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DEL.ICIO.USRanking 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.
Comments
By Thorpe
July 20, 2007 9:24 AM | Link to this
Go BC!
By Hurricane
July 20, 2007 9:39 AM | Link to this
Kyle Wright will be better until the first blitz gets in his face.
By stinGTime
July 20, 2007 9:42 AM | Link to this
ex ECU coaches are really great! LOL
By JimBob
July 20, 2007 10:01 AM | Link to this
Has Barnhart ever heard of Butch Davis? One must think so.
By CollegeFootballFan
July 20, 2007 10:08 AM | Link to this
JimBob…I am sure he has and I am sure he would have included him if this blog was about best new HC’s in the league. But since it is regarding best new ASSISTANT coaches, I guess he thought it best to leave Coach Davis off. Just my best guess though.
By BC Guy
July 20, 2007 10:10 AM | Link to this
Steve Logan should really help Matt Ryan take it to the next level this season. GO BC!
By Craig
July 20, 2007 11:14 AM | Link to this
UNC fans are idiots
By Craig
July 20, 2007 11:15 AM | Link to this
UNC fans are idiots
By You got to be kidding
July 20, 2007 11:18 AM | Link to this
Pat Nix…………. The one who developed Reggie Ball into the outstanding QB he was. The one who knows only one pass pattern….the sideline fly. The one who runs a reverse on 3rd and inches in the ACC championship game when the ACC leading rusher is lined up in the backfield.
The weekend must have started early for you Mr. Football!!
By Wolf-n-Atlanta
July 20, 2007 11:21 AM | Link to this
Re: stinGTime
“ex ECU coaches are really great! LOL”
Logan had some impressive QB’s at ECU during his time there, so I wouldn’t be basing him. Here’s some info on him:
In 11 seasons at East Carolina, he won 69 games and went to five bowl games. He groomed NFL quarterbacks Jeff Blake and David Garrard and came close on two others — Dan Gonzalez and Marcus Crandall.
Even the two Pirates quarterbacks who didn’t hit it big under Logan were a lot better than average. Paul Troth, in 2002, threw for 2,315 yards and 15 touchdowns. Michael Anderson, Logan’s starter in 1992, threw for 2,486 yards and 22 TDs.
By Adam
July 20, 2007 11:23 AM | Link to this
I think that is a decent list. Archer I might be able to argue with. Bond, I think needs to prove something on a bigger stage. I do think an individual that needs to be mentioned is John Blake. He is an excellent defensive assistant and an even better recruiter.
By wvdawg
July 20, 2007 11:28 AM | Link to this
I’ve met Rick Trickett. He’s scary.
By Anonymous
July 20, 2007 11:30 AM | Link to this
Good assistant coaches can make a real difference but when the coaching staff puts lipstick on that pig known as FSU’s football team, the end product will still be a pig!
By mcdawg
July 20, 2007 11:50 AM | Link to this
who has the best cheerleaders??-would the seanon get here already
By mcdawg
July 20, 2007 11:51 AM | Link to this
who has the best cheerleaders??-would the season get here already
By mcdawg
July 20, 2007 11:51 AM | Link to this
who has the best cheerleaders??-would the season get here already
By hkh
July 20, 2007 12:20 PM | Link to this
Not sold on Nix, we shall see.
By CURIOUS GEORGE
July 20, 2007 12:38 PM | Link to this
does anyone have a prognosis for the tarheels, and how’s the health of butch davis? also how well are they recruiting(any studs)? i haven’t been hearing very much about them.
By Bob in SF
July 20, 2007 12:43 PM | Link to this
Patrick Nix makes Greg Knapp look like a genius play caller. Reverse on the goal line. Idiot. Miami is welcome to him, it will be a lot hotter when he makes non-sensical play calls for a “national” program in the spotlight.
By grandpa Tech fan (in NC)
July 20, 2007 12:49 PM | Link to this
Charlotte Obv today indicated Davis had his last check yesterday…and it was good. He is now growing hair! .
Remember Lewis…wolf in Atl
By DW
July 20, 2007 1:23 PM | Link to this
He forgot to mention the new LBs coach at FSU… Amato :-)
By blakdonnie
July 20, 2007 1:25 PM | Link to this
WOW Craig,sounds like we may have a little championship hatred going on. Im figuring chances are, YOUR TEAM hasn’t won a national title in your natural lifetime. Sorry bout that, GO HEELS. UNC ROCKS.
By osceola74
July 20, 2007 2:03 PM | Link to this
DW, You forgot, this is the AJC.
By Matt
July 20, 2007 2:11 PM | Link to this
Mike Archer is going to make NC State’s D even better than it was in 06 (it was the top ranked D in the nation btw)
By tycobb
July 20, 2007 2:32 PM | Link to this
Nix to Miami, there is a God…
By RickNole
July 20, 2007 2:56 PM | Link to this
SCALP EM NOLES!! The return of greatness…..
By Ramble ON!
July 20, 2007 3:41 PM | Link to this
Tony, Tony, Tony!!!! Patrick Nix? Have you lost your ever-loving-mind? I wake up each night in a cold sweat, still seeing him motioning Reggie Ball to spike the ball on the real third down!!!
….or, how about it’s third down, let’s throw the bomb to CJ in the ACC Championship over and over again for a grand total of two field goals.
UUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!, It hurts typing this…..
By Big Ern
July 20, 2007 3:43 PM | Link to this
Jimbo Fisher may be the most overrated asst coach in the country but boy can he recruit.
By Will
July 20, 2007 5:06 PM | Link to this
Yes Craig, unx fans are idiots. “Has Barnhardt everheard of Butch Davis”. IDIOTS.
By Will
July 20, 2007 5:06 PM | Link to this
Yes Craig, unx fans are idiots. “Has Barnhardt ever heard of Butch Davis”. IDIOTS.
By Will
July 20, 2007 5:06 PM | Link to this
Yes Craig, unx fans are idiots. “Has Barnhardt ever heard of Butch Davis”. IDIOTS.
By Matt
July 20, 2007 5:17 PM | Link to this
Is blakdonnie on crack or does he not know that UNC has never won a national championship in football?
By Bamanole
July 20, 2007 6:21 PM | Link to this
FEAR THE SPEAR!
By criminole
July 20, 2007 6:50 PM | Link to this
FSwho’s’ success can only be seen in the rear view mirror. Their talent is average at best. Heck, even Ga Tech has out recruited them the last few years. A few changes in the coaching staff will not change that. FSU has become a non-factor in college football today. Unless they get back to their cheating ways, their downward spiral will continue.
Let’s just hope their mediocrity does not push Bowden out the door. He deserves to be there another 20 years;)
By criminole
July 20, 2007 6:51 PM | Link to this
FSwho’s’ success can only be seen in the rear view mirror. Their talent is average at best. Heck, even Ga Tech has out recruited them the last few years. A few changes in the coaching staff will not change that. FSU has become a non-factor in college football today. Unless they get back to their cheating ways, their downward spiral will continue.
Let’s just hope their mediocrity does not push Bowden out the door. He deserves to be there another 20 years;)
By Warchant
July 20, 2007 8:25 PM | Link to this
To think that Ga Tech has out recruited FSU is an assumption made by somebody with their head up their rectum.
You need to do some research on Rivals, FSU except for this year, which was a top 20 ranking has been consistently in the top 10.
FSU has been missing the coaches. They now have them, you better fear FSU.
By Billy
July 20, 2007 9:03 PM | Link to this
The Seminoles will be back! No question!
By Criminole
July 20, 2007 9:45 PM | Link to this
The reality is, no one fears FSWho.
By Joe Schmoe
July 20, 2007 10:06 PM | Link to this
No one fears the criminoles.
By Joe Schmoe
July 20, 2007 10:07 PM | Link to this
No one fears the criminoles, except maybe a convenience store owner.
By Titus
July 20, 2007 10:56 PM | Link to this
Watch out for the Wolfpack. Tom O’Brien and Archer have some talent to work with in Raleigh.
By FRF
July 20, 2007 11:10 PM | Link to this
FRF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By Wrecker1
July 21, 2007 1:19 AM | Link to this
Warchant, I know that according to the experts?? FSU has continued to recruit well. I also know that FSU loses it’s OC every few years and lost?? Amato. Have they lost any other position coaches in the past few years? I don’t know what their status is with the coaching staff but I just don’t think they’ve brought in the kind of talent that we were used to seeing in the 90’s. I made a comment on another blog about Notre Dame not getting the kind of talent they used to b/c the talent seems to be spreading more around the country. I think the same holds true for FSU/
By FSU Fan
July 21, 2007 6:52 AM | Link to this
We started to decline offensively when several Georgia Tech graduates entered our MBA program. They brought with them the Tickle Pile tradition that caused such a public health problem in Atlanta. We outlawed Tickle Piles recently and I now expect our team to improve dramatically.
By TCM
July 21, 2007 7:00 AM | Link to this
I agree with the previous blog about FSU. The real problem has been bad coaching, namely Jeff Bowden who was atrocious, causing many super recruits they used to get all the time to srart focusing on other programs. The TRUE weakness for FSU recruiting has been not pulling in the big linemen lately like Marvin Austin who chose UNC or that other kid who chose Rutgers(I can’t remember his name). This coaching staff is going to get these kids to play up their potential and for peek’s sake will they please bench that sorry a— Drew Weatherford & let Xavier Lee develop!!!!!! He has the same skills Charlie Ward had just taller and is the key to that offense & FSU getting back to the BCS……
By m
July 21, 2007 7:14 AM | Link to this
Nix will now excel because he no longer has the albatross of Chan Gailey holding him back. Unfortunately, Bond will be given NO chance to do his job, since he now has the albatross of Chan Gailey holding him, and the TECH offense, back….just like he did to O’Brien and Nix. Gailey inherited a team that had finished in the TOP 25 for 5 years in a row…and he has destroyed it. He should be fired TODAY.
By TCM
July 21, 2007 7:26 AM | Link to this
I agree with the blog before last about FSU. Now that Jeff Bowden is FINALLY
gone & FSU has hired a REAL OC, now they can start getting back to the FSU that used to dominate the ACC!! They also need to stop playing games w/the QBs and let Xavier Lee start b/c that dang Drew Weatherford is GARBAGE!!!! The previous OC would leave Weatherford in to lose games but as soon as Lee is forced to punt after a series he’s benched. Ridiculous!! Xavier Lee has the same skill set Charlie Ward had just taller & he needs an OC who will let him play & develop instead sitting everytime he makes a bad throw. It’s a wonder the kid hasn’t transfered. FSU recruiting has suffered as a result of this foolishness b/c the super-recruits see see stuff & choose another program. FSU also needs to get back to recruiting lineman like they used to and they b/c slipped in recent years. There is no way a recruit like super recruit DT Marvin Austin should have choosen UNC over FSU. That just can’t happen if FSU is expected to get back to being FSU……Now that Bowden has brought back Chuck Amato & hired some real coaches, that’ll bode well for recruiting in the future and hopefully we’ll see that FSU swagger come back along with BCS appearances contention……….Go Noles!!
By canetom
July 21, 2007 8:42 AM | Link to this
Who said Kyle Wright will start at QB for the Canes? Last I heard, the starting QB would be named later.
By nole
July 21, 2007 10:16 AM | Link to this
What exactly is a Tickle Pile?
By Dont Drop Soap around UGA QBS
July 21, 2007 11:40 AM | Link to this
No one is afraid on the Noles anymore. For good reason’s
By Ben Nash
July 21, 2007 1:52 PM | Link to this
Tony, quit the Carolina hating. John Blake is as a good as hire as there was in the country last year. Not only a great position coach, a TREMENDOUS RECRUITER.
By jeremiah
July 21, 2007 4:08 PM | Link to this
Nole,
Real men don’t want to know about Tickle Piles. Only Georgia Tech students and Alumni can fully discuss Tickle Piles.
By James
July 24, 2007 8:18 AM | Link to this
M. I think you said the same thing about O’Brien when he left GT to head to Maryland. O’Brien hasn’t done much since. I think Nix will do better than O’Brien, just because he has a better stable of players.
Justt accept the truth Gailey will not be fired today.