Hoke - Jake Ryan to MIKE and other WTKA tidbits

Submitted by Todd Plate's n… on

- Chris Bryant to take medical

- Jake Ryan moving to MIKE

- Magnuson will miss "most" of spring, will do some individual stuff, surgery went well

- Tuley-Tillman had hand surgery

- Drake Johnson and Darboh are limited and working their way back

- Some other odds and ends related to the D coaching moves

 

I'm sure someone who was listening can elaborate on/clarify some of the above.  These are from Michigan Insider tweets as he was interviewed.

 

 

FreddieMercuryHayes

February 21st, 2014 at 8:08 AM ^

I would like to see an objective analysis of UM vs other teams in the department of missed games due to injuries as well as missed camps/practices. Logic has me thinking this happens to all teams, but the rest of me thinks, holy balls, why is everyone so injured all the time?

Magnus

February 21st, 2014 at 8:27 AM ^

I really don't think Michigan has that many more injuries than other teams. I mean, last year our backup QB was out with a torn ACL. That can be a big deal, but Maryland was down to their 5th string QB (or something like that) back in 2012 due to injuries. Robert Marve tore his ACL every other week. Injuries happen.

I think 2013 was a bad year for injuries, but there have been other years recently where we haven't suffered a great deal. For example, 2011 was a pretty injury-free year. I don't think 2012 was too bad except for Countess in week one and then Denard getting banged up against Nebraska.

GoBlueInNYC

February 21st, 2014 at 8:35 AM ^

I think part of the perception that Michigan is snake-bit is the depth chart. A lineman going down hurts a lot worse because there's no depth. The QB situation has been a well-documented problem for the past few years, so Denard and Bellomy's injuries seem that much worse. Same with Rodriguez and the defensive backfield, a few injuries and James Rogers is starting at CB.. 

Magnus

February 21st, 2014 at 9:03 AM ^

I've said this before, but I think the James Rogers "hate" (although that's too strong a word) is overblown. He was a part of a bad defense that had a lot of bad parts, but his numbers (38 tackles and 3 picks, IIRC) compared favorably to those of JT Floyd, who received a lot of praise around here.

GoBLUinTX

February 21st, 2014 at 10:28 AM ^

had as many in season (includes fall camp) ACL tears.  The B1G had seven in season ACL injuries, Michigan had three of them and that doesn't include the two during last years spring practice.  If you include Butt's ACL, that is six ACL injuries in less than 12 months.  Michigan isn't snake bit, Michigan has a systemic problem.

reshp1

February 21st, 2014 at 10:36 AM ^

I don't know if you can jump to that conclusion yet. The nature of randomness is such that you're just as likely to have a lot of events bunch up as having them spread evenly. One season for one team is still a pretty small sample size. That said, the S&C staff should definitely re-evaluate what can be done to prevent future injuries. I'm guessing they've already done that.

k.o.k.Law

February 21st, 2014 at 7:55 AM ^

WTKA will replay the interview this morning.

Hoke says he will still stick his nose into D Line coaching

mentioned Ohio game, with Ryan spread out away from the middle of the field, as a reason for his position change

and that defensive coaching changes to make team more aggressive

Magnum P.I.

February 21st, 2014 at 9:44 AM ^

I'm over-analyzing one small comment, but this makes me mad. If he's moving Mattison and Manning to make the CBs and LBs more aggressive--which I have to believe is what's meant here--then the implication is that Mallory and Smith weren't coaching well enough. That means they should be canned and replaced with guys who can coach, not moved to other critical position groups. If he really thinks Mallory and Smith weren't getting it done and the solution is to just move the furniture around, that's ridiculous.

Magnus

February 21st, 2014 at 9:55 AM ^

Or maybe he's responding to the personalities of his players and giving them someone they can work better with. Or maybe Mallory, for example, was spread too thin coaching the corners and safeties both. Or maybe the safeties are so inexperienced that they just need extra one-on-one attention this year, since they will presumably be a true sophomore position switcher (Dymonte Thomas) and a part-time returning junior starter (Jarrod Wilson) with zero veteran leadership at their position to help them out.

There are lots of possible explanations that are just as likely as yours.

Magnum P.I.

February 21st, 2014 at 10:06 AM ^

You used up your objectivity with your ridiculous bullheaded support of Borges all season. You should've taken a cue from Magnus and acted the impartial expert. Despite your experience with football, I don't think you're capable of unbiased analysis of Michigan football anymore.

Magnum P.I.

February 21st, 2014 at 11:23 AM ^

I don't know nearly as much about football as Space Coyote. And I used to really enjoy reading his breakdowns. But he got too emotionally involved this season and entrenched in the Borge camp.



Me, I'm critical and negative about Michigan football when Michigan football is terrible. I'm critical and positive when we're good.

Magnum P.I.

February 21st, 2014 at 10:04 AM ^

At this level of football, do you honestly think it's about "personalities?" CB and LB play was absolutely terrible last year. Curt Mallory seems like a plenty intense guy to me--he just wasn't getting it done. I mean, position coaches don't normally get moved to a totally different position because personalities. I don't know, Magnus: to me this says that Hoke knows that Mallory and Smith shit the bed last year but doesn't want to let go of his boys. I'd rather hire a proven DL and secondary coach than give those position groups leftovers.

Magnus

February 21st, 2014 at 10:14 AM ^

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. The cornerbacks had bad moments (as most cornerbacks do), but Countess was all-conference with 6 picks and Taylor had 4. Lewis and Stribling didn't add much as true freshmen. The linebackers weren't great with their best player (Ryan) missing/recovering, but they were also playing behind an undersized/mediocre defensive line.

Mr Miggle

February 21st, 2014 at 11:03 AM ^

OK. How would you rate the DL and safety play?

I don't agree about the personalities either, but are you claiming Mallory was moved to a totally different position and that Smith doesn't have a lot of experience coaching DL?

My non-expert take is that we have and play a lot more players at DB and DL than LB. We've been looking for the best way to use Roy Manning since he replaced Montgomery. Last year's method didn't look right. It left us with no dedicated position coach working with the DL, two for the LBs and one with the DBs. This shakeup leaves the staff better distributed. It makes even less sense to keep two LB coaches when you consider the experience they have

STW P. Brabbs

February 21st, 2014 at 11:30 AM ^

Even within your little logical structure here -- which I think is flawed -- how does moving Mark Smith to DL coach mean that he's being demoted?  He only had two of the three LB positions last year, and we've heard time and again how much Hoke and Mattison (rightly) value DL play.  So maybe the idea is that Mattison was spread too thin, and Hoke thought Smith could actually inject more aggressiveness into the DL.

Overall, it's kind of a shit contribution.

The Pope

February 21st, 2014 at 7:58 AM ^

Didn't see that move coming. I thought that was one spot they were already set at (Morgan, bolden, ferns, gedeon, and even Ross) and SAM is an area where we need a playmaker. Is Hoke just Fing with us?

bluebyyou

February 21st, 2014 at 8:06 AM ^

Between this latest round of medical news and the several years of ACL tears, this is just crazy.  Is this just a statistial anomoly or is Wellman's S & C program in need of revision?