Clark Lea - Defensive Coordinator

[stlnd01]

If I were him I would bide my time until Kelly decides to leave. IMO, there isn't any other HC out there that I really like to replace Kelly. Honestly I think Elston would be fine as long as Lea stays at DC.

My question is, if Lea ends up as ND's HC, who becomes the DC?

Mike Elko. About the same odds as Lea becoming our next HC.

I love the guy, and think he’ll be a great head coach somewhere. But not Notre Dame, not as his first HC gig, and not on the same timeline as any potential BK retirement.
I’d figure we have Lea for one more year after this and then he leaves for the right kind of head job: An elite G5 gig or a P5 middleweight with potential. Minnesota or Syracuse or someplace like that. Win there for a couple/three years, and maybe he comes back, maybe even to succeed BK.

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

If I were him I would bide my time until Kelly decides to leave. IMO, there isn't any other HC out there that I really like to replace Kelly. Honestly I think Elston would be fine as long as Lea stays at DC.

My question is, if Lea ends up as ND's HC, who becomes the DC?

Bob Davie, his run an NM will finally be over.

Welcome back Bob, for real this time!

 

[Valpodoc85]

Davie had an MI recently, not no sure ND would want the risk

 

[koonja]

This is incredible given the personel. Also JOK is a freak

https://twitter.com/CoachD178/status/1184916605815402496?s=19

 

[arndtjc]

Mike Elko. About the same odds as Lea becoming our next HC.

I love the guy, and think he’ll be a great head coach somewhere. But not Notre Dame, not as his first HC gig, and not on the same timeline as any potential BK retirement.
I’d figure we have Lea for one more year after this and then he leaves for the right kind of head job: An elite G5 gig or a P5 middleweight with potential. Minnesota or Syracuse or someplace like that. Win there for a couple/three years, and maybe he comes back, maybe even to succeed BK.

Why not make him HC in waiting? Let him learn all of the intricacies of being CEO from BK, keep continuity in the culture, and try and keep as much of the staff intact as possible when BK retires in five years.

It’s worked out pretty damn well for Lincoln Riley and Oklahoma, and I’d say Lea has been as good as Riley was as a coordinator. Few more years under his belt, why look elsewhere when you already have as good of a football mind you’re going to find already in house?

 

[beryirish]

Why not make him HC in waiting? Let him learn all of the intricacies of being CEO from BK, keep continuity in the culture, and try and keep as much of the staff intact as possible when BK retires in five years.

It’s worked out pretty damn well for Lincoln Riley and Oklahoma, and I’d say Lea has been as good as Riley was as a coordinator. Few more years under his belt, why look elsewhere when you already have as good of a football mind you’re going to find already in house?

Don't forget about Jimbo.

 

[Wingman Ray]

Don't forget about Jimbo.

Jimbo was a flaming jackleg. I definitely think this would work with someone who has a reasonable ego.

Happy to see him and Texas A&M crawfish this year after the crap he pulled with that DC.

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

This is incredible given the personel. Also JOK is a freak

https://twitter.com/CoachD178/status/1184916605815402496?s=19

You owe Asmar Bilal an internet apology, too.

 

[IrishLax]

It's weird, I've always been a bit of Bilal defender on here relative to the rest of the board, but now that he is getting praise I think I need to be a bit of a hater.

Yes, he is playing better and getting production, but our LBs were continually getting carried for yards after contact against USC. I did not think they played well. Bilal is always going to be an athlete capable of shooting gaps and running plays down, but I did not think he played physical enough. Nor did Drew White, or our safeties.

Nobody is able to stick a tackle like Coney, and no one is reading plays as well as Tranquill. The improved tackles for loss are a direct result of blitzing linebackers more and shooting more gaps because they don't trust them to read+react.

 

[Wingman Ray]

It's weird, I've always been a bit of Bilal defender on here relative to the rest of the board, but now that he is getting praise I think I need to be a bit of a hater.

Yes, he is playing better and getting production, but our LBs were continually getting carried for yards after contact against USC. I did not think they played well. Bilal is always going to be an athlete capable of shooting gaps and running plays down, but I did not think he played physical enough. Nor did Drew White, or our safeties.

Nobody is able to stick a tackle like Coney, and no one is reading plays as well as Tranquill. The improved tackles for loss are a direct result of blitzing linebackers more and shooting more gaps because they don't trust them to read+react.

I definitely do not see NDs LBs as real physical. Bilal will always look like a safety hybrid. None of them scream physical punishers.

 

[IrishLion]

Bill Connelly is using SP+ to bring up some questions about the CFB playoff contenders. https://www.espn.com/college-footba...ns-ohio-state-alabama-every-playoff-contender

On ND's defense:

If ... the run defense wakes up.

Despite a solid performance against Georgia, the Irish are 115th in rushing marginal efficiency. USC's running backs carried 27 times for 172 yards last week in a near-upset. The front seven are disruptive, but you can still run the ball on them.

If ... the third-down D improves.

Notre Dame is 52nd in third-and-long success rate allowed, 49th on third-and-medium, 118th on third-and-short. Not good enough for a title contender.

Basically, get better on first down against the run, and Lea will have more chances to get things right on 3rd-and-medium/long.

Aka, quit trying to strip the ball when you're the first defender to the spot and Markese Stepp is running you over. Just make a quality tackle and let the late-arrivals try to get the ball out.

The 3rd-and-short number is surprising, because it doesn't feel like they get owned in those situations, but maybe it's because they make plays in better situations during the same drives.

 

[BGIF]

bump

 

[NDMIA]

Humbled

 

[Luckylucci]

Terrible game plan to start. Mix in a seemingly capitulation of talent regression and boom, your team gives up.

Need some changes. I’d give Hamilton a lot more snaps in base alignments. Gotta get a more athletic guy at Mike even if they make mistakes because White is very one dimensional.

 

[ThePiombino]

Good news is maybe Vandy won't come a knocking quite so soon

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[GowerND11]

I have no qualms about him. Offense did no favors. Adjusted really well to start the second half but the offense didn’t help to get back in the game.

 

[NDRock]

I have no qualms about him. Offense did no favors. Adjusted really well to start the second half but the offense didn’t help to get back in the game.

Not sure he adjusted really. Michigan just seemed to go conservative until we scored to make it 17-7, then they just went back to lighting us up.

 

[Irishize]

I have no qualms about him. Offense did no favors. Adjusted really well to start the second half but the offense didn’t help to get back in the game.

I agree he’s earned the benefit of the doubt. However, tonight the LB corps looked like we were worried they’d look like in the pre-season. Worse, the secondary looked piss poor.

I don’t want to hear about any future NFL draft picks or All-American awards or post-season award finalist b/c there’s not a player on that defense worthy of that talk after tonight. Just stop. I watched real defenses earlier today in Ohio State, Auburn & LSU. Ours just got embarrassed on national tv...again.

 

[Irishize]

Not sure he adjusted really. Michigan just seemed to go conservative until we scored to make it 17-7, then they just went back to lighting us up.

Honestly, our best bet at that point was that the downpour of rain continued to keep scUM’s offense predictable & maybe force a TO. When the rain stopped, I got concerned b/c I knew rain wasn’t the reason that Book looked so bad and why the OL was so passive.

 

[Luckylucci]

The biggest concern here is we had an ascending position group that completely fell apart with two weeks to prepare. With that bad of a performance there is aa lot of blame to go around. How are practices setup? What did these guys do when they were off? What were the coaches doing? Were we this flat all week?

 

[Riddickulous]

The last two games have been very bad IMO. Two poor gameplans in a row.

 

[Bluto]

The biggest concern here is we had an ascending position group that completely fell apart with two weeks to prepare. With that bad of a performance there is aa lot of blame to go around. How are practices setup? What did these guys do when they were off? What were the coaches doing? Were we this flat all week?

Looked like on a lot of plays there was a run blitz on that left the second level wide open if someone missed a tackle and or filled the wrong gap.

Seemed like both things happened on a pretty consistent basis. Owusu Karmora and White both had a rough nights. Bilal looked like he played a decent game.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

The biggest concern here is we had an ascending position group that completely fell apart with two weeks to prepare. With that bad of a performance there is aa lot of blame to go around. How are practices setup? What did these guys do when they were off? What were the coaches doing? Were we this flat all week?

They took midterms on their week off


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[IrishLax]

ND lost 4 NFL players -- Tillery, Tranquill, Love, and Coney. Coney is a borderline athlete and borderline pro talent, but he was a stud college player.

DT has taken a big step back. ILB has taken a MASSIVE step back. Corner has taken a large step back. The lack of players stepping up to fill those shoes is what the issue is. ILB is by far the biggest issue.... they don't do anything well. They aren't physical, they aren't athletic, they aren't instinctual, they aren't big, they aren't sure tacklers...

The biggest issue I see is the lack of help on the way. No LBs this year. No CBs of note. So unless there is someone on the roster right now that is sitting for no reason, the prospects look a little bleak until we get to the '21 recruiting. And with the '21 recruiting, you're going to need to win to keep that class together.

I still think Lea is a fantastic coach, but they've got to increase their talent level on that side of the ball and they to give some other guys shots to improve heading into 2020. White and Bilal should both be sat regardless of what you think about the guys behind them.

 

[Bluto]

Did Tillery make Kareem and Okwara look better than they are last year?

 

[Luckylucci]

I think they’ve got eyes on something that isn’t college football. Both seemed disinterested in doing anything other than making big plays. And the problem with that is, you don’t know when those opportunities are going to be there.

 

[Irishize]

Did Tillery make Kareem and Okwara look better than they are last year?

I don’t know but after watching the rush ends for tOSU, Auburn & LSU today, I’m not impressed by Kareem/Okwara based on all the hype. They’ve had one good half vs UVA (who proved to be overrated).

 

[Bluto]

I don’t know but after watching the rush ends for tOSU, Auburn & LSU today, I’m not impressed by Kareem/Okwara based on all the hype. They’ve had one good half vs UVA (who proved to be overrated).

That kid from OSU is an animal.

 

[ulukinatme]

I have no qualms about him. Offense did no favors. Adjusted really well to start the second half but the offense didn’t help to get back in the game.

This. We had no scores and 37 yards of offense late in the 3rd quarter. You can only bend for so long before your defense is gassed and demoralized.

 

[ulukinatme]

Did Tillery make Kareem and Okwara look better than they are last year?

There's a weakness in the middle of that front for sure.