Who do you think will do Special teams coordination?

[Gage County]

You can get a pretty good feel for what an analyst can and can't do from the first 4 or 5 questions in this interview with Missouri's Ted Monachino: https://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/mizzou/what-s-an-analyst-do-on-a-college-football-staff/article_8641f742-c227-5c57-9d0e-22514a089ad3.html

In a nutshell, he can be on the practice field but can't directly coach players, can interact with staff; he can be in the booth but can't wear a head set, can talk face to face with coaches in the booth; can talk with players off the field including film study.

 

[84HuskerLaw]

Still think you need someone on the full time staff at least have the title of special teams coach. An analyst + a GA is fine in theory, but what happens when an opposing staff starts to tweak things in game? Then we respond by our analyst telling our GA to tell the players how to adjust? There’s a reason Iowa, Minny, Wisconsin all have full time (no split duty) special teams coordinators - in some games it’s the difference between winning and losing. 

Traditionally special teams has been viewed by most as one-third of the team and ought to be treated as such in priority terms. 
whether by committee or assigned coach(s) the commitment to practice and time etc must be there.  Field position and scoring and prevention by opponents is critical.  Bad special teams will decide the outcome of many games - especially with fairly comparable talent on both sides.  
Teams don’t win championships without very good special teams play.  

 

[Xmas32]

Sean Snyder as an analyst

This would be a tremendous hire even in an analyst capacity.  K State has been consistently elite under Snyder's watch at ST.

 

[FrantzHardySwag]

Analysts can watch film with the players and give advice to the coaching staff. Analysts cannot coach players on the practice field or electronically communicate with the rest of the coaching staff during the games. A special teams analyst would be awesome - but still leaves a massive gap. Someone is going to need the be the voice, and be able to relay information effectively or the analyst position is all for not. 

 

[ColoradoHusk]

This would be a tremendous hire even in an analyst capacity.  K State has been consistently elite under Snyder's watch at ST.

It could also be a stop gap for 1-year, and there could be further staff movement in 2021 which could enable Snyder to be a full-time assistant/special teams coordinator.

 

[Xmas32]

It could also be a stop gap for 1-year, and there could be further staff movement in 2021 which could enable Snyder to be a full-time assistant/special teams coordinator.

Spot on.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Analysts can watch film with the players and give advice to the coaching staff. Analysts cannot coach players on the practice field or electronically communicate with the rest of the coaching staff during the games. A special teams analyst would be awesome - but still leaves a massive gap. Someone is going to need the be the voice, and be able to relay information effectively or the analyst position is all for not. 

There can be a different on-field assistant for each special teams unit, or different coaches can handle a couple of the special teams each.

 

[flatwaterfan]

You can get a pretty good feel for what an analyst can and can't do from the first 4 or 5 questions in this interview with Missouri's Ted Monachino: https://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/mizzou/what-s-an-analyst-do-on-a-college-football-staff/article_8641f742-c227-5c57-9d0e-22514a089ad3.html

In a nutshell, he can be on the practice field but can't directly coach players, can interact with staff; he can be in the booth but can't wear a head set, can talk face to face with coaches in the booth; can talk with players off the field including film study.

This was very enlightening.  Thank you.

After reading this and the subsequent posts...To summarize it sound like Snyder would be a coach in waiting similar to what could be proposed for Lubick.   In the short term Snyder run the position group in the film room and do the planning and direct the G.A.   Frost or the G.A would then coordinate in game and in practice.   Eventually Snyder is on the field if Becton leaves in the future.  ST/TE coach is a good combination. 

 

[Husker in WI]

Traditionally special teams has been viewed by most as one-third of the team and ought to be treated as such in priority terms. 
whether by committee or assigned coach(s) the commitment to practice and time etc must be there.  Field position and scoring and prevention by opponents is critical.  Bad special teams will decide the outcome of many games - especially with fairly comparable talent on both sides.  
Teams don’t win championships without very good special teams play.  

I just don't think that's true. Yeah, people love to throw that out there when special teams costs/wins a team a game. But no one is going to spend a third of their time and effort on special teams. Special teams is important, and I think in certain games really good or bad special teams can have a huge impact. But I don't think anyone truly believes it's a third of the game, whether they say it or not.

Our special teams absolutely needs to get better, don't get me wrong. But some of our special teams issues are a symptom of our lack of talent more than anything IMO. Could special teams have been the difference against Iowa? Sure, but there were a ton of offensive and defensive plays that also could've been the difference.

 

[Thurston from Pender]

Dr. Tom. 

He knows the head coach. 

 

[84HuskerLaw]

I just don't think that's true. Yeah, people love to throw that out there when special teams costs/wins a team a game. But no one is going to spend a third of their time and effort on special teams. Special teams is important, and I think in certain games really good or bad special teams can have a huge impact. But I don't think anyone truly believes it's a third of the game, whether they say it or not.

Our special teams absolutely needs to get better, don't get me wrong. But some of our special teams issues are a symptom of our lack of talent more than anything IMO. Could special teams have been the difference against Iowa? Sure, but there were a ton of offensive and defensive plays that also could've been the difference.

Not sure how I’d research the stats but I’d estimate that special teams (punts, PATs, FGs, kickoffs, coverage by both teams) is probably 15 to 20% of the total plays of a typical game.  Probably about that in points tallied. When you add in the dramatic impact of field position impacts and TDs and momentum changing effects of plays in special teams, I don’t think saying it’s a third in terms of consequences in most games is much of an over statement.  
Great special teams play can be a big equalizer between mismatched opponents.  A coach who overlooks or underestimates the importance won’t win many games. IMO.  

 

[BigRedBuster]

I just don't think that's true. Yeah, people love to throw that out there when special teams costs/wins a team a game. But no one is going to spend a third of their time and effort on special teams. Special teams is important, and I think in certain games really good or bad special teams can have a huge impact. But I don't think anyone truly believes it's a third of the game, whether they say it or not.

Our special teams absolutely needs to get better, don't get me wrong. But some of our special teams issues are a symptom of our lack of talent more than anything IMO. Could special teams have been the difference against Iowa? Sure, but there were a ton of offensive and defensive plays that also could've been the difference.

I see what you're saying.  But, I think it's more about the mindset than stuff like spending a 1/3 of practice time on it.  After all, you have what, 4-6 plays really you need to practice in special teams while you have a book 3 inches thick on offense?  That doesn't tell me you need to spend 1/3 of the time in practice on it....even if you think it's just as important.

One part of that mindset is what players you use on special teams.  Some coaches don't want to get their starters hurt, so they don't use them.  Others, find it so important, that they are going to put their starters out there if they are the best at it.

 

[84HuskerLaw]

I see what you're saying.  But, I think it's more about the mindset than stuff like spending a 1/3 of practice time on it.  After all, you have what, 4-6 plays really you need to practice in special teams while you have a book 3 inches thick on offense?  That doesn't tell me you need to spend 1/3 of the time in practice on it....even if you think it's just as important.

One part of that mindset is what players you use on special teams.  Some coaches don't want to get their starters hurt, so they don't use them.  Others, find it so important, that they are going to put their starters out there if they are the best at it.

I agree that you may not spend a third of practice time (depending on how you measure it) but we have lots of coaches and multiple stations and fields etc.  I presume the staff is practicing offense, defense AND special teams at the same time thru most of their practices.  With 150 players and roughly 4 deep across every position etc they sure should be working on many aspects simultaneously.  Kickers should not kick for 2 hrs non-stop for overuse reasons (possibly why our kickers were hurt?) but meetings, film study, strategy and scheme study and more, all take time and serious focus.  Special teams the past five years sure looks to have been more afterthought than priority to many.  

 

[Mavric]

Not sure how I’d research the stats but I’d estimate that special teams (punts, PATs, FGs, kickoffs, coverage by both teams) is probably 15 to 20% of the total plays of a typical game.  Probably about that in points tallied. When you add in the dramatic impact of field position impacts and TDs and momentum changing effects of plays in special teams, I don’t think saying it’s a third in terms of consequences in most games is much of an over statement.  
Great special teams play can be a big equalizer between mismatched opponents.  A coach who overlooks or underestimates the importance won’t win many games. IMO.  

Nebraska ran 867 plays on offense and faced 832 on defense

We kicked 20 field goals and defended 16 field goals

We punted 59 times; opponents punted 66 times

We kicked off 66 times; opponents kicked off 67 times

We scored 39 TDs (39 PATs); opponents scored 41 (I think - I included two special teams TDs; 41 PATs) Didn't see stats on two-point conversion attempts.

So offense saw 867 plays; Defense saw 832 plays; Special Teams saw 374

2037 total plays - 41.8% offense, 40.1% defense, 18.0% special teams

So your stats on number of plays are right on.

But I don't think that tells the whole story.  For FGs and PATS, there are only a couple possibilities for each (one kick and a fake or two).  Pretty similar for punt and punt return. Not much more for kickoff and kick return.

For offense you have dozens of plays and formations that could be used on any play.  For defense you have to be prepared for 100+ plays on any given play.

Special teams are definitely important.  But it's much more about being good at one thing for each segment than offense and defense are.  Plus kickers and punters are the biggest part and they can work on their own withing the whole team needing to be involved.

 

[Danimal]

Still think you need someone on the full time staff at least have the title of special teams coach. An analyst + a GA is fine in theory, but what happens when an opposing staff starts to tweak things in game? Then we respond by our analyst telling our GA to tell the players how to adjust? There’s a reason Iowa, Minny, Wisconsin all have full time (no split duty) special teams coordinators - in some games it’s the difference between winning and losing. 

Plus even if this combo of a GA and Snyder does manage to work this season it's just a bandaid.  The GA will be gone and Snyder probably will be too, We need a good on-the-field coach to be in charge of ST's that will have us doing well from year-to-year.