I have been a supporter for CKW since the day he walked in the door, and will be until he is shown the door.
I wanted to take this time to walk through the coaching staff and changes since CKW was hired and just discuss what I think we have seen through 4+ seasons.
2011
Kevin Wilson Head Coach/Tight Ends Coach
Kevin Johns Co-Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach
Rod Smith Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach
Mike Ekeler Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach
Doug Mallory Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties Coach
Mark Hagen Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Tackles Coach
Brett Dierson Recruiting Coordinator/Defensive Ends Coach
Greg Frey Offensive Line Coach
Deland McCullough Running Backs Coach
Brandon Shelby Cornerbacks Coach
Notice the number of names no longer with us?
50% of these are no longer here.
You can debate all you want who was good and who was not but I will bet right now that the only guy on the list of coaches who are gone that EVERYBODY would agree we would still like to have is Mark Hagen.
Rod Smith... Easy to forget, Offense was vanilla, Quarterback play was crummy
Mike Ekeler... Rah Rah coach
Doug Mallory... Say what you will but I am not sold on him sucking as bad as many think.
Mark Hagen... Great rep coming in, D-Line played hard and well.
Brett Dierson... Who? I think this was a "who can I get at the last second" guy with no experience.
Remember as well that we lost some coaches even before they suited up the first time.
2012
Kevin Wilson Head Coach/Tight Ends Coach
Kevin Johns Co-Offensive Coordinator, QB & WR Coach
Seth Littrell Co-Offensive Coordinator, TE & FB Coach
Mike Ekeler Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach
Doug Mallory Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties Coach
Mark Hagen Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Tackles Coach
John Fabris Recruiting Coordinator/Defensive Ends Coach
Greg Frey Offensive Line Coach
Deland McCullough Running Backs Coach
Brandon Shelby Cornerbacks Coach
Now we get rid of Rod Smith and Brett Dierson to bring in Seth Littrell and John Fabris.
Littrell was in my opinion a really good OC and did a nice job with TE and FB's.
John Fabris? Not sure I saw much that I think stood out from his coaching.
So offense gets a facelift and Defense gets a new D-line coach. Offense wins, D stays the course.
2013
Kevin Wilson Head Coach
Doug Mallory Asst. Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator
William Inge Co-Defensive Coordinator, LB
Seth Littrell Offensive Coordinator, TE & FB
Jon Fabris Defensive Line
Greg Frey Run Game Coordinator, OL
James Patton Recruiting & Special Teams Coordinator, Asst. DL
Kevin Johns Co-Offensive Coordinator, QB & WR
Deland McCullough Running Backs Coach
Brandon Shelby Cornerbacks
So Ekeler cuts and runs to USC and Mark Hagen leaves for Texas A&M.
In my opinion we lost big when Hagen left.
James Patton comes in with no experience with D-line play.
Good coach, just not a defensive coach.
I think we got an upgrade when William Inge came in for Ekeler, but again you lose continuity.
2014
Kevin Wilson Head Coach
Kevin Johns Offensive Coordinator, QB & WR
Brian Knorr Defensive Coordinator, DE & OLB
Greg Frey Co-Offensive Coordinator, OL
William Inge Co-Defensive Coordinator, LB
Deland McCullough Running Backs Coach
Larry McDaniel Defensive Line
James Patton TE & FB, Off. Recruiting Coord.
Brandon Shelby Cornerbacks
Noah Joseph S, Def. Recruiting Coord.
So we cut the ties with DM and John Fabris. We lose a really good OC in Littrell as well.
No loss with Fabris in my opinion.
Brian Knorr is brought in as DC, DE and OLB coach.
Upgrade? Only time will tell.
Noah Joseph brought in as DB coach and the hire of Larry McDaniel for D-Line coach.
I think McDaniel is a great hire. Not sold on Joseph YET.
2015
Kevin Wilson Head Coach
Kevin Johns Offensive Coordinator, QB & WR
Brian Knorr Defensive Coordinator, DE & OLB
Greg Frey Co-Offensive Coordinator, OL
William Inge Co-Defensive Coordinator, LB
Deland McCullough Running Backs Coach
Larry McDaniel Defensive Line
James Patton TE & FB, Off. Recruiting Coord.
Brandon Shelby Cornerbacks
Noah Joseph S, Def. Recruiting Coord.
What? No coaching changes? Holy cow? What is happening here?
My opinion is that we are STARTING to see the fruits of coaching continuity.
This team is close! Say what you will about the teams play and coaching decisions but be honest with yourself and look back to August and tell me what you thought our record would be right now.
There was talk that maybe WKU and Wake might be tossup games for us.
We lost to 4 top 20 teams in OSU, MSU, Iowa and MU.
Yes we lost to Rutgers (broke my third remote during that game) but we have been competitive and played well for the most part.
Blow it all up? Why?
I can see why the D has struggled.
The only coach that has been with them from day 1 is coach Shelby.
Say what you will for Offensive changes but we all know CKW calls those shots and will until he leaves.
From my viewpoint this is the second season for a head coach that had to find his way and we are starting to see some movement in the right direction.
Let's see what we had when he was hired.
2010:
Saturday
Oct. 23
at Illinois Fighting Illini
Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL Lost 43-13
Saturday
Nov. 13
at Wisconsin Badgers
Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI Lost 83-20
I wanted to take this time to walk through the coaching staff and changes since CKW was hired and just discuss what I think we have seen through 4+ seasons.
2011
Kevin Wilson Head Coach/Tight Ends Coach
Kevin Johns Co-Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach
Rod Smith Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach
Mike Ekeler Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach
Doug Mallory Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties Coach
Mark Hagen Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Tackles Coach
Brett Dierson Recruiting Coordinator/Defensive Ends Coach
Greg Frey Offensive Line Coach
Deland McCullough Running Backs Coach
Brandon Shelby Cornerbacks Coach
Notice the number of names no longer with us?
50% of these are no longer here.
You can debate all you want who was good and who was not but I will bet right now that the only guy on the list of coaches who are gone that EVERYBODY would agree we would still like to have is Mark Hagen.
Rod Smith... Easy to forget, Offense was vanilla, Quarterback play was crummy
Mike Ekeler... Rah Rah coach
Doug Mallory... Say what you will but I am not sold on him sucking as bad as many think.
Mark Hagen... Great rep coming in, D-Line played hard and well.
Brett Dierson... Who? I think this was a "who can I get at the last second" guy with no experience.
Remember as well that we lost some coaches even before they suited up the first time.
2012
Kevin Wilson Head Coach/Tight Ends Coach
Kevin Johns Co-Offensive Coordinator, QB & WR Coach
Seth Littrell Co-Offensive Coordinator, TE & FB Coach
Mike Ekeler Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach
Doug Mallory Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties Coach
Mark Hagen Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Tackles Coach
John Fabris Recruiting Coordinator/Defensive Ends Coach
Greg Frey Offensive Line Coach
Deland McCullough Running Backs Coach
Brandon Shelby Cornerbacks Coach
Now we get rid of Rod Smith and Brett Dierson to bring in Seth Littrell and John Fabris.
Littrell was in my opinion a really good OC and did a nice job with TE and FB's.
John Fabris? Not sure I saw much that I think stood out from his coaching.
So offense gets a facelift and Defense gets a new D-line coach. Offense wins, D stays the course.
2013
Kevin Wilson Head Coach
Doug Mallory Asst. Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator
William Inge Co-Defensive Coordinator, LB
Seth Littrell Offensive Coordinator, TE & FB
Jon Fabris Defensive Line
Greg Frey Run Game Coordinator, OL
James Patton Recruiting & Special Teams Coordinator, Asst. DL
Kevin Johns Co-Offensive Coordinator, QB & WR
Deland McCullough Running Backs Coach
Brandon Shelby Cornerbacks
So Ekeler cuts and runs to USC and Mark Hagen leaves for Texas A&M.
In my opinion we lost big when Hagen left.
James Patton comes in with no experience with D-line play.
Good coach, just not a defensive coach.
I think we got an upgrade when William Inge came in for Ekeler, but again you lose continuity.
2014
Kevin Wilson Head Coach
Kevin Johns Offensive Coordinator, QB & WR
Brian Knorr Defensive Coordinator, DE & OLB
Greg Frey Co-Offensive Coordinator, OL
William Inge Co-Defensive Coordinator, LB
Deland McCullough Running Backs Coach
Larry McDaniel Defensive Line
James Patton TE & FB, Off. Recruiting Coord.
Brandon Shelby Cornerbacks
Noah Joseph S, Def. Recruiting Coord.
So we cut the ties with DM and John Fabris. We lose a really good OC in Littrell as well.
No loss with Fabris in my opinion.
Brian Knorr is brought in as DC, DE and OLB coach.
Upgrade? Only time will tell.
Noah Joseph brought in as DB coach and the hire of Larry McDaniel for D-Line coach.
I think McDaniel is a great hire. Not sold on Joseph YET.
2015
Kevin Wilson Head Coach
Kevin Johns Offensive Coordinator, QB & WR
Brian Knorr Defensive Coordinator, DE & OLB
Greg Frey Co-Offensive Coordinator, OL
William Inge Co-Defensive Coordinator, LB
Deland McCullough Running Backs Coach
Larry McDaniel Defensive Line
James Patton TE & FB, Off. Recruiting Coord.
Brandon Shelby Cornerbacks
Noah Joseph S, Def. Recruiting Coord.
What? No coaching changes? Holy cow? What is happening here?
My opinion is that we are STARTING to see the fruits of coaching continuity.
This team is close! Say what you will about the teams play and coaching decisions but be honest with yourself and look back to August and tell me what you thought our record would be right now.
There was talk that maybe WKU and Wake might be tossup games for us.
We lost to 4 top 20 teams in OSU, MSU, Iowa and MU.
Yes we lost to Rutgers (broke my third remote during that game) but we have been competitive and played well for the most part.
Blow it all up? Why?
I can see why the D has struggled.
The only coach that has been with them from day 1 is coach Shelby.
Say what you will for Offensive changes but we all know CKW calls those shots and will until he leaves.
From my viewpoint this is the second season for a head coach that had to find his way and we are starting to see some movement in the right direction.
Let's see what we had when he was hired.
2010:
Saturday
Oct. 23
at Illinois Fighting Illini Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL Lost 43-13
Saturday
Nov. 13
at Wisconsin Badgers Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI Lost 83-20
