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Defensive Overhaul

Hstokes1447

Hstokes1447

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This coaching staff is built for transformation. An interesting fact about this group of defensive coaches is that each of them played a key role in a major turnaround for their respective units during the 2024 season. It’s exciting to have a staff where every position coach has already proven their ability to elevate player performance in just one season. With plenty of unproven talent on this defense, I’m eager to see how this coaching group maximizes their potential and puts them in the best position to succeed.

DC Corey Hetherman
In games against FBS opponents, Minnesota finished 10th nationally in scoring defense (18.3 PPG), 14th in yards per play (4.7) and 19th in yards per pass attempt against (6.3).

DT coach Damione Lewis
team jumped from 66th to 9th nationally in sack percentage and from 95th to 37th in yards per rush against

DB coach Zac Etheridge
In 2024, Houston ranked 22nd nationally in passing yards allowed against FBS opponents. Houston's 2,266 passing yards allowed were its fewest in a full season in 30 years.

DB Coach Will Harris
The Gators ranked T-14th in the country in turnovers gained which included 14 interceptions, a major improvement from just three in 2023. The Gators also recorded 48 pass deflections compared to 37 a year ago.
 

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Hstokes1447 said:
This coaching staff is built for transformation. An interesting fact about this group of defensive coaches is that each of them played a key role in a major turnaround for their respective units during the 2024 season. It’s exciting to have a staff where every position coach has already proven their ability to elevate player performance in just one season. With plenty of unproven talent on this defense, I’m eager to see how this coaching group maximizes their potential and puts them in the best position to succeed.

DC Corey Hetherman
In games against FBS opponents, Minnesota finished 10th nationally in scoring defense (18.3 PPG), 14th in yards per play (4.7) and 19th in yards per pass attempt against (6.3).

DT coach Damione Lewis
team jumped from 66th to 9th nationally in sack percentage and from 95th to 37th in yards per rush against

DB coach Zac Etheridge
In 2024, Houston ranked 22nd nationally in passing yards allowed against FBS opponents. Houston's 2,266 passing yards allowed were its fewest in a full season in 30 years.

DB Coach Will Harris
The Gators ranked T-14th in the country in turnovers gained which included 14 interceptions, a major improvement from just three in 2023. The Gators also recorded 48 pass deflections compared to 37 a year ago.
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It all comes down to if the coaches work together well. Each coach have their nice resumes, but it doesn't mean much if they are not on the same page.
 
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skeeter said:
I wouldn't be surprised if we lose least 1 this spring, but we have numbers at the moment, especially when you consider you don't have 3 on the field that often nowadays

Bissainthe
Alderman
Aguirre
Pruitt
Hayes
Washington
Wiley
C.Smith
Marcelin- possible readshirt
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This "we don't have linebackers" narrative is wild to me. There is a lot of talent in that room the issue is coaching and scheme.
 
UMercury21 said:
we have no LB's makes sense that we have no LB coach.
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In what universe does someone look at the LB's on this rooster and conclude we have no LBs? Add even a cursory knowledge of recruiting and the above view makes even less sense.

Wes Bissainthe
Popo Aguirre
Bobby Washington
Cam Pruitt
Adarius Hayes
Kellen Wiley
Jaylin Alderman
Chase Smith
Ezekiel Marcellin
 
MedleyCane said:
It all comes down to if the coaches work together well. Each coach have their nice resumes, but it doesn't mean much if they are not on the same page.
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Yes that's true in a general sense without question. However I don't think that specific issue will be a concern this time with this group. Coming off of all the issues that we dealt with last season, there was a great emphasis placed on chemistry between the defensive hires as well as the communicative hierarchy on the defensive side of the ball. Corey Hetherman has his preferred way of doing things as a DC and that is the way things will work here.
 
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Hstokes1447 said:
This coaching staff is built for transformation. An interesting fact about this group of defensive coaches is that each of them played a key role in a major turnaround for their respective units during the 2024 season. It’s exciting to have a staff where every position coach has already proven their ability to elevate player performance in just one season. With plenty of unproven talent on this defense, I’m eager to see how this coaching group maximizes their potential and puts them in the best position to succeed.

DC Corey Hetherman
In games against FBS opponents, Minnesota finished 10th nationally in scoring defense (18.3 PPG), 14th in yards per play (4.7) and 19th in yards per pass attempt against (6.3).

DT coach Damione Lewis
team jumped from 66th to 9th nationally in sack percentage and from 95th to 37th in yards per rush against

DB coach Zac Etheridge
In 2024, Houston ranked 22nd nationally in passing yards allowed against FBS opponents. Houston's 2,266 passing yards allowed were its fewest in a full season in 30 years.

DB Coach Will Harris
The Gators ranked T-14th in the country in turnovers gained which included 14 interceptions, a major improvement from just three in 2023. The Gators also recorded 48 pass deflections compared to 37 a year ago.
Click to expand...
I certainly share your enthusiasm. Though I love the Hetherman hire, it's obviously a bit of wait and see because of his limited resume being a young coach. In terms of the rest of the defensive staff I honestly don't think we could have done much better. What we have here now including the DC is a staff of young technical coaches who are also great teachers and who have all proven to have the ability to develop players and greatly improve the performance of their respective units immediately upon their arrival. I am so excited because we haven't had an entire staff like this on the defensive side of the ball in a very long time and the fact that we have so many talented young players on defense who need to develop. Spring practice cannot get here soon enough.
 
FrancisSawyer said:
I certainly share your enthusiasm. Though I love the Hetherman hire, it's obviously a bit of wait and see because of his limited resume being a young coach. In terms of the rest of the defensive staff I honestly don't think we could have done much better. What we have here now including the DC is a staff of young technical coaches who are also great teachers and who have all proven to have the ability to develop players and greatly improve the performance of their respective units immediately upon their arrival. I am so excited because we haven't had an entire staff like this on the defensive side of the ball in a very long time and the fact that we have so many talented young players on defense who need to develop. Spring practice cannot get here soon enough.
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Exactly and this will be the first spring under Mario that this team will be 3 deep with scholarship players at every position on offense and defense. This should make the spring extremely competitive and give this defensive staff a chance to get a honest evaluation of the defensive players, because at no point should they be going up against any walk-ons.
 
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Ironmanfootball said:
The NFL HC with the most Super Bowl rings played D3 football. The most innovative offensive mind in CFB of our lifetimes played club rugby at BYU.

I do think Lewis can coach, jury is out on JT (final season to prove it, IMO)- but I don't give a crap what they did on the field as a player.
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For the life of me I can't understand why this fantasy about great players being great coaches still persists but it does. How many examples do people need to realize that things don't work that way!
 
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I was looking at the staff last night thinking.. I wonder which one of these poor ******** we'll hate by this next year.

- OC/QB’s Shannon Dawson
- OL Alex Mirabal
- WR Kevin Beard
- TE Cody Woodiel
- RB Matt Merritt

- DC/LB’s Corey Hetherman
- DL Jason Taylor
- DT Damione Lewis
- DB Zac Etheridge
- DB Will Harris
 
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