Doug Mathews secondary suggestion

What’s concerning is the amount of Florida receivers running so wide open…no DB within several yards. AR floated several passes that hung up in the air and nobody around to contest the throw. Tackling was atrocious to boot..

it was that damn soft zone....
 
I was stunned by the amount of people on Saturday after the game that had Rose Colored glasses about our secondary.

Glad to see people are waking up.

IDC what we do as long as we mix it up. Don't expect different results if we don't make some sort of change. Injuries might have mattered a little but this is a coaching/recruiting issue imo

Not buying the recruiting issue. Coaching? Absolutely 100%. Recruiting? Nope.
 
Not buying the recruiting issue. Coaching? Absolutely 100%. Recruiting? Nope.

I think it is both.

Going back to the 2022 class, our top S was an 88, Corner was 87
2021 class, our top S was an 88, Corner was 85
2020 class, our top S is no longer with team, no true corner taken

Now the good news is this year our top S is 92, Corner is 94. So clearly we are doing better but I think recruiting has been an issue (acknowledging that is split between Pruitts tenure)
 
UT actually had a good secondary during some of his years........ I was joking though;)

He coached RBs most of his career. He was DC but I dont think he coached DBs as DC. If he did, they were horrible until Pickens took over at safety. Having a 6-4 ball hawk at safety made up for alot of mistakes. Carl didnt wanna hit anyone but he sure could cover some ground. Arkansas had a TD in the cotton bowl game but CPs long arm reached out and intercepted it at the goal line.
 
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He coached RBs most of his career. He was DC but I dont think he coached DBs as DC. If he did, they were horrible until Pickens took over at safety. Having a 6-4 ball hawk at safety made up for alot of mistakes. Carl didnt wanna hit anyone but he sure could cover some ground. Arkansas had a TD in the cotton bowl game but CPs long arm reached out and intercepted it at the goal line.
I could have sworn he coached the DBs also during his career in Knoxville.. Oh well, my mistake. It happens..............
 
Slade was awful. He had a lot more talent to work with, but they constantly underachieved. Kevin Ramsey was the last good DB coach UT had. He was the DB coach from 95-98, and did well enough in that spot to land the DC job at Georgia.

You're right he sucked

Slade spent 10 seasons at Tennessee as coach in the defensive backfield and is known for turning out some of the nation’s best secondary units. In 2008, Slade was instrumental in leading the Volunteers to a No. 4 ranking in the country in pass defense. The Vols were also tied for the third in the country in total defense that year. Slade coached All-America defensive back Eric Berry. His 2000 and 2001 secondary unit established school season records with 64 and 72 passes broken up, respectively.

Tennessee's defensive backfield produced such NFL signees as Super Bowl champion Gibril Wilson, Super Bowl participant Deon Grant, Rashad Baker, Jabari Greer, Jonathan Wade and Jason Allen, who was selected in the 2006 first round by the Miami Dolphins.
 
I think it is both.

Going back to the 2022 class, our top S was an 88, Corner was 87
2021 class, our top S was an 88, Corner was 85
2020 class, our top S is no longer with team, no true corner taken

Now the good news is this year our top S is 92, Corner is 94. So clearly we are doing better but I think recruiting has been an issue (acknowledging that is split between Pruitts tenure)

So essentially the only way Martinez can be good is if he has elite talent? That’s not the definition of a good coach to me. I really hope Heupel gets rid of him after this season.
 
I would like to see the breakdown of the results of plays when TN rushed 3 or 4 compared to the plays when they rushed more than 4. I think our secondary becomes progressively more vulnerable with every passing second of the play. We just need to make sure we do not allow qb's time to go through their progressions and think.
 
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So essentially the only way Martinez can be good is if he has elite talent? That’s not the definition of a good coach to me. I really hope Heupel gets rid of him after this season.

I agree that he should be gone if he can't make improvements but I do think that when you look at the elite secondaries in the SEC, not many are as lowly rated as ours have been in the past 4 years
 
I agree that he should be gone if he can't make improvements but I do think that when you look at the elite secondaries in the SEC, not many are as lowly rated as ours have been in the past 4 years

I get your point with the elite secondaries. But secondaries from Vandy, SC, Missouri and Kentucky are much better than ours? I am sorry I just cannot except that.
 
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