Oklahoma Co-DC/DL coach Jerry Montgomery leaving for an NFL job
Oklahoma announced today that Co-DC/DL coach (and former Michigan DL coach) Jerry Montgomery is leaving for an NFL job. Another post-Signing Day move, but this one seems pretty surprising.
This will now make the 4th assistant coaching change for Oklahoma this year. A lot of staff turnover and changes for Bob Stoops this year.
Tough loss for OU: #Oklahoma Co-DC/DL coach Jerry Montgomery expected to head to the NFL, per Stoops: http://t.co/9xmt10oX1Y …
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) February 10, 2015
Jerry Montgomery's departure to the NFL means the only positions at #OU that won't have new coaches from 2014 are O-line & ILBs.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) February 10, 2015
February 10th, 2015 at 5:02 PM ^
I believe they just promoted him to Co-DC this offseason, likely in an effort to keep him at OU. So this certainly wasn't something they were expecting. Montgomery's career seems to be on a good path, though.
February 10th, 2015 at 6:51 PM ^
February 10th, 2015 at 6:01 PM ^
If there's an mgoblog gif hall of fame, you're in it.
February 10th, 2015 at 6:14 PM ^
Tim Miles is never going to be able to recruit better at Nebraska with hands that smelly.
February 10th, 2015 at 6:18 PM ^
This. This is how it's done.
Cheers to you.
February 10th, 2015 at 5:05 PM ^
on Michigan's DL than maybe we realized at the time. Then again, maybe it was just a matter of the talent dropping off?
February 10th, 2015 at 5:16 PM ^
Hoke and Montgomery's first year had a bunch of seniors on the DL with Mike Martin, Ryan Van Bergen, and even Will Heininger. Those guys were the heart and soul of that defense. But getting hired by an NFL team would lead one to believe he is a competent coach though.
February 10th, 2015 at 5:38 PM ^
February 10th, 2015 at 5:51 PM ^
I think the success of 2011 had more to do with the upperclassmen we had on defense in 2011. Mike Martin is by far the best player we had on defense in the Brady Hoke era. I also don't think the 2012 defense was as bad as you make it out to be. We were extremely fortunate with turnover margin in 2011, and we were much more unlucky with TOs (and injuries) in 2012 against a much more difficult schedule.
February 10th, 2015 at 6:04 PM ^
February 10th, 2015 at 7:43 PM ^
Because I don't remember any magical halftime adjustments from 2011 with our defense. I think your memory of that season may be biased by the success on the field. The defense overall was slightly better than 2012 by most metrics, but I don't think we were appreciably better in the second half versus the first half.
February 10th, 2015 at 7:56 PM ^
February 11th, 2015 at 3:52 AM ^
I can't believe people can forget the halftime adjustments on the defense that season. It was unlike anything we had seen under Rich Rod or anything since for that matter...
http://www.annarbor.com/sports/um-football/michigan-defensive-coordinat…
Not that I'm arguing it wasn't the senior leadership and experience on that year's DLine. Or the presence of Coach Montgomery. It might have also just been luck.
February 10th, 2015 at 5:07 PM ^
Big Loss for Oklahoma. Almost all the recruiting sites stated that Jerry Montgomery was the Sooners top recruiter. That hurts for them. More for me and you.
February 10th, 2015 at 5:14 PM ^
This doesn't help OU's case.
February 10th, 2015 at 5:24 PM ^
Oklahoma fired Josh Heupel and Jay Norvell to revamp their anemic offense. Oklahoma hired two Mike Leach Air Raid disciples with OC Lincoln Riley from East Carolina and WR coach Dennis Simmons from Washington State. Both have been lauded as rising stars, but a lot of new assistants get tagged this every year. This may end up being a net positive for them, but we also thought the same with Doug Nussmeier coming in this year.
One interesting part in their staff changes is that Texas hired Jay Norvell as their WR coach about two weeks after Oklahoma let him go.
February 10th, 2015 at 5:16 PM ^
Jerry's career has taken since leaving M. Hated to see him leave but he's on the fast track now.
February 10th, 2015 at 5:18 PM ^
Good for him. He must be doing something right to keep moving up the coaching ranks.
February 10th, 2015 at 5:19 PM ^
I guess that must mean San Jose State didn't have any coaching openings left.
February 10th, 2015 at 5:20 PM ^
at lest this is not in the same week as NSD. number #4
February 10th, 2015 at 5:32 PM ^
That is all.
February 10th, 2015 at 5:26 PM ^
Jerry Montgomery's specialty is DL. Green Bay's current DL coach (since 2009) is Mike Trgovac who played at U-M 1977-80.
February 10th, 2015 at 5:29 PM ^
Does anyone know if the number of college coaches moving to the pros this year is typical or a new phenomenom? It feels unusually high but maybe because because of the high profile moves impacting Michigan recruits.
February 10th, 2015 at 6:02 PM ^
Maybe they are starting to see what us fans have been saying -- the money is becoming comparable and the bullshit is a lot less in the college ranks.
The shelf life of a coach is greater in the college ranks. You win for 20 years in college and they name a building after you (or in State College, if you hide rape, they erect a statue of you). In the pros, you win for 20 years, your name is John Fox and you're on your tenth gig.
February 10th, 2015 at 5:41 PM ^
Seahawks, I'm guessing?
February 10th, 2015 at 5:45 PM ^
@CoachJim4UM: Thought of the day - As my esteemed associate and Friend The Great Frank Gore has taught me & tells me "These haters can't hold me back"
February 10th, 2015 at 6:05 PM ^
February 10th, 2015 at 6:08 PM ^
February 10th, 2015 at 6:27 PM ^
February 10th, 2015 at 7:57 PM ^
His departure from UM at the time seemed baffling to me. Now his decision seems rather prescient. Maybe he really did know something no one else did.
February 10th, 2015 at 8:41 PM ^
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February 10th, 2015 at 9:41 PM ^
February 10th, 2015 at 6:29 PM ^
Isn't this the part where we yell at him for duping recruits on the DL for Oklahoma, leaving that quickly after signing day? Or does that only work for coaches who did not work at UM.
#GlassHouses
February 10th, 2015 at 6:36 PM ^
February 10th, 2015 at 9:34 PM ^
February is a dead period for the NFL. If NSD is pushed back a week or even a month, it's probably not going to make much of a difference in college coaches taking NFL jobs.
Whatever NSD you choose, college coaches can push back the day of their departure annoucement to that NSD + 1.
Recruits, their parents, and their HS coaches need to be made aware that college coaches change jobs and that they need to make their college choice accordingly; also, that they do not have to sign an LOI on NSD.
February 10th, 2015 at 7:52 PM ^
Yes, this is where we yell at him, but if and only if it is determined that he in fact duped his recruits--not because he's leaving relatively soon after signing day. The timing of the OSU, UCLA, Fla coaches' departures gives one the strong indication that they lied to their recruits about their status, which was later confirmed by Weber in the OSU instance. Leaving for another job and leaving right after NLI day is perfectly fine so long as these coaches were candid about the whole thing with the kids they were recruiting. Otherwise, these coaches deserve the opprobrium heaped upon them, whether it be a UM coach or not.
February 10th, 2015 at 10:32 PM ^
February 11th, 2015 at 12:19 AM ^
February 11th, 2015 at 12:32 AM ^
If it is true, that would seem to be a big step down careerwise. It will be interesting to hear the story behind this move. The timing is strange too. He had just got promoted to Co-DC 5 weeks ago, and this move comes one day after Oklahoma had made their official announcement on their staff changes for 2015.
February 11th, 2015 at 4:46 AM ^
That would be boggling. He is leaving a co-DC at a top 10 program in NCAA to take a Jay Harbaugh at age 23 job in the NFL? Strange.
February 11th, 2015 at 8:24 AM ^
It sounds like he may be doing more than that, most likely working as an assistand D-line coach. And if it's his dream to work in the NFL, what better place to start than a team with a lot of talent that has a good shot at the Super Bowl in the next few years?
"I have been offered an unbelievable opportunity to pursue my dream of coaching in the National Football League," Montgomery said in a statement. "There are very few jobs that I would have even considered."
February 11th, 2015 at 7:40 AM ^
Kerry Cooks from ND will be taking his spot. Cooks was our top recruiter in Texas.