On3 - 20 rising star Group of Five assistant coaches.

[huskymedic]

-> Dalton Hilliard, UConn defensive backs coach​

Hilliard played under Jim Mora at UCLA, got his first college coaching opportunity under Mora as a Bruins graduate assistant and is now working under Mora at UConn.

Aided by nine interceptions from Hilliard’s defensive back group, the Huskies tied for 22nd nationally in takeaways last season. Before UConn, Hilliard was a defensive backs coach at Arkansas State (2021) and FCS UT-Martin (2019-20).

As a player at UCLA, Hilliard made 27 career starts at safety and finished with 114 career tackles.

“He coaches with a lot of energy and passion but with a lot of attention to detail,” a coaching source told On3. “His guys play really hard. When you look at the turnaround and improvement with really a similar group of guys, it’s pretty impressive. He’s very strong technically as a teacher and, just talking to him, he has a real understanding of scheme. I think he has a bright future.” <-

-> Gordon Sammis, UConn offensive line coach
Sammis and his offensive line group played a significant role in UConn improving from 117th nationally in sacks allowed and 123rd nationally in rush offense under the previous Huskies coaching staff in 2021 to 29th in sacks allowed and 33rd in rushing offense last season.

Improvement in those areas was a key component as UConn won more games in the first year of the Jim Mora era (six) than it had the previous three seasons combined (four). Under Sammis, Huskies offensive lineman Christian Haynes became just the third UConn player in the FBS era to be selected as an All-American.

Prior to UConn, Sammis was the offensive line coach for three seasons at FCS William & Mary.

“I think Gordie is legitimately one of the best o-line coaches in the country,” a coaching source told On3. “Just looking at how he teaches and leads his group, it’s really second to none. He’s just a developer and a really good teacher. He’s legit. He really is.” <-

 

[huskymedic]

As @noeynox pointed out to me… I missed former UConn Football alum Tre Bell on the list (got logo bedazzled):

-> Tre Bell, Akron defensive backs coach​

Two members of Joe Moorhead’s Akron staff were on the preseason rising star list last year — Winston DeLattiboudere, who is now the new defensive line coach at Minnesota, and Billy Fessler, who was promoted to offensive coordinator at Akron this offseason. Now, Bell is the latest Zips coach to be selected.

Before joining Akron’s staff, Bell was a graduate assistant at Florida State in 2021 and a GA for two seasons under Moorhead at Mississippi State. As a player, Bell was a defensive back at Vanderbilt and UConn. He was a starter for UConn in 2017.

“Tre is intelligent with a strong football IQ, possesses a great work ethic, consistently works to improve his craft as a teacher of fundamentals/technique and has proven to be a tireless and productive recruiter,” Moorhead told On3. <-

 

[uconnfan68]

-> Dalton Hilliard, UConn defensive backs coach​

Hilliard played under Jim Mora at UCLA, got his first college coaching opportunity under Mora as a Bruins graduate assistant and is now working under Mora at UConn.

Aided by nine interceptions from Hilliard’s defensive back group, the Huskies tied for 22nd nationally in takeaways last season. Before UConn, Hilliard was a defensive backs coach at Arkansas State (2021) and FCS UT-Martin (2019-20).

As a player at UCLA, Hilliard made 27 career starts at safety and finished with 114 career tackles.

“He coaches with a lot of energy and passion but with a lot of attention to detail,” a coaching source told On3. “His guys play really hard. When you look at the turnaround and improvement with really a similar group of guys, it’s pretty impressive. He’s very strong technically as a teacher and, just talking to him, he has a real understanding of scheme. I think he has a bright future.” <-

-> Gordon Sammis, UConn offensive line coach
Sammis and his offensive line group played a significant role in UConn improving from 117th nationally in sacks allowed and 123rd nationally in rush offense under the previous Huskies coaching staff in 2021 to 29th in sacks allowed and 33rd in rushing offense last season.

Improvement in those areas was a key component as UConn won more games in the first year of the Jim Mora era (six) than it had the previous three seasons combined (four). Under Sammis, Huskies offensive lineman Christian Haynes became just the third UConn player in the FBS era to be selected as an All-American.

Prior to UConn, Sammis was the offensive line coach for three seasons at FCS William & Mary.

“I think Gordie is legitimately one of the best o-line coaches in the country,” a coaching source told On3. “Just looking at how he teaches and leads his group, it’s really second to none. He’s just a developer and a really good teacher. He’s legit. He really is.” <-

We need to keep these guys for a while longer. Really impressed by Mora's staff and the changes he's made in the program.

 

[oldanintheway]

We need to keep these guys for a while longer. Really impressed by Mora's staff and the changes he's made in the program.

$....? Both, and all, Assistants merit a raise "to (help) keep these guys for a while longer..."

 

[Scrutineer]

-> Dalton Hilliard, UConn defensive backs coach​

Hilliard played under Jim Mora at UCLA, got his first college coaching opportunity under Mora as a Bruins graduate assistant and is now working under Mora at UConn.

Aided by nine interceptions from Hilliard’s defensive back group, the Huskies tied for 22nd nationally in takeaways last season. Before UConn, Hilliard was a defensive backs coach at Arkansas State (2021) and FCS UT-Martin (2019-20).

As a player at UCLA, Hilliard made 27 career starts at safety and finished with 114 career tackles.

“He coaches with a lot of energy and passion but with a lot of attention to detail,” a coaching source told On3. “His guys play really hard. When you look at the turnaround and improvement with really a similar group of guys, it’s pretty impressive. He’s very strong technically as a teacher and, just talking to him, he has a real understanding of scheme. I think he has a bright future.” <-

-> Gordon Sammis, UConn offensive line coach
Sammis and his offensive line group played a significant role in UConn improving from 117th nationally in sacks allowed and 123rd nationally in rush offense under the previous Huskies coaching staff in 2021 to 29th in sacks allowed and 33rd in rushing offense last season.

Improvement in those areas was a key component as UConn won more games in the first year of the Jim Mora era (six) than it had the previous three seasons combined (four). Under Sammis, Huskies offensive lineman Christian Haynes became just the third UConn player in the FBS era to be selected as an All-American.

Prior to UConn, Sammis was the offensive line coach for three seasons at FCS William & Mary.

“I think Gordie is legitimately one of the best o-line coaches in the country,” a coaching source told On3. “Just looking at how he teaches and leads his group, it’s really second to none. He’s just a developer and a really good teacher. He’s legit. He really is.” <-

We'll be lucky if Sammis is still with us after this year. Great job last year and coaches like him are one of the reasons we need to be in a Power 5 (4?) league soon as we otherwise won't be able to afford him.

 

[DCUconnfan]

I hope an understudy shadows Sammie and takes his notes for goodness sake. I figured he was gone this year - one more year of finding someone to replicate his scheme and teaching before he moved on.

 

[DoctorWho85]

This is why I wish we got into the Big 12. Sammis is one of the most important coaches to UConn's success last year. The O line went from atroscious to pretty damn good in one season under him.