Coaching Consistency at Florida

[Escambia94]

Something to consider... Urban Meyer's downfall is that he could not keep together a consistent coaching staff. What has Nick Satan done since he arrived in Tuscaloosa? He has pretty much kept a consistent coaching staff.

Nick Satan's coaching staff in year 1:

• Nick Saban - HC
• Burton Burns - AHC, RB
• Joe Pendry - AHC, OC, OL
• Kirby Smart - AHC, DC, Secondary
• Major Applewhite - OC, QB
• Kevin Steele - DC, IL
• Curt Cignetti - WR, Recruiting
• Ron Middleton - TE, ST
• Bo Davis - DL
• Lance Thompson - OLB
• Scott Cochran - S&C

Satan's coaching staff in year 6:

• Nick Saban - HC
• Burton Burns - AHC, RB
• Kirby Smart - AHC, DC, LB
• Jeff Stoutland - AHC, OL
• Doug Nussmeier - OC, QB
• Jeremy Pruitt - Secondary
• Mike Groh - WR, Recruiting
• Bobby Williams - TE, ST
• Chris Rumph - DL
• Lance Thompson - LB
• Scott Cochran - S&C

Urban Meyer's coaching staff in year 1:

• Urban Meyer - Head Coach - 1 year at UF
• Steve Addazio - Tackles/Tight Ends - 1 year
• Stan Drayton - Running Backs - 1 year
• Billy Gonzales - Wide Receivers - 1 year
• Chuck Heater - Recruiting Coordinator/Cornerbacks - 1 year
• John Hevesy - Centers/Guards - 1 year
• John "Doc" Holliday - Associate Head Coach/Safeties - 1 year
• Greg Mattison - Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line - 1 year
• Dan Mullen - Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks - 1 year
• Charlie Strong - Assistant Head Coach/Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers - 6 years

Urbie's coaching staff in year 6:

• Urban Meyer - Head Coach - 6 years at UF
• Steve Addazio - Offensive Coordinator - 6 years (promoted from tackles, then OL)
• Stan Drayton - Running Backs - 3 years, (1st year since he left and returned)
• Zach Azzanni - Wide Receivers - 1 year
• Chuck Heater - Co-DC, DBs - 6 year
• DJ Durkin - OLB, ST, 1st year
• Teryl Austin - Defensive Coordinator - 1 year
• Scott Loeffler - Quarterbacks - 2 years
• Dan McCarney - Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line - 3 years
• Brian White - TE - 2 years

If you compare Nick Satan's staff, all of his team strengths happened to be in the fiveareas where he had consistent coaching. One could even argue that he had two upgrades on offensive coordinator between 2007 and 2012.

Florida on the other hand lost a lot of consistency after the 2008 season, and even more after 2009--they only had two coaches left from year 1 in their original roles, with Addazio learning a new role. The Gators' only strength in year 6 was defense, with Chuck Heater providing the continuity and relatively new Teryl Austin leveraging Heater's team experience.

Look at Muschamp's coaching staff. The trouble areas are where the most turmoil are--on offense.

Will Muschamp, year 1:

• Will Muschamp - HC (2011)
• Charlie Weis - OC, QB, food tester (2011)
• Dan Quinn - DC (2011)
• DJ Durkin - LB, ST (2010)
• Aubrey Hill - WR, recruiting (2011)
• Frank Verducci - OL, running game coordinator (2011)
• Brian White - RB (2009)
• Derek Lewis - TE (2011)
• Travaris Robinson - DB (2011)
• Bryant Young - DL (2011)

Will Muschamp, year 2:

• Will Muschamp - HC (2011)
• Brent Pease - OC, QB (2012)
• vacant - WR (coached by graduate assistant)
• Dan Quinn - DC (2011)
• DJ Durkin - LB, ST (2010)
• Tim White - OL, running game coordinator (2012)
• Brian White - RB (2009)
• Derek Lewis - TE (2011)
• Travaris Robinson - DB (2011)
• Bryant Young - DL (2011)

Will Muschamp, year 3:

• Will Muschamp - HC (2011)
• Brent Pease - OC, QB (2012)
• Joker Phillips - WR, recruiting coordinator (2013)
• Brad Lawling - DL, AHC (2013)
• DJ Durkin - DC, LB (2010)(note that ST is not yet assigned)
• Tim White - OL, running game coordinator (2012)
• Brian White - RB (2009)
• Derek Lewis - TE (2011)
• Travaris Robinson - DB (2011)
• Bryant Young - DL (2011)

I would assume that special teams will be less consistent than last year, unless they have developed a good way to coach that by committee. Having two DL coaches in a hybrid 3-4 defensive scheme is odd. The Gators naming their newest assistant coach as assistant head coach is interesting, considering they already have a former head coach right there at WR coach.

 

[Leakfan12]

Found out that Jeremy Pruitt is the same coach from Two-A-Days who yelled at Max, Alex, Repete, and others. He's come a long way. Now the DC of TSOW. I'm hoping the Offense improves since it will be Pease second season and Florida has a former HC at WR coach. I worried a little about the D but hopefully with Durkin, 4 time Pro Bowler Young, and Robinson staying the same, I think the D will still be good.

 

[DRU2012]

re Escambia94, 's comment to start this thread:

Not to belabor or put too fine a point on it, but it is EXACTLY this concern that had me reacting in such worried fashion not just to the news of Quinn's exit itself, but to the overall "feel" it gives prospective recruits and the whole "vibe" around our program when a major "cog" in the machine (the DC, after all--the high-profile, day-to-day "implementer of the defense", really) leaves, and leaves so suddenly...Thanks to Coach Muschamp, his evident preparation, connections and decisiveness in dealing with such "curves thrown his way" in timely fashion, we have consistently landed-on-our-feet thus far--in several cases even coming out AHEAD (mainly on offense, where I believe the results will be most positively felt in 2013)--but one'd STILL like to see LESS of this sort of "challenge", just from a practical/statistical POV, as your own comments and supporting materials here well-support, don't you agree?

 

[Escambia94]

In interviews, the recruits have stated that what matters is the following in about this order: relationships with the position coaches/head coach/recruiting coordinator during the recruiting process, mom & dad's wishes, where their friends are going, and academics.

The recruits get a rather narrow view of the coaching staff. Linebackers, for example, may never meet any offensive coaches unless they go to banquets or attend multiple workouts such as Friday Night Lights. On (high school) junior and senior days, those kids may only encounter the head coach and their prospective position coaches. Not all of the recruits are big followers of college football, so not all of them can even name more than one coach at Florida even if they watch Florida football from time to time.

For some recruits that are teetering between choices, any discriminator will make them flip. Then again, these are the same kind of kids that tend to not score well academically, get in trouble with drugs and violence, or commit a lot of penalties on the football field.

Remember that they are kids. High school kids. I know that my choice of college came down to relationships at the university. When I was 17, I could have gone to any school in Florida (Army scholarship, not athletic scholarship). If that FSU recruiter were not such a jerk, I may have gone to FSU. The UF recruiter was actually not the nicest recruiter around, but I have UF a second chance because I grew up a fan of the university. I chose UF even though it was the furthest from home. I have seen football players go through the same process. I watched a Notre Dame basketball player go through the college recruiting and the NBA draft processes. It is all the same. It comes down to relationships with the people that guide kids through the tumultuous process. Everything else is secondary.

 

[DRU2012]

OK--so where do YOU think "coaching consistency" fits in here...We all concede the well-established STATISTICAL connection between consistency and success, but what is the cause-and-effect relationship?

 

[DRU2012]

Escambia94,
Meanwhile, in related news (and the seemingly endless inevitability of "domino-cause-and-effect" 's spreading impact), we may have more coaching-changes to absorb. With Seattle's Todd Wash's announced hiring by and movement to Jacksonville as D-line Coach, new Seahawk (and former Gator) DC Dan Quinn may well himself reach back to our staff for UF Assistant D-line Coach Bryant Young to fill the same role on Quinn's new team...
Now, with Wash's closest colleague and mentor, DJ Durkin now our DC, this would NOT be that big an immediate practical loss, in terms of coaching--BUT word is that he has a VERY close relationship with this class's various defensive prospects. For D-linemen in particular (but not limited to them), he is the strong and tireless recruiter who has been doing much of the legwork out there, opening communication with, doing much of the hand-holding and reassuring in many cases during months of competition and change, his personality, dedication and well-known background as a pro-bowler (and therefore his experience and resulting implied-access to the NFL) generally impressing players and their families across the state of Florida and beyond--so that losing him, for this reason alone, could have enormous impact, difficult to retrieve or "smooth-over" this time, especially just before NSD.

 

[Escambia94]

Bryant Young is an odd man out right now. His contract is almost done. The new DL coach and newly promoted AHC does the same job. In a hybrid 3-4 defense we do not need two DL coaches--we need two LB coaches.

If Bryant leaves, it may hurt a couple unsigned recruits unless Lawling has established contacts with the same recruits. Otherwise, any coach with experience is an upgrade. The plan could also be for Bryant to help with LBs. Who knows?

 

[DRU2012]

I just want as little as possible "rocking the boat" at this, of all times, coming down "the stretch".

 

[Escambia94]

If the boat needs to be rocked, it should be rocked. In reality, I think the loss of 7 defensive players to graduation and NFL Draft is going to hurt more than losing Dan Quinn. I am not knocking Coach Quinn, but the defense still has Will Muschamp providing top cover continuity, and DJ Durkin providing interpersonal continuity on defense.

 

[DRU2012]

As far as that comment about "rocking the boat" goes, I was addressing more the "screwing with our prospective recruiting success" right now...You know what I mean, right? We are on-track to do somewhere between "very well" and "Oh oh, the Gators are LOADING UP!", and to some extent it is US who are choosing who we concentrate on holding or closing-on now--our staff has (despite some curves being thrown at 'em, things like changes and shuffling in the staff itself) generally "gotten it done RIGHT" and is on the proverbial "Homestretch". We do NOT want or need anything messing with that now.
You're right about the BIGGEST concern being the loss of those 7 players--all the more reason this class is so important to our IMMEDIATE as well as long-term future. Look, my general attitude, as I'm sure has become all too clear, is that when things ARE "going well", you get to a point as the "final days" count down where "no news is good news"--at the very least that, right or wrong, I'd rather not see too much in the way of "surprise" or "the unexpected" now.

 

[Dale J. Rodriguez]

I have to agree with Escambia here, quality teams are built with consistent coaching. I hope Coach boom can get him a good squad to hang around for at least 4 years, and replace them properly when hey joe.