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Friday, July 20, 2007
Ranking ACC’s best new assistants
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There are four new head coaches and a lot of new assistants in the ACC as we head into the 2007 season. Here are the new assistants who will have the biggest impacts:
1. Jimbo Fisher and Rick Trickett, Florida State. Bobby Bowden opened the checkbook and went out and got the best coaches he could find to put some juice back into his offense. Fisher, who turned JaMarcus Russell into the No. 1 draft choice while he was at LSU, should do just that. Trickett is a take-no-prisoners coach who will put some toughness back into FSU’s offensive line, like he did at West Virginia.
2. Steve Logan, offensive coordinator, Boston College. Logan tutored a couple of future NFL quarterbacks (Jeff Blake, David Garrard) during his 14 years at East Carolina, 11 as head coach. He has spent the past few seasons in NFL Europa. He will make Matt Ryan an even better quarterback.
3. John Bond, offensive coordinator, Georgia Tech. Bond fielded three Top 25 offenses in four seasons at Northern Illinois by featuring big-time backs like Michael Turner and Garrett Wolfe. He will do the same with Tashard Choice at Georgia Tech.
4. Mike Archer, defensive coordinator, N.C. State. Archer has one of the most impressive coaching resumes in the ACC. He has been head coach at LSU (1987-90) and has seven years of NFL experience along with is stops at Miami, LSU, Virginia, and Kentucky. His defense struggled last year at Kentucky. That won’t be the case in Raleigh.
5. Patrick Nix, offensive coordinator, Miami. Miami’s defense was not the problem last season when the Hurricanes went 7-6. So new coach Randy Shannon tapped Nix, the former Auburn quarterback and Georgia Tech coordinator, to get his offense into shape. Nix will make a dramatic difference as Kyle Wright will be a better quarterback.
