2020 Michigan State Offseason Thread

[847badgerfan]

As I said upthread, I'm not a fan of Tucker. I'll give him 3 years at MSU, tops.

Georgia's defense the year before Tucker arrived gave up 220 points. In his three years at Georgia (2016-2018), his defenses gave up 312, 246 and 269. Last year, without him, UGA gave up 176. 

The year before Tucker, Colorado gave up 327 points. Under Tucker, they gagged up 382.

On January 18, 2013 Tucker was named defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears.^[10]

Following one of the worst defensive seasons in Bears' history in 2013, Tucker was criticized by the media.^[11] As a result, the team fired two of Tucker's assistant coaches, linebackers coach Tim Tibesar and defensive line coach Mike Phair.^[12] The Bears replaced them with Paul Pasqualoni as defensive line coach and Reggie Herring as linebackers coach.^[13]



On January 20, 2015, following another record-setting low defensive season for the Bears, Tucker was replaced by former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.



Good luck with that.

[bayareabadger]

it's a bargain if it works

It's one of those things that signals early faith, and if you're not averaging 1-2 against the best in the division by Year 4 or 5, it's an albatross. 

[bayareabadger]

_{Jay Johnson announced as Michigan State’s new offensive coordinator and QBs coach}

A history of Jay Johnson, who has been OC at a few different spots
National rank in PPG and Yards per play
2005 Southern Miss 41st, 68th
2006 Southern Miss 51st, 62nd
2007 Southern Miss 61st, 66th (38th in points per drive)
2011 Louisiana 32nd, 50th (62nd)
2012 Louisiana 24th, 7th (31st)
2013 Louisiana 33rd, 36th (34th)
2014 Louisiana 61st,49th (44th)
2015 Louisiana 83rd, 74th (93rd)
2016 Minnesota 63rd, 103rd (74th)
2019 Colorado 100th, 90th (78th)

Going with SP+ would be hard because it measures overall quality, which dings non-awesome mid-majors, something that oft doesn't speak to coaching quality. Gazing at the profile, it's defiantly more run-heavy with middling at best QB stats. 

[CatsbyAZ]

Also, he apparently stole your lunch money once as hard as you've been dumping on him for years.  He can afford to reimburse now BTW

So since Dantonio stole my lunch money, can we clarify whether Dantonio deserves more immunity from criticism than Bielema or Pelini? Wisconsin fans have no problem fielding or sharing all things critical of Bielema despite his successes in Madison. Same with Nebraska fans and Pelini. Was is a personality pitfall that drove their fans away? Like Pelini’s lack of sideline demeanor and manners with the media? Dantonio is more press savvy, but I guess that can go without criticism when Dantonio doesn’t even show up to his replacement hire’s introductory press conference even though he’s sitting on a seven figure salary within the very athletic department he quit on the week of national signing day.

[ELA]

So since Dantonio stole my lunch money, can we clarify whether Dantonio deserves more immunity from criticism than Bielema or Pelini? Wisconsin fans have no problem fielding or sharing all things critical of Bielema despite his successes in Madison. Same with Nebraska fans and Pelini. Was is a personality pitfall that drove their fans away? Like Pelini’s lack of sideline demeanor and manners with the media? Dantonio is more press savvy, but I guess that can go without criticism when Dantonio doesn’t even show up to his replacement hire’s introductory press conference even though he’s sitting on a seven figure salary within the very athletic department he quit on the week of national signing day.

MSU fans criticize Dantonio plenty.

After deciding he needed more talent to take another step, he went after bigger fish in recruiting, and brought in a supposed big game recruiting coordinator in Blackwell.  That class turned out to be filled with criminals, and Blackwell was the one covering for them, and it was a total disaster.  Instead of deciding that he made some mistakes there, he simply decided that's part of the territory with those level of recruits/recruiters, and he wasn't going to do that again.  He wasn't sitting back, collecting a paycheck, he just decided he'd go all in with people he trusted on his staff, and 2/3* kids who could be coached up.  IMO that was a terrible miscalculation, and ultimately his downfall.  He needed to infuse his coaching staff with new ideas, and he didn't.  There was a plan for him to retire after 2020, and he was mad that the AD jumped the gun, and hired a search firm to start a preliminary review now, which is just good due diligence.  And Dantonio was petty about it, and instead just retired immediately, and put the school in a horrible situation, where they had to overpay to assemble a staff in February with little time.  Did they overpay?  Yes.  But considering how bad the situation already looked, particularly after Fickell changed his mind, how much further damage would be done by a long drawn out public search?  So yes, MD's stubborness and pettiness deserve much criticism.

[ELA]

A history of Jay Johnson, who has been OC at a few different spots
National rank in PPG and Yards per play
2005 Southern Miss 41st, 68th
2006 Southern Miss 51st, 62nd
2007 Southern Miss 61st, 66th (38th in points per drive)
2011 Louisiana 32nd, 50th (62nd)
2012 Louisiana 24th, 7th (31st)
2013 Louisiana 33rd, 36th (34th)
2014 Louisiana 61st,49th (44th)
2015 Louisiana 83rd, 74th (93rd)
2016 Minnesota 63rd, 103rd (74th)
2019 Colorado 100th, 90th (78th)

Going with SP+ would be hard because it measures overall quality, which dings non-awesome mid-majors, something that oft doesn't speak to coaching quality. Gazing at the profile, it's defiantly more run-heavy with middling at best QB stats.

If I had to rank my happiness with each of the hires, this would be last, but honestly, considering the timing, I'm happy with whatever.  Had this all occurred in December, and we still got Johnson, eh, that would be very head scratching.

[Benthere2]

Jay Johnson went to the same High School as I did (many years after I did)
he actually started a head of Kurt Warner in College
he did not have a chance at Minnesota when he was there as he took over for 1 year and then the U went differently with Tracey Clayes and brought in Fleck

I would bet he does a decent job there at MSU

[FearlessF]

It's one of those things that signals early faith, and if you're not averaging 1-2 against the best in the division by Year 4 or 5, it's an albatross.

just don't give him the Ferentz style buyout clause

[ELA]

Hired one of his former GAs as RB coach.  Would have really preferred Sedric Irvin.  Not a fan of this hire

[847badgerfan]

Had to go cheap after blowing his load on a TE coach who never coached TE's?

(I think he hired his insurance plan for OC when he hired Gilmore)

[FearlessF]

I wasn't overly impressed by Gilmore while he was coaching under Watson at Nebraska, but he was merely the WRs coach.

and of course that was many years ago.

Good guy, organized enough he was put in charge of recruiting

[847badgerfan]

I wasn't overly impressed by Gilmore while he was coaching under Watson at Nebraska, but he was merely the WRs coach.

and of course that was many years ago.

Good guy, organized enough he was put in charge of recruiting

This is why he was hired at MSU. He was a good closer for UW. Mom's liked him.

[FearlessF]

yup, he's obviously worked with many good OCs over his career, just not sure he's good OC material

[bayareabadger]

just don't give him the Ferentz style buyout clause

There’s an irony that for as much as folks lamented that, he’s averaged 9.4 wins the past five years.