LongviewLobo01
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Heading into the final game of the season, I want to grade the coaches for their performances this year.
Head Coach Mack Brown
C
Analysis: This is probably higher than he needs, but you have to give him credit for finding ways to win despite a ton of injuries. David Ash, Johnathan Gray, Chris Whaley and Jordan Hicks have all been out for multiple games. That's your preseason starting QB, RB, one of the DTs and your best LB and defensive leader. On top of that, Mack has had to face questions about whether or not he's going to be back nearly all season and still found a way to whip our biggest rival in OU and has the team on the cusp of sharing a Big 12 title with a win Saturday.
That said, you can't overlook the fact that Manny Diaz was allowed to coach the beginning of the season. Sure Mack canned him after that, but everyone except Mack could see that he was in way over his head last year and a change needed to be made. With his neck on the line he hitched his wagon to Diaz and the wheels completely came off, and right away. Not to mention the fact that Mack's quotes all offseason long were how this team was going to be the one that got Texas back to the level it was previously and anything less than a 10 win season and Big 12 title were going to be a disappointment.
Co-Offensive Coordinator Major Applewhite
C
Analysis: It's hard to win games with the limitations that a backup quarterback puts on the offense. Any offensive coordinator is going to struggle when you lose your starting QB early in the season and then starting running back near the end. But Major has been able to mold an identity out of the pieces on offense. Give him credit for that. This team is going to pound the rock and run the football. The Texas offense has failed to have an identity since Colt McCoy was under center, so he has that going for him. However, too often it appears as though Major is unable to make changes or switch the gameplan up when things are not going the way they need to. Maybe it's his boss forcing him to do things as he alluded to a couple of weeks ago, or maybe he's just not a natural play caller, but there's just doesn't seem to be a lot of ebb and flow with the offense. And when the offense is unable to get ahead of the sticks and put themselves in manageable 2nd and 3rd down situations, things just fall apart for them. It's only Major's first season being "the man" but he's definitely failed to live up to the lofty expectations that were bestowed upon him this offseason.
Co-Offensive Coordinator/WR Coach Darrell Wyatt
B+
Analysis: There have been some rumblings about Major not taking input from his assistants like Wyatt, but regardless, you can not find a whole lot of fault with Wyatt's position group. Mike Davis, Jaxon Shipley, Kendall Sanders and Marcus Johnson have done a great job this year as pass catchers and blockers. Wyatt entered the season with only two proven WRs and he desperately needed some young guys to step up in the spread, up-tempo sets that he and Major wanted to implement and Sanders and Johnson were able to do so. There are still some things that need to be worked on as a unit, but you have to give credit where credit is due.
Running Back coach Larry Porter
B
Analysis: It's hard to find a lot of fault with this group. Johnathan Gray was well on his way to being the first 1,000 yard back since Jamaal Charles before his season ending injury and since he's gone down Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron have not missed a beat. For some reason Brown did not see a lot of playing time early in the season, but he never quit and since Gray has gone down has become the workhorse. Bergeron fell into the doghouse for fumble issues, but worked his way back via the special teams units and is coming off a 100-yard performance against Tech. This group has enabled the Horn offense to forge an identity and that can not be understated.
Tight End coach Bruce Chambers
D-
Analysis: The only reason this is not an F is because Geoff Swaim can block his ass off. I see no reason that we have a TE coach anymore because I have no idea what Chambers is doing. This position has been a black hole for what seems like a decade now. MJ McFarland was supposed to give the Horns a threat in the passing game and I don't remember the last time he was on the field. Greg Daniels is an above average blocker, but neither he nor Swaim are threats in the passing game at all. Last week it appeared Josh Cochran was playing some TE to help with blocking. This position needs a complete overhaul. When a tight end is on the field the offense is playing with one hand tied behind it's back because there's no respect for him in the passing game and you can key on him in the run game.
Offensive Line coach Stacy Searles
A-
Analysis: We are probably a year away from Searles having the bodies and depth on the line that he wants, but the turnaround that this unit has made over the past couple of years has been amazing. It's not a perfect line and is not able to beat people up 100% of the time like the Alabama's or LSU's of the world, but they are a hell of a lot closer now than they were at this time last year. This offense runs the football. It runs the football despite having a quarterback that teams don't have to respect as a passer. It runs the football against stacked boxes. It whips undermanned and undersized defenses. There are still some issues with young kids like Estelle and Perkins and other guys who do not have a ton of experience, but they are improving each week and thats all you can ask for. I firmly believe that the offensive line is going to be a massive strength next season no matter who the coach is.
Defensive Coordinator Manny Diaz
F-
Analysis: He should have been fired after last season's record setting performance, but somehow Mack thought he could turn things around. An all-time bad performance against BYU sealed his fate. The guy got fired after the second game. Not really sure there's much more that you can say other than that.
Defensive Coordinator/LB Coach Greg Robinson
B-
Analysis: He inherited a mess. And that's putting it nicely. He was thrown into the fire and couldn't stop Ole Miss with less than a week of preparation. Then all of a sudden, the defense started playing better. They seemed to have responsibilities and technique. Guys like Steve Edmond started to look like players. There have still been some ugly moments like against Oklahoma State, but by and large the job Robinson has done has to make Mack wonder what the hell he was thinking keeping Diaz around. How much different would things be for Mack and this Texas team had Mack made a change after last season. Would they have beaten BYU and Ole Miss? Could this be a 1-loss team heading into Waco? Robinson probably won't be able to save Mack's career and buy him another year, but his turnaround on that side of the ball is nothing short of remarkable.
The linebackers were the worst unit on the team under Diaz. They were B-A-D. Everyone wanted Steve Edmond moved to DE or TE. People liked Santos because he tried hard, but he just wasn't quick enough or instinctive enough for the position. Then Robinson took over. All of a sudden Edmond started making plays and Santos started knocking people's heads off. There were still moments where they were out of position and took bad angles, but those plays became much fewer and further in between. What happened to Peter Jinkens though? He looked like the best LBer of the bunch last season, but hasn't shown much this year. Kendall Thompson hasn't made much of an impact either. At one point this season, Robinson started playing Edmond and Santos together to help stop the run and believe it or not it actually worked! Nobody could have seen that coming. I just wish that Edmond could have stayed healthy to learn as much as he could under Robinson's tutelage to make up for the lack of teaching he received under Diaz.
Defensive Ends coach Oscar Giles
B
Analysis: His pupils accounted for 8 of the 9 sacks against Texas Tech. His top 2 could and should probably be named first team all conference. Jeffcoat has 10 sacks this season and Reed has 9. The fact that both will finish with double digit sacks says a lot, but then Giles has also gotten solid playing time from the likes of Reggie Wilson and Shiro Davis this year and even Caleb Blueitt has shown flashes. This position has completely dominated various stretches of games. Biggest issue is that at times they lose gap integrity against dual threat QBs trying to get to the passer so hard, but that has become much less of an issue under Robinson.
Defensive Tackles coach Bo Davis
C
Analysis: The defensive tackles have had stretches of good play, but have struggled at other times. Things have definitely improved under the new defensive scheme and you can't fault Davis too much considering he lost Dorsey before the season and then Whaley during, but it seems like these guys tend to disappear for stretches. Malcom Brown has been good, but not the dominant force everyone expected him to be. Desmond Jackson has shown flashes, but is inconsistent. Guys like Paul Boyette Jr and Hassan Ridgeway have played, but have made minimal impacts. There will need to be some major improvements next season from some of the younger guys in this group without a doubt.
Defensive Back coach Duane Akina
C+
Analysis: Nobody probably benefited as much from the change at defensive coordinator as Akina. It was obvious that he and Diaz did not see eye to eye. Under Diaz it appeared as though Akina's DBs were often left on islands by themselves or had no idea what they were doing. They could not tackle on run plays and were routinely burned on pass plays because they were being forced to help stop the run. Since Robinson took over it appears as though the DBs have been put in better positions and although they have still been far from perfect, they have been better. Quandre Diggs has been playing the best football of the season lately after a slow start and the corners have been better. Akina has also gotten sold production from the safety position, although it's still far from a position of strength, at least it's not an utter disaster area like it was last season. It's just amazing how much different the same players can look under a different system less than a year later.
Head Coach Mack Brown
C
Analysis: This is probably higher than he needs, but you have to give him credit for finding ways to win despite a ton of injuries. David Ash, Johnathan Gray, Chris Whaley and Jordan Hicks have all been out for multiple games. That's your preseason starting QB, RB, one of the DTs and your best LB and defensive leader. On top of that, Mack has had to face questions about whether or not he's going to be back nearly all season and still found a way to whip our biggest rival in OU and has the team on the cusp of sharing a Big 12 title with a win Saturday.
That said, you can't overlook the fact that Manny Diaz was allowed to coach the beginning of the season. Sure Mack canned him after that, but everyone except Mack could see that he was in way over his head last year and a change needed to be made. With his neck on the line he hitched his wagon to Diaz and the wheels completely came off, and right away. Not to mention the fact that Mack's quotes all offseason long were how this team was going to be the one that got Texas back to the level it was previously and anything less than a 10 win season and Big 12 title were going to be a disappointment.
Co-Offensive Coordinator Major Applewhite
C
Analysis: It's hard to win games with the limitations that a backup quarterback puts on the offense. Any offensive coordinator is going to struggle when you lose your starting QB early in the season and then starting running back near the end. But Major has been able to mold an identity out of the pieces on offense. Give him credit for that. This team is going to pound the rock and run the football. The Texas offense has failed to have an identity since Colt McCoy was under center, so he has that going for him. However, too often it appears as though Major is unable to make changes or switch the gameplan up when things are not going the way they need to. Maybe it's his boss forcing him to do things as he alluded to a couple of weeks ago, or maybe he's just not a natural play caller, but there's just doesn't seem to be a lot of ebb and flow with the offense. And when the offense is unable to get ahead of the sticks and put themselves in manageable 2nd and 3rd down situations, things just fall apart for them. It's only Major's first season being "the man" but he's definitely failed to live up to the lofty expectations that were bestowed upon him this offseason.
Co-Offensive Coordinator/WR Coach Darrell Wyatt
B+
Analysis: There have been some rumblings about Major not taking input from his assistants like Wyatt, but regardless, you can not find a whole lot of fault with Wyatt's position group. Mike Davis, Jaxon Shipley, Kendall Sanders and Marcus Johnson have done a great job this year as pass catchers and blockers. Wyatt entered the season with only two proven WRs and he desperately needed some young guys to step up in the spread, up-tempo sets that he and Major wanted to implement and Sanders and Johnson were able to do so. There are still some things that need to be worked on as a unit, but you have to give credit where credit is due.
Running Back coach Larry Porter
B
Analysis: It's hard to find a lot of fault with this group. Johnathan Gray was well on his way to being the first 1,000 yard back since Jamaal Charles before his season ending injury and since he's gone down Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron have not missed a beat. For some reason Brown did not see a lot of playing time early in the season, but he never quit and since Gray has gone down has become the workhorse. Bergeron fell into the doghouse for fumble issues, but worked his way back via the special teams units and is coming off a 100-yard performance against Tech. This group has enabled the Horn offense to forge an identity and that can not be understated.
Tight End coach Bruce Chambers
D-
Analysis: The only reason this is not an F is because Geoff Swaim can block his ass off. I see no reason that we have a TE coach anymore because I have no idea what Chambers is doing. This position has been a black hole for what seems like a decade now. MJ McFarland was supposed to give the Horns a threat in the passing game and I don't remember the last time he was on the field. Greg Daniels is an above average blocker, but neither he nor Swaim are threats in the passing game at all. Last week it appeared Josh Cochran was playing some TE to help with blocking. This position needs a complete overhaul. When a tight end is on the field the offense is playing with one hand tied behind it's back because there's no respect for him in the passing game and you can key on him in the run game.
Offensive Line coach Stacy Searles
A-
Analysis: We are probably a year away from Searles having the bodies and depth on the line that he wants, but the turnaround that this unit has made over the past couple of years has been amazing. It's not a perfect line and is not able to beat people up 100% of the time like the Alabama's or LSU's of the world, but they are a hell of a lot closer now than they were at this time last year. This offense runs the football. It runs the football despite having a quarterback that teams don't have to respect as a passer. It runs the football against stacked boxes. It whips undermanned and undersized defenses. There are still some issues with young kids like Estelle and Perkins and other guys who do not have a ton of experience, but they are improving each week and thats all you can ask for. I firmly believe that the offensive line is going to be a massive strength next season no matter who the coach is.
Defensive Coordinator Manny Diaz
F-
Analysis: He should have been fired after last season's record setting performance, but somehow Mack thought he could turn things around. An all-time bad performance against BYU sealed his fate. The guy got fired after the second game. Not really sure there's much more that you can say other than that.
Defensive Coordinator/LB Coach Greg Robinson
B-
Analysis: He inherited a mess. And that's putting it nicely. He was thrown into the fire and couldn't stop Ole Miss with less than a week of preparation. Then all of a sudden, the defense started playing better. They seemed to have responsibilities and technique. Guys like Steve Edmond started to look like players. There have still been some ugly moments like against Oklahoma State, but by and large the job Robinson has done has to make Mack wonder what the hell he was thinking keeping Diaz around. How much different would things be for Mack and this Texas team had Mack made a change after last season. Would they have beaten BYU and Ole Miss? Could this be a 1-loss team heading into Waco? Robinson probably won't be able to save Mack's career and buy him another year, but his turnaround on that side of the ball is nothing short of remarkable.
The linebackers were the worst unit on the team under Diaz. They were B-A-D. Everyone wanted Steve Edmond moved to DE or TE. People liked Santos because he tried hard, but he just wasn't quick enough or instinctive enough for the position. Then Robinson took over. All of a sudden Edmond started making plays and Santos started knocking people's heads off. There were still moments where they were out of position and took bad angles, but those plays became much fewer and further in between. What happened to Peter Jinkens though? He looked like the best LBer of the bunch last season, but hasn't shown much this year. Kendall Thompson hasn't made much of an impact either. At one point this season, Robinson started playing Edmond and Santos together to help stop the run and believe it or not it actually worked! Nobody could have seen that coming. I just wish that Edmond could have stayed healthy to learn as much as he could under Robinson's tutelage to make up for the lack of teaching he received under Diaz.
Defensive Ends coach Oscar Giles
B
Analysis: His pupils accounted for 8 of the 9 sacks against Texas Tech. His top 2 could and should probably be named first team all conference. Jeffcoat has 10 sacks this season and Reed has 9. The fact that both will finish with double digit sacks says a lot, but then Giles has also gotten solid playing time from the likes of Reggie Wilson and Shiro Davis this year and even Caleb Blueitt has shown flashes. This position has completely dominated various stretches of games. Biggest issue is that at times they lose gap integrity against dual threat QBs trying to get to the passer so hard, but that has become much less of an issue under Robinson.
Defensive Tackles coach Bo Davis
C
Analysis: The defensive tackles have had stretches of good play, but have struggled at other times. Things have definitely improved under the new defensive scheme and you can't fault Davis too much considering he lost Dorsey before the season and then Whaley during, but it seems like these guys tend to disappear for stretches. Malcom Brown has been good, but not the dominant force everyone expected him to be. Desmond Jackson has shown flashes, but is inconsistent. Guys like Paul Boyette Jr and Hassan Ridgeway have played, but have made minimal impacts. There will need to be some major improvements next season from some of the younger guys in this group without a doubt.
Defensive Back coach Duane Akina
C+
Analysis: Nobody probably benefited as much from the change at defensive coordinator as Akina. It was obvious that he and Diaz did not see eye to eye. Under Diaz it appeared as though Akina's DBs were often left on islands by themselves or had no idea what they were doing. They could not tackle on run plays and were routinely burned on pass plays because they were being forced to help stop the run. Since Robinson took over it appears as though the DBs have been put in better positions and although they have still been far from perfect, they have been better. Quandre Diggs has been playing the best football of the season lately after a slow start and the corners have been better. Akina has also gotten sold production from the safety position, although it's still far from a position of strength, at least it's not an utter disaster area like it was last season. It's just amazing how much different the same players can look under a different system less than a year later.
