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"Around-the-block" Coordinator Hires...lol
Beno4Life
Member Posts: 533
From Stew Mandel's latest mailbag column:
I was wondering which team in each conference did you have the least confidence in predicting where they end up? — Clayton R., Austin, TX
Pac-12: Washington. It’s entirely possible I am undervaluing the Huskies at 8-4 (with a loss at Michigan, who I have going 6-6). Per our Washington writer, QB Dylan Morris has looked great in camp. The defense is undeniably talented. Perhaps I have the wrong team winning the North. But we only saw them play four games last year; their breakout star, DE Zion Tupola-Fetui, ruptured his Achilles in the spring, and I’ve been underwhelmed by Jimmy Lake’s around-the-block coordinator hires, OC John Donovan and DC Bob Gregory. Prove me wrong, Washington.
https://theathletic.com/2788388/2021/08/25/mandels-mailbag-whats-the-likelihood-of-the-big-ten-acc-and-pac-12-going-to-an-8-game-conference-schedule/
I was wondering which team in each conference did you have the least confidence in predicting where they end up? — Clayton R., Austin, TX
Pac-12: Washington. It’s entirely possible I am undervaluing the Huskies at 8-4 (with a loss at Michigan, who I have going 6-6). Per our Washington writer, QB Dylan Morris has looked great in camp. The defense is undeniably talented. Perhaps I have the wrong team winning the North. But we only saw them play four games last year; their breakout star, DE Zion Tupola-Fetui, ruptured his Achilles in the spring, and I’ve been underwhelmed by Jimmy Lake’s around-the-block coordinator hires, OC John Donovan and DC Bob Gregory. Prove me wrong, Washington.
https://theathletic.com/2788388/2021/08/25/mandels-mailbag-whats-the-likelihood-of-the-big-ten-acc-and-pac-12-going-to-an-8-game-conference-schedule/
Comments
Justin Wilcocks was not better than Nick Holt because Sark was still the coach
Quite honestly I have no idea if Jimmy has a thin rolodex or no one wants to work for him or if he thought Donavon and Gregory were the guys. In just over a week we begin to find out. If UW wins coaches will be calling Jimmy and his rolodex will fatten
I don't buy the coach speak from the guy who took more money to go to Texas as the damning indictment that many here do. As always I could be wrong. But probably not
Your last point on Kwat is spot on.
He never seemed to have the charisma or desire to be a head coach.
It's also totally understandable for him to want to prove his worth and make a name for himself as the DC of a bigtime program like Texas
It's also totally understandable for him to want to get out of Jimmy's shadow. The co-dc thing was a way to keep them both around for a little bit until something like this played out.
The co-dc thing also lead to 8-5, getting bullied by Stanford, and ultimately I'm ready to see what the defense looks like this year without Kwat.
Petersen at Boise >>>>>>> Coker
Petersen at UW not so much
Gloves could come off over a comment like that
So far DJ lives to fight another day.
Wilcox was a massive upgrade from Holt. UW gave up 35.9 points a game in 2011 under Holt. We? gave up 24.2 points a game the next season under Wilcox. (and 22.8 the year after that).
All with the same head coach.
Sark's mediocrity put a ceiling on how good Wilcox could be but it didn't put a floor on how bad Holt could be.
So did Oregon in a 7-6 campaign with a loss to coog
He was a huge upgrade though.
Biggest reason 7 win Sark had a team win 9.
That wasn't happening with Holt.
You can tell good assistants from really bad ones in most cases though. Wilcox is a good defensive coach. It wasn't hard to see the immediate improvement over Holt.
My guess is that Petersen would have had similarly good defenses at UW with Wilcox as DC as he had with Kawasaki. There's a hell of a lot more to it than scheme. The HC is responsible for the culture, work ethic and all that other gay stuff but he's also ultimately responsible for the personnel. Petersen was a good roster builder. Sark was not.
Remember, coordinators are usually sacrificed before the Big Guy is canned. See Nick Holt.
IMHO
Sounds like I agree with you