Florida hiring Patriots assistant Joe Houston to coach special teams

Oh, I’m also aware of the needed improvements on offense, defense, recruiting, and general discipline (basically, every aspect of this coaching staff is underperforming, frankly). But since this thread is about special teams, I limited my comments to that.

 

Wow...thats more than half the staff being canned....I hate to say it but who hired them in the first place when he was given an open checkbook at a premier school? Im hoping we improve but damn...

 

Reading is key.

 

Ok, Walter.

 

Complimenting Billy in thread above when saying great move and kudos to Billy.

 

I like the hire but our problem was counting. Remains to be seen if an analyst under the same ST leadership can learn to get players on and off the field.

 

Now that you have gone on this rant, maybe explain to everyone the reality of being an "analyst" vs an asst coach. Because I sit right behind the UF bench every game. I saw Couch on the sideline with special teams. I see O'Hara huddling up and meeting with the QB's after every series. I see Doekker in the WR group coaching them up every game.
So exactly what will be the problem calling him an analyst?

 

Hey now, don't forget about the Executive HC role. Maybe just maybe BN will hire a VP of cleat cleaning, water bottle washing, jock strap maintenance.

Green font recognition please

 

When you hire a staff in early December for ESD and to retain/attract recruits, you don’t get to attract the best possible coaches. You don’t get NFL people as their season is still in progress. You don’t have a lot of time to interview and hire those you don’t know. You are sometimes filling your staff with unemployed coaches like Bateman from UNC or the USCw WR coach. Billy took a lot of Rajun Cajun coaches, past and present, to fill his staff and some soon to be unemployed coaches (they had fired their HC) with Giants as well. Now likely putting together the true staff he wants. Got rid of the TE coach and first DC last year. Give him time and he may surprise us. Fire him and Lagway probably joins TAM or USCw the following year

 

i agree on the OC and two OL coach issue. But…Georgia also has no on field special teams coach. They have the exact set up as UF - a special teams analyst/off field special teams analyst. And they win all the time and no special teams issues.


The special teams set up is not the issue…the person running it was/is.

 

the 10th assistant was added by ncaa in 2017. They are actually mulling over adding an 11th. Could happen by this fall as ncaa declined to vote on it last year.

 

My friends call me Wally.


YOU may call me Mr. Matthau, until you realize my comedic genius. Real or imagined.

 

According to Pro Football Focus,

He was going to become the special teams coach at Alabama in 2020 before the Patriots offered him a job. Houston spent the four seasons before that at Iowa State, including as special teams coordinator in 2018.

 

A very good hire and he clearly has the credentials to be the real GameChanger, finally. So why is the first “GameChanger” who appeared to be in over his head still here, does it really take 2 guys to do this?

 

Are people really actually complaining about this hire?!?! Isn’t this exactly what many of us felt was desperately needed — someone to be fully in charge of the special teams?!?!

 

Some just can't help themselves. Day to day life gotta be rough for them.

 

Since I started this, I'll answer. My issue isn't the hire; it's the staff structure - not just concerning ST, either. That's what CBN hasn't changed, and (IMO) will never change - even though (IMO) he desperately needs too. That's also true for his designating a titular OC, even though CBN will always be the play caller so long as he has the authority to do so. In this specific case, I REALLY hoped CBN would hire an on-field ST coach - not another analyst.

To your point about being fully in charge of ST: are you saying the previous guy wasn't? It's the same staff position, right? Is 62Gator correct that the previous guy is still here and the new guy is just an addition? If so, which one will be the head guy, anyway? Or, will it be like OL and there will be CO-GCCs?

So far: the model of two position coachs hasn't been good, IMO. Two LB coaches in 2022 fielded a weak unit and the two OL coaches in 2023 fielded a weak unit. What is the reason that 2 GCCs will be any better in 2024?

I'm open to differing projections supported by past performance and/or successful precedent. Or, just fling negative ratings and insults (if that's your thing). (That's not directed at you, ajoseph.)

 

I don’t ever (intentionally) give negative ratings. I don’t understand the purpose. If I disagree with you, I post it. Otherwise, who cares (and even then, who cares)?

I think the “kick and scream that Napier is horrible” every time there’s any announcement is, at this point, old. I don’t think the hiring of an experienced special teams coach is something to complain about' particularly when our special teams were abysmal. Change was objectively needed. Now, you might think he needed to do more, like fire an existing coach to have a special teams coach. Fine, although I don’t know any college team that has one coach devoted only to special teams — they have additional responsibilities. I agree we need an on field coach who takes on that responsibility, and I think the “shared” approach by Napier in the past was, being kind, unfortunate. We don’t know what the structure will be this coming year. And again, I don’t see how on earth the hiring of a guy who has good experience coaching and coordinating special teams is in any way a bad thing.

 

He needs a physical presence checking jersey numbers and such. I mean, if I were a player, I’d like to think I’d know who else is wearing my number and if we are going to punt or kick a field goal. I just can’t wrap my head around that kind of thing.

 

fwiw: