The Hidden Coaches: the Graduate Assistants

#1

Coach Punk

I’m not actually a coach
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#1
I saw this on Twitter (get used to it, the staff loves them some Twitter):

Mr. KNIGHT ‏@sirknight95
#TBT Me as a player at CMU gettin coached up by the man himself @UTCoachJones #RiseToTheTop pic.twitter.com/JlgF4ocW

BA1ujtpCQAEX7zd.jpg

That would be your current head coach talking to a former player who is now a graduate assistant. Knight is going to work with the defensive line, most likely. I was thinking about how Coach Jones brought three GAs with him from Cincinnati.

With the new rules from 2012, you can now have 4 GAs. Jones brought 3 to UT from UC. It’s a hidden part of what will speed the transition to what Jones wants. Adding the GAs helps to show how much this will aid teaching the players the system:

- Cody Kempt will coach the QBs like he was doing at UC
- Larry Knight will coach on the defensive line helping Coach Stripp
- Coach Jancek can help Coach Thigpen (and vice versa) with the linebackers
- Chase Gibson was coaching linebackers at UC with Jancek looking over his shoulder, but will probably be with the DBs helping Coach Martinez

That does not mean we should expect a top 10 defense this season. It just means the transition should be a lot smoother than some of the earthquakes of recent years.
 
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#2
#2
I would assume the only players who should struggle with the defensive transition are the D starters from last year.
From what CBJ and Jancek are saying, it sounds like our new D would be pretty vanilla but aggressive. Prob what most players are used to, coming out of HS.
 
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#3
#3
I would assume the only players who should struggle with the defensive transition are the D starters from last year.
From what CBJ and Jancek are saying, it sounds like our new D would be pretty vanilla but aggressive. Prob what most players are used to, coming out of HS.

Everybody will struggle to some extent. One positive in only recruiting for the 3-4 one year was that most of the personnel on defense are suited for the 4-3.

And those vanilla defenses cut both ways. If the offense knows what you’re doing they can do whatever they want. From what I’ve seen since studying the defense more closely is that they disguise what they do very well.

They do some fun stuff, like everybody. But the bulk of what they do is fundamentally sound.
 
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#10
#10
Everybody will struggle to some extent. One positive in only recruiting for the 3-4 one year was that most of the personnel on defense are suited for the 4-3.

And those vanilla defenses cut both ways. If the offense knows what you’re doing they can do whatever they want. From what I’ve seen since studying the defense more closely is that they disguise what they do very well.

They do some fun stuff, like everybody. But the bulk of what they do is fundamentally sound.

How much did we even recruit the 3-4 last year? Sunseri was a rather late hire. I would think he didn't have that much effect on recruiting. Just asking because I don't know.
 
#12
#12
I saw this on Twitter (get used to it, the staff loves them some Twitter):



That would be your current head coach talking to a former player who is now a graduate assistant. Knight is going to work with the defensive line, most likely. I was thinking about how Coach Jones brought three GAs with him from Cincinnati.

With the new rules from 2012, you can now have 4 GAs. Jones brought 3 to UT from UC. It’s a hidden part of what will speed the transition to what Jones wants. Adding the GAs helps to show how much this will aid teaching the players the system:

- Cody Kempt will coach the QBs like he was doing at UC
- Larry Knight will coach on the defensive line helping Coach Stripp
- Coach Jancek can help Coach Thigpen (and vice versa) with the linebackers
- Chase Gibson was coaching linebackers at UC with Jancek looking over his shoulder, but will probably be with the DBs helping Coach Martinez

That does not mean we should expect a top 10 defense this season. It just means the transition should be a lot smoother than some of the earthquakes of recent years.

I hope we can get some stability on the Hill. That has really set us back and kept us from getting back to where we belong. not only changes at head coach but about 3/4 of our assistants have changed every year, plus S and C coach changes every year. we just got to settle down! I think bUTch will do that
 
#15
#15
I thought Collaros was gonna be a GA?

I thought so too. OP only mentioned three, so Collaros must be the fourth

There are only 3 GAs right now. Zach Collaros and Nick Rivez have both been rumored to be in running for it, there’s just been no announcement quite yet. Could be after NSD before it gets worked out.
 
#16
#16
Everybody will struggle to some extent. One positive in only recruiting for the 3-4 one year was that most of the personnel on defense are suited for the 4-3.

And those vanilla defenses cut both ways. If the offense knows what you’re doing they can do whatever they want. From what I’ve seen since studying the defense more closely is that they disguise what they do very well.

They do some fun stuff, like everybody. But the bulk of what they do is fundamentally sound.

how much "studying" have you done? just curious and how did you "study" the cincy defense exactly?
 

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