Assistants Overrated?

With some recent hires of some prominent Assistant Coaches, I have started to wonder if it will make a difference. It's not like Urban has never lost good assistants before. Herman wont be the last and yet he does not seem to be slowing down. Same with Saban. Nussmeyer came to us last year and our offense was less than average, meanwhile Alabama was pretty good as usual. Narduzzi is now at Pitt and I would like to be the first to say Dantonio will still have them playing like one of the top 3 teams in the conference. Hell Hoke had Matteson and Nussmeyer, both with impressive resumes. Still we could not even be bowl eligible.

Can anyone name a time where a couple of coaches were hired away from a successful program staff and the program took a downward spiral? Most great head coaches have coaches poached from them all the time and seem to continue to be successful.

sometime its the system, sometime its the details, sometime its the philosophy, and sometime its the coach.

My 2 cents from working with HS coaches. I've sat in on a few FB coaches meetings, the head coach will say we have to do A, B & C. The OC or DC might speak up and say A is a good idea, but how D & E instead? HC says tell me why, have a precise plan & a discussion goes on. Bottom line the HC is not looking for yes men. Of course at the end of the day the HC makes final decision, but he wants a lot of input from assts.

Did Hoke have yes men as assts? Have no idea. My guess successful NFL, NCAA or HS programs has a HC that expects input from DC, OC, or other position coaches.

The asst. coaches you expect are coaching correct technique, implementing the HCs game plan.

Mgoblue, you make a great point. I still believe asst. coaches are very important to for a successful program. But the bottom line the buck stops with the HC. If he's on the sidelines clapping, no headsets, the players aren't afraid of or maybe don't respect (anybody fit this description?) doesn't matter how good your asst. coaches are.

Hoke was a yes-man himself. How can a yes-man have his own yes-men?

Good point!!!

http://es.pn/1A4LkRC

^Proves my point. Glad we have Harbaugh. We now have a competent person in charge.

make no mistake .... you need top assistants that you can rely on .... you cant be everywhere all at once when practice drills are being run , unless you are Bear Bryant and go up in the ivory tower .... look at BO .... he had McCartney, Miles, Lloyd , Nehlen , Mo , Larry Smith , Cameron and Hanlon to name just a few .... multiple NCs and league titles there and NFL experience