Our next OC and DC

I hope Texas doesn't grayshirt but I really have very little idea who does and doesn't for the most part.

 

With a 4-3 perhaps we can play more 5 technique from the DEs which means more pass rush and let Mojo and Coburn eat up the run in the middle. I think our D-line will be dominate next year.

 

You mean like practically every word he types?

 

Help me out here. I've heard the term, but not sure exactly what it means.

 

Chip Brown also thinks Harrell is still the guy
But Inside Texas says that the hold-up with the OC hire is not Harrell or money, but has more to do with whether Herman wants to give up control of the offense.

 

It's when a player commits but doesn't sign on NSD. They sign at a later date so they can count against the following class.

 

If true, that’s not encouraging. Herman may have a very brief window with Harrell who won’t just sit around.

One thing we know for sure, someone other than whoever was calling the plays this year needs to call them next year.

 

Eric Nahlin speculating we might hire SMU's DC Kevin Kane as co-DC/LBs coach
He thinks think he would be good recruiting DFW

 

Not really sure that Ash is better than Orlando. Will hope for the best, and I guess we will find out. At least hopefully we will cut out most of the time giving up a score on the first drive.

 

Hard to believe a detail like that leaks out.

 

As of this morning, Inside Texas is short Graham Harrell to Texas
They do not think Del Conte will make Herman act here

 

Short? Not quite understanding what you're saying.

 

Basically Tom Herman is afraid to hire a good OC and wants to keep control of the offense.

Tom Herman is turning into John Mackovic 2.0

 

Herman is going to live or die by these hires and all we can do is sit back and watch.

 

Yes, but it's where we "sit back and watch" that gets CDC's attention.

 

My favored ideas: Harrell, Brady, or Lashlee, with free rein to run the offense.

What might happen instead: (i) Beck sticks on, with Tom doing most of the play calling; (ii) same as (i) but with "consultant" Greg Davis up in the press box as well, giving advice; (iii) some non-Beck "yes man" is hired at OC with Tom actually running the offensive show. These are not terrible outcomes, but I'd much rather get Harrell, Brady, or Lashlee, and let the OC run the show on offense. Tom can call plays, but I want him to be much less predictable.

An outside-the-box pick for OC: Hank Carter.

 

I understand what we're doing on Defense. But for Offense. I am getting a headache. Just let me know when a real OC who has time for the job (TH doesn't), is hired! If he doesn't even hire an OC. I am less bullish on 2020 outcomes. And I obviously wont be alone in that.

 

Short = sellers

 

I had a few flashbacks of that time too
Along with some Charlie mixed in -- rmbr the shenanigans involved with the Sterlin Gilbert acquisition?

 

As far as I know, we still dont know who was calling plays this year do we?
When we donkey stomped Mizzou everyone gave TH credit for taking over the O in that game.
I've seen alot of conflicting info on who was running the O this year. If we dont know, we cannot really make an accurate determination of what TH can or cannot do well in regards to playcalling influence....though I strongly agree hiring a top notch offensive guy and turning it over to him would be best based on factors other than my faith or lack of it in THs playcalling abilities. Isn't he the one who said he had too many other things to focus on??

 

We'll see. Those two hardly project similar personalities or approaches to the game/recruiting. Herman may make more wrong in-game decisions at this, much earlier stage of his career, than Mackovic did as Longhorns coach. But Herman is intense and energetic. He works hard to connect with players and the fan base.

 

Who is the source saying TH doesn’t want to give up play calling so talks are stalling with Harrell?
Chip? Zack Smith?
Doesn’t make any sense.

 

Ian Boyd has a post up about the Ash defense, here is some of it (he was looking at the Steelers last g vs. Kyler Murray)
Scoop Q&A - 12/16/19 - Inside Texas

" .... This kind of "buzz" coverage with a safety playing down sorta like a linebacker while the "linebacker" plays man coverage on a receiver out wide is pretty common at the next level and is a useful distinction for figuring out what to do with Texas' 2020 personnel. I'm not totally sure if Chris Ash will stick with the quarters coverages he's played in the past (probably yes) but even if he does, the sort of personnel packaging you see above could still work for the 2020 Longhorns if they did something like this:

Before everyone comes in telling me I need to move this player here and that player there, let me explain the set-up and thinking here:

D'Shawn Jamison as nickel
The nickel in this D is usually covered up more, although it should be noted that Ash has experimented with the tite front and 4i-techniques at strongside end. He probably shouldn't do that save for against trips sets so that he can use a true corner at nickel and be able to press up and deny easy throws to that position.

Jamison is fantastic playing in run support and matching quick breaks underneath with help over the top, both of which are easily leveraged in a 4-down at nickel. Sterns is finally moved to his natural position as a field safety here, although at either spot I'm sure his role will primarily consist of playing deep in support or else taking on coverage assignments you don't want to go to box safeties like Foster or Overshown. Speaking of those guys...

BJ Foster at middle linebacker, Overshown at boundary safety
The middle linebacker in the Under gets put into space a ton at the college level and ruthlessly attacked with run/pass conflicts. Ideally you help him out at times with techniques like the 4i or a heavy 5-technique strongside end that plays the B-gap rather than setting the edge. At any rate, you want at least one of your ILBs to be capable of keeping up with a good flex TE or slot receiver underneath in coverage, playing sideline to sideline, and fitting inside runs from the hash mark. That's often the middle linebacker that has to do that in this scheme, so that's where you want your converted safety.

Why Foster rather than Overshown? For one, Foster has shown a lot more willingness to play in this sort of role than Overshown, for another he's actually probably better at it. Foster's specialty is generating insane explosiveness and power over a short area, Overshown's specialty is covering a ton of ground quickly and arriving with pop. Foster can handle playing up in the box both in terms of dealing with the conflicts in space and also in blowing up blockers and generating the necessary power within a few steps. Overshown is exactly the kind of guy you want lining up back at safety like Chancellor or Edmunds only to appear in position to make plays like a linebacker unexpectedly and after the snap.

The defensive line
I think Ta'Quon Graham could play strongside end or 3-technique defensive tackle and I'm not sure which he'd be better at. It might depend on whether the better fourth DL is Marqez Bimage, who's a pretty prototypical strongside end, or Moro Ojomo who's probably more of a 3-technique. If Ojomo is next best, Graham can play strongside end. If it's Bimage in 2020, then Graham can probably play at 3-technique. Joseph Ossai is your weakside DE/OLB hybrid, full stop. It's hard to imagine Texas hiring Chris Ash and using Ossai as anything other than an edge rusher who can drop into zone at times rather than a zone dropper who can rush the edge at times. This is the way to do it. If Ash tries to play Overshown or Foster at nickel and that's the talk of the spring, you'll know that there's likely to be some issues in 2020. ​

 

Assuming that the noise is accurate...

Sadly Tom doesn’t realize that by delaying he may well be hammering nails into his own coffin. As SH alluded above, I hope that CDC will force the issue.

 

Like Mackovic and Mack Brown before him, NO HE DOESN'T

 

And here is part of Scipio Texas of IT on Ash
Chris Ash to be next Texas DC - Scipio Thoughts - Inside Texas

Stop Frontin'
Ash historically prefers four man fronts. Which is fine. Texas has a good personnel fit for any front we want, though it's important to deploy athletes like Ossai, Ojomo, Coburn, Overshown, and Foster correctly no matter the base defense. The three vs four man front debates are eye-rolling and the people advancing number of DL as a primary cause for Orlando's failure don't understand why he failed. The #1 defense in the conference ran a base 3 man and they had the best pressure and sack rate in the Big 12. It's about deployment, philosophy, fundamentals, and teaching. It's not about how many dudes have their hand on the ground. Four is fine. Three is fine. How are you deploying it and what are you doing around it?

Scheme
Ash is a back-to-basics hire. Understanding and learning his philosophy is important and may be edifying, but as long as he makes the requisite adjustments to Big 12 play, the scheme is just a vehicle to deliver the more substantive changes that need to be made. Texas needs better teaching, coaching and development at the positional level. His understanding of how to best deploy some of our hybrid or hinge personnel is also key. The 2020 defensive staff will have a massive basic coaching deficit to make up. It begins at the positional level. By the way, if that deficit isn't fixed, Ash's scheme will fail. Simple relies on fundamentals and player autonomy. This team needs to get coached up and smartened up. No Xs on the white board are going to work without teaching them the game and their role within the defense. There are no short cuts. I don't care how cool the lines you drew up on the play card look. The era of Mindless Xs running to spots needs to end.

Herman
For a MENSA infinity dimensional chess player, Tom Herman has thus far demonstrated a very narrow, parochial world of coaching hires and possibilities. He might be Matt Damon's character in Good Will Hunting. Gotta leave Southy! It's a big world. That doesn't mean Ash is a bad hire, but it's improbable that the best hire is limited to the universe of individuals that Tom Herman has worked with. Evidence? Math. Also, his former staff at Texas that he's currently in the process of replacing wholesale. That written, best hire doesn't preclude right hire. Or much improved hire. Ash may be just that. Let's try to hold multiple seemingly contradictory ideas in our heads at once.

Teaching
Forget Rutgers. Ash going 8-32 as head coach at Rutgers is irrelevant unless he went 8-32 because he can't communicate, teach, or hold his staff accountable. There are plenty of head coaching train wrecks who are terrific coordinators. Ash's most important traits will be demonstrated by his ability to guide Herman's positional hires, his own ability to coach a position (Orlando the LB coach did a terrible job for Orlando the DC), his understanding of the challenges posed by Big 12 schematic diversity, and his overall ability to teach players and staff what he wants.

The Texas defense will turn it around by teaching the game of football within a sane scheme. By deploying its best players in the proper positions. By demonstrating basic competence in development. Boring, right? It is. But that's how the Texas defense can transform itself over the Spring and Summer camps. The positional hires on defense will be every bit as important as the defensive coordinator.​

 

If this is true this is a deal breaker. If TH holds his ground we might be parting ways. I thought I read he had full autonomy to hire who he wanted.
This could be those who don’t like him feeding the masses that he is an arrogant jerk that won’t compromise. I think most successful coaches fall into that category. Not all, but most.

 

One man's view
Or maybe its two views

 

In case you didnt notice, full article attached, where he makes his case
Contrar-Ian says passing wins championships – Concerning Sports