The unofficial online home for fans of the UAB Blazers. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Every BB or FB HC loses assistants if they are good coaches. The basis of long term coaching program success is in successfully replacing good coaches with at least as good or even better new coaches. Watson Brown's demise at UAB is a good example of what happens when good coaches are replaced by lesser coaches. The program suffers from the negative change. Callaway kept his staff intact and today where are they? Only the one McGee kept has prospered as far as I have seen. McGee has to successfully replace three coaches (at last count) in order for his program to improve in 2013. The "Recruiting hay" is far from "in the barn" and only 27 days are left to work.

As has been already stated it doesn't matter who our OC is. It's merely a figurehead position as McGee runs most of the offense. The loss of Tyson is not as bad as it would have been last year. By keeping him this year McGee and the new staff got the benefit of his five years worth of relationships with high school coaches. Now he gets a promotion and we probably promote John Peterson to head recruiter. Peterson did well in the position at Ohio State (12-0 this year with mostly his recruits) & I'm sure he can handle it here. The assistant turnover is not all bad. It means we have high quality people. Side note is that our defense is switching to a 3-4 next year which will be much better suited for C-USA than the 4-3, plus with Watkins healthy we may only need to rush three. Let's wait and judge our defensive assistants after this transition.

(01-10-2013 05:26 PM)stc Wrote:  As has been already stated it doesn't matter who our OC is. It's merely a figurehead position as McGee runs most of the offense. The loss of Tyson is not as bad as it would have been last year. By keeping him this year McGee and the new staff got the benefit of his five years worth of relationships with high school coaches. Now he gets a promotion and we probably promote John Peterson to head recruiter. Peterson did well in the position at Ohio State (12-0 this year with mostly his recruits) & I'm sure he can handle it here. The assistant turnover is not all bad. It means we have high quality people. Side note is that our defense is switching to a 3-4 next year which will be much better suited for C-USA than the 4-3, plus with Watkins healthy we may only need to rush three. Let's wait and judge our defensive assistants after this transition.

My only problem with this is, Do you (not you in particular) expect me believe they didn't know what kind of offenses CUSA ran before last season?
Switch if you want but don't pee on my head and say its raining.

(01-10-2013 05:32 PM)Uncle BLAZER Wrote:  

(01-10-2013 05:26 PM)stc Wrote:  As has been already stated it doesn't matter who our OC is. It's merely a figurehead position as McGee runs most of the offense. The loss of Tyson is not as bad as it would have been last year. By keeping him this year McGee and the new staff got the benefit of his five years worth of relationships with high school coaches. Now he gets a promotion and we probably promote John Peterson to head recruiter. Peterson did well in the position at Ohio State (12-0 this year with mostly his recruits) & I'm sure he can handle it here. The assistant turnover is not all bad. It means we have high quality people. Side note is that our defense is switching to a 3-4 next year which will be much better suited for C-USA than the 4-3, plus with Watkins healthy we may only need to rush three. Let's wait and judge our defensive assistants after this transition.

My only problem with this is, Do you (not you in particular) expect me believe they didn't know what kind of offenses CUSA ran before last season?
Switch if you want but don't pee on my head and say its raining.

Probably the biggest mistake made by the coaching staff was sticking with a 4-3, I believe that decision came from the top. That's why I'm reserving judgement on the defensive assistants until after the full switch to the 3-4 that we all know will be better suited against the C-USA opponents in league play.

I always thought that Helton's stay would be a short one under McGee & that he was kept more to keep recruiting class together & ease transition some. I am surprised w/ the other losses & no word yet on replacements for them ???

(01-10-2013 05:38 PM)stc Wrote:  Probably the biggest mistake made by the coaching staff was sticking with a 4-3, I believe that decision came from the top. That's why I'm reserving judgement on the defensive assistants until after the full switch to the 3-4 that we all know will be better suited against the C-USA opponents in league play.

And the most alarming aspect was how many times we had to give up 35, 42, 49 and 55 points before they decided maybe we should reevaluate our defensive strategy.

What pieces do we have for the 3-4. Just when my fav pro team switch back to the 4-3 my fav college team goes 3-4, WTF.

(01-10-2013 01:53 PM)ICB Wrote:  

(01-10-2013 01:46 PM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  Sigler was asked to leave, Brohm became an assistant HC under Peteino and the last holdover from Callaway just left. I second the Owens to OC. I wonder if Brian Ellis will be promoted to a full time assistant?

None if these move were surprising. It obvious that our fan base is not used to having football coaches that other people want. Assistants change jobs all the time. It's just that our fans are not used to it. Lol

You are probably right, before long, we may have a winning season. I wonder if we will recognize that?

A what?

(01-11-2013 12:17 AM)thebernreuter Wrote:  

(01-10-2013 05:38 PM)stc Wrote:  Probably the biggest mistake made by the coaching staff was sticking with a 4-3, I believe that decision came from the top. That's why I'm reserving judgement on the defensive assistants until after the full switch to the 3-4 that we all know will be better suited against the C-USA opponents in league play.

And the most alarming aspect was how many times we had to give up 35, 42, 49 and 55 points before they decided maybe we should reevaluate our defensive strategy.

I hope that ALL of our coaches are are little more humble this year.
I think some swagger is a good thing but overconfidence was one of our downfalls last year, IMHO.
The big bad SEC coaches came thinking they were own all the CUSA chumps and it didn't work out like that.

(01-11-2013 12:17 AM)thebernreuter Wrote:  

(01-10-2013 05:38 PM)stc Wrote:  Probably the biggest mistake made by the coaching staff was sticking with a 4-3, I believe that decision came from the top. That's why I'm reserving judgement on the defensive assistants until after the full switch to the 3-4 that we all know will be better suited against the C-USA opponents in league play.

And the most alarming aspect was how many times we had to give up 35, 42, 49 and 55 points before they decided maybe we should reevaluate our defensive strategy.

Re-evaluate all you want, if you don't have the players to run a 3-4, than all that trying it will do is make things worse. It was already a transition year.

If we stop them on defense, we can run an 0-0-11 for all I care.

We appeared to be lacking in number of LB's (and even DL FWIW) last year, so the coaches ran what they thought was the best option for that team.

With another year under their belts & more players recruited & shifted to their liking, we have more options.

(01-11-2013 10:51 AM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  

(01-11-2013 12:17 AM)thebernreuter Wrote:  

(01-10-2013 05:38 PM)stc Wrote:  Probably the biggest mistake made by the coaching staff was sticking with a 4-3, I believe that decision came from the top. That's why I'm reserving judgement on the defensive assistants until after the full switch to the 3-4 that we all know will be better suited against the C-USA opponents in league play.

And the most alarming aspect was how many times we had to give up 35, 42, 49 and 55 points before they decided maybe we should reevaluate our defensive strategy.

Re-evaluate all you want, if you don't have the players to run a 3-4, than all that trying it will do is make things worse. It was already a transition year.

As soon as we changed to 3-4, we beat Marshall.

(01-11-2013 10:51 AM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  

(01-11-2013 12:17 AM)thebernreuter Wrote:  

(01-10-2013 05:38 PM)stc Wrote:  Probably the biggest mistake made by the coaching staff was sticking with a 4-3, I believe that decision came from the top. That's why I'm reserving judgement on the defensive assistants until after the full switch to the 3-4 that we all know will be better suited against the C-USA opponents in league play.

And the most alarming aspect was how many times we had to give up 35, 42, 49 and 55 points before they decided maybe we should reevaluate our defensive strategy.

Re-evaluate all you want, if you don't have the players to run a 3-4, than all that trying it will do is make things worse. It was already a transition year.

That's what Ive been thinking since they said this. Based off the small success of the Marshall game, the 3-4 scheme was born.

(01-11-2013 09:09 AM)Uncle BLAZER Wrote:  The big bad SEC coaches came thinking they were own all the CUSA chumps and it didn't work out like that.

Same thing happened at Southern Miss, just at a much higher degree.

(01-11-2013 11:59 AM)thebernreuter Wrote:  

(01-11-2013 10:51 AM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  

(01-11-2013 12:17 AM)thebernreuter Wrote:  

(01-10-2013 05:38 PM)stc Wrote:  Probably the biggest mistake made by the coaching staff was sticking with a 4-3, I believe that decision came from the top. That's why I'm reserving judgement on the defensive assistants until after the full switch to the 3-4 that we all know will be better suited against the C-USA opponents in league play.

And the most alarming aspect was how many times we had to give up 35, 42, 49 and 55 points before they decided maybe we should reevaluate our defensive strategy.

Re-evaluate all you want, if you don't have the players to run a 3-4, than all that trying it will do is make things worse. It was already a transition year.

As soon as we changed to 3-4, we beat Marshall.

And nobody else. So....?

(01-10-2013 05:32 PM)Uncle BLAZER Wrote:  

(01-10-2013 05:26 PM)stc Wrote:  As has been already stated it doesn't matter who our OC is. It's merely a figurehead position as McGee runs most of the offense. The loss of Tyson is not as bad as it would have been last year. By keeping him this year McGee and the new staff got the benefit of his five years worth of relationships with high school coaches. Now he gets a promotion and we probably promote John Peterson to head recruiter. Peterson did well in the position at Ohio State (12-0 this year with mostly his recruits) & I'm sure he can handle it here. The assistant turnover is not all bad. It means we have high quality people. Side note is that our defense is switching to a 3-4 next year which will be much better suited for C-USA than the 4-3, plus with Watkins healthy we may only need to rush three. Let's wait and judge our defensive assistants after this transition.

My only problem with this is, Do you (not you in particular) expect me believe they didn't know what kind of offenses CUSA ran before last season?
Switch if you want but don't pee on my head and say its raining.

Of course they knew, but they expected to be able to come in and impose their philosophy on the other teams and then recruit to the style. A season of real experience made them realize the flaw in their thinking. Also, a season of recruiting made them realize the kind of quality players they can get and how they can compete with them.

We are going to have to win with smaller, faster players (more LBs and DBs, less big DLs). That is C-USA.