DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Kitchens' coaching staff speculation/news II

Honest question for anyone who knows Tide football... Clemson blew out Alabama this past Championship and has beaten Bama a few other times..

So is this Coach from Bama Good ? Just curious, because who does Bama beat in a season ?

Why Tosh Lupoi leaving Alabama was long expected
Updated 5:39 PM; Posted 5:00 PM

https://www.al.com/alabamafootball/2019/01/why-tosh-lupoi-leaving-alabama-was-long-expected.html


Even before Nick Saban promoted Tosh Lupoi to defensive coordinator, there were internal questions within the Alabama program about whether he’d be up for the job.

Lupoi, who played defensive line at Cal, had zero experience working with the defensive secondary, a critical component of Saban’s defense. Lupoi was known as a tireless worker and talented position coach during his three years as Alabama’s outside linebackers coach but there were concerns about whether he’d be up to the task in areas like situational play-calling and recognizing what an opponent is doing in-game and being able to adjust on the fly, which had been a big strength of previous Tide defensive coordinators Kirby Smart and Jeremy Pruitt.

However, Lupoi was the staff’s best recruiter -- he’s a big reason stars Tua Tagovailoa, Najee Harris and others picked Alabama -- and he was going to have interest from other programs. If Saban didn’t promote Lupoi to defensive coordinator, he was likely to lose him. And after overhauling his staff to get more aggressive on the recruiting trail following the 2017 title, Saban didn’t think he could afford to let Lupoi go.

Yet, a little more than a year after the bump in title and responsibilities, Lupoi is off to Cleveland to join Freddie Kitchens’ staff as defensive line coach. Why would Lupoi take a lesser role and what is likely a sizable pay cut after making $1.1 million this past year? It was actually a decision months in the making after early struggles as Alabama’s defensive coordinator.

It wasn’t long after Alabama’s disastrous national championship game loss to Clemson that word began spreading Lupoi was unlikely to return to Alabama next season as part of a massive staff shakeup. But the inevitable breakup didn’t happen because of one bad defensive performance on a national scale. In fact, sources had indicated to AL.com for a while that Lupoi was likely to leave for another job after the season.

After some early struggles during the season, Saban stripped Lupoi of defensive play-calling responsibilities and handed them over to co-defensive coordinator Pete Golding, according to sources. Saban had poached Golding from UT-San Antonio in the offseason in part to alleviate concerns about Lupoi’s inexperience with the secondary and as a play-caller. Still, word is Lupoi seemed overwhelmed during practices and didn’t totally grasp situational play-calling. While he was still heavily involved in the defensive game-planning, there was no question Golding taking over play-calling represented a demotion of sorts for Lupoi barely into the start of his defensive coordinator stint. Additionally, it was clear within the program how much Saban valued Golding, especially given he fended off other schools including Ole Miss in order to keep Golding at Alabama. It gave Lupoi reason enough to look for a soft landing place once Alabama’s season ended.

Moving to Cleveland allows Lupoi to focus on and coach a position he is supremely familiar and confident in after coaching the defensive line at California and Washington. He’ll get to work under a well-regarded defensive coordinator in Steve Wilks who should help continue to groom him. Despite his struggles as a first-time defensive coordinator, there is still a strong belief within the coaching community that Lupoi could be a good head coach one day.

For Alabama, Saban will have to replace his staff’s top recruiter amidst multiple other staff openings. Lupoi was incredibly popular with recruits and players and really helped Alabama have success on the West Coast, particularly in California. As long as Saban is the head coach, Alabama’s recruiting machine will keep chugging. Still, Lupoi is a sizable recruiting loss and won’t be easily replaced.

However, it was a move that had to happen. It was clear that Alabama’s defense wasn’t up to snuff this season and that reared its head in the ugly title game loss. Saban knew he needed to make an upgrade as far as defensive staffing, which is why the most recruiting-obsessed head coach in college football history seemingly didn’t fight to keep his best recruiter.

Circle the wagons? What are you talking about?



No, I don't believe Dorsey is in control of everything. If he is, we need to fire him tomorrow or make him head coach.


I am sure that John has made suggestions, but no, he doesn't hire assistant coaches.


The head coach does that.

Interesting read... Thank you.

I didn't realize that Lilly has as much experience as he does in college. Man, he's been around coaching TE for quite a while.

UT Vols: Cleveland Browns hire John Lilly of Tennessee
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/co...ach/2609384002/

The Cleveland Browns are picking off a member of Jeremy Pruitt's support staff.

John Lilly, who was an off-field assistant to Pruitt, is leaving Tennessee to become Cleveland's tight ends coach, GoVols247 reported.

Lilly coached tight ends at Georgia from 2008-15 and coached the Los Angeles Rams' tight ends in 2016. He was the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator at Florida State from 1998-2007.

Lilly also worked with Pruitt at Georgia in 2014-15, when Pruitt was the Bulldogs' defensive coordinator.

Is it so difficult to imagine that Freddie and John are working together?

Just an observation, quite a few of these new hires are coming from college programs. It's hard to believe this a coincidence. There must be some strategic reasoning for it. I don't think it's just Kitchen's network of coaching associates. The organization is seeking to add something that coaches with this background can infuse in the team. I would only be guessing who has decided to select coaches that fit this profile or for what reasons.

Maybe at some point after all the hires are made the media will ask the question. Maybe I'll submit the question for one of those "Hey Mary" articles in the PD. LOL, sure to get the most complete inside response from that!

Well... at no point in my post did I say that I was disagreeing with you.

I read through a number of posts discussing the topic of who had the pull/influence/final decision in the hiring process, Kitchens or Dorsey. I picked your post and responded with the way I believe the process is working.

Sorry if you view that as combative or "nitpicking"....

Eo, sorry but it makes no sense...

If Dorsey had the power to chose the OC last year, imagine what's his power this year.

If anything Dorsey can pick who ever he wants, even Kitchens for HC.

And yet you have no real idea whether it was Dorsey who chose Haley or not.

The coaches roster appears to have been finalized.

Browns Coaches Roster | Cleveland Browns - clevelandbrowns.com
https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/coaches-roster/

Freddie Kitchens
HEAD COACH
Freddie Kitchens was named head coach on Jan. 12, 2019. He was announced as running backs/associate head coach on Jan. 24, 2018 and promoted to offensive coordinator on Oct. 29, 2018. He has coached in the NFL the past 13 seasons.
Kitchens spent the past 11 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He spent 2017 as running backs coach. He was also quarterbacks coach for four years (2013-16) and tight ends coach for six seasons (2007-12).
Last season, Arizona acquired Adrian Peterson during a midseason trade. Peterson, who ranks 12th on the NFL all-time rushing list, led the Cardinals in rushing yards despite playing just six games.



OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
TODD MONKEN

SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE HEAD COACH
JODY WRIGHT


RUNNING BACKS/RUN GAME COORDINATOR
STUMP MITCHELL

WIDE RECEIVERS
ADAM HENRY

QUARTERBACKS
RYAN LINDLEY


OFFENSIVE LINE/ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH
JAMES CAMPEN

ASSISTANT OFFENSIVE LINE
JEFF BLASKO

TIGHT ENDS
JOHN LILLY

OFFENSIVE QUALITY CONTROL
JIM DRAY


OFFENSIVE QUALITY CONTROL
TYLER TETTLETON

Defense

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
STEVE WILKS

SENIOR DEFENSIVE ASSISTANT
CHRIS JONES

RUN GAME COORDINATOR/LINEBACKERS
AL HOLCOMB

PASS GAME COORDINATOR/SECONDARY
JOE WHITT

DEFENSIVE BACKS
DEWAYNE WALKER

DEFENSIVE LINE
TOSH LUPOI

ASSISTANT DEFENSIVE LINE
JOHN PARRELLA

Special Teams

SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR
MIKE PRIEFER

Strength and Conditioning

DIRECTOR, STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING
LARRY JACKSON

STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING ASSISTANT
EVAN MARCUS

STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING ASSISTANT/SPORTS SCIENCE
JOSH CHRISTOVICH

STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING ASSISTANT
MONTY GIBSON

STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING ASSISTANT
DALE JONES

Support Staff

THERESA DUNHAM

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

I have no doubt Dorsey has a lot of influence on who is hired, if you look at these guys, it is Kitchens who is offering the position, and these guys are excepting.

For all these coaches, and many agree they are a very good group, to seem to be more than willing to sign here, something really must look good about our situation. Says a lot about the respect Kitchens gets from these guys. He was a guy way down the ladder from where most these guys are coming from.
I'm tired of the mirage it's time for the real thing.

Al Saunders gone. Probably to the Natural History Museum with his 700 page playbook.

No big surprise there.

I will say it again. Mixing in some college guys and even a CFL guy is very smart. The NFL is becoming more like those games and any edge that can be gained is important. This staff is very diverse in the backgrounds of the coaches. I like it.

Hue said he hired Haley.

In the end the GM can put forward candidates. I am sure Dorsey did with Freddie as well, but in the end, the head coach hires the coach. Dorsey didn't just walk in to Freddies office and say, here is your new coordinator of this or that, here is you new line coach.

Some of you underestimate Freddie. He has been in the league a long time. He knows a lot of people.

You also have to recognize that the new coordinators bring in some of their people to help run their system.


John Dorsey didn't hand pick this staff. He helped, but Freddie was the one to say yes or no.


If not, we have both the wrong head coach and GM in place.

Hue said a lot of things that I don't believe

Great observation...my first thought reading these hires was..the ability for communicating and teaching the young players this team consists of.

I can only go by what the guy said. That still doesn't diminish the fact that Kitckens is the one who puts his staff together.

I am sure that Dorsey recommended some people to be interviewed, but in the end, the coach hires the staff. Dorsey didn't walk in to Kitchens office say hey, here is your offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator.

I agree. That would have been the quickest way to cut the legs right out from under your new head coach. Suggestions? Yes. "Here are your assistant coaches"? Not a chance. Dorsey knows better than that kind of stuff.

Yeah, but when someone just makes up an opposite story, it means pretty much nothing.

Big hire:

I don't know of the guy, but, cool.

Where have I heard that name before?

I think of the Saints and Deuce, I'm thinking McAllister.

Which stat guys? I haven’t seen any not Kitchens. In fact some of the most prominent stat guys I know have praised the move.

Maybe he's referring to Cowherd? I think Colin Cowherd would love it if the entire city of Cleveland would fall into the lake.

I don't disagree, but I don't get the positive comments on this guy?

I am not saying he isn't any good, just just wonder on what those opinions are based. His Bio doesn't leap out.

I don't know anything about the guy ..... but I would guess that people are happy we raided the Saints for a coach ..... even a guy with little experience.

Maybe this will help...


I posted this on another thread and yes you have to pay, but it's an excellent read.


Freddie Kitchens

He is incredibly smart from what I know. Played QB at my old college. Kinda weird way coaches are brought up.

Actually I have seen some negative comments of analysts not understanding why we didn't retain GW, not so much criticizing Kitchens.

I'm Ok with whatever Dorsey says, I think he did enough for us to trust him.

Regarding Kitchens CV, well he was a positional coach last year, so for sure there will be some big question marks.