greg frey
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Hello Again: Greg Frey Comment Count

Seth

frey-050509_300

[UM Bentley Library]

Via Sam Webb, one of Michigan’s most successful assistants is returning to Ann Arbor:

Frey is one of the few things about the Rodriguez era that everyone would be elated to have back. In his short time here he recruited and developed 3/5ths (Omameh, Schofield and Lewan) of Michigan offensive lineman currently in the NFL, as well as Ricky Barnum. When Rodriguez was let go Frey was instantly snatched up by Indiana, where he developed Jason Spriggs and Dan Feeney. He also ran a lot more power at Indiana than under Rodriguez, if you’re worried about zone versus gap-style. I was worried when Ohio State hired (lately Indiana HC) Kevin Wilson that Frey might come with him. Bringing Frey back to Michigan might not have just given us another all-star assistant; it also possibly just deprived Urban Meyer of one.

It does mean a few shifted jobs on the current staff. Drevno will apparently now be focusing on the interior OL, while Frey takes the tackles and tight ends. With the youngest OL group since we have data—and Michigan likely to start a true freshman at one or both tackle spots—putting some extra coaching resources there makes a lot of sense. Several readers pointed out today that move also sets them up to transition smoothly if Drevno ever takes a head coaching position. A solid recruiter, Frey may also help Michigan close on a few of their tackle prospects.

That appears to mean Jay Harbaugh shifts to running backs for now. That could be for good, or they could wait and see if that extra full-time assistant rule passes and bring in someone for RBs while finding other duties for Jay.

UPDATE: JayBaugh to RBs official:

Comments

JeepinBen

January 25th, 2017 at 10:58 AM ^

The most impressive part of this famous play for me isn't Denard doing awesome Denard things, it's Patrick Omameh. RG, number 65 makes this play. He slides with the zone run, reaches the 2nd level, and absolutely dominates Te'o, getting a 2-for-1 pancake block on a future NFL high pick. I'll take his coach back.

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ish

January 25th, 2017 at 9:11 AM ^

seth, can you be a little more specific re the gap vs. zone concepts?  do you think someone who teaches primarily zone knows power concepts well enough to be successful?

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dragonchild

January 25th, 2017 at 12:09 PM ^

Expection's set, brah.  Now EVERYTHING is going to require a Neck Sharpies.  You spoil us too much.

That said, I do request a dedicated Neck Sharpies article on gap vs. zone for reference, if you get the opportunity to do so, but merely as a suggestion box thingie.  There are plenty of essays out there but most are in the context of "this NFL team just hired X who's different from Y; here's how it could change their run game" and in any case you guys are very good at explaining things at a level we can digest.

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Seth

January 25th, 2017 at 10:09 AM ^

That sounds like a full post, or three, especially since like "spread" and "pro style" those words over the years have acquired extended associations with other offensive concepts that coaches tend to pair with them.

Eye of the TIger used the phrase "Scripted Uncertainty" to describe zone blocking and I haven't found a better. The OL block whatever defender appears, and often use that defender's momentum against him--so if that guy is going hard for the B gap, shove his ass into the B gap and seal him there and see if someone else shows. Then whatever hole appears the RB has to find and take.

Gap blocking is more "We are running into this gap!" and you are put in an advantageous position to do that. So if whatever defender is going hard for the B gap, well, he's smaller and weaker than you are, and you're lined up playside of him, so you use the half second of knowing the play before he does to gain some downfield position and blow his ass back. The RB then charges into the gap with a lead blocker.

Harbaugh runs a lot of gap, and has at every stop except the one bad year at San Francisco when he didn't have the tools he needed to create lots of extra gaps. There's still scripted uncertainty in gap blocking though because lead blockers and pullers and RBs have to adjust on the fly to anything weird the defense throws at them. And there's still a ton of mauling the dude you know you're going to maul in zone blocking, especially inside zone, because usually the way the defense aligns determines whom you're going to block, and getting vertical push on a first-level defender is the best way to cut off second-level pursuit and create big runs.

And nobody runs just one or the other anymore. Not even Rich Rod, who used to be the spread-'em-out, zone-'em-out, big splittiest dude with a running game in football. In fact in 2010 his base offensive play was QB Power, a gap scheme, which sent Denard running into a pre-determined hole with the RB as his lead blocker.

That is a HIGHLY incomplete and unsatisfactory breakdown.

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ish

January 25th, 2017 at 11:16 AM ^

thanks, seth.  perhaps my initial question was poorly phrased.  i don't expect a response to this one.  but if you're working on a similar post, what i meant is:

given the differences in zone and gap blocking concepts, do you think that someone (i.e., greg frey) who has proven to be excellent at teaching zone blocking, necessarily also would be good at teaching gap blocking simply because he's a good OL coach?  or is the difference between those two schemes sufficient that his teaching skills in one would not necessarily translate to teaching the other?

i understand the answer might be shruggie emoji or "depends on the coach."  just trying to figure out if "good OL coach" = "good OL coach regardless of scheme."

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Seth

January 26th, 2017 at 4:20 PM ^

Ha. Guess what: IT DEPENDS! hahahahahahahah

They're different, and I would never advocate an expert on zone coaching a gap-blocking offense, or vice versa. We unfortunately have two very good examples of this:

  • Brady Hoke's OL coach at Michigan, Darrell Funk, was a zone guy who was asked to run a gap-blocking offense. Previously good Ricky Barnum and Patrick Omameh both fell off a cliff in production--watching Omameh pull was a hair-pulling experience. Michigan's OL was then terrible until Doug Nussmeier arrived, switched Michigan to primarily inside zone, and the OL crept up to serviceable by the end of the year.
  • Tim Drevno has been a gap-blocking coach everywhere he's gone, along with Harbaugh. The last two years Michigan has tried to have an outside zone changeup in the offense and had to scrap it midseason both times because their linemen were so bad at running it.

However, no offense can get by doing just one or the other these days. If you're gap-blocking all the time, you'll run into under sets and a million slants and two-gapping, planet-sized DL who can't be moved off the ball, and your run game will suck. If you're zone blocking all the time, you'll run into quick 4-man fronts with DL and LBs given single gap assignments who can never be wrong if they just stay in their gaps.

In this light Frey is a good hire for 2017 Michigan because HE can teach the guys how to zone block, and Michigan already has the best gap-blocking coaches outside of the NFL. They can learn things from each other.

Joined: 10/14/2008

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O S Who

January 25th, 2017 at 9:14 AM ^

jay was sent to visit O'maury so i assume he is the RB coach now

then again, that could just be a stop gap as we currently do not have a RB coach. considering that baxter used to be a full-time special teams coach, i guess it is possible that jay transitions to that role if we bring in another RB coach

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Yabadabablue

January 25th, 2017 at 9:29 AM ^

This move is prepping us for when Drevno gets hired away. At first glance it seemed kind of odd, but now we know we will have a ready replacement for the entire offensive line onces Drevno leaves (probably in next year or two). exciting!

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ABOUBENADHEM

January 25th, 2017 at 11:31 AM ^

I think it speaks way more to his frustrations with not having more success in recruiting the O-line during the past two years.  (Personally, my take is that Drevno stays at UM for longer than most think.  I think he likes coaching with Harbaugh, and his looking at HC jobs is more about getting himself a pay raise than anything else.  I think he prefers to be a #2 to Harbaugh than a HC handling all the demands of running his own program.)

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ScruffyTheJanitor

January 25th, 2017 at 9:31 AM ^

But I think this is a pre-emptive hire by Harbaugh. I am thinking that Drevno is going to be looking at HC jobs next off season, and this lets us keep some continutity in place.

Good luck to you, sir. Tackle is a bit of a challenge.

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Seth

January 26th, 2017 at 4:27 PM ^

I don't know how much stock to put in an OSU buddy of mine who tells me OSU stuff on Facebook, but he thought Meyer wanted to do what M is doing: split OL duties between two coaches, and Frey was a natural target if so. However they were waiting for the 10th full-time position to be official before moving on that.

Joined: 10/14/2008

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ak47

January 25th, 2017 at 9:33 AM ^

Yeah this seems like both a good hire and a plan/maybe even a gentle push out the door for Drevno.  We now have a new OC and line coach, he really doesn't have all that much of a job anymore.

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Other Andrew

January 25th, 2017 at 10:19 AM ^

More of a "by committee" appraoch to coaching:

 

http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2015/09/jim_harbaughs_unique_…

"Instead of designating one person to serve as the team's chief offensive play caller, or limit the discussion to himself and one other coach, Harbaugh keeps an open dialogue going with his entire offensive staff from snap-to-snap on the sidelines during game days."

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maize-blue

January 25th, 2017 at 9:41 AM ^

Great move. Frey has a proven track record of finding and developing O lineman. The talent eval aspect was missing during the Hoke years. 

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CalifExile

January 25th, 2017 at 11:08 AM ^

From an NBC Sports article dated 1/18/17:

"The NCAA’s Board of Directors is expected to approve a proposal that will allow college football programs to add a 10th assistant to the coaching staff. The proposal has received the support of the Division 1 Council in this week’s NCAA meetings, which was to be expected. There appears to be nothing else to stand in the way of passing the proposal and expanding the coaching staff at football programs across the country."

 

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/01/18/proposal-for-10th-a…

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blue90

January 25th, 2017 at 9:53 AM ^

Wait, Jay is going to be the sole RB coach? Isn't that not the best thing? He is 27, no offense to him but does he know how to coach RBs? We have not had great backs the past few years, though they've been good, moving him from TE to RB means more of the same...



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