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Ryan Walters - DC Illinois

Norvell is the offensive guru at FSU, right? Maybe Dillingham doesn't shoulder all the blame there, even though he did improve FSU's offense while he was OC there. Dillingham is now running his own show at Oregon and has a top 5 offense in the country, so I'm unsure why you are stuck on his time at FSU.

I have also been very clear that Grimes is my #1 candidate at this point, so you're kind of just screaming at clouds.
Norvell isn't the play caller at FSU. Hasn't been since he's been there.

I like Grimes. Doesn't have the HC experience, but big name stop after big name stop on that resume says a lot to me.
 
Norvell isn't the play caller at FSU. Hasn't been since he's been there.

I like Grimes. Doesn't have the HC experience, but big name stop after big name stop on that resume says a lot to me.
Norvell is an offensive guy who is the HC. If we are going to discount Walters because he's the DC under a defensive HC, then why are you putting all the blame on Dillingham for mediocre offense under an offensive HC. Re Dilly, quit focusing on just his FSU time. He is running his own show at Oregon and thriving. He's going to get a shot, possibly this cycle.
 
Norvell is an offensive guy who is the HC. If we are going to discount Walters because he's the DC under a defensive HC, then why are you putting all the blame on Dillingham for mediocre offense under an offensive HC. Re Dilly, quit focusing on just his FSU time. He is running his own show at Oregon and thriving. He's going to get a shot, possibly this cycle.
Fair enough. I'd rather it not be here, and I don't think its going to be.

My money's on him going to ASU.
 
Working under two defensive guys makes Grimes preferable to RW. His being an alum makes him a near no for me. Might be Embree and Dorrell related drama.

There are really good football coaches who are a) not alums and/or b) not here during the glory years.
Embree and Dorrell had no business being candidates for any HC job. The problem with those guys wasn’t that they had CU ties, it was that their CU ties trumped the fact that they were completely unqualified.

Walters is different, I don’t view him as a potential candidate ONLY because he’s an alum. He’s rising in the coaching world and getting noticed for his actual coaching ability - something you couldn’t say about Embree or Dorrell.

Discounting Walters entirely because he’s an alum would be just as short sighted as hiring him only because he’s an alum.
 
Embree and Dorrell had no business being candidates for any HC job. The problem with those guys wasn’t that they had CU ties, it was that their CU ties trumped the fact that they were completely unqualified.

Walters is different, I don’t view him as a potential candidate ONLY because he’s an alum. He’s rising in the coaching world and getting noticed for his actual coaching ability - something you couldn’t say about Embree or Dorrell.

Discounting Walters entirely because he’s an alum would be just as short sighted as hiring him only because he’s an alum.
Yeah. Multiple successful years as a P5 coordinator with his defense ranked right at the top this season.

That sounds like a guy you legit kick the tires on no matter where he went to college (unless it was Nebraska).
 
Is anyone questioning Wisconsin not even having a search for their next HC and essentially handing the job to Leonhard?
1. I feel like you know something I don't. McIntosh said at Chryst's firing he was doing a national search. AFAIK, that's taking place. what are you reading?

2. given where the team was when PC got fired, JL is pretty much kicking ass.
 
Is anyone questioning Wisconsin not even having a search for their next HC and essentially handing the job to Leonhard?
Not really. This seemed like the move they wanted to make when they fired Chryst in part to prevent losing Leonhard to a HC job elsewhere. A little cold to Chryst but I suspect they ultimately decided better to part with him early if they felt like his replacement was ready.
 
1. I feel like you know something I don't. McIntosh said at Chryst's firing he was doing a national search. AFAIK, that's taking place. what are you reading?

2. given where the team was when PC got fired, JL is pretty much kicking ass.
The foregone conclusion is that Chryst was fired in order to give Leonhard an audition so they wouldn't risk losing him to another job in the offseason. The disappointing start to the season under Chryst allowed them to do that. Of course they are going to say they are conducting a national search, but that's mostly window dressing.
Not really. This seemed like the move they wanted to make when they fired Chryst in part to prevent losing Leonhard to a HC job elsewhere. A little cold to Chryst but I suspect they ultimately decided better to part with him early if they felt like his replacement was ready.
Exactly.

This is Leonhard's resume - 40 years old - DC for the current #24 defense in the country (has coordinated multiple top 10 defenses)
1667940992393.png

This is Walters' resume - 36 years old - DC for the current #1 defense in the country
1667941039544.png

I don't see a much separation between the two, and would bet most here would be over the moon if Leonhard was the hire at CU
 
The foregone conclusion is that Chryst was fired in order to give Leonhard an audition so they wouldn't risk losing him to another job in the offseason. The disappointing start to the season under Chryst allowed them to do that. Of course they are going to say they are conducting a national search, but that's mostly window dressing.

Exactly.

This is Leonhard's resume - 40 years old - DC for the current #24 defense in the country (has coordinated multiple top 10 defenses)
View attachment 55624

This is Walters' resume - 36 years old - DC for the current #1 defense in the country
View attachment 55625

I don't see a much separation between the two, and would bet most here would be over the moon if Leonhard was the hire at CU
Remember when Alabaster Yak (whatever name he was going by) was dumber than a sack of hammers? I'm convinced that about five years ago somebody kidnapped him and took over his account.
 
The foregone conclusion is that Chryst was fired in order to give Leonhard an audition so they wouldn't risk losing him to another job in the offseason. The disappointing start to the season under Chryst allowed them to do that. Of course they are going to say they are conducting a national search, but that's mostly window dressing.

Exactly.

This is Leonhard's resume - 40 years old - DC for the current #24 defense in the country (has coordinated multiple top 10 defenses)
View attachment 55624

This is Walters' resume - 36 years old - DC for the current #1 defense in the country
View attachment 55625

I don't see a much separation between the two, and would bet most here would be over the moon if Leonhard was the hire at CU
I guess the difference is that Wisconsin has seen Leonhard’s performance up close for the past 6-7 years so they probably feel really comfortable about his abilities, whereas Walters hasn’t been around CU in a while so he feels riskier for us than Leonhard might be for Wisconsin.
 
I guess the difference is that Wisconsin has seen Leonhard’s performance up close for the past 6-7 years so they probably feel really comfortable about his abilities, whereas Walters hasn’t been around CU in a while so he feels riskier for us than Leonhard might be for Wisconsin.
The bigger issue with Walters seems to be that he was ever around CU at all.
 
I guess the difference is that Wisconsin has seen Leonhard’s performance up close for the past 6-7 years so they probably feel really comfortable about his abilities, whereas Walters hasn’t been around CU in a while so he feels riskier for us than Leonhard might be for Wisconsin.
For sure. Wisconsin knows him, he's "in the family" like they've pretty much done with every hire, and he's legitimately a really good coordinator.

Who would CU choose right now to be the HC?
 
For sure. Wisconsin knows him, he's "in the family" like they've pretty much done with every hire, and he's legitimately a really good coordinator.

Who would CU choose right now to be the HC?
Maybe this is unfair but my perception is that Leonhard has delivered more consistently and over a longer period than Walters so I feel like he can build and sustain a really good defense. And he’s done it at a place not in fertile recruiting grounds and where his teams are not lining up superior talent every week.

Honestly if Walters had played at USC or Texas I don’t think people would be nearly as hesitant about him and I’m guilty of that bias too.
 
Maybe this is unfair but my perception is that Leonhard has delivered more consistently and over a longer period than Walters so I feel like he can build and sustain a really good defense. And he’s done it at a place not in fertile recruiting grounds and where his teams are not lining up superior talent every week.

Honestly if Walters had played at USC or Texas I don’t think people would be nearly as hesitant about him and I’m guilty of that bias too.
My concern about Walters is recruiting mindset. Only 4* he's ever been attached to signing was a St. Louis kid who chose in-state Mizzou.

What would we be getting besides X's and O's + player development? Baked into hiring a very young HC is that he'd be learning on the job all that goes into being the head of a program. That has been successfully offset by the relatability and energy getting a lot of dudes. He's got to do a lot of selling on what his recruiting plan & philosophy would be.
 
Maybe this is unfair but my perception is that Leonhard has delivered more consistently and over a longer period than Walters so I feel like he can build and sustain a really good defense. And he’s done it at a place not in fertile recruiting grounds and where his teams are not lining up superior talent every week.

Honestly if Walters had played at USC or Texas I don’t think people would be nearly as hesitant about him and I’m guilty of that bias too.
Walters has been DC at Missouri and Illinois. Basically two bottom feeding programs in their respective conferences, and definitely not as respected as Wisconsin.

Leonhard took over a defense at UW that was coordinated by Justin Wilcox the year before and Dave Aranda the year before that. Leonhard didn't build anything, but you're right, he did maintain a well oiled machine.

I think Walters has shown the ability to succeed in vastly different environments, under different HCs.

I 100% agree that had he never been associated with CU, people would be signing a different tune
 
If Dillingham is that good a play caller, how did Florida State's offense go from 73rd in total offense in 2021 to 34th this year? FSU's offense is averaging almost 100 yards more a game and nearly a touchdown more per game without him. Why am I the only one even talking about that?

Walters has coached under some really good defensive coaches as you said. You think he's ready to run his own show? I don't. You don't see the defensive equivalent of what Grimes has done in Baylor under a guy whose expertise is on the opposite side of the ball with him. That in itself makes JG significantly more attractive to me as a candidate than your boy Dillingham, Walters, or even Riley. Walters played here. Him coming back would have Buffs4Life's fingerprints all over it too. Tell me why I'm wrong.
Norvell was still the OC at FSU, Oregon is his first time being OC behind a defensive minded HC and is killing it.

Defensive equivalent? Walters might be a bit green but he's got the best scoring D in CFB and is likely less talented than other B1G teams. If Walters hadn't gone to CU but had an equivalent resume I doubt the same concerns exist about it being B4L.
 
Not the direction I'd go, but I would not be upset if Walters was the move.

A multi-year successful P5 coordinator in the SEC and B1G for teams that are probably in the bottom third of their conferences on overall program resources & brand. He has proven his chops at the highest level while usually outgunned.

Big thing here would be his ability to communicate a complete football organization & operations plan while showing he has a clear idea of what he wants to do on offense and that he has the network to hire a great staff.

On the staffing side, one guy I found interesting is DeMontie Cross. He was Co-DC with Walters at Mizzou when Walters was first elevated. Now Director of Player Personnel at TCU. Would be a potential Chandler Dorrell replacement or even a consideration for DC under Walters. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeMontie_Cross
 
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Also - I'd get a lot more comfortable with Walters if we had a new AD who would give a first time HC everything he needed to succeed without meddling. My reservations around Walters are not really about him but about the situation at CU for a first time HC while Phil is still Chancellor and Rick is still AD.
 
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Not the direction I'd go, but I would not be upset if Walters was the move.

A multi-year successful P5 coordinator in the SEC and B1G for teams that are probably in the bottom third of their conferences on overall program resources & brand. He has proven his chops at the highest level while usually outgunned.

Big thing here would his ability to communicate a complete football organization & operations plan while showing he has a clear idea of what he wants to do on offense and that he has the network to hire a great staff.

On the staffing side, one guy I found interesting is DeMontie Cross. He was Co-DC with Walters at Mizzou when Walters was first elevated. Now Director of Player Personnel at TCU. Would be a potential Chandler Dorrell replacement or even a consideration for DC under Walters. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeMontie_Cross
He would need a massive amount of support for it to work, but has the potential to be a very high ceiling hire. I just question his recruiting as that has been mostly minimal with average results.
 
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