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Coaching movement

Skookum-Jim said:
Not enough pressure on the QB? They were second in conference for sacks. They were great at pressuring the QB. LB stunts are your reasoning as to why the defense was effective against the run? Puhlease!

IMHO Haucks 3-3-5 has never been the problem or a weakness for the griz. The notion that if you just trot out more 300# linemen, a championship caliber defense will emerge is just wrong. The far bigger variable is keeping players in the system to develop. If you bring in 11 new defensive players every year, it's going to be tough to have a top flight defense in any league.
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Yet, the Griz brought in 22+ new defensive players last year and had a brand new starting 11 and were still #3 in defensive efficiency in the Big Sky last year. That proves that Coach Hauck and the defensive coaches were able to bring in 22+ new defensive players and have 11 new defensive starters and still produce a top flight defense all while playing 30+ defensive players almost every game.

The Rocky Long thought was that you needed to keep players in the system for a long time to develop because of the complexity of the scheme. Based on results, it looks like Coach Hauck and the defensive staff figured out a way to nullify that variable. Coach Hauck's results at Illinois in 26-27 will prove if they can do it with a new team at the highest level. I'm skeptical but not because of the lack of keeping players in the system long enough to develop.
 
RobGriz said:
No shit? Thanks Captain Obvious
All defenses run the same coverages. Cover 1 is cover 1 regardless of what scheme you run, same for cover 2, 3, cloud, sky, robber, cover 4…whatever.
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Then, based on your logic, no matter what scheme we run, the scheme will suck or it requires the kind of talent we can’t recruit here to run it
 
GriznMN said:
Yet, the Griz brought in 22+ new defensive players last year and had a brand new starting 11 and were still #3 in defensive efficiency in the Big Sky last year. That proves that Coach Hauck and the defensive coaches were able to bring in 22+ new defensive players and have 11 new defensive starters and still produce a top flight defense all while playing 30+ defensive players almost every game.

The Rocky Long thought was that you needed to keep players in the system for a long time to develop because of the complexity of the scheme. Based on results, it looks like Coach Hauck and the defensive staff figured out a way to nullify that variable. Coach Hauck's results at Illinois in 26-27 will prove if they can do it with a new team at the highest level. I'm skeptical but not because of the lack of keeping players in the system long enough to develop.
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I see both sides of this discussion and don't pretend to know the answer. I will point out, however, that the defensive scheme, at least for the first Cat game, was the least complicated, or most simple, of the season up until then. I don't know why.

As I have stated several times, I liked the defense in 2025, as well as in prior years, and believe the D was solid, strong, and very good in recent history. In 2023, I think, was very good. I don't agree with most of the complaining about the Griz D. Pointing out occasional specific things, lapses or problems, or occasional bad games, does equate to the defense or the scheme being bad. That's just picking out or cherry-picking in some cases, to argue that the D was weak.
 
GriznMN said:
Yet, the Griz brought in 22+ new defensive players last year and had a brand new starting 11 and were still #3 in defensive efficiency in the Big Sky last year. That proves that Coach Hauck and the defensive coaches were able to bring in 22+ new defensive players and have 11 new defensive starters and still produce a top flight defense all while playing 30+ defensive players almost every game.

The Rocky Long thought was that you needed to keep players in the system for a long time to develop because of the complexity of the scheme. Based on results, it looks like Coach Hauck and the defensive staff figured out a way to nullify that variable. Coach Hauck's results at Illinois in 26-27 will prove if they can do it with a new team at the highest level. I'm skeptical but not because of the lack of keeping players in the system long enough to develop.
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Everyone keeps saying we had a good defense last year. I think there should be only one stat that dictates whether or not your defense was good. And that is points allowed. At the end of the day I feel like that’s the only one that matters. The grizzlies gave up 25 points a game, which I don’t think is good at all. The top FCS teams were more in the 15 ppg range. We need to strive to get to something like that to truly say we have a good defense.


Nationally, the Griz ranked 50th in scoring defense. Not good.
 
HookedonGriz said:
Everyone keeps saying we had a good defense last year. I think there should be only one stat that dictates whether or not your defense was good. And that is points allowed. At the end of the day I feel like that’s the only one that matters. The grizzlies gave up 25 points a game, which I don’t think is good at all. The top FCS teams were more in the 15 ppg range. We need to strive to get to something like that to truly say we have a good defense.


Nationally, the Griz ranked 50th in scoring defense. Not good.
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Did you subtract out pick 6 points and points essentially given up by the defense?

Griz were second in conference. That's good. Cats gave up 19 per game.

Griz gave up 58% in pass completions. Cats gave up 62%.

Griz rushing D was 2d in conference.

Griz were very good with interceptions and sacks.

I don't agree with you on points. There is also passing defense efficiency, red zone D, sacks, interceptions, etc., as well as wins.

To me, points are one stat, but games can have lots of points scored late after the subs are playing.
 
GriznMN said:
Then, based on your logic, no matter what scheme we run, the scheme will suck or it requires the kind of talent we can’t recruit here to run it
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I assume, given past defenses, we can recruit guys that won’t whiff on the receiver and run into each other and we can manage not to give up 3rd and 28 for 6 by calling the right coverage.
I will also assume and maybe i assume too much, that instead of requiring 2 shutdown corners (that we don’t have) to play man so we can blitz in order to cover up for the lack of a pass rush from the D line we might be able to get some pressure with our front four, play zone behind it and not stick our corners on an island. Seems it worked for the current national champions who generally played cover 2.
 
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mthoopsfan said:
Did you subtract out pick 6 points and points essentially given up by the defense?

Griz were second in conference. That's good. Cats gave up 19 per game.

Griz gave up 58% in pass completions. Cats gave up 62%.

Griz rushing D was 2d in conference.

Griz were very good with interceptions and sacks.

I don't agree with you on points. There is also passing defense efficiency, red zone D, sacks, interceptions, etc., as well as wins.

To me, points are one stat, but games can have lots of points scored late after the subs are playing.
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Your point about points being scored in garbage time is a fair point. And that did happen with this team. I’m not really interested in Griz D vs Cats D. I’m interested in where Griz stacked up nationally and it was 50th in scoring defense. The top dogs gave up 13-15 points per game. We are way off that mark and need to improve drastically for me to consider the Griz having a great defense.
 
HookedonGriz said:
Everyone keeps saying we had a good defense last year. I think there should be only one stat that dictates whether or not your defense was good. And that is points allowed. At the end of the day I feel like that’s the only one that matters. The grizzlies gave up 25 points a game, which I don’t think is good at all. The top FCS teams were more in the 15 ppg range. We need to strive to get to something like that to truly say we have a good defense.


Nationally, the Griz ranked 50th in scoring defense. Not good.
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Maybe you're confusing good with great😁.
 
HookedonGriz said:
Your point about points being scored in garbage time is a fair point. And that did happen with this team. I’m not really interested in Griz D vs Cats D. I’m interested in where Griz stacked up nationally and it was 50th in scoring defense. The top dogs gave up 13-15 points per game. We are way off that mark and need to improve drastically for me to consider the Griz having a great defense.
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As Alabama said, good is not great. I don’t anyone recall seeing anyone saying the D was great.
 
My insider informant just told me that HR just approved some guy named Jeffrey Epstein. There was no mention of what position he would play in/on. o_O Just that he was a 'position coach.'
 
HookedonGriz said:
Your point about points being scored in garbage time is a fair point. And that did happen with this team. I’m not really interested in Griz D vs Cats D. I’m interested in where Griz stacked up nationally and it was 50th in scoring defense. The top dogs gave up 13-15 points per game. We are way off that mark and need to improve drastically for me to consider the Griz having a great defense.
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I agree. Other teams at the top also have the opportunity to give up garbage points and still are 13-15 ppg.
 
GriznMN said:
Yet, the Griz brought in 22+ new defensive players last year and had a brand new starting 11 and were still #3 in defensive efficiency in the Big Sky last year. That proves that Coach Hauck and the defensive coaches were able to bring in 22+ new defensive players and have 11 new defensive starters and still produce a top flight defense all while playing 30+ defensive players almost every game.

The Rocky Long thought was that you needed to keep players in the system for a long time to develop because of the complexity of the scheme. Based on results, it looks like Coach Hauck and the defensive staff figured out a way to nullify that variable. Coach Hauck's results at Illinois in 26-27 will prove if they can do it with a new team at the highest level. I'm skeptical but not because of the lack of keeping players in the system long enough to develop.
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Good post, that is definitely a good argument.
 
Da Boyz Mom said:
I know I'm the 9, 752nd person to say this, but the process needs work because it takes way too
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Either they want to announce all 3 together and the safety coach was a late addition that they are still working through or we are witnessing government efficiency at its finest. Regardless, it shouldn’t take this long. These are more “people are watching” (and waiting) hires. The longer they take the more it appears there’s a problem with the hires or that there is no sense of urgency within their department.
 
I've bitched about "garbage time, and garbage points" before. It pisses me off! As if the reserve and up & comers don't work their asses off for their team. They put it on the line when they finally get some time on the field. But, I guess it is what it is. Carry on.
 
AZDoc said:
I agree. Other teams at the top also have the opportunity to give up garbage points and still are 13-15 ppg.
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HookedonGriz said:
Your point about points being scored in garbage time is a fair point. And that did happen with this team. I’m not really interested in Griz D vs Cats D. I’m interested in where Griz stacked up nationally and it was 50th in scoring defense. The top dogs gave up 13-15 points per game. We are way off that mark and need to improve drastically for me to consider the Griz having a great defense.
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The Griz routinely played 30+ on defense all game, not just in "game already decided" time. Were the teams giving up 13-15 points per game playing 30+ players all game on defense?
 
Harm said:
NOT impressed with the ex-bloody T****n defensive coaches hirings. The Bloody birds D was ass the last few years, and now those folks are here… nope, not real impressed. I hope I’m incorrect and the defense is a strength of the team, but I’m not optimistic at this point.
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So I wanted to do some fact checking regarding your assertion. I am going to be making some serious BBQ and Beer sacrifices to the football gods this coming season. I think the Griz are going to need all of the help they can get, a lot of divine intervention and a few miracles.

Understanding he was a LB coach throughout the majority of his career, a lot of these numbers are meaningless unless you get down into the rushing defense stats.

I have to say, I am not impressed. Just because a person coaches at an FBS school or in the NFL doesn't automatically mean they are good coaches.

It could be the players he had, it could be the DC's or HC's, but he had one full year as a DC at EWU and his defense was abysmal.

So I decided to look up UM vs EWU defensive stats to see who was better.

Eric Sanders had two years as the DC at EWU. Okay, I will give a guy 1 year to get his system in place, but expect results in year 2, especially with a coach who was at Stanford Davis, Utah State, and came from the NFL, but... if you look at those NFL teams, it gets interesting The Raiders, Browns, and Jets. All three teams at the time he was there were horrid defensively.

Raiders:
2011: 29th
2012: 18th
2013: 22nd
2014: 31st

Stanford 2015:
Scoring Defense: 32nd
Total Defense: 43rd
Rushing Defense31st
Passing Defense: 67th

Browns:
2016: 31st
2017: 14th
2018: 30th

Jets:
2019: 7th

Stanford:
2020: 94th
2021: 106th
2022: 114th

Sanders 2nd years as DC at EWU:
Scoring Defense:
UM: #50 nationally
EWU: #90 nationally

3Rd Downs Allowed:
UM: # 77 nationally
EWU: #88 nationally

4th Downs allowed:
UM: #63 nationally
EWU: #10 nationally

Blocked Kicks:
UM: #41 nationally
EWU: #5 nationally

Blocked Punts:
UM: #25 nationally
EWU: #25 nationally

Defensive TDs:
UM: #24 Nationally
EWU: zero, nada, none

First Down Defense:
UM: #120 nationally
EWU: #65 nationally

Kick Off Return Defense:
UM: #44 nationally
EWU: #82 nationally

Passing Yards Allowed:
UM: #115 nationally
EWU: #105 nationally

Punt Return Defense:
UM: # 34 nationally
EWU: #75 nationally

Red Zone Defense:
UM: #25 nationally
EWU: #31 nationally

Rushing Defense:
UM: #49 nationally
EWU: #107 nationally

Team Passing Efficiency Defense:
UM: #38 nationally
EWU: #56 nationally

Total Defense:
UM: #88 nationally
EWU: #114 nationally

Athletes Total Tackles (top 31):
UM: 1
EWU: 3

Tackles for Loss:
UM: 3
EWU: 2

Sacks:
UM: 7
EWU: 2

Passes Defended:
UM: 2
EWU: 3

Interceptions:
UM: 6
EWU: 4

Fumble Recoveries:
UM: 3
EWU: 3

Forced Fumbles:
UM: 5
EWU: 3
 
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