O-Line coaching

[Waquoit]

I read something in another thread that I thought was worthy of it's own discussion.

I was talking to my brother early yesterday and and being a level-headed sort he was of the opinion that the O-line wasn't that good and it hinders what you can do on offense. Fine, I've always been of the opinion that if the coach doesn't have the horses there is only so much you can blame him for.

For a second, I had a trickle of sympathy for P's plight. Then I read in this thread that while on the sidelines during the game, the O-Line is receiving no coaching, no feedback, no nothing outside the occaisional comment from the TE coach. The biggest trouble spot on the team is being ignored during the time where they need guidance the most, during the time where it can do the most good and lead to improvement. I find this unconscionable. This is dereliction. I want P and GDL gone today. Put Hughes in charge. You don't need a new OC. Keep the same playbook and have a team manager call the plays using 8-sided dice. We'll do just as well.

 

[gioff23]

Oh good, your brother thinks OLine lacks talent and Kelly from Milford thinks they could use some hand holding during the next TV timeout. I get it, the O is really, really struggling right now - but could your level-headed brother explain to you the pitfalls of listening to folks who blather incessantly on the internet?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Oh good, your brother thinks OLine lacks talent and Kelly from Milford thinks they could use some hand holding during the next TV timeout. I get it, the O is really, really struggling right now - but could your level-headed brother explain to you the pitfalls of listening to folks who blather incessantly on the internet?

It's a legitimate issue if this in fact occurs. I might actually take my son and sit in 2 of the many empty chairbacks behind the UConn bench to see if this is happening.

 

[Waquoit]

Oh good, your brother thinks OLine lacks talent and Kelly from Milford thinks they could use some hand holding during the next TV timeout. I get it, the O is really, really struggling right now - but could your level-headed brother explain to you the pitfalls of listening to folks who blather incessantly on the internet?

The point was confirmed by another poster down the line. Let me ask you this, instead of killing the messenger, assume what they are saying is the gods-honest truth. That doesn't bother you? You dismiss in-game coaching as mere hand-holding? No matter where you put the talent level of the O-Line, they clearly aren't performing at their best of their ability and now we know of a contributing factor. You're good with that?

 

[NutmegState]

O-Line Coaching? There was one?

 

[jrazz12]

I'll readily admit that this is pure speculation on my part, but this idea doesn't seem totally inconceivable, simply based on the premise that GDL is the o-line coach but sits in the box during the game calling plays.

I have another question though for those with more football knowledge than I:how easy/difficult would it be to switch back to the old blocking schemes and is it possible in season? I think most of us can agree the zone blocking scheme has been a miserable failure. We can debate why but bottom line is 18 games in, we still are impersonating a sieve there. In an effort to save this season, if Foley were to take back o-line duties and get back to basics, how long til he could turn it around?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I'll readily admit that this is pure speculation on my part, but this idea doesn't seem totally inconceivable, simply based on the premise that GDL is the o-line coach but sits in the box during the game calling plays.

I have another question though for those with more football knowledge than I:how easy/difficult would it be to switch back to the old blocking schemes and is it possible in season? I think most of us can agree the zone blocking scheme has been a miserable failure. We can debate why but bottom line is 18 games in, we still are impersonating a sieve there. In an effort to save this season, if Foley were to take back o-line duties and get back to basics, how long til he could turn it around?

Seeing that most of these kids are familar with it the old scheme, it could be done mid season IMO. Ideally you'd want to do it over a bye week, but it can be done.

The first part of the equation, and the one that I have very little faith will happen, is that the coaches need to acknowledge the problem and make the decision to adjust.

 

[Stinger92860]

Oh good, your brother thinks OLine lacks talent and Kelly from Milford thinks they could use some hand holding during the next TV timeout. I get it, the O is really, really struggling right now - but could your level-headed brother explain to you the pitfalls of listening to folks who blather incessantly on the internet?

I saw it myself in Maryland as I sat behind the bench. The D constantly being spoken to. LOL, I noticed at times the players tried not to make eye contact after a poor series. However, the O appeared to be on their own, save an occasional talk by the assistants. But, that's my lying eyes, I guess.

 

[Husky68]

So 5/11ths of the offensive team gets no feedback from their position coach after every series to discuss opportunities/issues/corrections/etc. Doesn't seem like that could work nor would it be a strategy a coach would use. There needs to be at least an assistant line coach on the field working with the OL and communication upstairs to the OC/OLC to get their share of comments (OC needs to talk to QB/RB/TE also).
How does GD handle game day communication with OL? Where is Don Brown, isn't he on the field rather than up stairs?

 

[mattp]

How could he give them input when he's up in the box all game? He also has no feel for what's going on on the sidelines, which might help explain why we can't get any rhythm on offense.

 

[joey3$trike$]

Maybe that should be a good question for Des Connor to ask or someone in the media who has access to the team. No wonder the in-game coaching is so bad nobody is talking.

 

[gioff23]

So, we're the first team in the BCS era to put a coordinator in the box and only allow that person to talk to the players. They do still allow headsets, right?

We have a staff of many, not 1. I have no idea what coaching goes on during the game, but frankly need more than someone looking down after 1 series and saying, they've abandoned the kids.

I get it the O sucks. The OC should be under a microscope and his job at-risk. We're disappointed being 3-3 or 8-10 or both. But for the love of God can we return to some semblance of reality on this board? I've heard a lot of criticism of this staff over the years, but never have I heard they are not teachers at their core.

 

[huskymedic]

So, we're the first team in the BCS era to put a coordinator in the box and only allow that person to talk to the players. They do still allow headsets, right?

We have a staff of many, not 1. I have no idea what coaching goes on during the game, but frankly need more than someone looking down after 1 series and saying, they've abandoned the kids.

I get it the O sucks. The OC should be under a microscope and his job at-risk. We're disappointed being 3-3 or 8-10 or both. But for the love of God can we return to some semblance of reality on this board? I've heard a lot of criticism of this staff over the years, but never have I heard they are not teachers at their core.

I'm really, really hoping one of the former D1 players on this board can shed some light on this "issue". I'm under the impression what we have in place here is quite common (OC in coach's box), etc...

 

[mattp]

I doubt many position coaches are in the coaching box, and as our Oline coach he's one of the most important position coaches. It seems to me that often when teams have an OC in the box, their HC is calling the plays. Obviously being in the box isn't GDL's only problem, or the cause of all of his problems, but when a guy seems to be lost as to what's happening on the field, you have to think it might help for him to be on the field.

Now put your foil hats on, if NCState supposedly knew all of our plays ahead of time (who could possibly guess run middle?) maybe they had a tap on our headsets. I imagine GDL probably uses a GI Joe walkie talkie from the mid80s and it is possible that someone from NCState had a baby monitor that picked up every thing. It may seem crazy, but there's been plenty of occurrences of this in the pros

 

[Waquoit]

I'm under the impression what we have in place here is quite common (OC in coach's box), etc...

That's not the point. Of course OC's in the box are common. But how common is it to have the OC also the O-Line coach? On a team where the O-line is floundering? Apparently with little to no in-game coaching and support?

 

[huskymedic]

That's not the point. Of course OC's in the box are common. But how common is it to have the OC also the O-Line coach? On a team where the O-line is floundering? Apparently with little to no in-game coaching and support?

The real point is that lately folks will jump on any little tid-bit/observation regarding our ills on offense, interpret it for their own agenda and make it gospel for here on out.

Give me a few hours to research your question because I don't know the answer - that's why I was hoping a former D1 player could shed some light on it spanky.

Someone could post a picture of an adorable baby here and someone will raise their ugly head and say they don't like the outfit it's wearing.

 

[huskymedic]

The next argument will be - all these teams offenses aren't struggling so it's okay. What I saw was that it often appeared to depended on the size of staff (a lot more position coaches in some programs than others (how they spread the available $$.) I'm not arguing that GDL doesn't need to wander into retirement or that taking the O-line away from Foley was a folly - I'm only pointing out that not having the Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach on tne sideline is not the overriding reason for the quagmire we find the offense in.

Cal - Jim Michalczik Offensive coordinator/offensive line coach
Cincinnati - before Jeff Quinn bolted for Buffalo her was the Bearcat's Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach
Ohio State - Before he left for BCU, Jim Bollman was the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach.
USCe - Shawn Elliott - Offensive Coordinator/Offensive LIne
Dallas Cowboys - Bill Callahan, offensive coordinator/offensive line coach