El Chupacabra
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Wonder why he was fired from his last job???
That whole situation was pretty complicated apparently. I don't think it was performance related at all.
Wonder why he was fired from his last job???
That whole situation was pretty complicated apparently. I don't think it was performance related at all.
Sawvel served as defensive coordinator for Minnesota in 2016. Prior to that, he was an assistant on the Golden Gophers staff for five years, coaching defensive backs and special teams. Under Sawvel, Minnesota’s defense was ranked in the top 25 in points allowed, yards allowed, sacks per game and takeaways.
Yeah, more personnel than scheme
It wasn't.
It was a very odd situation. Multiple gophers players were charged with sexual assault and suspended. The other players thought it wasn’t fair and threatened to boycott their bowl game. The school then threatened the players. The bowl game was played and then the whole staff was fired.
I took it that the "it wasn't" was in reply to "I don't think it was performance related at all."
Gotcha. I probably misread that.
Sawvel was considered a very good get when he was hired. As the article above indicates - he was considered the best ACC coordinator hire that offseason.
I think our problem is with personnel, but the scheme doesn’t seem to be helping much either.
Maybe, but not as in recruiting. Our defensive backs have the physical tools to compete. Whether it is through individual coaching or the scheme, they’re making the wrong reads. Especially the safeties. The cornerbacks can keep with people physically, but they have no field awareness and their technique is bad. That looks more to be coaching than ability.
Communication also seems to be really ppoor in the secondary. That also falls on coaching and how our secondary practices.
Maybe, but not as in recruiting. Our defensive backs have the physical tools to compete. Whether it is through individual coaching or the scheme, they’re making the wrong reads. Especially the safeties. The cornerbacks can keep with people physically, but they have no field awareness and their technique is bad. That looks more to be coaching than ability.
Communication also seems to be really ppoor in the secondary. That also falls on coaching and how our secondary practices.
I agree 100%. In the past I have often resigned myself to poor D-back play because we were athletically inferior. I don't think that is the issue with this group. It seems more a problem of technique, field awareness and communication. Simply put: they need to be coached up. I was driving home and only heard Clawson with Stan. I did not get the press conference. But the statements quoted above are perhaps the most candid and scathing that I have ever heard from a Wake coach. However, it remains to be seen if anything actually changes. If not, every team with a decent QB will eat us alive.
I dont think the DC should necessarily be fired. The Dline was pretty decent. Dillan had 185yds but he really didnt hurt us other than the 52 yd TD.
The secondary coach should definitely be on the hot seat. Brown threw for 5 TDs, 2 of which our DBs didn't even turn their heads to find the ball. That's just inexcusable. If things dont get better in the secondary, we may not win more than 4 or 5 games this year.
Wake has a new cornerbacks coach as of February this year. The safeties coach has been there two years as has the linebacker coach. These three position coaches came from FCS and low level FBS schools. They have only the experience while at Wake of seeing P5 offenses at work. Learning curve is steep.
I am a little surprised Wake has separate coaches for safeties and cornerbacks. Would think that might be part of the communication issues.
Wake isn't going to get a DB coach from a P5 school unless he's a fired P5 coach.
It's tough, bc even as I am typing this out, I am thinking of excuses like "well, we kept leaving our DB's on an island by putting 7 and 8 in the box to stop a very good RB" but then going into the season I was thinking "we are going to have trouble with pocket passers and/or talented receivers." So that really leaves me asking the question of whether or not we can truly defend anything elite, or are we always going to be just a man short. If we had one of: Bates to cover, or Duke/Nikita to get pressure, could we cope?