News Article: USC fires DC

[4Q Basket Case]

Heard a football talking head (forget which) mention that Riley had never been part of a coaching staff that taught / played tough, physical football. Basically from the time he started coaching he learned under offensive guys who ran wide-open offenses but don’t know how to coach and play physical football.

You practice different, you recruit differet, you do lots of things differently depending on how your building your team, and fast/soft is all he knows - he doesn’t know how to coach smash mouth football because he’s never learned it.

Interesting thought. If true, he’s probably peaked.

100% agree.

Riley has never been the HC of a team with even a passable defense. Cost him championships at OU, and the pattern continues at USCw. For all his QB development (and he's great at that), he won't win a championship unless and until he values defense enough to develop it.

They have the defending Heisman winner at QB, and have lost three of the last four. In those four games, they've given up 48 (Notre Dame), 34 (Utah, who doesn't play a basketball on grass style anyway), 49 (California) and 52 (Washington).

If not for a most fortunate 50-49 win over Cal, they'd be riding a 4-game losing streak, and it's all on the D.

 

[crimsonaudio]

100% agree.

Riley has never coached a team with even a passable defense. Cost him championships at OU, and the pattern continues at USCw. For all his QB development (and he's great at that), he won't win a championship unless and until he values defense enough to develop it.

Agreed, but that's the point - I don't think he knows how to run a physically dominating program. It's not like he just hires the right DC and suddenly their problems are fixed. If you watch USCs *efense this year they bounce off tackles, arm tackle, etc. The coaches don't have the physical mindset so the players don't - and that starts at the top.

When was the last time you knew a 'finesse' HC who knew how to field an intimidating defense? There might be an example but I cannot think of one off the top of my head.

IOW, I don't know if Riley can fix it, honestly.

 

[CrimsonTheory]

So you don’t want Kiffin when Saban retires?

I do not know how to answer that, to be honest. I know he's basically Lincoln Riley but with a personality but he has exactly inspire confidence in his ability to recognize talent in coaches.

 

[uafan4life]

Agreed, but that's the point - I don't think he knows how to run a physically dominating program. It's not like he just hires the right DC and suddenly their problems are fixed. If you watch USCs *efense this year they bounce off tackles, arm tackle, etc. The coaches don't have the physical mindset so the players don't - and that starts at the top.

When was the last time you knew a 'finesse' HC who knew how to field an intimidating defense? There might be an example but I cannot think of one off the top of my head.

IOW, I don't know if Riley can fix it, honestly.

He can't fix it unless he figures out a way to fix himself.

And you're exactly right on the why of it all - he is an offense-centered coach who runs an offense-centered team.

Your team is only as tough and physical as your defensive preparation; football's been that way since the beginning. (There are some decent military-training analogies that also work very well, here.)

If you want to be a good defensive team, then that has to be a priority in how you evaluate players, recruit, structure spring practice, structure summer workouts, structure fall camp, design drills, structure in-week practices, develop game-plans, and call games.

Your defense can make your offense tougher but it doesn't work the other way around. When your defense is an afterthought 10 months out of the year then you can't field a good defense...

 

[TideFan in AU]

Alex Grinch hated defense, the whole football season. Please don’t ask why, no one quite knows the reason…

LOATHE ENTIRELY!! 😂

 

[jthomas666]

Spurrier had the same problem his first few years at Florida. It wasn't until he started putting an emphasis on defense that they turned into a powerhouse.

 

[rolltide7854]

Once football turns to a 7 on 7 flag football league Lincoln Riley is your man.

 

[rolltide_21]

So what you’re all saying is the Grinch stole their national championship?

I’ll see myself out.

 

[JDCrimson]

His heart for offenses grew 3 sizes...

So what you’re all saying is the Grinch stole their national championship?

I’ll see myself out.

 

[crimsonaudio]

Once football turns to a 7 on 7 flag football league Lincoln Riley is your man.

Literally no need for blue font.

 

[rolltide7854]

Literally no need for blue font.

I debated whether or not to use a blue font. I think even a 7 on 7 league would at least give a passing thought to defense while Riley doubtful would.

 

[crimsonaudio]

Spurrier had the same problem his first few years at Florida. It wasn't until he started putting an emphasis on defense that they turned into a powerhouse.

Are you thinking back to Duke? I grew up in Orlando so I go to see Spurrier's Gators quite a bit in the early 90's despite there being far fewer games televised. IIRC his defenses were immediately pretty good.

 

[jthomas666]

Are you thinking back to Duke? I grew up in Orlando so I go to see Spurrier's Gators quite a bit in the early 90's despite there being far fewer games televised. IIRC his defenses were immediately pretty good.

Did well because of his offense, but he tended to lose the big games--most notably the 1996 Fiesta Bowl shellacking by Nebraska. He brought in Bob Stoops as DC the following year, and won the NC.

 

[Evil Crimson Dragon]

I do not know how to answer that, to be honest. I know he's basically Lincoln Riley but with a personality but he has exactly inspire confidence in his ability to recognize talent in coaches.

Well, he did hire he who shall not be named................

 

[bamacon]

USC fires defensive coordinator Alex Grinch with 2 games left

Southern California coach Lincoln Riley fired defensive coordinator Alex Grinch on Sunday, with two games left in the Trojans' disappointing regular season and fresh off a 52-42 loss to No. 5 Washington on Saturday night.

www.espn.com

Since when did Lincoln Riley care about defense? His defenses were horrible at Oklahoma. I sarcastically say he was forced out at OU for poor defenses.

I didn’t know that they even had one.

 

[Tidelines]

LOATHE ENTIRELY!! 😂

Took me a bit but I finally got it .

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Spurrier had the same problem his first few years at Florida. It wasn't until he started putting an emphasis on defense that they turned into a powerhouse.

Didn't hurt that he had Bob Stoops as his DC during the real glory years.

 

[TideEngineer08]

Did well because of his offense, but he tended to lose the big games--most notably the 1996 Fiesta Bowl shellacking by Nebraska. He brought in Bob Stoops as DC the following year, and won the NC.

Who ironically turned OU into powderpuff football and introduced the world to this same Lincoln Riley.

 

[wishbonesooner]

If my memory is correct, Grinch came to Norman from Ohio State, where we were told he had some good defenses.
Pardon me for enjoying all of this immensely.

 

[CoolBreeze]

Spurrier had the same problem his first few years at Florida. It wasn't until he started putting an emphasis on defense that they turned into a powerhouse.

Started with big game Bob funny enough.