Questions for Coaches
I'm meeting with the coaches this week. (part of their tour). I was starting to think about which questions I wanted to ask... and then after my head started to explode, I realized, I have the Mgoblog community to help me... so....
What questions would you ask them? (realistic, please!)
1)Stonum, what exactly's going on with him
2)Denard's transition to a pro-style offense
3)How the defense has progressed, differences between this year and last year they've noticed
4)Recruiting, opinions on it so far, any recruits they feel might commit soon (this probablyis the least likely to get answered.)
1) Don't expect them to answer that.
4) They can't comment on recruits until they've gotten their LOI.
How about asking if they'd consider using two QBs?
I know they probably can't answer 4, that was more wishful thinking on my part, but he can still ask how they feel about the class, what positions they want to target, etc.
As for #1, you're right, I wouldn't expect them to answer, but I'd still ask.
Asking questions about 2012 recruiting will not be productive. Coaches are gunshy about committing any kind of a violation in that area, so you'll never get an informative answer. Also, they may not want to reveal all their recruiting strategies.
Any new traditions they are installing.
So is #3.
EDIT: this is a reply to MichiganMan2424
The coaches weren't here last year.
But they've seen tape, and they should be able to notice improvements from when they first started parcticing with them to now. I've seen interviews with Mattison where he's said some didn't know how to tackle correctly before so he's been focusing on fundementals, stuff like that they should defintely be able to answer.
Mattison said himself he did not and will not watch tape on last year's defense. He wanted to evaluate them this spring. Also watching film of players playing in a 3-3-5 defense won't tell you a whole lot when you plan on running a 4-3.
Right, so he can talk about the improvments the players have made since when he first came untill now, and what areas he's focusing on. I didn't know about the tape issue, but regardless, he should still be able to remark on any improvements by now.
Are they bringing back the helmet stickers?
They really really should...
Why are so many on this blog against the stickers? It doesn't really matter, but I'd love to see them back. Of course, I'd like Bo back and I'd like the Woolfolk on the team to be named "Butch." Seriously, why do many of you feel so strongly against them?
I just don't like the way they crowd the helmet. We have the best helmet in the nation; why cover it up?
Plus, they've been gone for so long that people now think OSU when they see helmet stickers, IMO. I'm not in favor of explaining to every Sparty/OSU fan that Bo used them back in the day as well.
The stickers were and are cool. If the players are OK with it and the coaches feel it will help the TEAM, I'm in favor of bringing back helmet stickers. We still had them in Desmond Howard's day.
If it helps them win, then sure. I just have to think that the effect is negligible. I also don't like the way they look at all.
It all depends on how things are done. If it encourages internal competition in a positive way, then it's a net gain. We had helmet stickers at my high school and I really liked it. It was fun to see how everyone did, and we only got stickers when we won.
The only time we had helmet stickers was in middle school, and they were rewarded for As on tests and quizzes (accompanied with a teacher signature, of course).
I won outright in 7th grade and tied in 8th grade.
It's ironic that you're citing the inventor of helmet stickers as a source for why helmet stickers aren't good.
But I think the stickers were at Miami before Bo got there...I could be wrong. He just did it before Woody did.
The practice of awarding helmet stickers is often credited to Ernie Biggs, trainer at The Ohio State University under legendary coach, Woody Hayes. But recently shown on ESPN, the practice of awarding stickers has been credited to Jim Young (American football coach), former assistant coach at Ohio's Miami University in 1965, two years before they were used at Ohio State. The stickers stem from fighter pilots marking their planes with stickers after kills and/or successful missions. (ESPN: College Gameday, 11/27/2010)[1]
I'm not really a bring-back-stickers-or-bring-back-safety-DOOM kind of Michigan fan, but I felt like arguing for the opposing point of view to see what people would say in support of, or against, helmet stickers. It's an ongoing cultural issue (like #1) that interests me, is all.
If they bring back helmet stickers, Denard will need a fathead on his helmet and that will seriously hurt his aerodynamics.
How is offensive line doing in a Pro Style offense? Are they too small to be effective in Borges's nromal blocking scheme?
Id like updates on the running back "pecking order", myself.
Also, Im still very interested in our D line situation.
How many in this next class? Would like to hear it from them directly.
1. What tangible corrections on fundamentals was/is necesssary on defense? What are their thoughts on why the defense performed so poorly last year?
2. When will we know if Gardner will get his medical redshirt?
3. Who is leading to back up Molk?
4. Any more position changes possible?
1. Tackling/Gerg
2. Not for a few years
3. Rocko Khoury
4. not likely but we'll see
if they could have one play from michigan's history to do over, what would it be and what would they have done differently?
what single play or player from michigan's history to you feel embodies michigan football?
of all the new facilities improvements of the past decade, which has made the biggest impact with recruits and preparation? what future changes/additions would you like to see?
Ask them if Dantonio is as big of a prick in person as he seems in his interviews.
He is.
I am curious whether the coaches read, or are at least generally aware of, what is written in any of the serious Michigan sports blogs, including MGoBlog. Ask them.
Not a chance in hell. Hoke doesn't even like cell phones.
Hoke isn't the only coach. I have a hard time believing that no one follows this stuff, at least somewhat. I doubt any of them would admit it.
I wouldn't expect the coaches to read the blogs, but you can rest assured there are people inside the coaches offices who read them (including MGoBlog) and keep the coaches appraised of anything that may raise an eyebrow. I'd go so far as to say someone in the coaches office (a GA, intern, or student manager) is a member of this board and keeps loose tabs on what's being said by whom.
Which, I might add, is pertinent to this thread. OP: you may ask whatever you deem appropriate or willing to ask, but I would refrain from posting any info you garnered from a personal conversation you had with the coaches (especially if you're a former player and this "tour" you're attending is actually one of the socials they've hosted this spring).
Please ask them what are key areas of improvement they left for each offensive position group (QB, OLine, RB, WR) to work on over the unsupervised summer workouts.
Thanks!
You could also ask which player(s) are organizing the summer workouts.
The answer might be informative too. Hearing whether he wanted to throw no matter what, or that the coaches didn't want him running on designed throws would be nice to know. If it's something like that then we should be seeing much more scrambling in the fall, no question.
Al Borges answered this during his interview on WTKA's Mott's Takeover event - I believe it's the third clip of him on the pocast page.
Essentially, they are trying to get him to scramble in situations when his 3rd read might be only slightly open, in which he'd have to fit the ball into a tight window. It sounds like they're rather him take these opportunities to take off rather than risk an INT.
Of course, it'll be more useful to just listen to the interview than my synopsis.
Awesome. Thanks for that; the lack of scrambling last year was making me wonder how the new staff would look at it, especially considering the reduction in designed QB runs.
KICKING, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, KICKING!
Or, in English, have they seen any improvement in our special teams play?
if you ask football questions you are just going to get the same things we have heard time and again. Ask him something like his thoughts on night games or what he would like to see done to the staduim to make gameday's even better for fans. If you ask the "Hows Denard" or "what about the defense" you will hear the same things you have heard for 2 months now.
I will second the kicking/SP debacle, really could use some insight from the coaches on that one. I would also be interested to hear where Mattison has seen the most/the least improvement on Defense. What areas are already looking great, and what areas will really need more work going into the summer and then fall.
will the designed denard run plays be similar to last year?
Good question. I think you'll see the zone read look a lot, even if we still don't run the actual zone read. The off tackle play probably isn't happening much.
A number of times, we've heard recruits mention that there are plans to increase the Big House to 120,000... but I don't think that's ever been verified or officially announced. Would be interesting to see if there really are plans for further expansion.