Coach Z

[Nashvol2]

So, you're saying, essentially, that we don't even need a WR coach. Good to know.

No. I'm saying that there is more to being a good wr than the ability to catch the ball. I'm saying that catching the ball is a fundamental skill in which the coach has less influence over than other required skills.

 

[Nashvol2]

Yep. That's a GREAT way to win an argument... poison the well rather than dealing with the facts.

OH.... gotcha. College coaches aren't responsible for constantly reinforcing the fundamentals of catching a football since that should have been learned when they were 8. If they didn't... or are inconsistent... or are ineffective... Oh well, not the UT WR coach's responsibility to fix.

EXACTLY what I said... but you ignored that part since I also criticized the coach.

Some are taught well, some are never taught. We have had a few who were taught and never learned and many who were taught and learned. Ideally, the teaching is good enough so that those who learn and learn quickly improve noticably over the course of an 18 week football season including August.

If not, you play what you have and watch them drop passes and play poorly all year.

Lol @ some are never taught. Maybe that's an argument at other positions but not at WR. Forming a triangle with your hands and looking the ball in are the only teachable fundamentals in catching the football. It comes down to repetition and raw skill.

Getting open and blocking are much more teachable skills.

 

[Spartacavolus]

Not to mention you can pretty much tell if a kid will be a good receiver of the ball when you throw a football to him a couple of times. I have 2 kids that have horrible hands and one that just knows how to see the ball and catch the ball from instinct. Plus he always wants to play catch so his hands keep getting better.

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

Right. Throw the players under the bus but NEVER dare question whether the coach is doing his job well.

:no:

As opposed to throwing the WR coach under the bus because Worley couldn't hit the broad side of a bus.

Almost none of our WRs should have been starting last season. They were too young.

Worley sure as he'll shouldn't have been playing QB, but he was all we had.

But for some reason you think AzAni is te problem.

 

[sjt18]

Lol @ some are never taught. Maybe that's an argument at other positions but not at WR. Forming a triangle with your hands and looking the ball in are the only teachable fundamentals in catching the football. It comes down to repetition and raw skill.

Getting open and blocking are much more teachable skills.

Apparently... you weren't exposed to very good coaching even as a peewee player. There is ALOT more to be taught about catching a football than that.

 

[sjt18]

As opposed to throwing the WR coach under the bus because Worley couldn't hit the broad side of a bus.

Now that's creative. The WR's dropped passes because the QB somehow didn't hit them accurately enough in the hands.

But for some reason you think AzAni is te problem.

Can't read either I see. A problem... not THE problem. Is that understandable? If they're bad and make big strides... then you give the coach a pass. They didn't improve enough to give him a pass.

 

[Nashvol2]

Apparently... you weren't exposed to very good coaching even as a peewee player. There is ALOT more to be taught about catching a football than that.

Would you like to expand my knowledge?

 

[Nashvol2]

Can't read either I see. A problem... not THE problem. Is that understandable? If they're bad and make big strides... then you give the coach a pass. They didn't improve enough to give him a pass.

I wouldn't personally say that Azzani is or isn't an issue at this point. I just don't think he can be judged just yet and I certainly don't think that he is at fault for dropped balls. That's 99% on the players.

 

[sjt18]

So Smith's drops are on Z. Pig, DY, Johnson, Carter, North didn't really drop balls but we don't consider that. Smith dropped many. Croom dropped a couple. And its obvious its because Z doesn't know how to show guys how to catch it.
More brilliance.

DY played very little. Carter is hardly a product of Azzani. Pig, Johnson, and North all had bad drops.

 

[sjt18]

I wouldn't personally say that Azzani is or isn't an issue at this point. I just don't think he can be judged just yet and I certainly don't think that he is at fault for dropped balls. That's 99% on the players.

But you are willing to place all of the blame for the poor play on the players... or at least 99%, right? I have YET to deny that it is tough to play with that many young players. But they did NOT improve very much. That's the coach's responsibility.

Azzani can't be questioned but we have a whole thread where some of the same folks defending him here are declaring the RS Soph Bowles a bust.

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

Now that's creative. The WR's dropped passes because the QB somehow didn't hit them accurately enough in the hands.

Accurately enough in the hands? Half of the balls he threw weren't within 10 yards of the receivers!

I don't understand what you don't get about our WRs all being too young or inexperienced for them to produce well this year.

Let me break it down for you:
Pig Howard: Sophomore. Wildcat QB in high school
Marquez North: Freshman. Wildcat QB/RB in high school
Devrin Young: Junior. RB his whole life
Jason Croom: RS Freshman. Played TE last season and probably would in most systems.
Johnathon Johnson: JUCO Sophomore. RB in high school. 4 catches in JUCO.
Josh Smith: Freshman. WR his whole life, but would have redshirted anywhere else in the SEC.
Cody Blanc: RS Freshman. Safety in high school.
Drae Bowles: RS Freshman. WR in high school, but will be a career special teams player. Likely wouldn't start anywhere in the country.
Paul Harris: Freshman. Often injured and had bricks for hands.

So, by my count, 5 of our top WRs are transitioning positions and hadn't played WR much, if at all in college. Of the others, Smith wasn't ready for the speed of the game yet and Croom actually did show improvement as the year went on. Harris's transfer likely says a lot about whether he ever would have been good enough to start. Bowles is the inextricable one, but the evidence points towards him just not being good enough to contribute somewhere other than special teams.

I just don't think one can actually make a fair judgment on Azzani after one year of coaching mostly Freshman who are former RBs AND who were being thrown the ball by subpar QBs all season.

 

[MustafaRasta]

Accurately enough in the hands? Half of the balls he threw weren't within 10 yards of the receivers!

I don't understand what you don't get about our WRs all being too young or inexperienced for them to produce well this year.

Let me break it down for you:
Pig Howard: Sophomore. Wildcat QB in high school
Marquez North: Freshman. Wildcat QB/RB in high school
Devrin Young: Junior. RB his whole life
Jason Croom: RS Freshman. Played TE last season and probably would in most systems.
Johnathon Johnson: JUCO Sophomore. RB in high school. 4 catches in JUCO.
Josh Smith: Freshman. WR his whole life, but would have redshirted anywhere else in the SEC.
Cody Blanc: RS Freshman. Safety in high school.
Drae Bowles: RS Freshman. WR in high school, but will be a career special teams player. Likely wouldn't start anywhere in the country.
Paul Harris: Freshman. Often injured and had bricks for hands.

So, by my count, 5 of our top WRs are transitioning positions and hadn't played WR much, if at all in college. Of the others, Smith wasn't ready for the speed of the game yet and Croom actually did show improvement as the year went on. Harris's transfer likely says a lot about whether he ever would have been good enough to start. Bowles is the inextricable one, but the evidence points towards him just not being good enough to contribute somewhere other than special teams.

I just don't think one can actually make a fair judgment on Azzani after one year of coaching mostly Freshman who are former RBs AND who were being thrown the ball by subpar QBs all season.

It's nice of you to be all factual and stuff but Sjt has an agenda and at this point it may just be arguing like a horse's ass until only he is left.

When I guy thinks he is right because he can demean the other poster's facts and supplement his own use of facts for well spaced paragraphs while fighting the urge to use multiple exclamation points you are fighting a losing battle even attempting to engage him.

 

[sjt18]

Would you like to expand my knowledge?

Not a chance... you seem content in ignorance.

 

[sjt18]

Accurately enough in the hands? Half of the balls he threw weren't within 10 yards of the receivers!

I don't understand what you don't get about our WRs all being too young or inexperienced for them to produce well this year.

Let me break it down for you:
Pig Howard: Sophomore. Wildcat QB in high school
Marquez North: Freshman. Wildcat QB/RB in high school
Devrin Young: Junior. RB his whole life
Jason Croom: RS Freshman. Played TE last season and probably would in most systems.
Johnathon Johnson: JUCO Sophomore. RB in high school. 4 catches in JUCO.
Josh Smith: Freshman. WR his whole life, but would have redshirted anywhere else in the SEC.
Cody Blanc: RS Freshman. Safety in high school.
Drae Bowles: RS Freshman. WR in high school, but will be a career special teams player. Likely wouldn't start anywhere in the country.
Paul Harris: Freshman. Often injured and had bricks for hands.

So, by my count, 5 of our top WRs are transitioning positions and hadn't played WR much, if at all in college. Of the others, Smith wasn't ready for the speed of the game yet and Croom actually did show improvement as the year went on. Harris's transfer likely says a lot about whether he ever would have been good enough to start. Bowles is the inextricable one, but the evidence points towards him just not being good enough to contribute somewhere other than special teams.

I just don't think one can actually make a fair judgment on Azzani after one year of coaching mostly Freshman who are former RBs AND who were being thrown the ball by subpar QBs all season.

Yep. Keep looking for ANYONE so that no blame falls on a coach who failed to improve his unit.

The evidence says that the unit did not improve. that's all the "evidence" says. Interpretations of that evidence... well that's a different matter. Some are honest enough to say player experience and talent may be a factor but were OBVIOUSLY not the only factor at work... others will squirm and twist and stretch logic in all different directions in order to avoid considering that any of the blame belongs to the coach.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Apparently... you weren't exposed to very good coaching even as a peewee player. There is ALOT more to be taught about catching a football than that.

I don't understand why you continue to show you know nothing about the game of football. If all you want to do argue about a subject which is out of your league, why not try politics or logic.

 

[MustafaRasta]

I'm glad I didn't give you credit for not using all caps, I'd have to take it back.

I don't think you understand what the word evidence means, unless North making the Freshmen All American team was because he was the token Vol receiver.

You sound mad, confused and you may need a nap. Your posts are breaking down faster now.

 

[sjt18]

It's nice of you to be all factual and stuff but Sjt has an agenda and at this point it may just be arguing like a horse's ass until only he is left.

My "agenda" is honesty. Azzani did not improve his unit. These guys are more than happy to throw the players under the bus... but can't acknowledge that the coach bears any responsibility at all for the lack of progress of HIS unit that he is paid VERY WELL to improve.

When I guy thinks he is right because he can demean the other poster's facts and supplement his own use of facts for well spaced paragraphs while fighting the urge to use multiple exclamation points you are fighting a losing battle even attempting to engage him.

If I am wrong then it should be really, really easy to show it. All we've had here is one excuse after another for why the guy didn't get his job done... most of them involve dissing players' ability. But I guess that makes them "true Vol fans", huh?

 

[MustafaRasta]

My "agenda" is honesty. Azzani did not improve his unit. These guys are more than happy to throw the players under the bus... but can't acknowledge that the coach bears any responsibility at all for the lack of progress of HIS unit that he is paid VERY WELL to improve.

If I am wrong then it should be really, really easy to show it. All we've had here is one excuse after another for why the guy didn't get his job done... most of them involve dissing players' ability. But I guess that makes them "true Vol fans", huh?

HI, have you met Marques North?

 

[sjt18]

I'm glad I didn't give you credit for not using all caps, I'd have to take it back.

I don't think you understand what the word evidence means, unless North making the Freshmen All American team was because he was the token Vol receiver.

You sound mad, confused and you may need a nap. Your posts are breaking down faster now.

Yeah. You're right. Azzani is perfect. He maxed out the talent of his players. No one else in the WORLD could have done better...

Feel better?

I am less angry and more understanding that Z made little progress with his group than I am aggravated with the determination of so many here to show disrespect for the players and go to any lengths to avoid saying the guy didn't do... what he obviously DID NOT DO.

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

Not a chance... you seem content in ignorance.

This is the most ironic thing I've read all day.

 

[sjt18]

HI, have you met Marques North?

North is a physical freak... and even his improvement over the course of the season was not substantial other than making fewer route running errors.

However, I am not here to bash the players... unlike so many others. North and several others have talent. I believe a guy like Baggett would have gotten substantially more out of them.

 

[MustafaRasta]

Yeah. You're right. Azzani is perfect. He maxed out the talent of his players. No one else in the WORLD could have done better...

Feel better?

I am less angry and more understanding that Z made little progress with his group than I am aggravated with the determination of so many here to show disrespect for the players and go to any lengths to avoid saying the guy didn't do... what he obviously DID NOT DO.

Your last statement is where I agree with you. I see no reason to jump on players and call them "garbage" either. You seem overly intent on hammering the coaches though, maybe to make up for your fool love over Dooley, I dunno.

Regardless, you make statements like " SHOW ME THE IMPROVEMENT" and then somebody does and you ignore it and group that person in with whoever you see as a sunshine pumper.

For someone so intent on debating you have very little clue on how a debate actually works.

 

[sjt18]

This is the most ironic thing I've read all day.

I have no doubt you think that's true... that someone who is willing to consider all sides and see a coach responsible is "ignorant" while those who refuse to even consider the coaching a factor at all are "enlightened".

 

[Nashvol2]

But you are willing to place all of the blame for the poor play on the players... or at least 99%, right? I have YET to deny that it is tough to play with that many young players. But they did NOT improve very much. That's the coach's responsibility.

Azzani can't be questioned but we have a whole thread where some of the same folks defending him here are declaring the RS Soph Bowles a bust.

Your attempting to change the argument. We're talking about catching the ball, remember?

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

My "agenda" is honesty. Azzani did not improve his unit. These guys are more than happy to throw the players under the bus... but can't acknowledge that the coach bears any responsibility at all for the lack of progress of HIS unit that he is paid VERY WELL to improve.

If I am wrong then it should be really, really easy to show it. All we've had here is one excuse after another for why the guy didn't get his job done... most of them involve dissing players' ability. But I guess that makes them "true Vol fans", huh?

What are you basing "improvement" off of exactly? You hadn't seen any of those guys play receiver for more than a few snaps.

As far as the season goes, I'd say that North and Croom both ended the season as better receivers than they started. Pig hit a plateau around the Georgia game. Smith seemed to get discouraged and take a few steps back throughout the season, but he was also banged up towards the end of the season. Johnson had his ups and downs. Young didn't play much so it's hard to judge his improvement.

What would it have taken for you to not see Azzani as a bad coach? I'm not saying I think he is a great WR coach or anything. I just think we won't really be able to judge him until after next season.