I have been critical of Coach Hiller. I'm not going to re-hash my concerns. However, he has done a phenomenal job with the offensive line. The push upfront has been tremendous and the line has dominated in both phases of the game. We will learn more this week, but until then...kudos!
Offensive line coach
- Thread starter Chriselli
- Start date
Many here had reservations about Hiller the moment he was brought on board. I don't know if I had reservations but I certainly didn't think he would be nearly as good as Fry was.
Honestly, Hiller has this group playing as good if not a little better than the Greg Fry coached lines. They need to control the MSU front so Stevie can really shine.
Honestly, Hiller has this group playing as good if not a little better than the Greg Fry coached lines. They need to control the MSU front so Stevie can really shine.
Hiller’s guys have had a good start. Let’s hope they can keep it going as they move up in class and, most importantly, that they stay healthy.
Having seen Frys work with supposedly much more talent (stars, remember those all telling star ratings) at both MI & Florida State I'm not so sure we haven't upgraded at that coaching slot. It just might be that Wilson and Patton were the secret sauce behind our prior good Offensive Lines...
Coach Hiller has put more OLmen in the NFL than coach Frey has which was why I didn't understand the criticism last year about his coaching ability. Frey has not had good OLs at his last two stops. I don't doubt he is a good coach but it shows you are only as good as the players you have.
I also have been critical of the line performance and Hiller. Continued to be worried after the FIU game basically because we didn't convert 3rd and 1 plays. The last two weeks I have been impressed with the O-line and coach Hiller. The true test will be this week. We need to keep improving and getting better. So far I think the combination of a great off season strength and conditioning program is paying dividends. We have talent and depth up there with some real leadership. Coach Hiller is motivating these guys and you can see it.
I gotta believe as these linemen remember last years game they will show up with a nasty attitude Saturday and protect our home turf. Wear them down and finish this game strong!
I gotta believe as these linemen remember last years game they will show up with a nasty attitude Saturday and protect our home turf. Wear them down and finish this game strong!
I too was dubious at his hire, but have stated wanted to be fair and not judge on one year’s results. So far so good but think seeing how B10 games go is better body of work to judge. But I want him to succeed as it will mean IU is doing well!
I think the issues last season was he simply had a lot to fix. If you have paid attention to the OLs that Michigan and now Florida State has ran out there with our old OL coach, I think it's pretty clear what the problem was. Greg is a good guy and recruiter and he boosts his own NFL resume....but so does Darren Hiller. He has put a fix to this OL and given them an identity that's mean and nasty and bring your lunch every snap kind of thing. They've adapted well so far. Big test Saturday as MSU's run D is extremely good which means their DL is stout.
We have a long way to go to know what we have in the oline. Real FB starts this weekend. Succeed here and we can talk about comparisons. I must say the ability of this board to forget or rewrite history is amazing. Geeesh...wait to pin a medal after its earned. Fry's line stood up and won against OSU, UM on and on...defense was the problem...not the line. OMG...
IU had some great Olines under Frey, though I think it can be argued that it had more to do with him hitting some homeruns in recruiting with Spriggs and Feeney (and to some extent Camiel who maybe could have played in the NFL had he stayed healthy) than his technical coaching ability. He deserves some credit for helping developing those guys, but in 2016, when Frey was still around, the Oline was a disaster when Feeney was out injured, so its not like he was some miracle worker with Olines.
Like most other things in football, Oline success is about experience and depth. A group of men all 22-years old with twenty or thirty games under their belts is going to outperform a group of 18 or 19-year-olds just getting their feet wet in high-level competition. Nowhere on the football field is the combination of technique, teamwork, and intellectual maturity as important as on the offensive line. For my money (outside of QB) offensive line is the most difficult and most important position in football.
Teams with deep, experienced lines have a huge advantage and more than anything else, this is the separator between the best and the also-ran programs. Alabama and OSU aren't better than everybody else because they have better skill position players. They dominate you up front, end of story.
Last year's struggles weren't about Hiller's coaching (or Frey's coaching). They were about playing too many young, inexperienced guys. Some of that was injuries, some about not managing a roster effectively in recruiting, and some about guys who didn't get serious about improving their strength and technique until they were getting their ass kicked in games.
The upside is that last year's misfortune is this year's gain. A deep group with experience who by all accounts have bought in to their own development. The judgment on Hiller (and Tom Allen) will be their ability to bring in quality linemen with each class who can spend a year or two developing and then be ready to step up and contribute at a high level so that we always have experienced players up front.
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