FullyERicht
Thunderdome
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2013
- Messages
- 5,591
In Part I I discussed Don Brown and my overall interests in a DC. Part II discussed Dave Aranda.
Part III is dedicated to 3 coaches who directly or indirected are descendants of the 4-3 Cover 4 defense that Tommy Tuberville ran here. A little history here first:
Jimmy Johnson's base defense was 4-3 Cover 2, which you can read about in ghost's post here. However, his playbook wasn't restricted to one coverage. They also coached Cover 3, cover 1, Cover 2 man, and two types of Quarters coverage. JJ's disciples adopted the various coverages that they liked best. Butch ran a lot more Cover 3. Wannstedt (and his disciple Randy) based out of Cover 2 man. Tommy Tuberville chose Cover 4 (Quarters) as his base defense.
So what makes Tubbs version special/relevant? Well it's the exact defense that playoff bound Michigan State has used for years. Pat Narduzzi, now at Pitt, brought this D to MSU has no shame admitting it: "I went to a clinic in 1992 at Miami, led by Tommy Tuberville, and we just ran that defense ever since" is a direct quote.
The crux of the 4-3 Over Cover 4 defense is that the safeties are critically involved in both the run and pass: if the safeties get a run read, they scream down into the box. The safety to the run side is the force player, the safety to the back side is a cutback player (making sure nothing reverses and gets around him to the other side). As a result, the LBs can play extremely aggressively chasing the ball carrier without being concerned with cutback, and you get 9 men to the box. Safeties align only 10 yards off the ball!
If the safeties get a pass read, their job is to play man/man coverage on the second widest receiver on their side, unless that receiver runs a route shorter than 7 or so yards. The CBs have this same rule on deep routes of the #1 receiver. This means if you get 4 deep routes, it is for all intents and purposes, man to man by all the DBs, like Cover 0, with no help over the top. It's extremely aggressive, high-risk high reward. The LBs play shallow zones, covering all the short routes.
Now obviously Pat Narduzzi is at Pitt as HC. But MSU currently uses a dual-DC format. Their DBs coach, Harlan Barnett, and their LBs coach Mike Tressel, share the duties. Both are rookie DCs. Both have been with Dantonio for years. Barnett's first major gig was as a GA under Saban when LSU won a title. Tressel, the nephew of Jim Tressel, worked under Jim and Dantonio with the OSU team that "beat" us.
MSU's defense has been at the top of college ball for years now. With that said, they took a small step back this year, just outside the top 10. Hiring coaches with little experience makes me skeptical, but either of those cats would make excellent hires IMO.
The third choice, is the man who led the defense for Tubbs' 2004 Auburn undefeated team, which featured the #1 scoring and #4 total defense in the nation. That man was Gene Chizik. Chizik is currently UNC's DC. His defense hasn't seen the type of dominant turnaround you would dream of in one season, but there is no question the man can coach defense.
In Part 4 i'll talk some of the big names I dont want, and who I'd prefer most of the candidates mentioned.
Part III is dedicated to 3 coaches who directly or indirected are descendants of the 4-3 Cover 4 defense that Tommy Tuberville ran here. A little history here first:
Jimmy Johnson's base defense was 4-3 Cover 2, which you can read about in ghost's post here. However, his playbook wasn't restricted to one coverage. They also coached Cover 3, cover 1, Cover 2 man, and two types of Quarters coverage. JJ's disciples adopted the various coverages that they liked best. Butch ran a lot more Cover 3. Wannstedt (and his disciple Randy) based out of Cover 2 man. Tommy Tuberville chose Cover 4 (Quarters) as his base defense.
So what makes Tubbs version special/relevant? Well it's the exact defense that playoff bound Michigan State has used for years. Pat Narduzzi, now at Pitt, brought this D to MSU has no shame admitting it: "I went to a clinic in 1992 at Miami, led by Tommy Tuberville, and we just ran that defense ever since" is a direct quote.
The crux of the 4-3 Over Cover 4 defense is that the safeties are critically involved in both the run and pass: if the safeties get a run read, they scream down into the box. The safety to the run side is the force player, the safety to the back side is a cutback player (making sure nothing reverses and gets around him to the other side). As a result, the LBs can play extremely aggressively chasing the ball carrier without being concerned with cutback, and you get 9 men to the box. Safeties align only 10 yards off the ball!
If the safeties get a pass read, their job is to play man/man coverage on the second widest receiver on their side, unless that receiver runs a route shorter than 7 or so yards. The CBs have this same rule on deep routes of the #1 receiver. This means if you get 4 deep routes, it is for all intents and purposes, man to man by all the DBs, like Cover 0, with no help over the top. It's extremely aggressive, high-risk high reward. The LBs play shallow zones, covering all the short routes.
Now obviously Pat Narduzzi is at Pitt as HC. But MSU currently uses a dual-DC format. Their DBs coach, Harlan Barnett, and their LBs coach Mike Tressel, share the duties. Both are rookie DCs. Both have been with Dantonio for years. Barnett's first major gig was as a GA under Saban when LSU won a title. Tressel, the nephew of Jim Tressel, worked under Jim and Dantonio with the OSU team that "beat" us.
MSU's defense has been at the top of college ball for years now. With that said, they took a small step back this year, just outside the top 10. Hiring coaches with little experience makes me skeptical, but either of those cats would make excellent hires IMO.
The third choice, is the man who led the defense for Tubbs' 2004 Auburn undefeated team, which featured the #1 scoring and #4 total defense in the nation. That man was Gene Chizik. Chizik is currently UNC's DC. His defense hasn't seen the type of dominant turnaround you would dream of in one season, but there is no question the man can coach defense.
In Part 4 i'll talk some of the big names I dont want, and who I'd prefer most of the candidates mentioned.
