Did Steve Spurrier Hit The Jackpot?
posted by Scott Hood on Thursday, January 17, 2008
Steve Spurrier needed to make a couple of strong hires, and I think he accomplished that with flying colors. In my opinion, the quality of the coaching staff has improved considerably.
That's not a knock on Tyrone Nix and Fred Chatham. They were both good coaches. VanGorder and Rychleski are better, that's all.
You have to give Spurrier credit on three fronts: 1) recognizing changes had to be made; 2) hiring two coaches who are well respected in their profession; and 3) not letting friendships get in the way.
Believe it or not, some coaches have a difficult time with No. 1. Many allow loyalties to their assistant coaches blind them to the reality that new blood should be brought in.
Spurrier has a reputation for hiring coaches that he’s familiar with. Many believe that’s why he hired Fred Chatham two years ago from Duke. But he didn't allow his friendship with Chatham prevent him from giving him a pink slip.
But Spurrier acknowledged at the press conference eight days ago that he didn’t know VanGorder or Rychleski very well when he made the decisions to hire them. Instead, he spoke with a lot of people and got their recommendations.
Spurrier said they were the “best hires” he could make.
I agree.
In coaching lingo, Spurrier may have hit the jackpot.
The best thing I can say about VanGorder and Rychleski is both appear to be no-nonsense coaches. There’s no dispute both are very good in the X’s and O’s department. You don’t last as long on the coaching profession as these two guys have without an intricate knowledge of football.
There will be an emphasis on fundamentals and I get the feeling that anyone who deviates from them won’t play. That's good.
In short, some of the mistakes and bonehead plays we saw this past season, many on special teams, won’t be tolerated. That’s why Spurrier hired these guys.
People saw at the press conference what I had known from my previous phone conversations with Rychleski. He won’t be afraid to get into a player’s face when they make a mistake.
But, the best thing about Rychleski is he keeps it simple. He prefers to run the same schemes with an emphasis on execution. He didn’t change a thing in seven seasons at Maryland.
When USC lines up in punt formation next season, you will see two gunners on the outside.
The best part? You will see the identical formation the second time USC has to punt, and the third time, and the fourth, and the fifth, and so on.
In my opinion, that’s a major reason Maryland didn’t have a punt blocked in Rychleski’s seven seasons with the Terrapins.
Familiarity breeds contempt? Not when it comes to special teams on the major college level.
To his credit, Rychleski also disdains gimmicks. His motto is ‘just punt the damn ball.’ You won’t see any rugby punts and few fakes.
Rychleski is smart enough to understand that when it comes to special teams, the K.I.S.S. system works best.
VanGorder’s hiring is a bit different because many USC fans knew who he was when he was hired. I still recall images of BVG going ballistic on the sidelines when he was at Georgia earlier this decade.
It’s that type of energy USC needs right now. There’s no question the Gamecocks defense had its energy and enthusiasm sapped by the season-ending five-game losing streak.
VanGorder favors a 4-3 system, which, in my opinion, is the best fit for USC’s personnel. Of course, having Jasper Brinkley back won’t hurt either.
I know some fans are concerned about VanGorder’s nomadic ways the past few years. But let’s face it, that’s a major part of the coaching profession. Many quality coaches jump from job to job seeking the perfect situation.
VanGorder admits he gave in to his urge to become a head coach when he took the Georgia Southern job in 2006. But it didn’t work out, so he returned to the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons this past season.
Again, it didn’t work out. But you can blame that on Bobby Petrino, who got cold feet after 13 games as a NFL head coach.
VanGorder can’t be faulted for pursuing better opportunities. The only people who have suffered have been his family, who have endured annual moves for the last four years.
Hopefully, he’ll be in Columbia for awhile.
I like the hirings of Rychleski and VanGorder for another reason. The current USC staff has a nice blend of young and veteran coaches. They also have at least three assistant coaches who have worked in the NFL.
It never hurts in recruiting to have a couple guys on staff that have the working knowledge to tell recruits what it takes to play on Sundays.
But, first, they have to perform on Saturday.
With VanGorder and Rychleski around, I like USC’s chances in that area.
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The more I get to know Brian VanGorder and Ray Rychleski, the more I'm convinced South Carolina’s defense and special teams are in very capable hands.
Steve Spurrier needed to make a couple of strong hires, and I think he accomplished that with flying colors. In my opinion, the quality of the coaching staff has improved considerably.
That's not a knock on Tyrone Nix and Fred Chatham. They were both good coaches. VanGorder and Rychleski are better, that's all.
You have to give Spurrier credit on three fronts: 1) recognizing changes had to be made; 2) hiring two coaches who are well respected in their profession; and 3) not letting friendships get in the way.
Believe it or not, some coaches have a difficult time with No. 1. Many allow loyalties to their assistant coaches blind them to the reality that new blood should be brought in.
Spurrier has a reputation for hiring coaches that he’s familiar with. Many believe that’s why he hired Fred Chatham two years ago from Duke. But he didn't allow his friendship with Chatham prevent him from giving him a pink slip.
But Spurrier acknowledged at the press conference eight days ago that he didn’t know VanGorder or Rychleski very well when he made the decisions to hire them. Instead, he spoke with a lot of people and got their recommendations.
Spurrier said they were the “best hires” he could make.
I agree.
In coaching lingo, Spurrier may have hit the jackpot.
The best thing I can say about VanGorder and Rychleski is both appear to be no-nonsense coaches. There’s no dispute both are very good in the X’s and O’s department. You don’t last as long on the coaching profession as these two guys have without an intricate knowledge of football.
There will be an emphasis on fundamentals and I get the feeling that anyone who deviates from them won’t play. That's good.
In short, some of the mistakes and bonehead plays we saw this past season, many on special teams, won’t be tolerated. That’s why Spurrier hired these guys.
People saw at the press conference what I had known from my previous phone conversations with Rychleski. He won’t be afraid to get into a player’s face when they make a mistake.
But, the best thing about Rychleski is he keeps it simple. He prefers to run the same schemes with an emphasis on execution. He didn’t change a thing in seven seasons at Maryland.
When USC lines up in punt formation next season, you will see two gunners on the outside.
The best part? You will see the identical formation the second time USC has to punt, and the third time, and the fourth, and the fifth, and so on.
In my opinion, that’s a major reason Maryland didn’t have a punt blocked in Rychleski’s seven seasons with the Terrapins.
Familiarity breeds contempt? Not when it comes to special teams on the major college level.
To his credit, Rychleski also disdains gimmicks. His motto is ‘just punt the damn ball.’ You won’t see any rugby punts and few fakes.
Rychleski is smart enough to understand that when it comes to special teams, the K.I.S.S. system works best.
VanGorder’s hiring is a bit different because many USC fans knew who he was when he was hired. I still recall images of BVG going ballistic on the sidelines when he was at Georgia earlier this decade.
It’s that type of energy USC needs right now. There’s no question the Gamecocks defense had its energy and enthusiasm sapped by the season-ending five-game losing streak.
VanGorder favors a 4-3 system, which, in my opinion, is the best fit for USC’s personnel. Of course, having Jasper Brinkley back won’t hurt either.
I know some fans are concerned about VanGorder’s nomadic ways the past few years. But let’s face it, that’s a major part of the coaching profession. Many quality coaches jump from job to job seeking the perfect situation.
VanGorder admits he gave in to his urge to become a head coach when he took the Georgia Southern job in 2006. But it didn’t work out, so he returned to the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons this past season.
Again, it didn’t work out. But you can blame that on Bobby Petrino, who got cold feet after 13 games as a NFL head coach.
VanGorder can’t be faulted for pursuing better opportunities. The only people who have suffered have been his family, who have endured annual moves for the last four years.
Hopefully, he’ll be in Columbia for awhile.
I like the hirings of Rychleski and VanGorder for another reason. The current USC staff has a nice blend of young and veteran coaches. They also have at least three assistant coaches who have worked in the NFL.
It never hurts in recruiting to have a couple guys on staff that have the working knowledge to tell recruits what it takes to play on Sundays.
But, first, they have to perform on Saturday.
With VanGorder and Rychleski around, I like USC’s chances in that area.
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Scott Hood. Since February of 2005, Scott has covered the South Carolina football, men's basketball and baseball programs for GamecockCentral. He may be reached by email at scottblog(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.