Question: Why doesn't Alabama have a coach dedicated to special teams?

CrimsonForce · Sep 22, 2015

According to this tweet we don't.

And according to these stats we don't.

Thoughts? Opinions? Is Aaron Suttles wrong?

RTR91 · Sep 22, 2015

I'd recommend looking at Suttles' following tweet explaining why Alabama doesn't.

CrimsonForce · Sep 22, 2015

RTR91 said:
I'd recommend looking at Suttles' following tweet explaining why Alabama doesn't.

Fair enough. So do most other teams not have a dedicated ST coach? Because 13 other teams are figuring out how to do ST better than Bama with far less resources..

JoeWilly12 · Sep 22, 2015

I think I saw that Michigan was the only school with a dedicated ST coach.

rgw · Sep 22, 2015

Almost no teams have a dedicated ST coach. The NCAA staff rules have put ST coaching on the fringes.

JBama_in_PCOLA · Sep 22, 2015

Something needs to happen. It's costing us big games.

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bamaee04 · Sep 22, 2015

Well we need to get an assistant that can truly do double duty with another position then. Our special teams have been anything but for several years since Middleton was here and Arenas was returning kicks. We have way too much talent overall and the master recruiter at the helm to still have kickers that miss routine FGs, can't get the ball in the end zone on kickoffs, turnovers on returns, minimal big plays on returns (forget TDs), etc.

RTR91 · Sep 22, 2015

bamaee04 said:
Well we need to get an assistant that can truly do double duty with another position then. Our special teams have been anything but for several years since Middleton was here and Arenas was returning kicks. We have way too much talent overall and the master recruiter at the helm to still have kickers that miss routine FGs, can't get the ball in the end zone on kickoffs, turnovers on returns, minimal big plays on returns (forget TDs), etc.

Only one of the things you mentioned really falls under a special team coach's job - big plays. Kickers can't just take coaching from any random person doing double duty. Turnovers on kick returns ins't necessarily Bobby's fault (and believe me I want him off the field).

CrimsonForce · Sep 22, 2015

RTR91 said:
Only one of the things you mentioned really falls under a special team coach's job - big plays. Kickers can't just take coaching from any random person doing double duty. Turnovers on kick returns ins't necessarily Bobby's fault (and believe me I want him off the field).

I agree with you that fumbles on a kick return, in general, are not Bobby's fault. But our kick returners getting blown up and a guy in their face, consistently, before the 20 yard line would be Bobby's fault..

rgw · Sep 22, 2015

The thing is that I don't get Bobby Williams still being here at all: our TEs have been worse with him and the special teams are literally costing us games despite rarely being on the field.

derek4tide · Sep 22, 2015

IMO, it's the coach doing the job that is lacking. He also coaches our TEs and they have woefully under-performed, as well. IMO (as well), Bobby Williams has turned OJ Howard into a mediocre TE.

derek4tide · Sep 22, 2015

rgw said:
The thing is that I don't get Bobby Williams still being here at all: our TEs have been worse with him and the special teams are literally costing us games despite rarely being on the field.

Great minds.

I think there are more on here, who feel the same way.

bamaee04 · Sep 22, 2015

True, it isn't all coaching, but it is a huge part of the problem. A good special teams assistant would be able to help with recruiting the best kickers/punters and not have them be highly touted only to come here and become stagnant in their growth/progression or even regress, but would help them become better players while they are here. I can remember Middleton discussing a return that we had for a TD on an old NS show episode, and it was evident to me and my untrained eyes that he truly understood what was needed to have big plays on returns and had the right personnel on the field and foundation laid for the players to have a chance at success as well as the right play call/blocking scheme setup. We are sadly missing that element...

RTR91 said:
Only one of the things you mentioned really falls under a special team coach's job - big plays. Kickers can't just take coaching from any random person doing double duty. Turnovers on kick returns ins't necessarily Bobby's fault (and believe me I want him off the field).

tidefanbeezer · Sep 22, 2015

bamaee04 said:
Well we need to get an assistant that can truly do double duty with another position then. Our special teams have been anything but for several years since Middleton was here and Arenas was returning kicks. We have way too much talent overall and the master recruiter at the helm to still have kickers that miss routine FGs, can't get the ball in the end zone on kickoffs, turnovers on returns, minimal big plays on returns (forget TDs), etc.

Middleton was only on staff in 2007. Bobby Williams has been the ST coach since 2008, meaning Arenas was returning kicks primarily under Bobby' watch.

TiderMan · Sep 22, 2015

NCAA Article 11: Conduct and Employment of Athletics Personnel:

11.7.2 Football Bowl Subdivision - There shall be a limit of one head coach, nine assistant coaches and two graduate assistant coaches who may be employed by an institution in bowl subdivision football.

According to rolltide.com, we have the 9 assistant coaches:
Burton Burns - Running Backs
Mario Cristobal - Offensive Line
Billy Napier - Wide Receivers
Lane Kiffin - Offensive Coordinator/QB's
Bo Davis - Defensive Line
Tosh Lupoi - Outside Linebackers
Kirby Smart - Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
Mel Tucker - Defensive Backs
Bobby Williams - Tight Ends/Special Teams Coordinator

Since we can't add anymore coaches, why don't we move Tight Ends to either the offensive line coach or wide receivers coach. Then have Bobby Williams totally run the special teams or hire a special teams specialist to run the special teams. Special teams can be a huge asset to a team if it is a main focus of a coach. Special teams plays account for at least 20 to 30 plays per game. You can actually win games by having a dominant special teams and make huge impact plays. I feel as though that Bama does not put in the time & commitment to make special teams a weapon. I could be wrong but the play on the field in that area has a lot to be desired.

RTR91 · Sep 22, 2015

CrimsonForce said:
I agree with you that fumbles on a kick return, in general, are not Bobby's fault. But our kick returners getting blown up and a guy in their face, consistently, before the 20 yard line would be Bobby's fault..

Completely agree and meant to include that in my post.

rgw said:
The thing is that I don't get Bobby Williams still being here at all: our TEs have been worse with him and the special teams are literally costing us games despite rarely being on the field.

Bobby's continued employment by Saban even with his coaching history makes me believe he has something on Nick and/or Terry. No other explanation.

tidefanbeezer · Sep 22, 2015

I'm not defending our special teams play in the last year or so, because it hasn't been fantastic.

But I find it interesting that no one seemed to care the Special Teams was also a split duty role under Bobby Williams from 2008 to 2013. We won a lot of games and titles with special teams duties split. It wasn't until the entire program, not just special teams, stopped playing up to the level we are accustomed to that the split duties became a problem for folks.

rgw · Sep 22, 2015

RTR91 said:
Completely agree and meant to include that in my post.

Bobby's continued employment by Saban even with his coaching history makes me believe he has something on Nick and/or Terry. No other explanation.

He must know where a dead body is at...or how Saban's daughter got that mean hook she put on her sorority sister.

B1GTide · Sep 22, 2015

tidefanbeezer said:
I'm not defending our special teams play in the last year or so, because it hasn't been fantastic.

But I find it interesting that no one seemed to care the Special Teams was also a split duty role under Bobby Williams from 2008 to 2013. We won a lot of games and titles with special teams duties split. It wasn't until the entire program, not just special teams, stopped playing up to the level we are accustomed to that the split duties became a problem for folks.

I just read his bio page on rolltide.com. Looks like he has been pretty instrumental to Alabama's success through the years.

rgw · Sep 22, 2015

Well I hope that the Alabama AD media people don't throw an assistant under the bus on their official bio page. Not a good employment strategy at all.

Question: Why doesn't Alabama have a coach dedicated to special teams?

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