In case you missed it,a truly historic event has occurred in Knoxville. The new Vol defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffin, will earn in excess of $1 million next year. As far as I can tell, he is the first coordinator in college football to earn over a million dollars a year. Not that Kiffin isn't worth that handsome sum. He is one of the best defensive minds in football, at any level. The inventor of the Tampa Two defense, Kiffin was the highest paid assistant in the NFL last year. He left Tampa Bay to join his son's staff in Knoxville. Welcome to the era of the million dollar coordinator. The Kiffins have already landed a big recruit in new defensive line coach, Ed Orgeron (much to the delight of Sean Payton). Everybody knows and has laughed at Coach O, but the guy is a powerful recruiter and a quality DL coach. He's set to bring down over $500,000 next year. Uh, he's a position coach and will still be paid way more than most coordinators in the SEC. LSU was ready to pay Orgeron more than it's new defensive coordiantor, John Chavis, who Monte is replacing.
With these two hires, Tennessee is blowing the assistant pay scale out of the water. Where does this stop? It won't. A program will soon need six million dollars just to fill its top three coaching slots. Jimmy Sexton reigns supreme.
By the way, Willie Martinez grossed $310,333 last year.
Quinton
19 comments:
Ridiculous.
That's the only word for it. Especially when you consider the mission of the institutions these sports programs represent.
Ridiculous.
Eww that smell...the smell of desperation...
Willie Martinez was drastically overpaid.
1. The Detroit Lions run the Tampa Two.
2. It is often called a "bend but don't break" defense
3. Monte hasn't coached in college since 1982. He's 68 years old.
4. He was 16-17 as a college head coach, and that was over 25 years ago.
5. He was demoted by the Vikings.
6. He wasn't the originator of the "Tampa Two", which, by the way, is just a cover two defense. What is now called the "Tampa Two" was originated by Dungy with some serious influence from the Steel Curtain. Many pundits believe that Kiffin's reputation relies on the talent in Tampa when he began, and the support from the GM in getting the correct players, which brings me to...
7. The "Tampa Two" is extremely personnel dependent. See above re: Detroit Lions.
8. I really don't mind the Orgeron as a "coordinator in waiting", which is what he is.
9. He'll have to adapt to different offenses week to week and personnel year to year...both of which are lesser concerns in the pros.
10. His scheme relies on speed. In general, as a rule, college players aren't as fast as those in the pros. But of course there are exceptions...notably Eric Berry. Sure, offenses aren't as fast either, but asking two safeties to routinely cover half the field each (like Monte says, the field is the same size) is a reach. The only way around this, and the reason that the Tampa Two is often called the Tampa Two Point Five, is that it quickly becomes a cover three when you ask your MLB to cover the middle third. You need a world-beater at MLB to accomplish this. Fast linebackers are a must.
11. A strong running game (and play action) will wax a Tampa Two scheme. Those have, typically, been priorities in our offense. If we were sold out for the West Coast offense, I'd be more nervous.
12. I have no anxiety at all about either Kiffin. History will regard Monte as a good college coordinator, but not a great one.
I'm not sayin'...I'm just sayin'...
The Georgia defense against Boise was basically a Tampa Two. Remember how many interceptions/bats Ellerbe had?
Ha, ha, ha. This old man DC from the NFL comes to work for his son in college. He demands and gets an outrageous salary to wear orange pants with an orange shirt. Ha, ha, ha.
The Vol fans are really going to love him the first time his D gets lit up. Ha, ha, ha. They'll turn on him so fast and its going to be fun to watch.
HVL Dawg
Willie owes me a refund
Orgeron will leave in a moments notice. They won't even unpack their bags at UT. Elder Kiffin is what? 68 years old? Is that a long term hire? They've just spent a bag load of money on a bunch of folks that will either retire or hop to the next job. Plus, given that kind of cash being spent on these guys they better win and win big. Mike Hamilton's ass is on the line.
Before you bash the Tampa Two, I hope you realize that UGA has used it quite a bit since Richt has been in Athens.
Jason C
Good point, and I realize that (see Ellerbe vs. Boise).
I guess my point is that it's not some world-beater that the SEC has never seen.
Richt (and staff) have been adapting our defense to personnel and offense for years with a lot of variation (what was that walk-on end's name that started against GSU?). So my other point is that I don't think Daddy Kiffin will be immediately adept at adapting to different defenses and schemes at the college level.
Anon 9:43
These moves should not be dismissed. Anyone who thinks that Kiffin is just an old man who runs the Detroit Lion's defense, is wistlin' past the grave yard. Kiffin, along with Johnson in Philadelphia, and the Ryan clan have been the NFLs defensive innovators of the last 20 years. He knows defense and will certainly have no problems breaking down College offenses, even the most sophisticated ones. Also, while Orgeron may be a bit of a goof, he is a balls out recruiter ala Ron Zook and has a track record of success and is passionate about it. So, if Orgeron can haul them in, I suspect M. Kiffin will be able to use them effectively.
Having said that, it remains to be seen if L. Kiffin can be an effective leader.
The fact that Slick Willie M grossed 310k last year is gross.
The Tampa/Cover 2 is a decent defense, that can conceal some personnel flaws, especially with a world beater at safety like Berry. Trouble with the Tampa 2, however, is it's vulnerability up the middle, which is, oddly, where most of the conference likes to run.
I've got a funny feeling that this is more of a stop-Florida defensive move, more than a 'lets beat the whole SEC' move...
Rodney Garner is goin to UTK
If Garner leaves then his word is not worth a hill of beans. Just ask Jeff Owens.
Anon @ 9:43
The Tampa 2 is not the same as Cover 2. It is closer to Cover 3, but instead of having 3 DBs back in coverage at the safety you have 2 safeties and the MLB. Each player guards a third of the field.
It confuses the QB when he sees 2 safeties and 3 LBS and then before the snap the MLB drops into coverage. Of course the MLB can run back to the line to stop the run, but he has to be fast.
You can also blitz a CB out of the formation while still maintaining 5 men in coverage ... again confusing the QB.
If we can keep beating UT, and UT designs their defense to beat Florida, that definitely helps UGA.
Question becomes when will we beat Florida?
oh yeah the puppies are scared and the ones that aren't have just forgotten the whoopin' they received 3 of the last 5 years
UT had a top 5 in the nation D this year. If Kiffin had somehow talked Norm Chow into going to Knoxville I'd be far more worried.
Right now they have the same issues Fulmer's last few bad teams had: great defense, no offense.
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