VanGorder - New DC!

[GoldenDomer]

Somebody said it, but you can tell the kids love playing for him. He was amped last night.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

I don't understand this....like at all. The philosophy of Diaco is the same philosophy of many successful defenses and teams. Bend but don't break works. It took us to a nattt with a mostly elementary offense to support us.How do you explain going from 2012 to 2013? Was it all just Manti and KLM? Did the 2013 offense inefficiencies have any thing to do with it. Diacos philosophy averaged under 26 points per game conceded over his time at ND. That is pretty fantastic. Some of his calls were enigmatic and the telegraphed blitzes were elementary and in-game adjustments could have been much better but he was not terrible.

This is the crux of a lot of conversations :

The Desmond Howard hypothesis : 2012 was an anomaly, and 2013 really showed the weakness of the Irish. Michigan would roll and be the number 6 team in the nation. The fact of the matter, 2013 seems to be the anomaly, and Diaco a big part of the difference, back to the drawing board Desmond, better luck next time. To anyone who ever listens to you about football again!

Bob Diaco won the 2012 Broyles award : That defense had all but one player drafted in the NFL. Guys like Prince are paced to outstrip their college careers in the NFL. And, BVG as already won the Broyles award twice; you don't think he is a shoe in this year if the Baby Irish keep it up?

Refusing to acknowledge the gimpy elephant in the corner of the room : I maintain that the way the two-gap, bend but don't break, 3-4 defense, was a major contributor to the terrible and tremendous injuries that ND has sustained over the last four years, (on defense naturally!) Let alone the stupid shiit like having the defensive liniment standing passively so that Navy could change to a straight ahead blocking scheme and what knock eight players in our front seven out of the game?

Recruiting anyone? Hopes of Bob Diaco being a stellar recruiter were dashed several years ago. But remember the game Drue Tranquil had last night, Diaco said "no" emphatically! And, Kelly overruled him! Aren't you glad?

This year's Navy game will be the final piece. If we beat 'em bad, this hypothesis is dead on!

 

[RallySonsOfND]

They played with a level of confidence and cohesion not seen since the 2012 defense. That's what stood out to me.

They are athletic, but more importantly they are confident in their steps/reads/actions. It's so god damn refreshing to see a defense attack.

Absolutely.

and SPEED. so much speed. This unit is much faster than the 2012 unit

 

[Irish YJ]

I'd also add that
1. He was too picky with recruitment
2. Significant rumor out there that the kids did not like him.
3. It's been said over and over, but he had some serious talent.
4. And simply, BVG just has more experience on many levels.

 

[IrishSteelhead]

5. His mustache singlehandedly ends any argument with a fist pump and a win

 

[Irish YJ]

5. His mustache singlehandedly ends any argument with a fist pump and a win

How and the hell did I forget that one. Should have been number 1!!
Love the panache, and the passion.

 

[JDub713]

I know a link was posted here last night, but I'll leave it anyways because he deserves the recognition...

 

[Bogtrotter07]

About speed. Before Manti, broke into the lineup, I believe 5.03 seconds was the fastest time by a ND linebacker. Other than Harrison Smith the defensive secondary was full of 4.8 guys.

Manti and his generation of linebackers were faster and had better anticipation, but other than the Prince, 4.7 or 4.8 were about the fastest. The secondary improved speed so that Zeke Motta, who looked quick as a freshman, appeared slow as a senior.

But now we have a half dozen guys we can put in the front seven that have some claim on 4.5 or 4.6 forties. And the DB's are really fast.

Also, BVG plays so many kids, in so many roles, that only have to learn their role. That makes them even faster! And quicker! But not quicker than fast.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

We had the #1/#2 defense in the NCAA... while going 12-0 against a daunting schedule... and playing a converted true frosh RB at corner, a converted WR at the other corner, and a converted soccer player/WR redshirt frosh at safety.

But yeah, Diaco sucked..........

Diaco was FLAWED and screwed up a lot of stuff. We've gone over this ad nauseam. But he did a pretty solid job here for awhile.

2012's schedule was really not that daunting at all. It looked tough at the start of the year, but besides Stanford and Oklahoma pretty much everyone was overrated.

 

[Cackalacky]

This is the crux of a lot of conversations :

The Desmond Howard hypothesis : 2012 was an anomaly, and 2013 really showed the weakness of the Irish. Michigan would roll and be the number 6 team in the nation. The fact of the matter, 2013 seems to be the anomaly, and Diaco a big part of the difference, back to the drawing board Desmond, better luck next time. To anyone who ever listens to you about football again!

Bob Diaco won the 2012 Broyles award : That defense had all but one player drafted in the NFL. Guys like Prince are paced to outstrip their college careers in the NFL. And, BVG as already won the Broyles award twice; you don't think he is a shoe in this year if the Baby Irish keep it up?

Refusing to acknowledge the gimpy elephant in the corner of the room : I maintain that the way the two-gap, bend but don't break, 3-4 defense, was a major contributor to the terrible and tremendous injuries that ND has sustained over the last four years, (on defense naturally!) Let alone the stupid shiit like having the defensive liniment standing passively so that Navy could change to a straight ahead blocking scheme and what knock eight players in our front seven out of the game?

Recruiting anyone? Hopes of Bob Diaco being a stellar recruiter were dashed several years ago. But remember the game Drue Tranquil had last night, Diaco said "no" emphatically! And, Kelly overruled him! Aren't you glad?

This year's Navy game will be the final piece. If we beat 'em bad, this hypothesis is dead on!

There are a lot of false equivalencies, future predictions and unfounded assumptions in here Bogs. I don't even have time to refute this. Not trying to be a dick but for example Tranquil would not fit in Diacos system. Why would Diaco want him?

 

[Bogtrotter07]

I believe it was Flutie on the post game show that pointed that last last week BVG had about 1 working day to work with the replacements after Collinsworth went down. This week he had a full week and the communication gaffs were gone.


I didn't beat the over in this game because I was concerned about UM scoring a 3 TDs on a better team that their FCS cupcake. I didn't remotely think shutout.

I also wonder how much Pat Eilers has helped.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

There are a lot of false equivalencies, future predictions and unfounded assumptions in here Bogs. I don't even have time to refute this. Not trying to be a dick but for example Tranquil would not fit in Diacos system. Why would Diaco want him?

I guess the thing you don't understand, that I have not made clear, is that I am not blasting Bob Diaco, as a person, or as a coach. I am blasting his defensive scheme and its application at the college level.

Give me a coach that picks football players and fits them into his defense any day, over a coach that starts with an overarching scheme, and recruits players to fit his system.

1) A team with a coach that picks football players and fits the system around them will end up having more heart and mental toughness every time.

2) A team that only looks for specific skills to fit an overarching system will fall on their asses much more often, (see 2013 season.)

Wouldn't you rather have Drue Tranquil on the field playing for the Irish?

 

[Seanthornton]

Bob who?????

 

[GreenSox04]

Absolutely thrilled with what I've seen. Love this dudes intensity. Kinda guy you wanna play for. He's battling with you. Good stuff stache.

 

[Irish Insanity]

I'd also add that
1. He was too picky with recruitment
2. Significant rumor out there that the kids did not like him.
3. It's been said over and over, but he had some serious talent.
4. And simply, BVG just has more experience on many levels.

Parents of the kids as well

 

[irishtrain]

I come from a baseball backround of control and quiet aggression but this guy had my 62 year old %$# wanting to tee it up on somebody. Just what the doctor ordered for this team.

 

[DogDaysIrish]

Bob who?????

He's a deer...




I keed....I keed....

 

[PLACforever]

He's a deer...




I keed....I keed....

Bob Domer? Bob Neutered Domer?

also, this:

 

[Riddickulous]

 

[greyhammer90]

When his mouth opens it looks like a snake that has unhooked it's jaw. I keep thinking his mouth can't get any wider and then I'm proven wrong.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

SIAP, but I found this gem in the HLS Twitter Recap:

When his mouth opens it looks like a snake that has unhooked it's jaw. I keep thinking his mouth can't get any wider and then I'm proven wrong.

 

[GATTACA!]

The only thing that sucks about BVG is that he seems to have HC written all over him. If saturday is indicative of what we are to expect for the rest of the season it wont be long before offers are rolling in.

 

[NCND]

SIAP, but I found this gem in the HLS Twitter Recap:

Hahahaha

 

[Irish To The Core]

Bob Domer? Bob Neutered Domer?

also, this:

When I was watching the game last night I started laughing at VG's fist pump moment b/c if you changed his hat to a cowboy hat and put a horse under him, you have yourself one crazy ass movie cowboy.

 

[West Coast Domer]

Hopefully he can recruit as well as he coaches. If the D plays like they have it won't be too hard.

 

[ulukinatme]

Damn, I just made the same .gif and posted it in the scUM gameday thread I probably should have come here first.

 

[dublinirish]

The two thumbs up thing is hilarious, he did it multiple times too. so glad he is coaching from the sidelines

 

[T Town Tommy]

Finally got to see some of the game late yesterday. The defense looked pretty good overall considering BVG doesn't have all his different packages in place yet. I would expect each week for him to introduce more and more of his schemes. It was fun to watch an Irish defense flying around the field and a DC flying around on the sideline. Looking forward to watching them get even more aggressive with those packages we haven't seen yet.

 

[RDU Irish]

I know a link was posted here last night, but I'll leave it anyways because he deserves the recognition...

gif of the year, no need to hold a vote and wait. doesn't really capture the awesome crazy eyes like the HDTV live shot of this though. My 10 year old was scared of it and had to convince him that is exactly the feeling the opposing teams will have.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

Kelly has replaced, what we thought were good coaches, with that appears to be, great coaches.

Warriner - Hiestand
Diaco - BVG


I hope this trend continues but most importantly, I wish we could lock this staff down for at least 3-4 years. It'd be so great to get the Irish machine churning at full speed before introducing change.

I will enjoy what we have, while we have it!