes to mind immediately. I'm sure there are a few others.

At the college level, I prefer the coaches to have had extensive experience in the college game. The college culture is vastly different from the pro ranks, so it would be a definite benefit if the coaches understand the collegiate culture and its younger mind set: 18-22 year-olds versus the older group. Additionally, it appears as though the coaches that have an extensive NFL background continually have their eyes directed at the pro ranks. Not saying its wrong, just appears to be the case.

Kirk Ferentz got his start in lower ranks of college football and then coached under Hayden Fry before he got his first head coaching job at Maine (Division IAA). He then went to the pros for a few short years as an assistant and then to Iowa. All of his assistants, if I'm not mistaken, have been immersed in the college game and not the pros, especially offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe and defensive coordinator Norm Parker. And the Hawkeyes have had one of the most stable coaching staffs in the Big 10.

Since recruiting plays a big part in the success of a college team, the necessary relationships that must be developed for a successful recruiting program would seem to favor the coaches with an extensive college game background.

Any thoughts? If you were a head coach at the college level, where would you look for your assistants?

Go Gophers!!

 

[wels0081]

Agreed

I'm with you on looking for college experience. While on the field it's essentially the same game, you need guys who know college athletes. College athletes have more to worry about off the field when it comes to mandates. They've got class, study groups, etc. Professionals have money and social lives but not the same type of issues.

Also, if you look at the guys in the Big Ten who have shown success, I think the college backgrounds really stick out. Look at Tressell, Ferentz, Alvarez/Bielema (yeah, I threw up a bit), JoePa. That's the entire top half of the conference.

Of course you'll have exceptions--- but, most guys like Pete Carroll/Nick Saban who have flirted with the NFL and had success in college started in the collegiate ranks. Saban was a great coach at LSU before he went to Miami.

You could argue a stint in the NFL can destroy coaches too. Look at Steve Spurrier before and after his time with the Redskins.

 

[magpie]

1) I would pick those with proven credentials at that specific position at the level of the league we're playing in.

2) I would pick those with proven credentials at an associated position at the level of the league we're playing in.

3) I would pick those with proven credentials at the specific position at a higher level league than we're playing in.

etc etc...

 

[Schnoodler]

I'm all for a college x's and o's guy for the OC spot. I know it's not part of Brewsters master plan, but if we can't get beyond the next two years what good is the bigger picture?

 

[GopherGod]

I'm all for a college x's and o's guy for the OC spot. I know it's not part of Brewsters master plan, but if we can't get beyond the next two years what good is the bigger picture?

I would love to hear what is Brewster's master plan because I don't think he even knows what his master plan is based on the substantial changes in offensive philosophy.

 

[nemosgold]

I'm all for a college x's and o's guy for the OC spot. I know it's not part of Brewsters master plan, but if we can't get beyond the next two years what good is the bigger picture?

I'd take a teacher who can x and o. I think we're missing the teacher part of it in our current or former OC.

 

[50PoundHead]

I'd take a teacher who can x and o. I think we're missing the teacher part of it in our current or former OC.

+1. I also agree that where Brewster's inexperience has shown most glaringly is in the impression that he "doesn't know who he really is" as a head coach and hence lacks the all-encompassing vision necessary to make quick strides toward a solid program. He's doing well in recruiting, but part of recruiting is recruiting to your system and if he consistently changes the system, you won't get the most out of even the best athletes.

I do believe Brewster has a vision of what he wants to do on defense (speed, speed, speed), but the Dunbar-to-Fisch transition was hardly smooth. I never liked the Dunbar hire and while I think Fisch has a future in the game, he was, to mix a metaphor, swing for the fences from the get-go by putting way too much into the offense.

As for what I want on a college staff, consistency and teaching ability are probably first and seeing the college and pro games are becoming increasingly different, I tend toward guys with college experience working with college kids. Of course, there are a lot of guys out there, Meidt comes to mind, who have experience at both levels.

More than anything, I want consistency in the program top-to-bottom. I think that has what has helped Iowa and Wisconsin a lot over the years. Both schools have a system and recruit and then teach to that system. There is an image that those two schools vastly outplay the "star value" of their recruiting classes, but the coaches at those schools aren't exactly sculpting Michelangelo's David out of Play-Doh. They get solid-to-very good players who fit their system and then immerse them in that system. That's how it should be done.

 

[WAGopher]

Brewster has said many times that he likes hard nosed football and he likes Tim Davis because they both like that type of game. I'm not sure why he went with the spread the first time around, probably recruiting, but I think Brewster is more of a power football guy than a spread guy. In Youngblood's article this weekend, Brewster said that if Fisch leaves, they will keep the same scheme and terminology that Fisch was installing. I like this direction because if we're to compete with Iowa and Wisconsin we have to tough, hard nosed and have a power game. Add in the receiver speed and a flexible passing game and our offense could be very good.

 

[diehard]

What I prefer and what we can get are very different. We won't get anyone who isn't a gamble. We won't keep any gambles that pay off without a massive change in the football culture at the U and in the community. We do finally seem to be making a half hearted attempt. Finally. We need to take some more steps and fairly quickly. We have to find the positives and start promoting them. The athletic department need to lead that effort.

 

[Rog]

A look at our present coaches experience

Brewster - Head Coach
3 years minnesota
9 years at North Carolina
4 years Texas
5 years Pros

Fisch - OC
1 year College (grad Ass't)
8 years Pros

Cosgrove - DC
27 years College

Ronnis Lee - Co-Defensive Coor.
19 years College

Tim Cross - Defensive Line
5 years college including (3 years MN)

John Butler - Special Teams
10 years college including (3 years MN)

Tim Davis - Offense Line
15 years college
2 years pros

Thomas Hammock - Running Backs
5 years College including (3 years MN)

Richard Hightower - Wide Receivers
4 years Pros
1 year college (Minnesota)

Derek Lewis - Tight Ends
3 years college including ( 2 years MN)

 

[nemosgold]

Kind of supports what I've been saying, we have too many young inexperienced coaches on the offensive side of the ball. Hightower was an "assistant ST" and coaching administrative coordinator, I don't think he was teaching Andre Johnson how to run routes. Lewis really no experience coaching before he got here, grad assistant.