How would you rate John Chavis as a Defensive Coordinator?

#176
#176
wmcovol said:
Amazing but you ask LSU fans the same question and they’ll give the same answers. LSU lost several big games due to his inability to stop teams on the last drive.
Click to expand...
Never said the same while he was there...speaking of “same answers”. Vast majority of both fanbases revered him when they had him.
 
  • Like
Reactions: swampfoxfan
#177
#177
Vols have been pretty piss poor at just about everything since about 2005. Chief and Cutt and Fulmer had a good thing going for a long time despite any perceived flaws. Boy, what I wouldn't give to go back to those days.

I'm with Butchna. Chavis' defenses in those days were more than adequate most of the time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: swampfoxfan
#179
#179
I still don't know if the collapses were on him or because he was trying to do what ultra-conservative Fulmer wanted in those situations. Fulmer's offense would sit on leads just as badly as the defense would. We would quit attacking on both sides of the ball, so there's at least a bit of evidence that it was more Fulmer than Chavis.
 
#180
#180
Dudleys87 said:
LSU never was stout in anything othe than talent under him.
Click to expand...
They were generally a top ten defense nationally in and in the top two or three in the conference every year. Wtf do you want from the man? I would say he’s pretty good.

I will grant you he never was dominant at A&M but he was pretty damn elite at Tennessee and LSU and his salary reflected that.
 
#181
#181
butchna said:
Never said the same while he was there...speaking of “same answers”. Vast majority of both fanbases revered him when they had him.
Click to expand...

LSU fans bailed on him after he blew the bama game when they drove the field in the last minute.
 
#183
#183
Orangeredblooded said:
We’ve done so much better since he left and joined Les Miles at LSU for 5 years. Guess they probably Don’t give him any credit for their national championship either.
Click to expand...
So you would have had him stay after losing to Wyoming at home just because you can see the future?
 
#185
#185
VOLfrombama said:
So you would have had him stay after losing to Wyoming at home just because you can see the future?
Click to expand...
Not sure if you mean him staying after Fulmer was fired or not, but he will never be back as a coach on UT's campus unless Phil names himself coach.

He wasn't a great DC but he and Fulmer were tight and he was loyal to him and certainly didn't think he should have been let go.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Orangeredblooded
#188
#188
Bigun said:
Holy crap. Just rewatched that clip and never noticed it was Burlsworth already stepping back into Steorner before Ratliff makes contact.
Click to expand...

Amazing that 90% of our fanbase believes Burlsworth was bullrushed into Stoerner by Ratliff. Ratliff had nothing to do with Stoerner tripping. Nothing. It was pure luck and a boneheaded play by Stoerner to use the ball to try to break his fall. But it’s a moot point, we won, and every national championship involves a little luck.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bigun
#189
#189
I always felt Chavis was one of the best DCs in the nation....for 58 minutes. But his two minute prevent defense was not very preventative. And it was pretty much the same at LSU.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Remy
#190
#190
TNnative said:
I always felt Chavis was one of the best DCs in the nation....for 58 minutes. But his two minute prevent defense was not very preventative. And it was pretty much the same at LSU.
Click to expand...

His prevent defenses were predicated on the hope the other team's offense would make a big mistake on the last drive of the game. His reasoning was somewhat sound, however the game changed underneath his feet. Today's offenses just want to keep the chains moving at the end and devote a significant amount of practice time to it. Chavis notoriously had his DBs so soft in his prevents it was simply a game of pitch and catch with receivers, making it worse on his bigs on the field as the balls come out early killing their pass rush and setting them up for the next play much earlier. They're no sooner catching their breath and the ball is snapped again. In fairness, Chavis is not alone here, many many DCs do the same thing. It's the most frustrating thing in the world as a fan or to have money on a game and watch a DC take the game out of the players hands who had played well up until the final drive and watch them do something entirely different defensively than what had worked the whole game for them. This is not confined to college ball either, see it commonly in the NFL as well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MemphisVol77
#192
#192
Bigun said:
Not sure if you mean him staying after Fulmer was fired or not, but he will never be back as a coach on UT's campus unless Phil names himself coach.

He wasn't a great DC but he and Fulmer were tight and he was loyal to him and certainly didn't think he should have been let go.
Click to expand...
That’s exactly what I mean. I would have cleaned house after the 05 season if it were my decision. Most knew they were not getting it done after that season. Who knows, maybe we hire someone who could have handled the job rather than the string of loudmouths and blowhards that followed by waiting until 08.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bigun
#196
#196
Remy said:
His prevent defenses were predicated on the hope the other team's offense would make a big mistake on the last drive of the game. His reasoning was somewhat sound, however the game changed underneath his feet. Today's offenses just want to keep the chains moving at the end and devote a significant amount of practice time to it. Chavis notoriously had his DBs so soft in his prevents it was simply a game of pitch and catch with receivers, making it worse on his bigs on the field as the balls come out early killing their pass rush and setting them up for the next play much earlier. They're no sooner catching their breath and the ball is snapped again. In fairness, Chavis is not alone here, many many DCs do the same thing. It's the most frustrating thing in the world as a fan or to have money on a game and watch a DC take the game out of the players hands who had played well up until the final drive and watch them do something entirely different defensively than what had worked the whole game for them. This is not confined to college ball either, see it commonly in the NFL as well.
Click to expand...

It seemed his reasoning on prevent defenses was to snatch defeat from the jaw of victory. At LSU as well as at Tennessee. And while I realize many other DCs have done the same thing, most of the others found adjustments to make their effort more effective. Chavis did not. The only times he got bailed out would be if a DB anticipated the play and make an interception or stripped the ball. Wish there was a way to measure how many people developed ulcers with his 2 minute approach.

The best way to win with him was for the offense to rack up as many points as possible so the last two minutes would not be an issue. And if it was close, you needed a Billy Ratliff in there to get the damn ball.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Remy
#198
#198
Boca Vol said:
They scored 13 points...and the D only gave up 1 TD when Wyoming started from the UT 4 yard line. The D wasn't the problem in that game.
Click to expand...
Any time a non conference unranked third tier team comes in your house and scores more points than you, its your fault. Chavis was one of 150ish on that team that day that lost to a horrible team in our house. It was the diarrhea icing on the turd cake and all I needed to see to know it was WAY past time to move on.
 
#200
#200
VOLfrombama said:
So you would have had him stay after losing to Wyoming at home just because you can see the future?
Click to expand...

Vols lost that game 13-7. It’s not like Wyoming was moving it up and down the field. If anything, that loss was on the offense.
VOLfrombama said:
Any time a non conference unranked third tier team comes in your house and scores more points than you, its your fault. Chavis was one of 150ish on that team that day that lost to a horrible team in our house. It was the diarrhea icing on the turd cake and all I needed to see to know it was WAY past time to move on.
Click to expand...

It may have been “past time,” but the Wyoming game is not a compelling example. In fact, that season isn’t the most compelling example because the offense was abysmal and constantly putting the defense in bad spots.

Now, there are some Florida games that would better serve your argument. But, even then, I don’t think we’ve had a better DC since he left over 10 years ago.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.
Advertisement



Back
Top