Off-Coord choice (or should I say choices)

[Total Red]

I think more than few eyebrows were raised when the new Off-Coords were announced. I know it comes at a bad time with the team involved in "spring" practice which is in the fall this year. Even so, it's always important to hire well so Coach Spack could have taken time to go outside the program. He chose not to do that so apparently he appreciated the talents of a couple of coaches already on the staff. If he was going to hire an OC from within I thought the choice was obvious. OL Coach Harold Etheridge is highly experienced and he has been an Off-Coord before at the FCS level. Coach Eth was the OC at Indiana St. in 2011 and 2012. ISU Blue was 6-5 and 7-4 in those two years. That may sound like a small boast but if you follow the MVFC you know that Ind St. is at the lower end of the facilities and fan support spectrum. Winning seasons in Terre Haute do not come easily. I had a lot of respect for Trent Miles the HC and I followed the career of Coach Eth. I rooted for him to do well in all games at Ind St. except for encounters with the Redbirds. The Sycs with Etheridge as OC actually won at North Dakota St. in 2012. The Redbirds haven't beaten the Bison since 2010. So if we were looking for an experienced and successful OC we had one, but we're going a different direction.

If all that sounds like serious second guessing it is not meant to be. I'm just saying Coach Eth was a solid option. Maybe there was a better one. Coaches Irvin and Muhammad-Lankford could be up and comers. If you have good young coaches you either promote them or lose them. Back in 1988-'89 Illinois State had a dynamic and demanding young WR's coach. His name was Urban Meyer. He was just a pup so I'm fairly sure Coach Heacock never gave much thought to making him Off-Coord. Too bad, Coach Meyer went on to win FBS National Championships as a HC at Florida and Ohio St. and he is considered one of the best minds in the business. So maybe Coach Spack likes what he sees in coaches Irvin and Muhammad-Lankford. Maybe C. J. Irvin is the next Urban Meyer. Maybe Ghaali Muhammad-Lankford is the next Tony Dungy. Dungy was a NFL Def-Coord by age 29.

Youth has been served

 

[MadBird]

Yeah, pretty much a head scratcher for me. Coach Etheridge graduated from college in 1982, which would make him maybe 60 years old? Maybe he just didn't want to take on the duties at this point? I know that's kind of a BS opinion to have, just saying maybe he's comfortable as OL coach.

I took a quick look at a few of our rivals yesterday - NDSU, SDSU, UNI, USD - and I don't remember the details but some were "more qualified" than these two guys we have when they took their jobs, some not so much. Today's Pantagraph article mentioned the "interview process", so it would be interesting to know how wide a net was cast. There are surely a few DIII and DII OC"s and even head coaches, and FCS coaches, guys who aren't playing ball this fall, who could fit the bill.

Would we prefer these guys to a "prolific" DIII or DII OC? I might be willing to take a chance on someone like that who's had success.

Oh well, let's hope for the best

 

[Redbirds100]

Just saw this...........

College football coach leaves 'All Lives Matter to Our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ' note, quits team

An Illinois State football coach abruptly quit the team Thursday and left a note on the door upon his exit from the facility.

www.foxnews.com

 

[Virginia Redbird]

Time will tell as it always does. I don't like the Co-Coordinator routine and Spack seems to default to this. Maybe the youth may be served but that does not always bring knowledge, I think the comparison to Meyer and Dungy is lacking. I did some quick searching and look at the Head Coaches Meyer and Dungy were assistants to. Noll, Bruce, Holtz, Schottenheimer, and Greene. Meyer paid some serious dues before his first head coaching gig and Dungy was a defensive Coordinator and then took a step back before Greene made him a DC again. There was a learning track for both these guys. Compare it to the resume for our new Co-OCs and our current partners pale by comparison. Also, I don't think being an offensive assistant to Coach Spack is any great feather in your cap. Defense yes but offense no. Here are the results:

Meyer spent 2 years as a graduate assistant coach at Ohio State University coaching tight ends. He spent the next 13 years as an assistant coach, 2 years at ISU, six years Colorado State, and 5 at Notre Dame before he got his first Head Coaching job at Bowling Green. as 13 years as an assistant coach before getting his first Head Coach position. Meyer was assistant to Earle Bruce (Ohio State), Jim Heacock (ISU), Sonny Lubick (Colorado State), Lou Holtz (Notre Dame), and Bob Davie (Notre Dame).

After he retired from playing in the NFL, Dungy was hired as an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota. After one season of coaching defensive backs for Minnesota, he went to the Pittsburgh Steelers as an assistant coach under Chuck Noll. He was promoted to Defensive Coordinator in 1984. After a 5-11 season in 1988, he was going to be demoted back to defensive back assistant coach but left to take the assistant job with Kansas City. He took over the Defensive Coordinator position for Dennis Greene’s Minnesota Vikings in 1992. Dungy was an assistant under Chuck Noll (Steelers), Marty Schottenheimer (Chiefs), and Dennis Greene (Vikings).

Irvin has one year coaching Tight Ends and Special Teams under Spack. He had two years as a Graduate Assistant at Texas and Houston before spending 2018 with Wisconsin in a quality control role for the offensive line. He also had two years as a student assistant at ISU. Irvin was an assistant coach under Spack (ISU), Paul Chryst (Wisconsin), and Tom Herman (Texas/Houston).

Muhammad-Lankford was a versatile player at Wyoming playing running back and then linebacker. He was a graduate assistant at both Wyoming and Missouri working with running backs and receivers. He joined SE Missouri’s staff where he was running backs coach and recruiting coordinator. He has one year under Spack at ISU. He was an assistant under Tom Matukewicz (SEMO), Spack (ISU), and Dave Christensen (Wyoming).

I am not tossing confetti over this move by Coach Spack. Why the Co-OCs? Because neither one on their own have the resume for this position? The defense loses a number of good players and now this. My expectations for the spring are lowering.

 

[REALBird]

This is who should have got the OC job, but I guess it takes an outsider to see what our own HC can’t. Hearing some interesting rumors about the Stache and his “non-selection” of Hall.

He messes this up over his ego and things are going to get a lot worse over at Hancock.

 

[TIMMY]

Ebony and Ivory
Coach together in perfect harmony
Side by side by their chalkboard drawing plays
It's that easy!

It's called politics gents. There it is in black and white. Is everyone happy now?

 

[TIMMY]

Just saw this...........

College football coach leaves 'All Lives Matter to Our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ' note, quits team

An Illinois State football coach abruptly quit the team Thursday and left a note on the door upon his exit from the facility.

www.foxnews.com

fake news

 

[redbirdfan04]

This is who should have got the OC job, but I guess it takes an outsider to see what our own HC can’t. Hearing some interesting rumors about the Stache and his “non-selection” of Hall.

He messes this up over his ego and things are going to get a lot worse over at Hancock.

View attachment 355

That is the problem with rumors they are an assumption. So everytime I do not get a promotion at my job should I make a post that says there is not room for growth within my own company? Coach Hall is amazing and not getting a position always stings but this tweet is nonsense. How do we even know he was up for the position or wanted it? Coach Hall has been working with the ISU running backs for a few years now. Before that he was a defensive coach. He played in the secondary here at ISU and he would knock your head off! It is a shame an injury cut his carrer short. I have watched him coach on the sidelines he is a brilliant coach. So why don't we highlight his coaching facts, he coached James Robinson. DONE!!

 

[Redbirdwarrior]

Holy sh*t, this all just hit the Chicago news scene. It makes Kurt Beathard look like a broken man. MOST of the articles appear to completely ignore the fact that the man's wife passed away 3 months ago and he is probably having a very hard time dealing. When you ignore his personal tragedies recently, he looks pretty... unpopular. But I choose to believe that this is a collection of emotions that he is working through that caused an outburst and a series of rash moves.

I hope the dude can find peace and I hope that the team moves forward with a better gameplan.

 

[TreRoberson4Heisman]

Politics aside, this is picking up steam. Wouldn’t be surprised if they lost some recruits and transfers out...

 

[MadBird]

I have no idea who this guy is, or anything else, but just toss it out there as an example of what another FCS school, and certainly one a few rungs below us on the ladder, was able to rustle up as an OC:

Source: Former MAC head coach set to join Arkansas-Pine Bluff staff

Arkansas-Pine Bluff is set to hire Don Treadwell as its new offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach, sources told FootballScoop on Thursday.

Treadwell spent the past two seasons on the Michigan State staff, the most recent as wide receivers coach. That was his second run through East Lansing, serving as Mark Dantonio’s first offensive coordinator from 2007-10. That stint landed Treadwell the head coaching position at Miami (Ohio), where he went 8-21 in two and a half seasons. Treadwell went to Kent State after Miami, serving as the Golden Flashes’ running backs coach in 2014 and as offensive coordinator from 2015-17. It was there that he crossed paths with Gamble, who worked as Kent State’s wide receivers coach at that time.

So, compared with our co-OC's, this guy is a former FBS HC and OC at a Big 10+ school and MAC school, etc. etc.

 

[TIMMY]

Geez, this guy's my age and he's heading to Pine Bluff Arkansas. Lucky him. Anyway, his Kent State teams were 8-28 with him as an OC and he struggled at Miami.
I don't think Spack is done yet.

 

[RedbirdSoxFan]

Politics aside, this is picking up steam. Wouldn’t be surprised if they lost some recruits and transfers out...

Will be interesting to see how this affects donations. Heard this came up on Sean Hannity last night.

 

[fourthandshort]

Politics aside, this is picking up steam. Wouldn’t be surprised if they lost some recruits and transfers out...

Jason King is the same guy who wrote this article, mainly about how Big 10 return to football was a win for Trump and masculinity.

Like It Or Not, Return Of Big Ten Football A Win For Trump And Masculinity – OutKick

Donald Trump’s biggest bet is on masculinity. It’s his calling card, his defining characteristic, his primary tool for re-election. His opponents showcase

www.outkick.com

What I though was odd was he never mentioned the AD Lyons Redbird Lives Matter incident and reaction. Though nor exaclty sure of timing of everything with his article. But here is how he closed the article .. kind of came at with that perspective:

"Today is a great day for Trump and football fans. And a bad day for the Coronabros."

 

[Redbird15]

Jason King is the same guy who wrote this article, mainly about how Big 10 return to football was a win for Trump and masculinity.

Like It Or Not, Return Of Big Ten Football A Win For Trump And Masculinity – OutKick

Donald Trump’s biggest bet is on masculinity. It’s his calling card, his defining characteristic, his primary tool for re-election. His opponents showcase

www.outkick.com

What I though was odd was he never mentioned the AD Lyons Redbird Lives Matter incident and reaction. Though nor exaclty sure of timing of everything with his article. But here is how he closed the article .. kind of came at with that perspective:

"Today is a great day for Trump and football fans. And a bad day for the Coronabros.

Jason King is the same guy who wrote this article, mainly about how Big 10 return to football was a win for Trump and masculinity.

Like It Or Not, Return Of Big Ten Football A Win For Trump And Masculinity – OutKick

Donald Trump’s biggest bet is on masculinity. It’s his calling card, his defining characteristic, his primary tool for re-election. His opponents showcase

www.outkick.com

What I though was odd was he never mentioned the AD Lyons Redbird Lives Matter incident and reaction. Though nor exaclty sure of timing of everything with his article. But here is how he closed the article .. kind of came at with that perspective:

"Today is a great day for Trump and football fans. And a bad day for the Coronabros."

Jason King is the same guy who wrote this article, mainly about how Big 10 return to football was a win for Trump and masculinity.

Like It Or Not, Return Of Big Ten Football A Win For Trump And Masculinity – OutKick

Donald Trump’s biggest bet is on masculinity. It’s his calling card, his defining characteristic, his primary tool for re-election. His opponents showcase

www.outkick.com

What I though was odd was he never mentioned the AD Lyons Redbird Lives Matter incident and reaction. Though nor exaclty sure of timing of everything with his article. But here is how he closed the article .. kind of came at with that perspective:

"Today is a great day for Trump and football fans. And a bad day for the Coronabros."

Funny how Beathard story has change from when the pantagraph news 1st did interview with him. Yes there will be some transfers if the offense side of the ball if offense does not see any improve. Thats going to depend of QB play and a balance offense. LMAO I show someone the 2019 year stats for passing/ receiving they ask was that the stats for 3 or 4 games. Someone mention in another post with Trey Lance leaving for NFL this is ISU chance. #25 is gone just like Trey Lance. I would say no it is not when you have a offense that barely could average 19 ppg. If you are playing a NDSU team without Lance that use multiple RB/ WR and still will average 24 pts plus . The new OC's better get creative, use players in different situations base on their skill level and not base on prior years success some progress and some regress and beside we dont have James Robinson to Bail us out of situations this year. The Defense is still strong but we cannot be dependent on them holding top tier teams to 16ppg this year if we even come close to playoffs.