Morris: 3 OCs, 3 QB Cs in 3 years
First off: This is an honest question and I'm hoping to get some thoughtful conversation/input on it.
I think Gardner's biggest issue is that in his five years he's played under three OCs, three QB coaches, three offensive systems, and 3/4 of one year at receiver. When I look at it in this context, it makes a whole lot more sense to me that his play and decision-making is more like a sophomore than a 5th year senior.
If Nussmeier gets fired this year, Morris, our presumed started next year, will be on his third OC and third QB coach in three years. Which puts him on the same trajectory as Gardner. This seems to be somewhat borne out in his play this year.
I really and truly think we are missing just one thing to flip the script on this season: Good QB play. Yes, I know, our D hasn't been what was expected. But what was expected also included Peppers and Morgan (yes, I ate my lemon). We've also had various other defensive players out for some periods. When I look at the D and O-line, I thinik, yep, that's about right. Not great, but coming along.
Now, we can't run the ball. And I think we can't for the same reason we haven't been able to for five years now: We have zero tangible passing threat. Because our QB hasn't progressed as a passer. If we made teams play honest pass coverage, we'd have room to run. But we don't because we can't pass. Just like we couldn't with Denard.
I live in Seattle where a whole lot of my friends wanted Nussmeier as the head coach at Washington when Sark left. He had a great run with the Huskies as OC and was successful in Alabama, too. The guy can get it done. And, personally, I think our offensive line HAS improved this year, and it's certainly better than last year. Except, again, at QB.
So, and this is where I'm hoping folks will engage in some...ahem...civil conversation, I'd personally like to see Hoke, Mattison, and Nussmeier get one more year. I don't think it makes sense to fire them after one season or less with a new OC and I don't think it gets us much of anything in terms of improvement next year, especially at QB where I think we really need it. If there isn't a significant improvement next year, then make a change.
Thoughts? (running to closet for Nomex suit now...)
November 1st, 2014 at 2:21 PM ^
Roy Manning is seriously the only person on that staff with a shot.
Nussmeier is gone...a new coach needs "his guy" to run "his system."
Mattison has said multiple times he's retiring after Michigan and he's not coaching for anyone else other than Brady Hoke. Maybe if John Harbaugh begged him he'd do it since he's already done it before...MAYBE.
Jackson will be asked to retire as he should've been when Hoke arrived.
I'd love for Hecklinski to stay, but he's a "Hoke guy."
Funk and Ferrigno are "Hoke guys."
So is Smith
Manning is the perfect candidate to make the transition, he's young, the players love him, he's not going to be a threat to anyone new on the staff.
Mallory is established, he's too "old Michigan." He's also gone.
...If you want someone to stay around, I highly suggest you put your eggs in the Roy Manning basket because even he's probably gone, but he's by far the best and most realistic option.
November 1st, 2014 at 2:33 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 2:22 PM ^
i feel bad for they guy. He clearly loves michigan but his career so far has been aweful. I just hope he comes back next year leading the team to championships
November 1st, 2014 at 2:24 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 2:25 PM ^
This love fest for Nussmeier is mind boggling.
November 1st, 2014 at 3:33 PM ^
I don't see a love fest for him at all....more like giving him benefit of doubt based on career up until he got here. It's very difficult to know how much of our offensive woe is his fault and how much is the players/head coach/position coaches fault.
DG can't see or hit wide open receivers and our OL is shit so we can't run. No OC in the country would do any better with Funk on staff and our current roster. So if the next HC thinks he's worth keeping around for continuity, I'd be ok with that decision. Under no circumstances can we keep Fred Jackson or Funk...they need to be retired.
November 1st, 2014 at 2:25 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 2:36 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 2:28 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 3:04 PM ^
unless Hoke is extended or he is quickly axed and replaced by a major hire that recruits respond to, ala Harbaugh. It will be a casualty of change and you should accept it if you want Michigan to go in a direction that reflects coaching to a style that kids can quickly adapt to and is not a vision on placating past visions and interests.
If Michigan wants to move forward than the fanbase and stakeholders must let that coach make it happen without interference. The irony is this: when Bo was coach, he frequently changed his offense based on what was contemporary and worked in the game. He wasn't tied to a scheme. He believed in basics and fundamentals and applying them to whatever system worked best. And he applied his system to player strengths.
I don't know how these basic beliefs got so mixed up with Michigan Man definitions and crap over the years, making things such a mess today, it's unclear whether the right kids are playing a lot and why the coaches keep talking about failed execution and performance. Why not run what our kids do best instead of imposing a system on them to meet some notion of what Michigan is supposed to be about. Michigan is about success and adapting and proving it on the field through basics and hard work.
That is what Michigan men do. This team doesn't do that.
November 3rd, 2014 at 10:14 AM ^
He doesn't need an extention to avoid "lame duck" status in 2015. All he needs to do, should he be here in 2015, is to win. Head coaching changes are always a crap shoot. Even when the new guy is a "top" get.
November 1st, 2014 at 2:44 PM ^
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November 1st, 2014 at 2:45 PM ^
I appreciate your thoughful analysis but you are simply wrong. Hoke is truly incomptent on the level of Zook and other coaches we have made fun of in the past. Keeping Nuss may not be the worst idea if the new HC can work with him but everyone else has got to go.
November 1st, 2014 at 2:47 PM ^
We should keep underperforming (that's quite an understatement) coaches because of the way they will handle Shane Morris. Is this bizarro world? Maybe a case could be made if Morris was showing a lot of improvement. Unfortunately, that's not true at all and their handling of him has stood out as an unmitigated disaster.
I don't know how important it is that he's worked under different QB coaches. These guys go to summer camps for QBs to get extra instruction. They do it in HS too. Morris has already had at least three QB coaches in the last three years. I'm not worried that he's going to get inferior coaching under a new staff. I'm much more concerned that our offense is going to continue to struggle under the current regime.
November 1st, 2014 at 3:02 PM ^
and shows signs of Sustained O-consistency, then My Guess is that QB-Morris might be nicely set-up for NY.
I recognize that the Pro-R2 Crowd and Anti-Hoke Crowd do NOT want Nuss to do ANYTHING that might Jeopardize The Removal Of Hoke.
This is why-- these 2 Crowds MUST root for Nuss to fail . . . while at the same time suggesting
that yes-- of course Nuss should stay for NY. You need OC-consistency for the program
November 1st, 2014 at 3:03 PM ^
based on performance to date I have my doubts. Still, a good coach puts his players in a position to succeed--we certainly haven't done that with DG.
November 1st, 2014 at 3:04 PM ^
Now back to reality, this team needs a head coach more than they need an OC or DC. They need a leader who will be tough on them demand perfection...
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November 1st, 2014 at 3:07 PM ^
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November 1st, 2014 at 3:11 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 3:16 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 3:58 PM ^
Honestly, I agree with you.
People complain about "development" of players. However, It is hard to "develop" when there is no consistency in the scheme and the skills. Given Nuss's previous success and given the improvements (all be them small) that we have made thanks to having a consistent system, I would be willing to keep him on to let him work. Either that, or encourage the new HC to run a zone system. Now, assistant coaches... there are many that I would send onto new horizons.
Being a coach of a brand new program, you cannot underestimate the importance of program consistency and getting older guys who are experienced in your program who then serve as mini-coaches (not to mention yearly improved performance as they know more of the intricacies of the offense). My year one numbers were horendous. Year two numbers were significantly improved. Year 3, we are going to be near the top of the conference barring injuries.
I see many similarities between what I see in practice and what I see out of Michigan's offense this year.
November 1st, 2014 at 4:03 PM ^
Nuss's play-calling has been good if you actually pay atttention.
This is his first year. I wouldn't put the offensive woes on him just yet. Last week his playcalling was brilliant, and the issue was always either gardner was perfect and everyone he threw to dropped the f'n ball, or there would be a drive where devin looked like PTSD devin...
November 1st, 2014 at 4:24 PM ^
From what I've seen Morris is terrible. Brady Hoke's inability to recruit at the QB position will ultimately cost him the job.
November 1st, 2014 at 4:58 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 5:09 PM ^
Well going from a spread system, to WR, to pro, to more conservative, isnt exaclt going to help in development.
November 1st, 2014 at 5:32 PM ^
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November 1st, 2014 at 5:32 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 6:58 PM ^
This year represents the classic "last gasp" for Hoke. Typically the coordinators get replaced and the head coach is given one more year. I assume because Mattison's done acceptably (and He and Hoke are BFF), only Borges got the axe. Obviously the change hasn't worked, although I agree with everyone that the position coaches and conditioning coach are the main problem.
My observation is that Morris is highly inaccurate and lacks any semblance of touch. Everything is thrown at maximum velocity and he can't seem to hit the side of a barn. Maybe I'll be proven wrong but I don't see much hope for him. He should have touch and accuracy by now as a groomed 4-star prospect.
Going forward I'm hoping Speight is the answer. He's rather Navarre-esque (although thankfully has a much higher release -- never got over how many tipped balls Navarre had being like 6'6").
The complete staff will get overhauled. I'm sorry but Hoke has had adequate time and resources. He and his staff aren't getting it done.
November 1st, 2014 at 7:25 PM ^
I think Shane Morris will end up being this tragic what if figure. I think the damage to his development has already been done and he'll probably never really amount to much as a football player. He should have been redshirted, but it is what it is. He's not the only guy with potential coming out of high school who saw his career wrecked by playing for inept coaches.
I'm really hoping the next staff can fix him but he's just looked hopeless in every appearance, to the point where it makes you wonder if he'd ever held a football before.
November 1st, 2014 at 9:59 PM ^
If we don't get the homerun hire (insert choice here) we shouldn't fire Hoke for change sake. If you think things can't get worse, they can. Shane Morris will be the next Russell Bellomy hopefully without the knee injury. A lot of players took a step forward today. Indiana caveats.
November 2nd, 2014 at 6:43 AM ^
It won't just be Morris who'll have a third OC in three years, it'll be the entire offense. So while nearly the entire offense will have returning players, they'll be learning a new system, again.
November 2nd, 2014 at 8:30 AM ^
November 2nd, 2014 at 10:50 AM ^
and get Morris' head right. Look what he did for Alex Smith, who was horrible before JH got to SF. Morris will be fine if he gets a real QB coach and an actual plan. This current staff is lost, regardless of yesterday's outcome, they are still lost.
November 2nd, 2014 at 7:34 PM ^
We need to look into the future, he will be the starter next year, we need to have a structure put in place for Shane. He has no limits of his skill, just need to let him throw the ball freely.