I'm ambivalent. He was an improvement over a near-senile Reese, but I don't think he was all that elite. Maybe that's because I think bend-but-don't-break is a terrific NFL defense, but not so fabulous at the college level, where blitzing is far more effective. So, he'll be missed, but I'd wager we could replace him with someone just as good.
I think he fires up the defense and gives them confidence. Moreover, 3rd quarter performances this year were outstanding, before the Rose we only allowed 3 points in the 3rd qtr in the entire season. To me, that says he kicks offensive coordinators' collective ass on halftime adjustments.
on the one hand, what Cohen says is true, we very often seemed to get much better after halftime, as the 3 points in the 3rd quarter stat attests to. however, we had a tendency to need to get better after halftime b/c the pre-halftime D wasn't always great and was often very passive. and bend but don't break becomes very annoying when a team is picking you apart (like say michigan) because then it just never stops. it's great against below average offenses b/c eventually they screw up or you get one sack or something to mess up a drive, but the good offenses can keep moving. obviously, one hugely successful example of bend but don't break working was against oklahoma. we gave up quite a few yards (over 400) but stepped up time and time again and held them to a season low (by a lot) 12 points. one example of it not working was kansas. no way kansas should've moved the ball against us like they did with their 3rd and 4th string qb's playing. we hardly ever blitzed and pressured them and with all day to throw they moved the ball. i do love his fire and halftime adjustments and have no problem with him being our coordinator (b/c even bending and not breaking we were pretty good and improved over last year) but like haven i won't lose too much sleep if he leaves. while he's definitely far from the worst (and thus we could regress if he leaves) he's not the best of the best imo so we have room to move up. i don't know if bend but don't break (at least our version of it) can ever be a championship defense.
Remember that he was in his first year here. I would expect a defense that had 3 or 4 years under him would be much tougher. Still think he'd be a great loss, but I doubt anyone thought that we could really keep him longterm anyway.
Dallas News broke the story on GR to Syracuse. Now to search for an equally tough and fiery replacement. Losing him, Tomey, and Haywood all in a 2 week span really sucks. But that's what happens to good programs I guess. Time to reload.
Report: Texas assistant Greg Robinson new Syracuse head coach January 10, 2005 DALLAS (AP) -- Syracuse will name Texas co-defensive coordinator Greg Robinson as its new head football coach, according to a newspaper report. Robinson interviewed with Syracuse athletic director Daryl Gross in Los Angeles on Friday and accepted the job Monday, The Dallas Morning News, citing two unidentified sources close to the Texas program, reported on its Web site Monday. Telephone messages left for Robinson and Texas coach Mack Brown were not immediately returned Monday night. Attempts to reach Gross were unsuccessful. Syracuse spokesman Kevin Morrow said he was unaware of any impending announcement. Robinson, 53, spent 14 seasons in the NFL, including stints as defensive coordinator with Kansas City and Denver. He succeeds Paul Pasqualoni, who coached the Orange for 14 years. Pasqualoni was fired Dec. 29, eight days after Syracuse lost to Georgia Tech 51-14 in the Champs Sports Bowl. He was 107-59-1 and 6-3 in bowl games at Syracuse, but the Orange struggled to break even the last three years after going 10-3 and finishing 14th in the nation in 2001. http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=ap-syracusecoach&prov=ap&type=lgns
When the reports first came out I thought it was the OFFENSIVE coordinator that was going. Followed quickly by the thoughts that (a) the bbs would be very happy today and (b) WHY would they hire UT's offensive coordinator? Oh well.
Kevin Steele (LB's/Co Defensive Coordinator) is the rumor right now. Vance Bedford, former UT DB and Chicago Bears DB coach is interested but wants full control of the D. Burns from USC has expressed interest. Long shot is Jerry Gray, who wants full control of the D.
Didn't he turn down the position last year? IMO, he's probably the best option. And just to clarify Kevin Steele is the linebacker coach as Florida State and former Baylor head coach.
I don't know why y'all are upset about this. Robinson was the defensive coordinator for those Chief teams that were all offense and no defense plus he wore out his stay in Denver. Yes, he can say that he coached the defense of back-to-back Super Bowl Champions, but they didn't win those games because of their defense or anything he did. It was because of Elway, Terrell Davis, and the rest of a brilliant offense.
You don't watch enough Texas football. From the story on usatoday.com: During the regular season, the Longhorns allowed 102 fewer points than they gave up in 12 games last season. The defense did not allow a third-quarter touchdown, and held opponents to just a 27% conversion rate on third down.
1. Look at the defensive talent the Chiefs had. 2. Look at the Chiefs defense after Robinson left, they're just as bad. 3. Look at the difference between the Texas defense under Reese and Robinson. 4. The Broncos defense in 1998 was ranked #7 in the NFL and #2 against the run.
Syracuse is like the artic this time of year. It's a depressed area with nothing to do. I can't imagine big time recruits wanting to go to Syracuse, especially since it's been a poor program since McNabb left.
You're right that I don't watch enough Texas football but I have watched enough of Greg Robinson, well at least for a good 3 years or so. RocketFan007, The Chiefs defense was bad this year because they didn't do anything except change coordinators. But even then, Gunther Cunningham had them playing pretty well the last couple of weeks in the season. That wasn't the case last year where the Robinson-led Chiefs defense got progressively worse as the season went on culminating in the playoff meltdown with the Colts. The Broncos run defense in '98 was only good that year simply because the explosive offense led by Elway, TD, etc would get other teams in a 21-0 hole in a New York minute. Thus teams were forced to abandon the run and pass exclusively to get back in the game. Look, let me clarify here - Robinson is not that bad of a coach but I do think he is overrated and that Mack Brown will get someone who will be just as good or better.
