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Compare and Contrast: Todd Graham and Sark
RoadDawg55
Member Posts: 30,148
I think ASU got themselves a winner. Graham is a guy we should have hired in 2008. He doesn't seem to agree with Sark about penalties. This destroys another doog myth that all Pac 12 teams are heavily penalized.
Nowhere has their improvement under Graham been more dramatic than in the area of discipline. Arizona State went from last in the nation in 2011 with 1,037 penalty yards to ninth with just 454 in '12, his first season. This year, the Sun Devils have given up just 302 yards in penalties, the fourth-fewest in the FBS. To get his team to cut down on infractions, Graham gave his players the what and the why.
The what: "I talked to our players, 'Do you know the mechanics of how the seven-man crew officiate a game, who's looking at what?'" Graham said. "They didn't have a clue."
So Graham brought in officials to talk to his players, and he put his own spin on the lesson. He broke the meetings down by position groups, having the different refs of a game crew meet with the players they most closely observe. "The umpire, he sits in the offensive line room and he goes through [with] the guys what constitutes a chop block, what is he looking for [when he calls] holding on a perimeter run, what's he looking for [when he calls] holding on a pass play," Graham said.
The why: "Our fans, they actually pay money to watch you play, and you should represent their values with how they want you to play," Graham said he told his team. "Fans don't like 15-yard penalties."
But besides playing smart for the fans, Graham wanted to drive the message home that penalties were costing Arizona State on the scoreboard. The Sun Devils could gain an advantage, he told them, by fully grasping the rulebook and how it's enforced. "If you and I are playing backgammon, and I know the rules and you don't, I'm going to beat you."
Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20131122/todd-graham-arizona-state/#ixzz2lQmyLPtL
Nowhere has their improvement under Graham been more dramatic than in the area of discipline. Arizona State went from last in the nation in 2011 with 1,037 penalty yards to ninth with just 454 in '12, his first season. This year, the Sun Devils have given up just 302 yards in penalties, the fourth-fewest in the FBS. To get his team to cut down on infractions, Graham gave his players the what and the why.
The what: "I talked to our players, 'Do you know the mechanics of how the seven-man crew officiate a game, who's looking at what?'" Graham said. "They didn't have a clue."
So Graham brought in officials to talk to his players, and he put his own spin on the lesson. He broke the meetings down by position groups, having the different refs of a game crew meet with the players they most closely observe. "The umpire, he sits in the offensive line room and he goes through [with] the guys what constitutes a chop block, what is he looking for [when he calls] holding on a perimeter run, what's he looking for [when he calls] holding on a pass play," Graham said.
The why: "Our fans, they actually pay money to watch you play, and you should represent their values with how they want you to play," Graham said he told his team. "Fans don't like 15-yard penalties."
But besides playing smart for the fans, Graham wanted to drive the message home that penalties were costing Arizona State on the scoreboard. The Sun Devils could gain an advantage, he told them, by fully grasping the rulebook and how it's enforced. "If you and I are playing backgammon, and I know the rules and you don't, I'm going to beat you."
Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20131122/todd-graham-arizona-state/#ixzz2lQmyLPtL
Comments
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Seems rather fundamental and elementary to me ...
I've always thought that one of the easiest ways to gain an advantage on your opponent is to know more than he does and how to make the rules work to your advantage. -
In 2008 I emailed Todd Graham asking him to coach the Huskies. Apparently my lack of authority was a turn off to him.
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Did you include the $4 million bucks with your email? That might have done it.
This is brutal. I wanted Graham back then. Instead we got stuck with a pancake in a visor
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wait til he gets his own guys in there... then he'll implode while rubbing people the wrong way.
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Graham may be a great coach but he's never built anything and ASU is a very senior-laden team. They could lose 8 starters on defense and 5 on offense including Grice. If he has a great year next year then he's a great coach. I think they'll fall back quite a bit.
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The jury is out on whether Graham is a great coach or not, but, much like Mora, I don't think it's too early to declare him a very good coach. He's done too many things well too often.
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Did you send him a cake on his birthday?Mad_Son said:In 2008 I emailed Todd Graham asking him to coach the Huskies. Apparently my lack of authority was a turn off to him.
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ASU is likely the biggest sleeping giant in the PAC.HeretoBeatmyChest said:Graham may be a great coach but he's never built anything and ASU is a very senior-laden team. They could lose 8 starters on defense and 5 on offense including Grice. If he has a great year next year then he's a great coach. I think they'll fall back quite a bit.
It doesn't take a lot to build a team when you have the environment ASU provides.
Just like Washington can make a below average coach .500 -
Dennis Erickson left Todd Graham more NFL talent than the 13 NFL kids Ty left Sark
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Thankfully no. I have no idea if Graham is a cake or a pie guy and I'd hate to botch another coach's recruitment that way...topdawgnc said:
Did you send him a cake on his birthday?Mad_Son said:In 2008 I emailed Todd Graham asking him to coach the Huskies. Apparently my lack of authority was a turn off to him.
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People have been saying that about ASU forever. Talent in Arizona is improving and if ASU could dominate in-state recruiting, they would be a top 15 program. However, historically the best players all leave the state and thats the problem. Because of that they rely on JC's and thats why ASU has been very inconsistent year to year. If Graham has a good year next year he'll get better offers.topdawgnc said:
ASU is likely the biggest sleeping giant in the PAC.HeretoBeatmyChest said:Graham may be a great coach but he's never built anything and ASU is a very senior-laden team. They could lose 8 starters on defense and 5 on offense including Grice. If he has a great year next year then he's a great coach. I think they'll fall back quite a bit.
It doesn't take a lot to build a team when you have the environment ASU provides.
Just like Washington can make a below average coach .500 -
I don't think he is leaving ASU. Maybe for a big Texas school like AtM or Texas but his wife seems like the one that encouraged the last coaching move as she is from ASU. Or so the message boards have said.
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I will grant you ASU is a feeder school for bigger gigs.HeretoBeatmyChest said:
People have been saying that about ASU forever. Talent in Arizona is improving and if ASU could dominate in-state recruiting, they would be a top 15 program. However, historically the best players all leave the state and thats the problem. Because of that they rely on JC's and thats why ASU has been very inconsistent year to year. If Graham has a good year next year he'll get better offers.topdawgnc said:
ASU is likely the biggest sleeping giant in the PAC.HeretoBeatmyChest said:Graham may be a great coach but he's never built anything and ASU is a very senior-laden team. They could lose 8 starters on defense and 5 on offense including Grice. If he has a great year next year then he's a great coach. I think they'll fall back quite a bit.
It doesn't take a lot to build a team when you have the environment ASU provides.
Just like Washington can make a below average coach .500
With ASU's AD going to Texas ... and Mack Brown being on the ropes ...
I just praise Allah Don James never had to face a resurgent ASU. -
Blayen said:
Did you include
the $4 million bucksSven's $20 with your email? That might have done it.
This is brutal. I wanted Graham back then. Instead we got stuck with a pancake in a visor -
Graham is and will always be a scumbag, he's taking kstates route to success which means they will be good everytime halley's comet comes around
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I think most good coaches are scum bags. He has never been anywhere long enough to see if he can be elite. But he improves the schools where he goes.
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Caring about whether or not your coach is a scumbag is what got us Ty.
I could give a fuck if he's a scumbag. Be a scumbag in Pasadena on January 1, and it's fine by me.
