New DB Coach discussion (Merged)

[FASTCOMPANY 394]

2 minutes ago, abw0004 said:

His son used to play for the Auburn football team a few years ago.  Was a walk-on defensive back.  Played decent.  Did not return for his senior year.

 

Ahhh, there goes my theory then

[aubiefifty 16,775]

11 hours ago, GwillMac6 said:

not all former players are created equal. Garner and DC when AU brought them in was a huge boon. Same with Trob. Hewas a fantastic hire to finally bring home. Also with taking a leap of faith and promoting Twill. Kodi Burns? mehhhhhh. That was not good but Gus just wants yes men on the offensive side of the ball. Kodi better get his crap together on the trail SOON. I love getting former players if they are the best candidate. 

i always thought gus was trying to pay kodi back when his qb dreams went out the window when he got the receivers coaching job. and it seemed where he coached at ari or ari state before  they loved him and believed big things are ahead of him. i am willing to give kodi more time and it seems the best receiving group ever to sign at decided to hang with kodi after dc left. lets give him a chance and see what happens.

[auburn4ever 1,266]

Al Pogue or Ron Cooper.

[aubiefifty 16,775]

al.com

 

8 potential candidates for Auburn defensive backs coach

James Crepea | jcrepea@al.com

With Wesley McGriff headed to Ole Miss, Gus Malzahn is searching for Auburn's fifth secondary coach in as many seasons.

McGriff's departure to become the defensive coordinator at Ole Miss opens a hole on Auburn's defensive coaching staff as the No. 14 Tigers (8-4, 5-3 SEC) prepare to finish the 2016 season against No. 7 Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl.

In McGriff, Auburn loses a renowned recruiter and veteran coach.

 

 

McGriff's replacement will be the fifth coach in the defensive backfield as Malzahn prepares for what will be his fifth season on the Plains.

Safeties coach Charlie Harbison and cornerbacks coach Melvin Smith led the secondary in 2013 and 2014. Travaris Robinson coached defensive backs under defensive coordinator Will Muschamp in 2015 and later followed him to South Carolina.

The Tigers lose starting defensive backs Rudy Ford and Josh Holsey but return safeties Tray Matthews, Stephen Roberts and Nick Ruffin and cornerbacks Carlton Davis and Javaris Davis, among others.

Here's a look at 8 potential candidates AL.com has compiled, listed alphabetically:

Rob Coleman, Auburn analyst

Malzahn's best friend and former assistant dating back to their days at Hughes High School in Arkansas, Coleman joined Auburn's support staff this past year. Coleman's expertise is on defense and he spent this season working with the linebackers. If Coleman came to Auburn to eventually be a coach at the college level, he could eventually move up to an assistant coaching position, though the chances would seem remote at this time.

David Gunn, Auburn assistant athletic director for football

Gunn served as Malzahn's cornerbacks coach at Arkansas State in 2012 and has been his chief administrator for the past four years while at Auburn. With Malzahn having passed on several opportunities to move Gunn to an on-the-field role, it appears his future remains in an administrative capacity.

Brandon Hall, Jacksonville State co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach

Hall served as Malzahn's safeties coach at Arkansas State in 2012 and is a former Auburn analyst. He would bring familiarity with the program as well as with the state, having spent the past three seasons at Jacksonville State.

During Hall's time with the Gamecocks, they led the OVC in total defense (12th nationally), rush defense (16th nationally) and pass defense (18th nationally) in 2015. In 2014, JSU was second in the OVC in total defense and pass defense, while leading the league and ranking fourth in the nation in rushing defense.

Al Pogue, Troy cornerbacks coach

Pogue has served as Troy's cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator for three years. The Trojans went from 123rd in pass defense in 2013 to 36th under Pogue in 2014 and 29th in 2015 before a drop to 77th this season, however Troy ranks in the top 20 in passes defended.

Pogue served as Auburn's director of high school relations in 2013 after two years as a quality control assistant. Prior to arriving at Auburn, Pogue was a high school coach in the state of Alabama for 13 years.

Corey Raymond, LSU defensive backs coach

Raymond has spent the past five seasons at his alma mater and was retained by both Kevin Steele and Dave Aranda following the departure of John Chavis, so it appears his departure from Baton Rouge would be unlikely. However, Raymond is making just $331,000 at LSU compared to the $500,000 McGriff was making at Auburn.

Paul Rhoads, Arkansas defensive backs coach

Former Auburn defensive coordinator from 2008, Rhoads returned to the SEC at Arkansas this season. The Razorbacks rank 54th in pass defense under Rhoads, who was Iowa State's head coach from 2009-15.

Rhoads doesn't have much of a relationship with Gus Malzahn, but he very much enjoyed living in Auburn and is familiar with the program and the conference.

Galen Scott, Virginia Tech assistant head coach/safeties coach

Scott was the outside linebackers and safeties coach at Tulsa in 2008, when Gus Malzahn and Herb Hand were co-offensive coordinators and continued in the position after Malzahn left in 2009. He spent 2010-15 at Memphis, where he was defensive coordinator for two years, before moving on to Virginia Tech.

Trooper Taylor, Arkansas State cornerbacks coach

Taylor would be an unlikely candidate given how his previous tenure ended. But Taylor worked with Malzahn when he was offensive coordinator and his recruiting prowess make a return to the Plains a remote possibility.

[AUEngineer2016 407]

If I'm making this decision, my first call is to Corey Raymond (LSU DBs coach), simply because it's a win-win situation. We offer him what we were paying Crime Dog, and 1 of 3 things would happen:

1. LSU doesn't match, Raymond takes the pay raise. We get a good coach.
2. LSU doesn't match, Raymond stays at his Alma Mater. We are no worse off.
3. LSU does match, Raymond stays at his Alma Mater. We are no worse off and LSU stretches their budget a little thinner.

Should we not get Raymond, my second call would be to Ron Cooper, who is currently the Interim HC at FIU. He was the DB coach at LSU under Chief (2009 - 2011) and his resume is extremely impressive. Specifically, these are some of the players he coached:

• Morris Claiborne (All-American 2011, Thorpe Award 2011, 2012 1st Rd Draft Pick)
• Patrick Peterson
• Tyrann Mathieu (All-American 2011, Bednarik Award 2011, Heisman Finalist, 3rd Rd Draft Pick)
• Eric Reid (All-American, 2013 1st Rd draft pick)
• Brandon Taylor (2012 3rd Rd Draft Pick)

Should we miss on both, my next call would be to Al Pogue. He's done great things with the Troy pass defense (though they did regress slightly this year according to national rankings).

[TitanTiger 20,476]

From the Auburn 247 site, a list of likely candidates:

Quote

 

Corey Raymond, LSU secondary coach

Corey Raymond, an LSU graduate, has coached the Tigers for five seasons and has tutored some of the best defensive backs to come through the SEC during that time: Eric Reid, Jalen Collins, Jalen Mills and Jamal Adams.

Raymond coached alongside Kevin Steele for one season and there was talk the coach had interest in bringing Raymond on board at Auburn, but Gus Malzahn had already made arrangements to hire Wesley McGriff away from the New Orleans Saints.

LSU ranked fourth in pass defense this season (efficiency and passing yards) in the SEC.

Raymond signed a new deal through the 2017 season at LSU worth $375,000 annually, so if Auburn is willing to pony up $500,000 or more, it could land Raymond.

 

Dell McGee, Georgia running backs coach

The former Auburn defensive back would be a great fit at Auburn and he is known as a tenacious recruiter for Georgia, where he ranks sixth overall in the 247Sports recruiting rankings.

He came to Auburn as an analyst in 2013 before jumping to coach Georgia Southern in 2014 and 2015 before he was hired to coach running backs at Georgia in 2016.

Would McGee come home and coach his native position? He’d certainly be a great fit, with connections across the state and in Georgia from his days coaching Carver to an 88-19 record, xis regional titles and a state championship in Columbus, Georgia.

McGee had a fantastic interception in the Iron Bowl to seal the Tigers’ perfect season in 1993 and would be a logical addition to the staff.

McGee is earning $275,000 per year at Georgia.

 

Al Pogue, Troy cornerbacks coach

Al Pogue is yet another coach with Auburn connections who just makes sense to make the jump back into the SEC. He has spent the last 18 years coaching in the state and has done well at Troy, where the pass defense improved from 123rd nationally before his arrival to the top 40s in 2014 and 2015.

Pogue was Auburn’s director of high school relations and a quality control assistant at Auburn previously after 13 years as a high school coach. He was on Gus Malzahn’s staff during the Tigers’ run to the 2013 national championship game and has worked twice for Malzahn at Auburn.

It might be time to bring Pogue up the ranks to the SEC as a position coach, especially with his recruiting connections throughout the state and the southeast.

 

Joe Whitt Jr., Green Bay Packers cornerbacks coach

The former Auburn player and son of longtime Auburn assistant Joe Whitt Sr., Joe Whitt Jr. has coached Green Bay’s cornerbacks for the last eight seasons in the NFL.

In his first seven seasons combined, Green Bay leads the NFL with 148 total interceptions, including 80 from the cornerbacks and opponent passing ratings (78.9) are the second-worst in the NFL.

The Packers are tied for seventh in the NFL with 13 picks this season.

It’s not known if Whitt Jr., 38, would be willing to come to his alma mater as a position coach, but it would certainly be a great fit for the Tigers and the staff. The one negative: he hasn’t coached college football or recruited since he was at Louisville in 2006. This one seems like a long shot.

 

Blake Gideon, Western Carolina defensive backs coach

Blake Gideon was an impressive graduate assistant for Will Muschamp at Florida, Auburn and South Carolina before landing a full-time gig at Western Carolina. He practically ran the cornerbacks for South Carolina in the spring and Muschamp gave him a lot of responsibilities during his time there, which led to a full-time job.

He also has a heck of a background on the field and can relate to kids as a 27-year-old rising star. He started 52 straight games as a safety for Texas, which ranks second all time.

He may be a long shot and someone that will be hard to convince the administration at Auburn to hire, but he’s a rising star worth looking at in the search.

 

Ashley Ambrose, Boise State secondary coach

Ashley Ambrose joined Boise State’s staff in 2016 after stints at Texas State, California and Colorado. He would be a good boon on the recruiting trail as a former Mississippi Valley State player who is familiar with the southeast.

The former All-Pro played 13 seasons in the NFL and his experience is invaluable. The New Orleans native has coached out of his comfort zone in the land of Pac-12 and now Boise State, but bringing him into the SEC could be big for him and Auburn.

Boise State’s pass defense ranked 27th overall this season.

 

Terrell Buckley, Mississippi State safeties coach

A name to watch in the SEC after one season with Mississippi State. The former Florida State player and Super Bowl champion has coached at Akron and Louisville.

Those who have worked alongside and competed against Buckley believe he’s a great coach and it’s one reason why he landed an SEC job so quickly.

 

 

[auburn4ever 1,266]

Va. Tech always seem to have a strong defense every year. Maybe we should talk to Brian Mitchell first. That being said, Ron Cooper would be my #1 pick. I wonder how long it will take Gus to name a new DB coach.

[C'viewTiger 242]

2 hours ago, abw0004 said:

 

Trooper Taylor, Arkansas State cornerbacks coach

Taylor would be an unlikely candidate given how his previous tenure ended. But Taylor worked with Malzahn when he was offensive coordinator and his recruiting prowess make a return to the Plains a remote possibility.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please no Trooper Taylor.

[imaolgatiger 523]

12 minutes ago, AU04ever said:

Please no Trooper Taylor.

I would enjoy having TT back. If for no other reason, every turd fan that I know HATES him. He can also recruit!

[lionheartkc 6,150]

2 hours ago, Jgarrett7 said:

I hear Jeff Fisher is looking for a job. ( you said "wish list" right?)

So is his son Brandon, who was the Ram's Secondary Coach.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

14 minutes ago, AU04ever said:

Please no Trooper Taylor.

I think this is one hire that Rich McGlynn would block.

[C'viewTiger 242]

Just now, imaolgatiger said:

I would enjoy having TT back. If for no other reason, every turd fan that I know HATES him. He can also recruit!

He can recruit, however, I didn't see any consistent improvement from his WRs while he was here.

[sevenlee36 1,654]

HUGE LOSS. We have to hire a great secondary coach with the fire and passion he had to compliment KS personality. We need a another Dawg

[ellitor 33,092]

Well I was wrong about him not staying for the Sugar Bowl...

DB coach Wesley McGriff will remain with Auburn through the Sugar Bowl before leaving for Ole Miss. https://t.co/Dg5NCfjMhe

— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) December 16, 2016

[DAG 33,981]

2 hours ago, TitanTiger said:

From the Auburn 247 site, a list of likely candidates:

 

 

Blake Gideon? This the same gideon that dropped that easy interception against T.Tech a few years ago? I am betting it will be none of these guys. 

[FoundationEagle 637]

2 hours ago, AUEngineer2016 said:

If I'm making this decision, my first call is to Corey Raymond (LSU DBs coach), simply because it's a win-win situation. We offer him what we were paying Crime Dog, and 1 of 3 things would happen:

1. LSU doesn't match, Raymond takes the pay raise. We get a good coach.
2. LSU doesn't match, Raymond stays at his Alma Mater. We are no worse off.
3. LSU does match, Raymond stays at his Alma Mater. We are no worse off and LSU stretches their budget a little thinner.

Should we not get Raymond, my second call would be to Ron Cooper, who is currently the Interim HC at FIU. He was the DB coach at LSU under Chief (2009 - 2011) and his resume is extremely impressive. Specifically, these are some of the players he coached:

• Morris Claiborne (All-American 2011, Thorpe Award 2011, 2012 1st Rd Draft Pick)
• Patrick Peterson
• Tyrann Mathieu (All-American 2011, Bednarik Award 2011, Heisman Finalist, 3rd Rd Draft Pick)
• Eric Reid (All-American, 2013 1st Rd draft pick)
• Brandon Taylor (2012 3rd Rd Draft Pick)

Should we miss on both, my next call would be to Al Pogue. He's done great things with the Troy pass defense (though they did regress slightly this year according to national rankings).

Ron Cooper would be great. I doubt we get the current LSU DB coach, but aim with you. Either of those 3 on your list are fine with me, preferably #2 as he coached some of the best DBs I've ever seen in college ball. 

[ellitor 33,092]

12 minutes ago, sevenlee36 said:

HUGE LOSS. We have to hire a great secondary coach with the fire and passion he had to compliment KS personality. We need a another Dawg

Not cats?...

 

[AUApostle 7,651]

25 minutes ago, ellitor said:

Well I was wrong about him not staying for the Sugar Bowl...

Now that Crime Dog has now been hired by a rival school, will his access to the program be limited?

[AUApostle 7,651]

People keep saying Joe Whitt Jr is on the fast track for an NFL head coaching gig...I'm not so sure.  The guy has been in the same position for 8 seasons...he might need a change of scenery to advance.  A DC gig somewhere would serve him well.

[corchjay 5,311]

Happy to see CWM stay for the Sugar Bowl.  Seems to be a stand up guy.  Military guy to so I'm sure he is like most and finish what they start.  I do think it's imperative to move as quickly as possibly to find a replacement but also understand most good teams still have a game to go.  

[TitanTiger 20,476]

36 minutes ago, DAG said:

Blake Gideon? This the same gideon that dropped that easy interception against T.Tech a few years ago? I am betting it will be none of these guys. 

Dude, every DB that has ever played football has had a dropped INT in a critical moment, a missed tackle, a blown coverage.  If you think that some missed INT off a ricochet from 8 years ago is going to be any factor at all in hiring or not hiring him, you're crazy.

I'd be surprised if it's literally *none* of these guys.  I suppose it could happen, but that's a pretty good list of likely guys.  If I were betting, I'd probably say it's Pogue or Raymond.

[JDUBB4AU 5,117]

39 minutes ago, FoundationEagle said:

Ron Cooper would be great. I doubt we get the current LSU DB coach, but aim with you. Either of those 3 on your list are fine with me, preferably #2 as he coached some of the best DBs I've ever seen in college ball. 

Honey badger, Reid, all those guys like you said are some of the best and are starters on Sunday. LSU and UA have had some crazy good DBs.

[ellitor 33,092]

33 minutes ago, AUDevil said:

Now that Crime Dog has now been hired by a rival school, will his access to the program be limited?

Not sure I understand your question. Most his recruiting was already over. His AU focus will be on coaching and prepping for the Sugar Bowl. Can you be more specific with your question?

[AUApostle 7,651]

6 minutes ago, ellitor said:

Not sure I understand your question. Most his recruiting was already over. His AU focus will be on coaching and prepping for the Sugar Bowl. Can you be more specific with your question?

How do you keep his role limited so that he's not taking any new secrets with him to the next job?  Is it unlikely that he would be in position to overhear or see anything valuable to Coach Freeze in the next few weeks?  There are folks in my business that when they turn in their 2 week notice to go work for a competitor, I have to purposefully keep their access to new information/strategies limited.

Ole Miss is such a close rival that you wouldn't want to give any advantage to if you can help it.  It'd be different if he's headed to a non SEC team.  I just don't see any benefit to him sticking around the athletic complex or the team.  Someone else can coach DBs for a day.

[DAG 33,981]

22 minutes ago, TitanTiger said:

Dude, every DB that has ever played football has had a dropped INT in a critical moment, a missed tackle, a blown coverage.  If you think that some missed INT off a ricochet from 8 years ago is going to be any factor at all in hiring or not hiring him, you're crazy.

I'd be surprised if it's literally *none* of these guys.  I suppose it could happen, but that's a pretty good list of likely guys.  If I were betting, I'd probably say it's Pogue or Raymond.

 

 

Umm, I literally was interested if that was the same dude who did that, as I only recognized that name from that specific play. It was more of an "oh wow how interesting".  I wasn't making fun of the guy.