Re: ***2016 K Eddy Pineiro (JUCO) commits to Alabama***
Agreed, but to me if kicking and special teams make up 1/3 of your gameplan while the TE position occupies maybe 10% of your offensive gameplan, it stands to reason if I am building a coaching staff that I would hire coaches with kicking backgrounds and teach them to coach TEs if necessary rather than the other way around. Having a TE coach but not having a dedicated kicking coach has never made much sense to me.
I actually adopted that mentality briefly, due to some frustration or what not but I suppose that was before the 2009 championship and stellar play from Javy and Tiffin on special teams.
For instance, these kickers do have people that work with them, it just can't be Alabama coaches on Alabama's dime. Do we think a full time coach really "fixes" the issues that Foster had, or apparently the issues that Griffin's injury caused? I'm not so sure. Don't forget, Alabama managed to land one of the best punters and he sure seems to be handling himself ok.
I would like a full time special teams guy, sure, but Alabama has someone doing three things at that position really. Recruiting, coaches special teams, and tight ends. Let's not forget, this guy used to be Michigan State's head coach, so we can assume he knows a little something about football.
I am not sure it's clear he's either doing his job poorly, or that Alabama could afford to give up what else he's doing. We measure things by championships and championship level, but that 2009 championship is not won without excellent special teams play, think about much they contributed, and that was a special teams squad coached by Bobby Williams. I honestly think we're just witnessed the trials and tribulations of trying to win a championship every year, you can't afford small mistakes, you can't afford a kicker to get hurt, and you can't afford to recruit the wrong guys. It will happen though...