The new DC is Brian Van Gorder. He was run out of South Bend a few years ago.
The biggest positive I see is that he can’t be worse than Sirmon.
The biggest positive I see is that he can’t be worse than Sirmon.
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Goes along with everything else. Just wishin' and hopin' for SOMEBODY who gives $#!t about defense.
Sirmon was a head scratcher. Now this.
Good questions and well said.Are you kidding me? Bobby is writing his last song. Not a good hire. One bad hire after another.
I wonder why we can’t get a solid DC? Is it Bobby because if it is we need to really begin to question that. If he under performs we’re screwed.
Was he still coaching? Why didn’t we just promote Ward? At least he’s got a better history if late.
Give the guy a chance.Are you kidding me? Bobby is writing his last song. Not a good hire. One bad hire after another.
I wonder why we can’t get a solid DC? Is it Bobby because if it is we need to really begin to question that. If he under performs we’re screwed.
Was he still coaching? Why didn’t we just promote Ward? At least he’s got a better history of late.
Look, I'm not crazy about the DC hire, but considering the timing and situation, we probably couldn't have done much better. BVG doesn't stay anywhere very long, typically 1-2 seasons then he bolts. Fully expect him to do the same with us, as long as we can have a top 50-60 type defense along with a BP coached offense we should be a 7/8 win team. Leadership will have to determine if that is good enough for UofL or not when it comes to BPs future.
I fully expect to be looking for a new DC during bowl season this upcoming year. Hopefully at that point, with timing and returning starters (which does matter folks), we can land someone we can get excited about.
What is a defensive analyst? That’s what he’s done the last two gigs.
Can’t wait until he shows up at some young mans HS and tells him he’s been an analyst. Boy I’m sure that will go a long way.
Can’t wait until he shows up at some young mans HS and tells him he’s been an analyst. Boy I’m sure that will go a long way.
The analyst position has been made popular by Nick Saban. He will get an experienced former head coach or coordinator and use them in a scouting/game planning role (Sarkisian, Locksley and potentially Hugh Freeze all with Saban). It’s usually someone who trying to stay involved in the game while they wait for an opportunity that matches their experience.
Ok. Hey I could be completely wrong and hope I am. But I’m concerned.
I don’t think Bobby was looking for a stop gap hire. We want a DC that will last. I doubt Bobby wants anything different. BVG can coach until Bobby’s contract ends realistically in terms of his age. Then we can bring in Brohm and Nick Holt.Look, I'm not crazy about the DC hire, but considering the timing and situation, we probably couldn't have done much better. BVG doesn't stay anywhere very long, typically 1-2 seasons then he bolts. Fully expect him to do the same with us, as long as we can have a top 50-60 type defense along with a BP coached offense we should be a 7/8 win team. Leadership will have to determine if that is good enough when it comes to BPs future.
I fully expect to be looking for a new DC at the end of this season, or next. Hopefully at that point, with timing and returning starters (which does matter folks), we can land someone we can get excited about.
Although, my hope is that BVG proves everyone wrong, including me, and has a hell of a defense lining up for many years to come for us.
The universal opinion of him is not positive. I'll reserve judgement. He's had a long career.
Here’s more stats to chew on.
Everyone rips VanGorder as a failure in his 3 years at Notre Dame as DC. If you take the middle year (2015) at ND for reference....
Van Gorder’s Defense that year finished 34th in the Nation in points allowed at 22.4. Here’s a list of Defensive Coordinators that finished the year ranked below BVG’s. (Some, way below).
#44- Kevin Steele, LSU (the same Kevin Steele that now coaches Auburn’s dominant defense).
#69- Will Muschamp, Auburn
#38- Lance Anderson, Stanford (his defenses at Stanford are almost always top notch)
#47- Bud Foster, (the legend) Virginia Tech
#37- Manny Diaz, Mississippi St. (he is now the DC of a top 20 Defense at Miami this past year).
#56- Ted Roof, Georgia Tech ( he is now the new DC at NC State).
#80- Vic Koenning, Troy (*disclaimer, it was Koenning’s first year at Troy)
#35- Gene Chizik, North Carolina
#71- Jim Leavitt, Colorado (now the DC at Oregon).
DCs are always punching bags for fans and scapegoats for head coaches. I’m liking the hire, more and more.
One season not a coach make, yoda
Congrats on your AllStar Undrafted Free Agent Team. VanGorder was a scapegoat for the pudgy red faced Irish gnome who keeps his job by being mediocre.BVG cost ND a shot at the playoffs that year. He is terrible. Look at the talent on that 2015 defense and you'll wonder how the hell they weren't one of the top 5 units in the country:
Jaylon Smith, LB - would have been a top 3-5 pick in the draft before injury. Criminally misused/underused by BVG. Still went in the 2nd round
Sheldon Day, DT - 4th round draft pick of the Jaguars
Keivarae Russell, CB - 3rd rd draft pick of the Chiefs
Mathias Farley - UFA of the Colts, made team, gets solid backup and ST minutes
Romeo Okwara - UFA of the Giants, a sleeper that's seen as a future starter for them
Isaac Rochell, DE (was really a DT, used out of position by BVG the entire time) - 7th round draft pick of the Chargers who made the team
James Onwualu - UFA of the Chargers, made team
Cole Luke - UFA of the Panthers, made team
I heard this as well I think it’s a solid hire as of now. We’ll see how it turns out.
Yea, he has multiple historically bad defenses, all of recent vintage. His good defenses were over a decade ago and before the rise of modern spread offenses. He stresses scheme over fundamentals. So much time is spent on scheme that they don't have time for practicing basics, which is necessary in college football. He simply cannot handle hurry up offenses.
Rico could have gone pro in 1982 if his stupid high school coach would have realized his All-State talents.
If coach would have put him in they would have taken state. No doubt, no doubt in my mind.Rico could have gone pro in 1982 if his stupid high school coach would have realized his All-State talents.
Well for context....also Brian Kelly Fired Him after 4 games as DC @ Notre Dame...
Expected to be a huge hire for Gene Chizik in 2012 at Auburn, VanGorder lasted only the one season with the Tigers, as he was let go along with Chizik at the end of the season. The Tigers defense struggled mightily that season, giving up 420.5 yards per game, ranking 81st in the country.
From 2001-04, VanGorder served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for Georgia until accepting a job with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2005. He would then go onto become the head coach at Georgia Southern for one season before accepting a job with the Atlanta Falcons.
http://www.ajc.com/sports/college/r...oordinator-louisville/It6vD6xkL4GvKaUCs9ZkiL/