Thoughts on DC search
- By Scott Reed
- First Duck Club
- 4 Replies
Every once in a while, a good source gives information that turns out to be inaccurate and sometimes our zeal gets the better of our conscience. Sometimes we forget in how we share information that we are still talking about the livelihood of men.
We have not always shared everything we hear from a variety of sources for this very reason; but every once in a while it happens that we give too many details - details that cause more harm than information. I like to think that we are less guilty of this than others, but will never pretend that we are 'better' than someone else for this; righteous indignation over such things would be more a sign of insecurity than trust.
For the same reasons I feel it unfair to talk about whether a recruit is failing his classes, it is also unfair to disclose too many intimate details of any coaching search because it involves interactions that should remain private. We do our best to not let any of those things seep into our work, but occasionally it does, so, just know that we are doing our very best to try and keep you, our readers, informed about the progress of the search; to ascertain at least a workable list of who might be under consideration; and to do so without causing harm to the program or the livelihoods of men and their families.
One thing I can say unequivocally in this particular search is that no one is getting direct information from any of the current coaches about specifics of interviews. It's just not happening and I know that with certainty because there is a concerted effort to keep this process as secret as possible. Additionally, all of those people who might otherwise be able to hear the whispers and murmurs around the football complex are not there like they used to be; there are a lot of people working from home and that has further minimized leaks.
With that, let me say some things that I know and think based on conversations with many people.
- Nate Woody is a really good coach who would do wonders with the personnel at Oregon and Feldman's list included him for a reason.
- Zach Arnett is a really good coach. Texas folks say that he is also scheduled to interview with them, though they still believe Pete Golding is the lead guy for that job and that Arnett is most likely to stay with Mississippi State. I know Football Scoop reported that he would not get an offer from Oregon, but I do believe that he has a lot of fans at Oregon. Schematically, he runs a 3-3-5 which has similarities to what Avalos ran, but also some key differences.
- Glen Schumann has seen a meteoric rise in the coaching ranks. His time at Alabama overlapped with Cristobal. At the time, Schumann was a grad assistant on defense, so I cannot say just how close the two were. He has never called a defense before, but is thought to be one of those really smart up-and-coming defensive coaches with head coach written all over him. He has been a co-DC at Georgia for two seasons after three as an inside linebacker coach. Can Oregon land him? I think that is within the realm of possibilities. But with Dan Lanning turning down Texas today, does Schumann feel that his best chance to prove his chops as a play caller is to move on? And, if so, will he move west to do so? I cannot say for sure, but I do believe that he is not just a name on this list and is a legit candidate.
- Derek Ansley overlapped for a season with Cristobal at Alabama and is a fantastic coach. Would Oregon hire a defensive coordinator that cut his chops as a defensive backs coach and add him to two other DB coaches already on staff? Difficult to say. This is pure speculation, but if Ansley were to get the job, that would seem to indicate another move that has not yet occurred. He is a really good coordinator and would bring a combination of elite recruiter in the south with his play calling acumen. In his two seasons as DC at Tennessee the defense has gone from #77 in the nation to #23; he would be a fantastic hire.
- Clint Hurtt was the really surprise name thrown out, but I know that the interest for this position is not constrained to college coaches and that Hurtt is not the only NFL coach who has expressed interest. As AJ said, Cristobal's phone has been blown up with interest from all over. Hurtt has ties to Cristobal from Miami and has experience in the NFL and college coaching. He has never called a defense, but his NFL experience probably gives him a lot of extra 'game breakdown' experience that some coaches at the college level lack. He would be a very intriguing hire.
- Chris Ash is someone we mentioned in the hot board and would be a really good hire. Obviously he has a lot of experience as a play caller. The thing about Ash is that there are a lot of people that like him and he may take a chance with the NFL and Jacksonville. He worked with Urban Meyer for two seasons at Ohio State and is not someone tied to a specific region. I still think that this would be a fantastic hire and that he would do really well at Oregon.
- The last name that Feldman mentioned was Tosh Lupoi. We have discussed him extensively. But just know that he is still a legitimate target and, if he does get the job, it would likely mean that he really proved his ability as a play caller via a sort of virtual chalk talk.
There are some other names floating around, but none I have been able to verify in a way to make public. I do know that the interest in this position is full of a lot of really good options and that also includes some internal candidates (which we have also already discussed). No matter what, I think that the defense will be in great hands when this decision is made. I would imagine that this is going to be a non-stop process with Cristobal talking to a lot of people.
While it could take some time, I don't think that this is going to drag on too long. I expect that there will be some interviews through the weekend and into the early parts of next week. Will I get specifics on those interviews? Almost surely not. Nor will anyone else that is not a part of the coaching staff. If there are any "leaks" as to who Oregon might hire it will likely be from a different school from which the candidate is leaving.
We have not always shared everything we hear from a variety of sources for this very reason; but every once in a while it happens that we give too many details - details that cause more harm than information. I like to think that we are less guilty of this than others, but will never pretend that we are 'better' than someone else for this; righteous indignation over such things would be more a sign of insecurity than trust.
For the same reasons I feel it unfair to talk about whether a recruit is failing his classes, it is also unfair to disclose too many intimate details of any coaching search because it involves interactions that should remain private. We do our best to not let any of those things seep into our work, but occasionally it does, so, just know that we are doing our very best to try and keep you, our readers, informed about the progress of the search; to ascertain at least a workable list of who might be under consideration; and to do so without causing harm to the program or the livelihoods of men and their families.
One thing I can say unequivocally in this particular search is that no one is getting direct information from any of the current coaches about specifics of interviews. It's just not happening and I know that with certainty because there is a concerted effort to keep this process as secret as possible. Additionally, all of those people who might otherwise be able to hear the whispers and murmurs around the football complex are not there like they used to be; there are a lot of people working from home and that has further minimized leaks.
With that, let me say some things that I know and think based on conversations with many people.
- Nate Woody is a really good coach who would do wonders with the personnel at Oregon and Feldman's list included him for a reason.
- Zach Arnett is a really good coach. Texas folks say that he is also scheduled to interview with them, though they still believe Pete Golding is the lead guy for that job and that Arnett is most likely to stay with Mississippi State. I know Football Scoop reported that he would not get an offer from Oregon, but I do believe that he has a lot of fans at Oregon. Schematically, he runs a 3-3-5 which has similarities to what Avalos ran, but also some key differences.
- Glen Schumann has seen a meteoric rise in the coaching ranks. His time at Alabama overlapped with Cristobal. At the time, Schumann was a grad assistant on defense, so I cannot say just how close the two were. He has never called a defense before, but is thought to be one of those really smart up-and-coming defensive coaches with head coach written all over him. He has been a co-DC at Georgia for two seasons after three as an inside linebacker coach. Can Oregon land him? I think that is within the realm of possibilities. But with Dan Lanning turning down Texas today, does Schumann feel that his best chance to prove his chops as a play caller is to move on? And, if so, will he move west to do so? I cannot say for sure, but I do believe that he is not just a name on this list and is a legit candidate.
- Derek Ansley overlapped for a season with Cristobal at Alabama and is a fantastic coach. Would Oregon hire a defensive coordinator that cut his chops as a defensive backs coach and add him to two other DB coaches already on staff? Difficult to say. This is pure speculation, but if Ansley were to get the job, that would seem to indicate another move that has not yet occurred. He is a really good coordinator and would bring a combination of elite recruiter in the south with his play calling acumen. In his two seasons as DC at Tennessee the defense has gone from #77 in the nation to #23; he would be a fantastic hire.
- Clint Hurtt was the really surprise name thrown out, but I know that the interest for this position is not constrained to college coaches and that Hurtt is not the only NFL coach who has expressed interest. As AJ said, Cristobal's phone has been blown up with interest from all over. Hurtt has ties to Cristobal from Miami and has experience in the NFL and college coaching. He has never called a defense, but his NFL experience probably gives him a lot of extra 'game breakdown' experience that some coaches at the college level lack. He would be a very intriguing hire.
- Chris Ash is someone we mentioned in the hot board and would be a really good hire. Obviously he has a lot of experience as a play caller. The thing about Ash is that there are a lot of people that like him and he may take a chance with the NFL and Jacksonville. He worked with Urban Meyer for two seasons at Ohio State and is not someone tied to a specific region. I still think that this would be a fantastic hire and that he would do really well at Oregon.
- The last name that Feldman mentioned was Tosh Lupoi. We have discussed him extensively. But just know that he is still a legitimate target and, if he does get the job, it would likely mean that he really proved his ability as a play caller via a sort of virtual chalk talk.
There are some other names floating around, but none I have been able to verify in a way to make public. I do know that the interest in this position is full of a lot of really good options and that also includes some internal candidates (which we have also already discussed). No matter what, I think that the defense will be in great hands when this decision is made. I would imagine that this is going to be a non-stop process with Cristobal talking to a lot of people.
While it could take some time, I don't think that this is going to drag on too long. I expect that there will be some interviews through the weekend and into the early parts of next week. Will I get specifics on those interviews? Almost surely not. Nor will anyone else that is not a part of the coaching staff. If there are any "leaks" as to who Oregon might hire it will likely be from a different school from which the candidate is leaving.
