New Position Coaches — Kind Of

[vegasvolfan]

Good article on VQ about about how our running backs will be more involved in our passing game VolQuest - For Tennessee's backfield, it's all about space.

I couldn’t help but notice Pruitt’s move of Johnson to RBC when he was such a good WRC, but this makes me feel much better about it. I would imagine Johnson welcomed the experience, as experience at multiple positions will only benefit his career—especially if the RBs are going to be more involved in the passing game.

That said, it is interesting to note that while some of the coaches on this team were on last year’s team, about half of our coaches are first timers coaching the positions they are now coaching >while at Tennessee<.

Weinke was moved to QB (better fit), Sherrer to STC & ILBC (better fit), Ansley to DC/DBs (1st year hire. Never been DC before, but he is the man for DBs... all of these hires and their assignments makes me think Pruitt is going to focus more on D and he has that experience), Martin Receivers (Huge 1st year hire at that position), Chaney (another huge 1st year rehire at that position).

I think I stated in another thread that we may feel all of that newness at each position this year, but as stated above these moves make a lot of sense when you consider Chaney will have free reign over the O. There are, however, a lot of articles about Chaney’s offenses being better in year two, but has he ever had a staff like this that is as turn-key?

What are your thoughts?

 

[ReelfootVol]

To be perfectly honest, I never liked Chaney when he was here under Dooley. However, I do realize our talent level was not near what it is today. I will admit that Chaney is probably, in my opinion , a bit above average as an offensive cord. I do believe there are many OC's across America much much better than he is to run an offensive. I still believe he is too conservative at times and much like many others when he gets a lead he likes to sit on it and plays not to lose. Go ahead and blast me if you like but you will never change my mind.

 

[bigorange]

...Montario Hardesty, Bryce Brown, and David Oku...

Man I sure am quick to forget so many guys that at one time I was crazy excited about.

 

[Volunteer_Kirby]

Man I sure am quick to forget so many guys that at one time I was crazy excited about.

I remember thinking David Oku was going to be LaMarcus Coker 2.0 (minus the off-the-field issues).

 

[RollerVol]

To be perfectly honest, I never liked Chaney when he was here under Dooley. However, I do realize our talent level was not near what it is today. I will admit that Chaney is probably, in my opinion , a bit above average as an offensive cord. I do believe there are many OC's across America much much better than he is to run an offensive. I still believe he is too conservative at times and much like many others when he gets a lead he likes to sit on it and plays not to lose. Go ahead and blast me if you like but you will never change my mind.

with Dooley Coach Chaney's offense could score 50 and we'd still lose...defense just couldn't hang with anybody...

GO BIG ORANGE!

 

[GTBATV]

with Dooley Coach Chaney's offense could score 50 and we'd still lose...defense just couldn't hang with anybody...

GO BIG ORANGE!

That is a valid point. There were only three games we scored less than 30 in 2012 and we went 5-7......

 

[RollerVol]

That is a valid point. There were only three games we scored less than 30 in 2012 and we went 5-7......

zactly...Bad Boy Bray and the infamous "Bottle Throwing Incident"...crazy funny...

GBO!

 

[SpookyAction]

with Dooley Coach Chaney's offense could score 50 and we'd still lose...defense just couldn't hang with anybody...

GO BIG ORANGE!

Justin Wilcox's defenses were stingy, but he could not recruit. So when he left, that defense was undermanned, bigtime. Offense was the problem before he left.

 

[Grudenator]

To be perfectly honest, I never liked Chaney when he was here under Dooley. However, I do realize our talent level was not near what it is today. I will admit that Chaney is probably, in my opinion , a bit above average as an offensive cord. I do believe there are many OC's across America much much better than he is to run an offensive. I still believe he is too conservative at times and much like many others when he gets a lead he likes to sit on it and plays not to lose. Go ahead and blast me if you like but you will never change my mind.

Bray,Justin hunter, Da’Rick Rogers, Ju’Waun James was a rock solid group

 

[OffTackleVol]

To be perfectly honest, I never liked Chaney when he was here under Dooley. However, I do realize our talent level was not near what it is today. I will admit that Chaney is probably, in my opinion , a bit above average as an offensive cord. I do believe there are many OC's across America much much better than he is to run an offensive. I still believe he is too conservative at times and much like many others when he gets a lead he likes to sit on it and plays not to lose. Go ahead and blast me if you like but you will never change my mind.

Who would want to change your mind.........geez.

 

[Pride85]

To be perfectly honest, I never liked Chaney when he was here under Dooley. However, I do realize our talent level was not near what it is today. I will admit that Chaney is probably, in my opinion , a bit above average as an offensive cord. I do believe there are many OC's across America much much better than he is to run an offensive. I still believe he is too conservative at times and much like many others when he gets a lead he likes to sit on it and plays not to lose. Go ahead and blast me if you like but you will never change my mind.

So you are writing this year off completely, right? 24 -5 over the last two years with an offense that averaged 450 yards per game against high level competition looks to be better than your assessment. MM rules.

 

[keenobserver]

To be perfectly honest, I never liked Chaney when he was here under Dooley. However, I do realize our talent level was not near what it is today. I will admit that Chaney is probably, in my opinion , a bit above average as an offensive cord. I do believe there are many OC's across America much much better than he is to run an offensive. I still believe he is too conservative at times and much like many others when he gets a lead he likes to sit on it and plays not to lose. Go ahead and blast me if you like but you will never change my mind.

Didn't we break most offensive records when Chaney was here during the Dooley years?

 

[savannahfan]

If this staff doesn't try to fit a square peg into a round hole and uses the abilities of the players on hand, then with the ability we think they have, we should be alright. To me, a really good coach adapts to his situation and makes the best of it as he gradually installs he own plan. I think changing communication, terminology, teaching technique used by guys from a previous set of coaches as seamlessly as possible is the first step. Second, and maybe you may consider it first, is developing game plans that "use" what you got to work with. I think Chaney has the offensive staff to accomplish what needs to be done and he has the ability to use their ability to get what we hope for.

 

[McDad]

To be perfectly honest, I never liked Chaney when he was here under Dooley. However, I do realize our talent level was not near what it is today. I will admit that Chaney is probably, in my opinion , a bit above average as an offensive cord. I do believe there are many OC's across America much much better than he is to run an offensive. I still believe he is too conservative at times and much like many others when he gets a lead he likes to sit on it and plays not to lose. Go ahead and blast me if you like but you will never change my mind.

Was Chaney OC when Sunseri was DC under Dooley?

 

[American_PitVol]

To be perfectly honest, I never liked Chaney when he was here under Dooley. However, I do realize our talent level was not near what it is today. I will admit that Chaney is probably, in my opinion , a bit above average as an offensive cord. I do believe there are many OC's across America much much better than he is to run an offensive. I still believe he is too conservative at times and much like many others when he gets a lead he likes to sit on it and plays not to lose. Go ahead and blast me if you like but you will never change my mind.

Chaney will change your mind for you...

 

[bpalmer28]

Didn't we break most offensive records when Chaney was here during the Dooley years?

Probably best to just ignore what the previous poster said. We had one of the best offenses in the SEC under Chaney. Georgia also had one of the best offenses in the SEC under Chaney. Dude knows how to win ball games and "sitting on a lead" or however the previous poster worded it is actually how most coaches win ball games. Some fans like to see their team throw the ball all over the place because it's exciting, but I get excited when I see the clock ticking and my team has the lead. #winning

 

[Grudenator]

Yes. I believe so

Was Chaney OC when Sunseri was DC under Dooley?

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

zactly...Bad Boy Bray and the infamous "Bottle Throwing Incident"...crazy funny...

GBO!

But wait a minute, I thought only the QB matters in football? All you hear is so and so's record as a starting QB. The team doesnt matter. A QB throws, catches, blocks, runs, kicks, plays defense and coaches.

 

[McDad]

Yes. I believe so

I really liked the production of that offense.

 

[jctenn1]

I am excited for my VOLS and coaching staff...
Cannot wait to get this thing started...
IMO.. I think Pruitt worked more on our defense last year trying to fix it rather than the offense...that is his specialty and I feel he wanted the defense to be much better first to try and keep us in more games...Now it is time to get the offense working better and perfect his defense...
So glad he got Chaney..He knows how to run an offense and win games....
Should be a VERY exciting season....
GBO

 

[volmoon]

with Dooley Coach Chaney's offense could score 50 and we'd still lose...defense just couldn't hang with anybody...

GO BIG ORANGE!

So true, and ironically against Mizzou in Neyland, Dooley had the offense take a knee with 35 seconds remaining to play with a timeout in the 4th qtr in order to get to overtime...and he had QB Tyler Bray & WR Cordarrelle Patterson. That connection was an imminent scoring threat on any given play! In my opinion, that decision was the nail in Dooley’s coaching coffin at UT.

 

[keenobserver]

Bray,Justin hunter, Da’Rick Rogers, Ju’Waun James was a rock solid group

Rivera, James stone, Dallas Thomas, zach fulton....

 

[pimo1]

People fail to realize sometimes that Offense and Defense are symbiotic. Ask Dan Marino or Peyton Manning all those years they had offenses burning up the NFL but couldn't win. Ask the coaches at Schools on the west coast where they have wide open offenses but cant win big games on teams in the east because their defenses suck. If you don';t have faith in your defense to stop the other guys your offense can only be so aggressive. The Sunseri Year is a perfect example of that. We scored too man points too fast and put that defense on the field which lead the other team to be able to score even more.. High octane offenses almost always have seemingly bad defenses and its not always the defenses fault. If you're aggressive on offense you are also prone to giving up bad field position at times and your defense does not get enough rest. Being conservative at times is a way around this. Any head coach with sense would rather beat you 21-0 because their offense held the ball 40 minutes and put a well rested defense out on the field for the opponent. Remember every-time you score you have to give the other team the ball if your defense cant stop them they score also. Possessing the ball is always more important than scoring while you have a lead.

If I can run up a 21 point lead at halftime. If my offense can hold the ball for 2-3 really long drives they don't have to score another point. Not only that, it demoralizes the opponents offense. Playing conservative as an OC or DC is always your best bet if you have faith in the other side of the ball. Its why Chiefs bend don't break Defense works so well if paired with a good offense. I think its why We were able to win a natty with Tee martin Offense easier than with a much more potent Peyton led offense. The team was more balanced.

Chaney is not simply an above average OC by any stretch of the imagination and no amount of revisionist history can change that. he is elite but any good Offense needs a decent defense to win the hardware. People need to really look at history. There are very few cases where a super high octane offense won it all without a competent Defense. Their defense might not have had great numbers but that was because they spent a lot of time on the field. People get all on Bradys sac and forget that the Pats always have a good defense whether the statistics show it or not. People forget Belichick is a defensive coach. He made that organization by constantly finding no name linebackers and DB's no one else wanted and making them perform 1-2 years at a pro bowl level. The Pats offense is actually really conservative if you look at it. They just constantly find guys that fit that system perfectly. same story with Saban and Bama.

 

[vegasvolfan]

To be perfectly honest, I never liked Chaney when he was here under Dooley. However, I do realize our talent level was not near what it is today. I will admit that Chaney is probably, in my opinion , a bit above average as an offensive cord. I do believe there are many OC's across America much much better than he is to run an offensive. I still believe he is too conservative at times and much like many others when he gets a lead he likes to sit on it and plays not to lose. Go ahead and blast me if you like but you will never change my mind.

I’m not a blaster. I think his numbers put him in the top tier though. Especially considering he produced them in the SEC. Here is a sportswriter who puts him in the top 5:

The top 25 coordinators in college football

We shall see how he does.