Defensive Coordinators rebound from failure

[Big Jim]

Here is a link to a good article in the Athletic about defensive coordinators that have had failure in their careers and what they learned when given a second chance. Diaz, Shoop, and Steele are the main characters yet you can see Mel Tucker’s words throughout the article, hear his voice if you pay attention. Coach Tucker’s failure with the Bears is not a bas thing for the Buffs.


https://theathletic.com/1153178/2019/08/22/defensive-coordinator-bouncebacks-manny-diaz-bob-shoop/

 

[Buffnik]

Here is a link to a good article in the Athletic about defensive coordinators that have had failure in their careers and what they learned when given a second chance. Diaz, Shoop, and Steele are the main characters yet you can see Mel Tucker’s words throughout the article, hear his voice if you pay attention. Coach Tucker’s failure with the Bears is not a bas thing for the Buffs.


https://theathletic.com/1153178/2019/08/22/defensive-coordinator-bouncebacks-manny-diaz-bob-shoop/

This early quote in the article from Manny Diaz really struck me. As you were pointing out, it's right in line with what Tucker's been preaching about being physical and flying to the ball along with Tucker deflecting most of the questions he has gotten about scheme. Summers, too, has been like that and he has talked about losing his way from a focus on culture while worrying too much about scheme at his first HC opportunity. On offense, we've also heard very little talk about scheme with Chev saying in the last week that Xs and Os are a lot less important than people on the outside think they are. Like you, I think our coaches get it. Culture and how you play is much more important than what they're drawing up for the playbook.

“What’s funny is when I was on the way up, it was like, ‘You have a great scheme,’ but on the way down … it was never the scheme. It was always the culture,” Diaz says. “It was always the how, how we played. That’s hard to define. I learned that you really have to guard the how. It’s easy to look at the what, but you have to have the how.”

 

[J.R. Ewing]

This early quote in the article from Manny Diaz really struck me. As you were pointing out, it's right in line with what Tucker's been preaching about being physical and flying to the ball along with Tucker deflecting most of the questions he has gotten about scheme. Summers, too, has been like that and he has talked about losing his way from a focus on culture while worrying too much about scheme at his first HC opportunity. On offense, we've also heard very little talk about scheme with Chev saying in the last week that Xs and Os are a lot less important than people on the outside think they are. Like you, I think our coaches get it. Culture and how you play is much more important than what they're drawing up for the playbook.

“What’s funny is when I was on the way up, it was like, ‘You have a great scheme,’ but on the way down … it was never the scheme. It was always the culture,” Diaz says. “It was always the how, how we played. That’s hard to define. I learned that you really have to guard the how. It’s easy to look at the what, but you have to have the how.”

Summers had no chance at GA Southern. He was pretty much destined to fail there. They were an option team who hired a non-option coach. They also got him to commit to "still running the option some of the time". Uh okay. They also had massive turnover losing a generational talent at RB.

 

[Darth Snow]

I saw the word relentless.

 

[Mick Ronson]

I think Bryan Harsin was Mack's OC when Diaz was at UT. not that i didn't enjoy them losing.....but, retrospect interesting hires by Mack in the wake of losing/firing/retiring his old buddy OC (forget his name***).....and Chizik and Muschamp on the D side.

Diaz's D _was_ pretty lousy and Harsin's O seemed pretty Mickey Mouse is my recall.

edit: **** Greg Davis

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

I think you'd be hard pressed to find a coordinator or any coach who hasn't failed in the NFL. Anybody who tries their hand at coaching in the NFL is on a guaranteed path for failure at some point.

 

[patebuff]

I think you'd be hard pressed to find a coordinator or any coach who hasn't failed in the NFL. Anybody who tries their hand at coaching in the NFL is on a guaranteed path for failure at some point.

I don't know what the percentages are but has to be an extremely high fail rate. Such a hard thing to accomplish the first time around.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

I don't know what the percentages are but has to be an extremely high fail rate. Such a hard thing to accomplish the first time around.

Sean McVay is probably the only guy I can think of right now. Maybe John Harbaugh and Dan Quinn?

 

[Buffnik]

I think you'd be hard pressed to find a coordinator or any coach who hasn't failed in the NFL. Anybody who tries their hand at coaching in the NFL is on a guaranteed path for failure at some point.

The only ones I can think of are legends like Shula. Profession is extremely low job security with extremely high rewards. Seems typical that people shoot up the ladder until promoted beyond what they're capable of at that stage in their professional development and then have to rebuild their careers a bit after. That even happened to Belichick with his first HC job in Cleveland despite him being over-qualified by that point after his years as a defensive coordinator guru and rings under Parcells.

 

[Joe Theismann's Leg]

Here is a link to a good article in the Athletic about defensive coordinators that have had failure in their careers and what they learned when given a second chance. Diaz, Shoop, and Steele are the main characters yet you can see Mel Tucker’s words throughout the article, hear his voice if you pay attention. Coach Tucker’s failure with the Bears is not a bas thing for the Buffs.


https://theathletic.com/1153178/2019/08/22/defensive-coordinator-bouncebacks-manny-diaz-bob-shoop/

I've never understood why fans of teams are scared off by previous failures. Bill Belichick was 36-44 with Cleveland and now he's considered possibly the greatest coach of all time. Pete Carroll had a pretty mediocre run with the Patriots and when he came back he won two straight conference titles and a superbowl.

Most fans on this board aren't going to have any warm feelings about those two guys, but the fact is that they learned a lot from their mistakes.

 

[ahoelsken]

I've never understood why fans of teams are scared off by previous failures. Bill Belichick was 36-44 with Cleveland and now he's considered possibly the greatest coach of all time. Pete Carroll had a pretty mediocre run with the Patriots and when he came back he won two straight conference titles and a superbowl.

Most fans on this board aren't going to have any warm feelings about those two guys, but the fact is that they learned a lot from their mistakes.

Everybody has to have the next Sean McVay or Chris Petersen.

 

[MiamiBuffs]

Bill Belichek

 

[Rob DeVere]

I don't know what the percentages are but has to be an extremely high fail rate. Such a hard thing to accomplish the first time around.

NFL examples of "Failure"? Pete Carroll and Bill Belichik among the most notable; NFL = hired to be fired!

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

Bill Belichek

Failed his first time as a HC in Cleveland

 

[Big Jim]

That even happened to Belichick with his first HC job in Cleveland

IBill Belichick was 36-44 with Cleveland and now he's considered possibly the greatest coach of all time. Pete Carroll had a pretty mediocre run with the Patriots and when he came back he won two straight conference titles and a superbowl.

Bill Belichek

NFL examples of "Failure"? Pete Carroll and Bill Belichik among the most notable; NFL = hired to be fired!

Failed his first time as a HC in Cleveland

I'm impressed with how the group came together to flesh out this robust list of coaches that failed in the NFL before they succeeded in the NFL.