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Latest Staff Hires, Etc

198

What do you guys make of the hires?

Jim Michalczik – OL

Brian Lindgren – QB/OC

Trent Bray — LBs

Update: Keith Heyward confirmed by one of my good sources.

The only one I’m familiar with as a coach is Bray. As I wrote in the prior thread, he started his career with a lot of promise, but the Nebby LBs got worse over his tenure. Good recruiter when he was at OSU and by all accounts at NE, too. Beavgopher, who watched every Nebby game, confirmed this as well. So is the problem Bray’s coaching, or were he and/or his players bitten by Riley’s zombie football bug?

What about the transfer of Carta-Samuels, and if we do land him, what it means for current QBs on the roster?

198 COMMENTS

  1. Michalczik is a good oline coach
    Lindgren- don’t know
    Bray- recruits good, nebby LBs weren’t great but from the looks of some video posted in the other thread it’s scheme and not bad individual coaching.

  2. Also, not sure whether Lindgren will be responsible for OC and QB duties, OLive speculates just OC, but we’ll have to see what is officially announced.

  3. No home runs, but these are all solid hires who are proven at the P5 level. Bray and Lindgren are young, Heyward and Bray have OSU ties.

    Bray has never coached an all-conference performer.

    Heyward coached 11 in 9 seasons.

    Lindgren has coached 1 in 6 seasons (2 if you count honorable mention)

    Michalczik has 1 in 5 seasons at Arizona.

    Obviously those selections can be subjective, but there you have it. Heyward has an impressive track record.

    • I’d think Heyward would be the DC over Bray. Unless Heyward is replacing Hall (seems like a weird career move for KH unless he just wants to be back). I haven’t heard where he will fit just that he’s in.

  4. At least none are named Riley… Michalczik seems like a fantastic hire, Bray seems fine but I don’t know much about him other than what Angry reports, and Lindgren on paper seems adequate but is a big unknown. Certainly could be worse.

  5. ““It is painful if you make some wrong decisions,” said Smith, who was in California on Monday. “I’d rather be late than wrong. They have to be the right fit for this place, and they have to be elite football coaches, guys I can trust.”

    I like Jonathan Smith, but he needs to stop using the word ‘elite’. He even called his wife ‘elite’ two times. I have to disagree with a previous thread post that JS sounds smart and articulate. He sounds like he doesn’t have the vocabulary to say what he wants to say, so he falls back on words like ‘elite’.

    • defniition of elite:

      “a select part of a group that is superior to the rest in terms of ability or qualities.”

      I want an elite wife, too. If I was a coach of a football team, I’d want elite coaches on my staff and elite players.

      Sounds like his vocabulary is spot on to me…

      • Agree. Riley said ‘neat deal’ and ‘identity’, and GA had ‘tremendous’ and ‘big boy pants’. All annoying. I’m just saying that JS is the same way with the word elite. If they don’t prove to be elite on the football field, this is a word that will become a lot more annoying to everyone else.

        I want elite coaches too, but if they aren’t actually elite, don’t call them that. Why not just say they are excellent, fantastic, wonderful, first rate? Mix it up once in a while.

        Side note, I also hate when players say “get that taste out of our mouth”. I once heard a player say “get that taste off our shoulders”.

        Come spring, we are going to frequently read and hear players using the word elite.

  6. I love how football scoop gets one thing wrong (every news outlet does) and suddenly everything has to be taken with a grain of salt.

    The site is solid, no media outlet gets everything right all of the time and honestly that standard would be impossible to achieve.

      • My understanding is it’s done.
        Not sure how Taggart leaving can change things/if KH can back out of the deal, etc. Hopefully we get him officially on board statim. Need recruiters.

    • Makes me wonder if Taggart leaving Oregon shuffles the deck enough that Heyward ends up getting offered that DC job instead? Would think the school wants to hang onto one of their best recruiters. Seems OSUs best offer would be as Co-DC.

      Also, Taggart hasnt officially left. Theres a team meeting for their current roster today at 1:30, so expect something officially official around that time as far as Taggart’s status.

      • 90% of fans want Heyward as DC and if not him Lake. Bray should be happy as LB coach. Didn’t do great at that at Nebby

        So Beavs can match DC for Heyward. He should do it alone if Beavs want best opportunity to get him announced soon before Oregon finds their next coach. Bray can get some training down the line if he shows he can handle LBs and doesn’t have the Riley gnat bite.

  7. Canzano with a long whiny piece about Taggart’s lack of loyalty, feels he has to vent on behalf of fan base. Ha! Canzano LOVED Taggart…

    • My only worry was he leave and they go out and get someone better.

      Sumlin, Mad Hatter are a couple of the names I wanted above all others, and it will really suck if one of them lands at the hole…

      Hopefully like last year the better coaches say no thank you to Mullens and they have to scramble while their class falls apart. But with the scratch they have to spend I’d have to think they land a big name this go around.

      • Seems like a better coach but worse recruiter than Willie, but Oregon’s advantages probably bridge that gap some. I’m glad to see Willie go. Bad coach who was all about himself, but such a good recruiter he didn’t have to be a good coach.

        The Ducks class will likely drop. Hopefully we can pick up a few guys.

    • Sumlin’s name is still being mentioned at Tennessee. As coaching vacancies are filled, someone will get desperate with the Oregon opening. But they may end up getting another stepping-stone coach.

      Could they woo Wilcox from California?

      As Beaver fans are we glad to see Herm Edwards at ASU?

      • I saw delusional hysteria setting in last night with facebook friends. Some thinking they’d could pry Peterson away from UDub.

        It will be a lot of fun if they whiff on the big names.

        Edwards is a strange hire. Hard to gauge but it doesn’t sound all that threatening.

        • They’re such retards. Also, Les Miles was unemployed last year when they hired fortune cookie and he didn’t jump.

          Sumlin would be a worry. Big coaching upgrade from Slick Willie.

        • Whoever ends up there will be expected to sign top 5-10 recruiting classes regularly now. Anything less would be viewed as a disappointment.

    • For sure! He’s a great poly recruiter and noone that’s being mentioned fits that mold. JS said west coast recruiting, I hope he doesn’t forget about the islands.

  8. Prying Justin Wilcox from Cal would seem to make the most sense for UO.

    Dear duck fans,

    Mike Riley is moving back to Oregon. And available….

    • BendBeaver can chime in here.

      I think it’s a good P5 team to schedule, especially in a Home and Away. We shouldn’t be completely out gunned and make for a good football game with a chance of leaving with a victory.

      Much better then an away only contract against a blue blood with perennial top 20 / 10 recruiting classes.

      • If Brohm stays they will be a good team. He is a very good offensive coach and did the best coaching job in the B1G this year IMHO. Already flirted with Tenn this year so he may be long gone by then.

  9. I know OLive material is not something to post often, but I found these bits from Nemec quite entertaining:


    Oregon Ducks football recruiting class growing frustrated, considering mass decommitments

    Updated 11:59 AM; Posted 11:59 AM

    The Oregon Ducks prized 2018 recruiting class may soon experience a mass exodus.

    Since the beginning of the recruiting cycle, Oregon pledges have added one another to a class-wide group chat, where they discuss everything from normal high school activities to their futures at Oregon to upon whom the class should be focusing their peer recruiting effort.

    According to several Oregon commitments, that group chat has turned into a discussion of frustration about the lack of information concerning coach Willie Taggart’s decision to remain at Oregon or accept the head coaching job at Florida State.

    Several recruits have indicated they are leaning toward decommitting from Oregon regardless of Taggart’s eventual decision, based on the way the situation has been handled.

    The Ducks have already lost the commitment of four-star athlete Tre’Shaun Harrison and experienced the loss of a handful of potential official and unofficial visitors.

    But the blow to the recruiting class could soon get much worse – regardless of what Taggart decides.

    Recruits want Taggart to #DoSomething.”

  10. Some early speculation on HC candidates for UO HC vacancy from OLive: Kevin Sumlin, Mario Cristobal, Jim Leavitt, Justin Wilcox, Jim McElwain, Steve Greatwood, Bryan Harsin and Jeff Tedford.

    I’d guess Harsin(?) is the most attractive of that lot. Leavitt seems unlikely because I’m guessing they want an offensive emphasis.

  11. Re: Lindgren

    A few articles in chronological order about him:

    http://www.denverpost.com/2013/01/07/cu-buffs-new-offensive-coordinator-brian-lindgren-is-versatile/

    http://www.buffzone.com/football-cubuffs/ci_30474515/rooney-brian-lindgren-unsung-hero-resurgent-cu-buffs

    http://www.denverpost.com/2016/11/30/colorado-buffaloes-offensive-coordinators-key-to-success/

    I like that he was willing to take in input from someone else who was brought in and incorporate changes to his system.

    At minimum, this staff should be QB saavy/good at development.

  12. Based on earlier comments about the kids the lame duck (no pun intended) OSU coaching staff was signing up am I correct in assuming that the ‘ucks couid lose a lot of their 4 & 5 star recruits and replace them with 3 star recruits and they’d still have a class that has more talent than the current Beavs’ class?

    Just trying to keep things in perspective.

    • Unless a complete implosion happens, they will still have a higher rated class then us.

      Due to available schollies our class will be unusually small. Also, if we honor some of the bad offers that went out at the end then there won’t be that much ability to upgrade this year.

      13 Commits right now. According to earlier speculation, we might have 4 or 5 more spots available (17-18 total available.)

      If we land a few 4 star kids that would help, but I imagine there’s no way we overtake them in rankings.

      • Smith has said they will sign “at least 20”

        No link but remember seeing that quote.

        Also, Tanaloa Hufanga’s high school coach said that Hufanga and him spent an hour with Smith and Hufanga was blown away by Smith. Obviously a loooooong shot but if Smith can blow kids away you never know.

          • I don’t know, they had what 16 seniors? Couple guys will have to retire, a few will transfer, a few won’t qualify. I bet they can find room for 20 pretty easily even if no one de-commits.

        • Transfers will open up some spots, like Christian Wallace.
          It still wont be a huge class, but more guys may get added after signing day too depending on who else decides to leave or retire.

          Oregon can go above the 25 limit, to around 30, potentially. They would have to reclassify some 2017 guys to 2016, and some 2018 guys could sign early as 2017 guys, but i would imagine that has become a tougher number game to juggle now.

          The rankings benefit from a large class size, so a class of 30 has a huge numbers advantage even over a full class of 25. Not that the rankings mean a whole lot anyway, but when theyre used to compare classes, the comparisons are already skewed.

  13. From footballscoop.com

    >Oregon State: Sources tell us that quality control coach Jake Cookus will be retained and work as special teams coordinator. We understand he may also coach the safeties.

    • I have somewhat mixed emotions about it. On one hand, their fan base can SUCK IT after all of the scrap they spewed at OSU after GA quit….on the other hand, it’s good for the conference when oregon and OSU are stable and good. That said, all of the hype about the No. 1 recruiting class and now having gone proof, it’s hard not to laugh at their myopic fans whine and cry like little girls…meanwhile according to Andrew nemec, Smith has been making solid progress recruiting…I if.was Smith, I’d certainly make contact with some of d those duck verbals to try and flip them….so I guess in some respects its a big ho, ho ho for beaver nation…when will duck fans learn that karma is a bitch an right now beaver nation is karma and duck fans are the bitch.

      • They have some pretty fancy shoes. They’ll land a big name coach and be just fine. They just need to play to their strength and hire someone who can get the most out of selling flash.

        • Golly, maybe I should apply for the Oregon job! I’m hip! I told Mark I was the bee’s knees once, and we got down with a funky hand jive. Call me Swaggy Mike hashtag swag

      • Whether Smith’s progress recruiting will result in successful U of O flips remains to be seen.

        But given the particular circumstances of Taggart’s departure, he has more avenues available now to help persuade them to stay in the NW.

  14. Prediction,

    Carta Samuels will transfer to osu. Knows the system, short move and likely starter the instant he steps on campus.

    I guess we’ll know when Smith sets spring ball dates. Kj graduates at end of winter quarter. Uw has same academic calendar.

  15. OT- Men’s hoops blows a 9 point lead and now trail another directional school (E.Kentucky) by 4 at halftime at home of course. I wonder how long Barnes puts up with this mediocrity?

    • Really? Blowing a first half lead of 9 points…..that’s 3 possessions….game,ain’t over bit you make it sound like it’s over at half down by 4. Relax.

        • E.Kentucky had some small white dude who has not taken a two point shot all season and what happens? He comes in the game and the Beavs give him two open looks from three land and he buries both shots. Even Dan Dickau mumbled something about looking at the scouting report. That’s either coaching or the players not listening to the coaching.

          I will say this, the Beavs look better without McLaughlin. I think Hollins is being under used though.

  16. Tinkle and Co. managed to stave away the upset in the end. Here’s to hoping they’re learning how to hold on to a lead in the process.

    • Has anyone improved? Every time I try to watch I see turnovers and the same dumb plays by the same dumb players (e.g. Eubanks), that awful PG, etc.

      I can’t stand to watch it so you guys will have to inform me if anyone is actually better this year.

  17. The biggest issue with the team is the 3 point shooting. Really pathetic. Basically worst in the nation.

    But 22nd in 2 point FG %.

    A very odd dynamic.

    • 333rd compared to 16th out of 351 teams, 3pt % vs 2pt %

      Tres, Drew. and Stevie all shooting >60% on 2Pt attempts

      Tres needs to stop taking so many contested 3s.. Stevie a good slasher but he’s too weak to muscle in there vs tough competition

  18. I’m a Colorado fan. And I’ll say that most Colorado fans are pretty happy he’s leaving. I was never impressed by him. Colorado only improved on offense once they hired a ‘co-offensive coordinator’ – Darrin Chiaverini.

    Average-at-best recruiter.

  19. Please tell me that’s just a photoshop designed to troll people…

    EDIT: Upon closer inspection, seems like it is. Thank goodness, I can sleep easy tonight.

  20. Where are the pics of the other coaches lockers? Strange. At least 3 other coach’s are “familiar faces” where are their pics.

  21. Angry, what would success look like for JS? 1 year, 3 yr, 5 yr? I see the narrative being set for JS to fail, so I would be interested to know how to judge if you are correct?

  22. Hey Angry, if the Beavers go to a bowl game next year will you take this sight down and stop bashing the Beavs (of which you say you are a fan of)?

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