I think that concerned is just not getting his hopes up, as noboby would want Wilson to choose football over his long term health, if it came to that. I would love to have have a healthy Wilson back next year, either as a starter or a good back up. He have been really hurt by not having a good depth at QB.Originally Posted by Diehard Ute
Which is fine. But the constant statements that a medical decision has been made or there are odds one way or the other isn't true
Worst part of this move? We can't say DC for Dave Christensen because of the defensive coordinator ambiguity. We will all have to type Christensen all the way out until someone gives us a nickname. And there are about 500 spellings of Christensen.
I beg to differ, but we will see.
There's a first time for everything!
Seriously, no one thinks it's good to have so much turnover. The Chow hire hurt us the worst. The ARod/Schramm and the BJ hires were the most questionable. The BJ hire is the only one that seemed like a reach at the time.
Kragthorpe certainly thinks it is ominous, a little like Custer?
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/utes/57...ensen.html.csp
My biggest concern with Wilson isn't his physical status, but now his mental status.
Say the doctors give him the "full steam ahead". Now suppose you're Wilson, it's 4th and 3 in a critical moment against USC and you're scrambling for the first down with 2 LB's coming at you.
Do you take that chance?
You're right. What a horrible hire. KW clearly hasn't thought through how this would impact the online world.
This doesn't sound good coming from BJs agent and from an NFL agent that has ties to lots of Utah players.
David Canter @shadjoe panic move from a coach on his last year / leg
https://twitter.com/davidcanter/stat...00402305765376
So I said to David Eckstein, "You promised me, Eckstein, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I noticed that during the most trying periods of my life, there have only been one set of prints in the sand. Why, when I have needed you most, have you not been there for me?" David Eckstein replied, "Because my little legs had gotten tired, and you were carrying me." And I looked down and saw that I was still carrying David Eckstein.
--fjm.com
Kragthorpe has some great one liners in there:
By hiring former Wyoming coach Dave Christensen as offensive coordinator and demoting Brian Johnson and — more significantly — Dennis Erickson, Whittingham is acting desperately, boldly or some combination of those descriptions.Utah’s staff would be the only one in college football history that included three of its former play-callers, with Aaron Roderick, Johnson and Erickson.The Utes are getting a coach whose offense posted seven points and 190 total yards against the Aggies, and who embarrassed himself and his program with a tirade directed at Air Force coach Troy Calhoun after a 2012 game.
Pac-12 blog on ESPN:
http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_...ordinator-itch
Maybe Whit should use a term like "explosive offense" until we get our offensive line fixed. Watching the offense get blown up every other play wasn't my favorite.
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it does seem like this is KW's last chance--if this doesn't work out (and it may take more than one year make that determination), you cant trust KW an 8th time to get it right; you have to start over. Since it sounds like there is a very good chance that C Hill will retire this year, a new AD is starting over anyway.
Agreed. 1-2 more years with no bowl, and it's over for Coach Whitt. Next year's schedule is brutal, too.
Weird.
This move smells like a "hail mary." I REALLY want Whit to succeed but I am continually finding myself thinking that he could be a great coach if only he could figure out how to hire the right people. Unfortunately, that is probably the most important job of a head coach.
Where is this written? I really hope we are not in the position of replacing both our AD and FB HC in a few year span.
subject of ongoing rumors on the hill.
Having had a few moments to soak this in, I am happy with this move as it at least solidifies our defense going forward. After successfully demoting so many coordinators, Whit will be happy to be demoted back to DC when his replacement is hired. Sitake can go back to LB coach, too. If we bring in an offensive minded HC for 2015, we will be an effing coaching powerhouse.
...This is a good hire in many ways. Erickson wasn't the long-term answer, and Christensen's availability and willingness to come to Salt Lake probably was too alluring to pass up for Whittingham. Yet six coordinators in six years is pretty extreme turnover. While there are reasonable explanations for each change, it's impossible to not at least raise an eyebrow.
“The world is so exquisite with so much love and moral depth, that there is no reason to deceive ourselves with pretty stories for which there's little good evidence. Far better it seems to me, in our vulnerability, is to look death in the eye and to be grateful every day for the brief but magnificent opportunity that life provides.”
― Carl Sagan
If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try, try, try, try again.
My guess as to the KW thought process:
- I only have another season or two to get this thing turned around.
- I guess offense really is important and we can't win just by emphasizing defense over offense. Man, those PAC-12 offenses are really athletic and potent!
- The offense has been awful, and the program and I look ridiculous because of the musical chairs at OC.
- DE isn't going to stick around very long and I really don't think Brian will be ready to take over when DE does leave. (Man! Why did I give that OC spot to BJ???)
- Then there was Schroderick and Chow. Why did I -- oh, I don't want to think about those mistakes any more.
- Christensen will give us a decent shot at an OC who will stay long enough to install an offensive identity. Besides, he's been successful as an OC. And he runs a spread!
- I'll bring Christensen on and we'll give this a shot. Yeah, I might lose DE, but he was going to leave soon anyway. I hope BJ stays because I like the kid, but it won't kill the program if he leaves. He might just kill it if he stays and I let him be OC.
[Kyle picks up the phone to call Christensen and make the offer.]
Viewed this way the decision at least makes sense. Now we all watch to see what unfolds. I wouldn't be surprised to see both DE and BJ gone by spring. I just hope their replacements aren't Kyle's former players or teammates.
Last edited by LA Ute; 12-20-2013 at 09:22 PM.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
I don't understand how you blame your failure on a lack of talent and then demote your best recruiter. We saw versus Oregon State what DE could do with a decent 11 man lineup (even minus Scott at that point). DE struggled with the crap depth he inherited from KW's legacy of bad OC hires. If anyone on the staff deserves a demotion it's KW. If DE and BJ are gone by spring, I anticipate they could land a better offensive recruiting class at UVU than we will in SLC.
More tea leaves to read: David Canter's tweet this afternoon. https://twitter.com/davidcanter/stat...61454422839296
Finally was able to connect with client @BDJohnson3 regarding today’s news. All is well and positive. Bright things ahead at the U! Go Utes
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
I am very happy to see Brian act as the voice of reason in this instance. The offense will be better off with another very experienced and successful offensive coach on staff. This is exactly the level of maturity to expect from him, regardless of the rumblings from his agent. I am thrilled to have somebody with Dave Christensen's level of experience AND CONNECTIONS FROM OUTSIDE THE PROGRAM, rather than somebody who played on the team two years ago.
And before anybody complains about Christensen's Whittingham-esque record over the last few years at Wyoming, realize that he took that dumpster fire of program to two bowl game wins in his tenure.
I think this will be a good long-term move for the program. And it may be the last, best hope for Whitt's tenure at the U.
Feels dead on to me. At this point, I'm throwing my hands up and saying, "Why not?" what do we have left to lose? It's not like DE and BJ were going to build an offensive juggernaut together.
This is my biggest concern. I really want Finn and A-rod gone and hope Whitt or even Christensen can bring in more outside hires. Whitt's incestuous hiring practices are lazy at best and incompetent at worst. Hiring/managing is a huge part of the HC position and has proven to be a chink in Kyle's armor.
I'll just say it, this new hire confuses me. It's not that Christensen might not be a good OC, I just don't see why it was necessary to make this move.
"It'd be nice to please everyone but I thought it would be more interesting to have a point of view." -- Oscar Levant
Of all the changes to be made on the coaching staff, this was the last thing I expected. Well, Sitake getting fired would surprise me the most I guess.
I think LA has it right and KW really is feeling the heat and is trying anything to turn the O around. I'm starting to think that KW was explicitly told that his job was not as safe as his supporters think it is.
It does reek of desperation, but could be enough to save his hide. I still doubt the Utes will achieve a winning record next season.
I'm entirely with you here. We've gone through enough OC's, including some who had a lot of success before coming to Utah and a few who have done well after leaving, to know that another OC change is not the answer.
If TW is done, we are going to really struggle next year. If we lose to Fresno State, it will be time for KW to be fired- as in the same day. Then we can see whether or not Sitake has the chops to run a defense and whether or not DE/Christensen/et al can run an offense without KW's interference. That will make the ultimate decisions of the successor a lot clearer.
Last edited by jrj84105; 12-20-2013 at 08:49 PM.
I didn't want any coaches to go, but for those who were demanding change, you can't get better than this. This is way bigger than a couple of position coaches whose firings would have a negligible effect. A new coordinator could actually result in something.
Jay Hill started the ball rolling, so Hill and Whitt had to hire SOMEBODY. Rather than think of Christensen replacing Erickson, instead think of Christensen replacing Jay Hill and retaining Erickson for his offensive acumen and put him in charge of developing one of the most important positions in this offense (RB). Also, Christensen shared duties as O Line coach during his 19 years(!) as OC.
This is a good hire in the long run.
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