In Reply to: Granted, they are playing a nobody. BUT...Indiana is doing very well posted by BruinPatti on September 06, 2024 at 16:48:41
smooth - smoother than we showed.
Comment - DeShaun has been a position coach - not even a coordinator - working with individual players and those in his unit, hands on, build 'em up.
After the Hawai'i game, all the disorganization, he was emphatic saying he made all the decisions and calls.
Feels like his priority one was to heal the team after Chip was so desperate to leave them - and he did a good job of that. Kept the players, got them feeling good. But two thingsL
1. Job of the HC is quite different than the job of a position coach. The HC has to demand and set a tone, require discipline - starting with his coordinators and coaching staff. And
2. The HC cannot do everything, micromanage everything. He has to manage his coordinators and they have to manage their position coaches.
The totally blown play on UH's first called punt was amazing. First, the HC cannot be running around checking to be sure every member of the punt return team has the correct jersey on and is ready to get out there - that is the job of the special teams coordinator - the coach with that responsibility. But as HC when he sees his team has only 9 players on the field, it IS his responsibility to see that time out is called to avoid - disaster.
You just can't have the member of your staff responsible for getting the special teams unit out there on the field blowing his job. That's discipline. You CAN ask the coordinator a play ahead if his unit is ready for the possible punt. But you can't be telling everyone you're making all the decisions and then don't pay attention and let your team get taking to the cleaners - too few players and nobody checks to make sure it's actually a punt.
Growing pains.
Hopefully a lesson learned. I remember how Rocky Long always said he didn't really want to be a head coach because it was such a different job and it didn't allow him to get down there and teach, working with the individual players. We're going to see if that basic lesson has been learned and Indiana may not be a great team but they have some experience and for where this program of ours is right now, they look like they're going to be test enough for us at this point