OC - Josh Gattis. This is a homerun hire, for several reasons.
- First and foremost, Gattis just won the Broyles Award for TOP ASSSISTANT in the country. They don't hand out the Broyles Award to just anyone - top assistant for Jim Harbaugh on a team which made the CFB Playoffs and beat Ohio State.
- Second, scheme. Keep in mind, that Michigan has had average-to-mediocre QB play since Harbaugh became coach, and accordingly, has been a much more run-heavy team. Plus Michigan is in a cold ass shithole part of the country. Plus Harbaugh is more of an old school rigid HC. Plus Michigan has HALF the speed/skill set players of The U. A huge reason why someone like Gattis leaves Michigan for Miami is work with BETTET ATHLETES. South Florida > Midwest re: Quality of Recruits. Gattis is NOT going to be installing the same offensive scheme/system in South Florida..... At The U...... With South Florida skill players...... Under Mario (progressive coach)..... With TVD....
- Third, EXCELLENT resume. VERY well-balanced. Gattis played at Wake Forest and was an assistant coach at UNC. He's been in the ACC and knows recruiting/players in the Carolinas. He's also been at major programs in both Penn State and Alabama and of course Michigan. He's been a WR coach, passing game coordinator, and OC. Just solid from top to bottom.
DC - Kevin Steele. Another homerun, for several reasons.
- First and foremost, this guy has been at MAJOR programs for the last 40 years. Alabama, Clemson, Tennessee, LSU, Florida State, Nebraska (when Nebraska was at the top), and Auburn. He's been a Broyles finalist multiple times. He's recruited the best in the country FOR the best programs in the country.
- LB specialist. The one position on defense which has been a huge weakness over the last 4-6 years. Steele has been in coaching for 40 years, and his specialty is LB. The LB position alone gets a MASSIVE improvement overnight with the hiring of this guy.
- HC/NFL Experience. Although limited NFL experience and a poor record as HC at Baylor, he nevertheless has NFL experience and HC experience. So there's value in being a coach at different levels over the years, and he can certaintly help be a "head coach" level voice for Mario.
Combine these two Coordinator hires with the EXCELLENT support staff (positional coaches, S&C coaches, analysts, etc.) hires Mario has made, and this is unquestionably the best coaching staff we have had in the last 20-22 years since Butch Davis in the late 1990s.
The nervy concern which many of us (including me) had for Mario waiting to hire coordinators this long was well justified, but Mario's steadyhand patience remaining committed to his plan of hiring CLEARLY paid off with TWO HOMERUN coordinator hires. Every reasonable Canes fan should be extactic today.
The era of being elite again continues to build momentum heading into the Spriong.
- First and foremost, Gattis just won the Broyles Award for TOP ASSSISTANT in the country. They don't hand out the Broyles Award to just anyone - top assistant for Jim Harbaugh on a team which made the CFB Playoffs and beat Ohio State.
- Second, scheme. Keep in mind, that Michigan has had average-to-mediocre QB play since Harbaugh became coach, and accordingly, has been a much more run-heavy team. Plus Michigan is in a cold ass shithole part of the country. Plus Harbaugh is more of an old school rigid HC. Plus Michigan has HALF the speed/skill set players of The U. A huge reason why someone like Gattis leaves Michigan for Miami is work with BETTET ATHLETES. South Florida > Midwest re: Quality of Recruits. Gattis is NOT going to be installing the same offensive scheme/system in South Florida..... At The U...... With South Florida skill players...... Under Mario (progressive coach)..... With TVD....
- Third, EXCELLENT resume. VERY well-balanced. Gattis played at Wake Forest and was an assistant coach at UNC. He's been in the ACC and knows recruiting/players in the Carolinas. He's also been at major programs in both Penn State and Alabama and of course Michigan. He's been a WR coach, passing game coordinator, and OC. Just solid from top to bottom.
DC - Kevin Steele. Another homerun, for several reasons.
- First and foremost, this guy has been at MAJOR programs for the last 40 years. Alabama, Clemson, Tennessee, LSU, Florida State, Nebraska (when Nebraska was at the top), and Auburn. He's been a Broyles finalist multiple times. He's recruited the best in the country FOR the best programs in the country.
- LB specialist. The one position on defense which has been a huge weakness over the last 4-6 years. Steele has been in coaching for 40 years, and his specialty is LB. The LB position alone gets a MASSIVE improvement overnight with the hiring of this guy.
- HC/NFL Experience. Although limited NFL experience and a poor record as HC at Baylor, he nevertheless has NFL experience and HC experience. So there's value in being a coach at different levels over the years, and he can certaintly help be a "head coach" level voice for Mario.
Combine these two Coordinator hires with the EXCELLENT support staff (positional coaches, S&C coaches, analysts, etc.) hires Mario has made, and this is unquestionably the best coaching staff we have had in the last 20-22 years since Butch Davis in the late 1990s.
The nervy concern which many of us (including me) had for Mario waiting to hire coordinators this long was well justified, but Mario's steadyhand patience remaining committed to his plan of hiring CLEARLY paid off with TWO HOMERUN coordinator hires. Every reasonable Canes fan should be extactic today.
The era of being elite again continues to build momentum heading into the Spriong.
