Spring Practice/Scrimmages 2018

I would place Dabo in a different, third category - he's a magnetic personality, Pete Carroll type - leads with an infectious, kind of manic energy. Saban isn't a big screamer, he's just a hardass who will hardly ever crack a smile.  He stands there glaring, ruthless and pitiless, demanding perfection at all times.  He's the reincarnate of Bear Bryant, only meaner.

I don't know how many different categories we are looking at, per se... but the point was just "I'd much rather have this reserved guy with Coach Smith than the screamer/disciplinarian type."  I think the thing that is sort of subtly inferred here is that after Coach Riley there were a lot of us who were high on the idea of a guy who WAS more of a screamer, who wanted a team full of weight room junkies who played hard from whistle to whistle... and here comes Coach Smith a little under the radar, with a more reserved, analytical but positive energy.

Some of us thought he wasn't a consideration.  At one point even I was saying I didn't want Coach Smith to take the job at Oregon State because from my prism, he was going to be a green coach trying to assemble a staff without as many resources as his relative peers.  I think if I went back into my post history I said something along the lines of this job not being for the faint of heart.

But I was wrong, the staff that Smith has assembled is really nothing short of brilliant.  There are so many bright minds on this staff and I don't care what you say about Riley, he's very bright.  That was an absolute coup.  And Michalczik was a stellar hire that is going to make a big impact relatively early. 

I think even atown was a little lukewarm on CJS for a minute early on.  So for a lot of us, these "man, I'm really liking what CJS is doing with X" and then comparing it against another hypothetical is kind of a series of mea culpas.  At least that's how I feel, I'm overwhelmed with pleasant surprises by Smith.  He's killing it, so far.  Everything I see is above even my most far-fetched of hopes.  He's great.


And since I've fully threadjacked, how great would be for the Story of Mike Riley to have him come back and coach a former player that he found, brought to a D-1 school, had a chance to mentor, and then had a chance to help him field one of the best Oregon State teams in school history?  If these guys can recruit a legitimate pro set star and coach him up like we've seen so many times from Riley in his career - it's possible.  Not this year but year two or three, it could be a surprise year like 2010

To me this all premature praise. He has not even coached a spring game. It makes me roll my eyes. The individual parts of the previous staff was not bad. They had all had success in college football. The combination of the staff with the leader was bad. Every single one of the previous coaches will undoubtedly be successful again. I am not defending the previous staff nor bagging the current, just trying to describe the exaggerated comparisons about both.

I like the staff that Smith put together, but let's look at it realistically. Michalzick was soon to be unemployed when we hired him so he was definitely looking for a new landing place. His experience and success is undeniable, but I don't see him as a hot commodity that we won the bidding war for. In college football the perceived desirability of a coach is usually about timing and demand (you rarely command demand if you are unemployed or soon to be). I don't want to come off negative towards Michalzick, just trying to present both sides. I personally think he is average in communication from the sound bites I have heard.

Riley is another unemployed coach we hired. He comes with a lot experience and knowledge, this also includes some baggage that is well known because he has coached a while. He was not going to get another head coaching job, so we didn't necessarily steal someone who is overqualified.

All the other coaches either received a promotion, increase in pay, or were unemployed. Suiaunoa is the one who took a demotion to be one of our coaches, but because he was at Hawaii his pay increased.

I guess one of my points is not a single one of the coaches were considered nationally as can't miss and flashy, but almost all agree that they are all knowledgeable, solid coaches. This actually is probably a good thing.

I am not ready to say they are doing a good job. Overall the metrics I have seen thus far has been average.

The biggest positive measurement I have seen is 3 reports of improved organization, effort, or team happiness. This is a very positive and big thing.

Negatives: In 6 months the turnover has been 10 players leaving before completing eligibility. This number may actually be good, depending on what happens in the next 6 months. 7 of these were scholarship players. I have not been happy with the overall recruiting thus far. There is plenty of time for this to change. I don't appreciate comments indicating that we obtained pretty much all the recruits we targeted, but the consensus is that our recruiting is below average for P5. This type of comment makes me wonder what the long term plan is in competing in recruiting. I have read 2 articles bemoaning the lack of depth in DL, but there was hardly any effort to shore this up in the recruiting. The DL was senior heavy last year, the depth problem caught no one by surprise. Right now it is questionable whether there will be enough depth for the first string. The previous staff may very well have lied about heights and weights, but since I cannot confirm this for sure the only way for me to evaluate this is based on what has been given. The first round of measurements are mostly disappointing under the new training staff. I put very little stock in this, but it data for me to add to the picture.

I am not trying to be pessimistic, nor go against the consensus. I am just trying to paint the picture I see.

So unless the the new assistants were long term employeed and taking demotions AND pay cuts to come here they are questionable hires? Guess every one sucks.

Edit: And another thing, you are so down on Oregon State’s recruiting. OSU didn’t have a coach until December, or a coaching staff into January. Considering it was by far the worst team in the league, and the previous coaching staff blew up just one month into last season, we were lucky to get even a dozen kids signed in February. As for this season’s recruiting goes, it’s just starting, only 5 schools in the league have multiple recruits committed - and we’re one of them. Sooooooo glooooomy....

I think you are greatly underestimating how well respected Michalzick is. In no universe did he need to take the OSU job. He wanted to. He'd be among the first of the Rich Rod regime to land on their feet.

Riley said himself he had two head coach offers immediately after being fired. He made the choice to offer himself to Smith, to be a position coach so he could come back to Corvallis, dial it down a notch, and spend more time with the grandkids. So, unless you are going to claim Riley lies to the press to fluff his own ego, teams still wanted his services. 

Lastly, of course they all got promotions. CJS wouldn't be here for the same pay. He'd never leave UW to be an OC here. Why would ANY coach leave their current job if there wasn't a raise or promotion on the table? are you honestly trying to say we should of hired a bunch of guys into parallel positions for the same money? I can't even begin to understand your point here. 

In my opinion, our DC Tibesar is a real coup. Rumor is Chryst was going to make him DC, but Alvarez overruled him, because he wanted his ex player and hometown hero Jim Leonhard to get it, which is how a guy with only one season as a DB coach gets the DC gig at Wisconsin after Wilcox left. Tibesar was looking to move on, he was passed up for because of old boy club friendship, not skill. It was right place, right time for us with him. 

Tibesar has had tremendous success everywhere. DC for North Dakota, Kansas State and Purdue. NFL experience and well respected LB coach. All his stops have been very impressive.  

You beat me to the punch, Judge!  I was planning on responding to the bolded part of atown's post with "Except for Hardballs!"

All of those guys are basically psychopaths.  You have to be to be in that business.  Urban might look stoic - but he's completely nuts.   Kind of like anyone who would fight in the UFC is wired a lot differently than the majority of the population.

Speaking of Harbaugh.  One of his players (now ex-players) sent some vague threatening tweets to him last night.   That's probably not good.

deadspin.com/michigan-player-tagged-jim-harbaugh-in-series-of-vaguel-1825323391