Casting Call-TU Needs a New Defensive Coordinator

[HuffyCane]

An Offensive lineman says that they have never worked so hard as now.

I’ve heard similar from multiple sources. The question is: will all that work be effective? We’ve seen players on the basketball court and soccer pitch never stop moving with relentless energy that don’t really provide much offense or defense. Just running around with their head cut off. So working for work’s sake may not be a positive. Especially if this continues in the summer when practice is not about conditioning or installation anymore. Time is so limited now it’s about perfecting execution.

A dose of discipline was definitely needed though. Making them all scream Gladiator slogans and do rope drills may not translate to the field. Or it may make them bond in their hatred, like Kilmer, Sobel, Hartmann, etc. like you see in the movies.

I really liked Kragthorpe’s approach. You say you want to be a pro? Ok. We are going to structure meetings, practice, meals, travel, game prep, and sidelines like the pros. And you’ll be held accountable like the pros. You’ll be ready for the pros. That’s why you are here. That was the deal and the players thrived. It was a machine as best it could run on half a shoe string.

I don’t know but I would think SK would tell you all the rah-rah stuff and drill sergeant act might be good to reassure some antiquated donors and administrators, and maybe energize some fans, but it probably won’t work and may clip your recruiting as well. And I can’t think of a better authority on Tulsa football than SK.

It’s also about timing. SK had a low key approach then TG came along and was a shock to the system. I will remain optimistic that we get the same shock and result with KW, but history rarely repeats itself and football now is very different than 2008.

 

[drboobay]

So a player leaves after next season. Enters Portal. He's talking to several coaches at various schools. They ask why he left Tulsa, player says Coach Wilson worked me too hard. Lol and good luck at your next team.

He wouldn't say that.

 

[Gmoney4WW]

Wilson carefully assembled a staff of 10 assistants after being hired in December. Things were going well until defensive coordinator Matt Guerrieri left a month later for Indiana, and special teams coordinator Ricky Brown departed for Navy.

“I was disappointed that we lost the two coaches,” Wilson said. “We don’t do (assistant) contracts here, so they’re not bound. I lose a guy (Brown) to a conference school at the same position; most guys have contracts that (say) you can’t even take that job.

“Or if you did, there’s a buyout. I think a school in our conference received $500,000 from another program when they lost a coach. My guys were basically free agents, and I don’t know if they would have gotten those jobs if we hadn’t hired them, because they were off the field. I built the staff around those guys because they wanted to be here.”

TU opens spring practice without a defensive coordinator, but Kevin Wilson isn't panicking

“I was disappointed that we lost the two coaches,” Wilson said. “We don’t do contracts here, so they’re not bound.”

tulsaworld.com

Thanks for posting that. Irritated that a lot of the fault is TU, not the coaching staff.

Glad to see that he is working at finding somebody with a couple of coaches already coming in. Hopefully he will find a good fit, and not be relegated to appointing somebody from the present staff, and then hiring another asst.

 

[URedskin54]

I’ve heard similar from multiple sources. The question is: will all that work be effective? We’ve seen players on the basketball court and soccer pitch never stop moving with relentless energy that don’t really provide much offense or defense. Just running around with their head cut off. So working for work’s sake may not be a positive. Especially if this continues in the summer when practice is not about conditioning or installation anymore. Time is so limited now it’s about perfecting execution.

A dose of discipline was definitely needed though. Making them all scream Gladiator slogans and do rope drills may not translate to the field. Or it may make them bond in their hatred, like Kilmer, Sobel, Hartmann, etc. like you see in the movies.

I really liked Kragthorpe’s approach. You say you want to be a pro? Ok. We are going to structure meetings, practice, meals, travel, game prep, and sidelines like the pros. And you’ll be held accountable like the pros. You’ll be ready for the pros. That’s why you are here. That was the deal and the players thrived. It was a machine as best it could run on half a shoe string.

I don’t know but I would think SK would tell you all the rah-rah stuff and drill sergeant act might be good to reassure some antiquated donors and administrators, and maybe energize some fans, but it probably won’t work and may clip your recruiting as well. And I can’t think of a better authority on Tulsa football than SK.

It’s also about timing. SK had a low key approach then TG came along and was a shock to the system. I will remain optimistic that we get the same shock and result with KW, but history rarely repeats itself and football now is very different than 2008.

Todd Graham was Kragthorpe’s DC and he didn’t just find his personality when he became head coach.

 

[loca2874]

Wilson carefully assembled a staff of 10 assistants after being hired in December. Things were going well until defensive coordinator Matt Guerrieri left a month later for Indiana, and special teams coordinator Ricky Brown departed for Navy.

“I was disappointed that we lost the two coaches,” Wilson said. “We don’t do (assistant) contracts here, so they’re not bound. I lose a guy (Brown) to a conference school at the same position; most guys have contracts that (say) you can’t even take that job.

“Or if you did, there’s a buyout. I think a school in our conference received $500,000 from another program when they lost a coach. My guys were basically free agents, and I don’t know if they would have gotten those jobs if we hadn’t hired them, because they were off the field. I built the staff around those guys because they wanted to be here.”

TU opens spring practice without a defensive coordinator, but Kevin Wilson isn't panicking

“I was disappointed that we lost the two coaches,” Wilson said. “We don’t do contracts here, so they’re not bound.”

tulsaworld.com

What I liked from this article was the last paragraph.

“I’ve had a couple of coaches I interviewed and brought in here and they’ve watched us work,” Wilson said. “They’ve said, ‘It doesn’t look like you’re down a coach or two.’ I like what our guys are doing and I’m not committing full throttle because I like where we’re at and I’m making sure I don’t make a knee-jerk decision that hurts us.”

But why are we not putting the Coordinators, Offensive and Defensive on contracts. The position coaches I understand but not the coordinators.

 

[HuffyCane]

Todd Graham was Kragthorpe’s DC and he didn’t just find his personality when he became head coach.

Fair point. But if you talk to players from that era, the Good Cop/Bad Cop routine with the Good Cop in control helped keep things on the level. Bad Cop/Bad Cop didn’t go so well when Gus and Chad weren’t around. Not to mention what happened in Hawaii.

 

[goldenhurricane2]

Not to mention what happened in Hawaii.

Lack of Dr Pepper can have that effect on folks.

 

[rusty-c]

Lack of Dr Pepper can have that effect on folks.

He lost his spiritual leader and Dr Pepper

 

[URedskin54]

Fair point. But if you talk to players from that era, the Good Cop/Bad Cop routine with the Good Cop in control helped keep things on the level. Bad Cop/Bad Cop didn’t go so well when Gus and Chad weren’t around. Not to mention what happened in Hawaii.

Those Hawaii players just weren't TTH!

 

[TU_BLA]

An Offensive lineman says that they have never worked so hard as now.

What does that say about Monty and his previous staff...as well as vindicate the decision to move on from Monty?

 

[goldenhurricane2]

What does that say about Monty and his previous staff...as well as vindicate the decision to move on from Monty?

To be fair, that’s what players said when Montgomery came in after Blankenship… but I’m glad our guys are getting worked hard. We need to be in better shape than we have been.

 

[TU_BLA]

To be fair, that’s what players said when Montgomery came in after Blankenship… but I’m glad our guys are getting worked hard. We need to be in better shape than we have been.

Because unlike Monty who always talked about playing fast and getting off a snap every 20 seconds or so, I honestly believe Wilson will force that tempo and our guys will need to be in that type of shape on both sides.

 

[dougheffking]

Because unlike Monty who always talked about playing fast and getting off a snap every 20 seconds or so, I honestly believe Wilson will force that tempo and our guys will need to be in that type of shape on both sides.

Speaking of Wilson, the twitter fiasco where people are offended because he was "mean" to Kelly Hines on twitter is just so ridiculous I can't even believe it. Could he have been a little more tactful? Of course, because Kelly is awesome, and she covers TU well. But if there is any sort of example of how TU fans are and our society in general these days, that it is. Major eyeroll to it all.

 

[TU_BLA]

Speaking of Wilson, the twitter fiasco where people are offended because he was "mean" to Kelly Hines on twitter is just so ridiculous I can't even believe it. Could he have been a little more tactful? Of course, because Kelly is awesome, and she covers TU well. But if there is any sort of example of how TU fans are and our society in general these days, that it is. Major eyeroll to it all.

He's blunt...but he's not offensive (IMO). People need to get over it

 

[dougheffking]

He's blunt...but he's not offensive (IMO). People need to get over it

Agreed. People acting so offended need to cut it out. He's just a different personality.

 

[rusty-c]

Speaking of Wilson, the twitter fiasco where people are offended because he was "mean" to Kelly Hines on twitter is just so ridiculous I can't even believe it. Could he have been a little more tactful? Of course, because Kelly is awesome, and she covers TU well. But if there is any sort of example of how TU fans are and our society in general these days, that it is. Major eyeroll to it all.

Maybe it was an invitation to visit with him more often, or a hint to visit with him or an underling before putting something out there for public consumption. Either way, I'm sure he's just wanting the media to be more informed about Tulsa Football and letting them know his door is always open.