Glad no staff movement this offseason

Sker4Ever said:
From everything I'm hearing, the plan was to move Dewitt on regardless. Frost is allowing him to find a new job so 1.) no buyout and 2.) to be a good guy and not make it look like Dewitt was fired. This seems to be a foregone conclusion that this is going to happen according to the HuskerOnline guys. Two names to watch according to them, Mike Dawson returning and Mike Ekeler. Sean Callahan said we should be hearing something about this in the coming days
Click to expand...


Dewitt's choice to move on. Assistant coaches contract buyouts aren't something that breaks the bank at 475k a year. Dawson deal is basically done. I expect Coach T to move to OLBs. 

 
theknife said:
Dawson coached OLBs for the Giants and LBs at multiple schools. He also was ST coach for BC, so he might just take on both. 
Click to expand...


flatwaterfan said:
Crap.  By the time I spewed out my long winded post.  The knife had already succintly addressed my point....

From Dawson's resume it looks like he has experience coaching DL,OLB and 3 years Special teams at BC so he could be the point guy on special teams but get help from the other coaches for the various units.   He also has 2 years experience as a defensive Coordinator.  Tuioto also has a bit of OLB coaching experience  so he could possibly swap with Dawson too.   Personally I like Dawson as the OLB guy.  I also think Held could do special teams as he has experience as an offensive coordinator/head coach. 

Correct me if I am wrong but the big thing about special teams is mostly the coordination?  I don't think there is a ton of individual technique that has to be taught there.  I would think punters/place kickers/long snappers know their technique already and there is not much individual work for the other players.    Am I off base?  Also we have a grad assistant Colby Ellis that can help out with special teams. 

Dawson Bio...  

1998 (spring)              University of Massachusetts Lowell    defensive line
1998                           University of Maine                                   defensive assistant
1999                           University of Pittsburgh                            graduate assistant
2000                           University of New Hampshire                  linebackers
2001                          University of New Hampshire                   defensive line
2002-03                      University of New Hampshire                  linebackers
2004-05                      University of New Hampshire                 DC/linebackers
2006-08                      University of Akron                                    linebackers
2009-11                      Boston College                                           special teams
2013                           Philadelphia Eagles                                    defensive quality control
2014-15                      Philadelphia Eagles                                    assistant defensive line
2016-17                      University of Central Florida                     defensive line
2018                           University of Nebraska                               defensive line
2019                           New York Giants                                          outside linebackers
Click to expand...
Thank you both for the info.  I don't care who coaches it, I just want it to be a focus as ST has been very costly so far under Frost.  The two kick returns given up versus Wisconsin and Iowa to lose momentum,  the punting,  kicking etc.  LB and pass rush have too though.   :dunno

Maybe Dawson is the guy.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
i feel like issues with ST have been lack of talent more so then lack of coaching.  When your third string guys that are as good as your second string and almost as good as your starter you have a lot of options at ST.  When you have a lot of good depth at TE, OLB, LB, DB, RB and WR then you have some nice options to field 11 spots on ST.

 
GBRFAN said:
i feel like issues with ST have been lack of talent more so then lack of coaching.  When your third string guys that are as good as your second string and almost as good as your starter you have a lot of options at ST.  When you have a lot of good depth at TE, OLB, LB, DB, RB and WR then you have some nice options to field 11 spots on ST.
Click to expand...
If we didn’t have the injuries we had at kicker this year, our ST still wouldn’t have been perfect, but they would have been good enough that fans wouldn’t be criticizing them as much.  And, we probably would have won at least two more games. 

 
GBRFAN said:
i feel like issues with ST have been lack of talent more so then lack of coaching.  When your third string guys that are as good as your second string and almost as good as your starter you have a lot of options at ST.  When you have a lot of good depth at TE, OLB, LB, DB, RB and WR then you have some nice options to field 11 spots on ST.
Click to expand...


I think this is spot on. A lack of talented depth like we have kills special teams. The growth of the walk on program and improved recruiting will help a lot. And the kicker situation this year had nothing to do with coaching. It was just bizarre. 

 
flatwaterfan said:
Crap.  By the time I spewed out my long winded post.  The knife had already succintly addressed my point....

From Dawson's resume it looks like he has experience coaching DL,OLB and 3 years Special teams at BC so he could be the point guy on special teams but get help from the other coaches for the various units.   He also has 2 years experience as a defensive Coordinator.  Tuioto also has a bit of OLB coaching experience  so he could possibly swap with Dawson too.   Personally I like Dawson as the OLB guy.  I also think Held could do special teams as he has experience as an offensive coordinator/head coach. 

Correct me if I am wrong but the big thing about special teams is mostly the coordination?  I don't think there is a ton of individual technique that has to be taught there.  I would think punters/place kickers/long snappers know their technique already and there is not much individual work for the other players.    Am I off base?  Also we have a grad assistant Colby Ellis that can help out with special teams. 

Dawson Bio...  

1998 (spring)              University of Massachusetts Lowell    defensive line
1998                           University of Maine                                   defensive assistant
1999                           University of Pittsburgh                            graduate assistant
2000                           University of New Hampshire                  linebackers
2001                          University of New Hampshire                   defensive line
2002-03                      University of New Hampshire                  linebackers
2004-05                      University of New Hampshire                 DC/linebackers
2006-08                      University of Akron                                    linebackers
2009-11                      Boston College                                           special teams
2013                           Philadelphia Eagles                                    defensive quality control
2014-15                      Philadelphia Eagles                                    assistant defensive line
2016-17                      University of Central Florida                     defensive line
2018                           University of Nebraska                               defensive line
2019                           New York Giants                                          outside linebackers
Click to expand...
Good info on the bio’s, thanks! 
 

to the “technique” question, there is a lot that has to be taught. 
 

For instance, LBs/athletic DEs are usually used on punt team. They have to be taught their stance, footwork on snap, hand placement, blocking assignments (especially if opponent is in block form), lanes to cover, what to do if a fair catch is called (running past receiver, downing the ball, rules near the goal line, etc), R/L/C punts and their coverages, who is dangerous on returns per team, tendencies per team on returns, stunt pick up, and all the details of the game (time, distance to cover, trick plays, etc).  
 

And that’s just punt. Punt return and kick return are the same. FG/PAT are a little simpler but require attention to detail.  KO takes a ton of time to coach properly, especially if your kicker can’t regularly kick through the end zone *cough*.
 

The best ST teams in the nation spend a LOT of time on these. 

Here’s the thing:  the better overall depth you have the less you have to use your starters, using starters on  ST is not ideal, but often necessary. Case in point, I was watching Alabama bowl game and their star WR #6 made several great plays on punt coverage. I mean, he was everywhere. Either he told the coaches he wanted to do it, they told him he HAD to do it, or there was no one better. My guess is, at Alabama, that he wanted to do it because they have so much depth. What a player!! 

As we gain depth and get more straight up athletes and damn football players the better the ST will become. We can stop using guys who really shouldn’t be on the field at all or our starters, and use guys fighting their asses off to get on the field in any manner they can that are great players and “get” what it takes to make football plays. Still have to coach up the details but don’t have to hold your breath because they are athletic and can make some damn football plays. We don’t have a lot of guys 2nd/3rd team that can fill in and make some freakin plays on ST without a s#!t ton of coaching. So we use starters or guys that probly shouldn’t be out there. 
 

There is a LOT of coaching that goes into special teams. I know it’s a long post, but this is where Frost is at building all 3 phases that belong in the Top 15 of college football. The guy from Wallace, a walk on that plays kickoff is a cool story but I’d rather have a 3 star athlete from Georgia clawing his a$$ off to get on the field in any way he can because we have so many good players, and he WANTS to play ST to get on the field. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
EZ-E said:
Dewitt's choice to move on. Assistant coaches contract buyouts aren't something that breaks the bank at 475k a year. Dawson deal is basically done. I expect Coach T to move to OLBs. 
Click to expand...
DeWitt spent a good chunk of last year fighting for his life, which didn't leave much time for coaching.  But I get it,  football is a cutthroat business and OLBs/ST definitely didn't produce in 2019.

 
I am I said:
Good info on the bio’s, thanks! 
 

to the “technique” question, there is a lot that has to be taught. 
 

For instance, LBs/athletic DEs are usually used on punt team. They have to be taught their stance, footwork on snap, hand placement, blocking assignments (especially if opponent is in block form), lanes to cover, what to do if a fair catch is called (running past receiver, downing the ball, rules near the goal line, etc), R/L/C punts and their coverages, who is dangerous on returns per team, tendencies per team on returns, stunt pick up, and all the details of the game (time, distance to cover, trick plays, etc).  
 

And that’s just punt. Punt return and kick return are the same. FG/PAT are a little simpler but require attention to detail.  KO takes a ton of time to coach properly, especially if your kicker can’t regularly kick through the end zone *cough*.
 

The best ST teams in the nation spend a LOT of time on these. 

Here’s the thing:  the better overall depth you have the less you have to use your starters, using starters on  ST is not ideal, but often necessary. Case in point, I was watching Alabama bowl game and their star WR #6 made several great plays on punt coverage. I mean, he was everywhere. Either he told the coaches he wanted to do it, they told him he HAD to do it, or there was no one better. My guess is, at Alabama, that he wanted to do it because they have so much depth. What a player!! 

As we gain depth and get more straight up athletes and damn football players the better the ST will become. We can stop using guys who really shouldn’t be on the field at all or our starters, and use guys fighting their asses off to get on the field in any manner they can that are great players and “get” what it takes to make football plays. Still have to coach up the details but don’t have to hold your breath because they are athletic and can make some damn football plays. We don’t have a lot of guys 2nd/3rd team that can fill in and make some freakin plays on ST without a s#!t ton of coaching. So we use starters or guys that probly shouldn’t be out there. 
 

There is a LOT of coaching that goes into special teams. I know it’s a long post, but this is where Frost is at building all 3 phases that belong in the Top 15 of college football. The guy from Wallace, a walk on that plays kickoff is a cool story but I’d rather have a 3 star athlete from Georgia clawing his a$$ off to get on the field in any way he can because we have so many good players, and he WANTS to play ST to get on the field. 
Click to expand...


Thanks for the perspective.  

I have been doing some reading about special team coaches and head  coaches and there's one coach who has the special teams players get served first for the pre-game meals.  I like that!   It's good incentive.   

 
Back
Top