The Michigan Athletic Department reports that Michigan Defensive Coordinator Scott Shafer has resigned from his position.
Shafer was in his first year as defensive corrdinator at Michigan, and the unit, which was expected to carry the offense through a rebuilding year, was unable to perform to expectations. The search for a new defensive coordinator will likely start immediately.
As someone who watched the games with something of an analytical eye, this move irks me somewhat. It appeared that players were often in position to make plays, but failed to wrap up their tackles, or made poor plays on the ball. At what point are players and position coaches responsible for poor safety and linebacker play?
Posted under Coaching, Football
Tags: coaching, scott shafer
Crap! How do you think this will affect the decisions of recruits such as Jelani Jenkins and Will Campbell as well as the defensive commits we already have?
I like this move. I have never seen so many 3rd and long conversions as this year and I attribute that, in large part, to rushing three (and sometimes just two) linemen and playing a soft zone behind the rush. Opposing QBs had all day and converted too many attempts because of the poor scheme. Also, how about the failed defensive scheme against Purdue? It reminded me of The Great Weis Hope’s decision a couple of years ago to install an option offense for just one game. It made no sense.
if they can get ron english back, i think they will recruit better… heres hoping there arent hard feelings on either side. afterall he is a true michigan man!
Hey, you’re wrong.
You don’t get rid of a coach after one year like that. SS was the last hired, and never recruited any of the players he had to work with. He never had any say over hiring his position coaches either. Not saying he was perfect or never made mistakes but you usually give a new coach at least an extra year to pull things together. In fact, some of the guys on defense never really showed up to play. Was it Brandon Graham that said some of his team mates were sleep walking?
He may not have been my first choice but you keep in mind now that the next coordinator will be something like the fourth coordinator in maybe six years? That’s crazy. This defense will have to learn a new system and philosophy. Hopson may not be the best choice either, but he offers some consistency for the defense if considered. I am concerned for this defense.
I just don’t know what to think here. If SS was in charge, and mad the changes, like the Purdue game, that were made, and was the one saying 3 man fronts were working, then fire him. If he was a puppet, doing as he was told like good puppets due, this is disturbing. Either way, the timing sucks. I would assume that RRod wanted to wait, SS saw he was out, and bailed, maybe to stick the knife in.
So, I guess only the real ‘insiders’ will know how this or why this went down. But either way, UM did not need this now. It is getting harder to swallow this kool-aid every day. But, hell, I’m still drinking!!
Guys, I have a question and didn’t see where to post it, so I’m putting it here.
In regards to the 3-3-5 that we are going to switch to: How do you see this change and it’s effects on recruiting, for this years class and moving forward? If you look at the Dline of a 4-3, and how it would have looked 4 years from now, it would have been possibly Roh-Jones-Big Will-Lalota. Looks good. 3 man front?? Do you move Will inside and play with the DEnds on the field? Do you play 2 true tackles, with a NG, and move a DE like Lalota or Roh to an Up LB in specific down and distance instances. I just don’t see how they all fit. To me, it completely changes the recruiting dynamic. It makes me nervous with the amount of Dline guys we currently have ALMOST committed. I know you are smarter than I am, so maybe you can help out a less fortunate UM fan.
In regard to the opening left by SS:
Just my 2 cents worth. I think Chuck Martin (head coach Grand Valley State University) would be a good choice for the DC position. His teams have been very solid defensively, and he knows how to win. Here are some of his stats from his career at GVSU both as a defensive coordinator and as head coach:
GVSU D/C years:
2000: I was unable to get the scores from that season to crunch the numbers on, but the team went 7-4 with a nearly all sophomore team and after losing the first three games.
2001: Again, don’t have the scores from the season for number crunching, but the team went 13-1 overall and won a National Title, and outscored opponents by over an average of 48 points per game which indicates a pretty solid defense regardless of the offense.
2002: 16.5 PPG allowed on average, 10-0 regular season record, 14-0 overall record and a National Title
2003: 13.3 PPG allowed on average, 10-1 regular season record, 14-1 overall and another National Title.
GVSU Head Coaching Years:
2004: 11.9 PPG allowed on average, 10-0 regular season, 12-1 overall record
2005: 12.2 PPG allowed on average, 9-0 regular season, 13-0 overall record and ANOTHER National Title
2006: 15.5 PPG allowed on average, 11-0 regular season, 15-0 overall record, and ANOTHER National Title
2007: 14.5 PPG allowed on average, 10-0 regular season, 12-1 overall record
2008: 12.6 PPG allowed on average, 10-0 regular season, 11-1 overall record.
The guy is 63-3 and his teams have been defensively solid (the numbers don’t lie), if you look at the D/C years in addition to this, 111-9 overall record, and (at least from 2002 on) never had a season where they allowed more than 17 PPG on average… that’s 7 years of this kind of defensive numbers kids… I thought he’d have been a good HC consideration last year and think he’d be a hell of a DC.