Coaching Shake up... OC Likens out

Mainstreet

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The timing seems a bit odd before the bowl game.

I guess it means Herm was not happy with the offense.
 
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The timing seems a bit odd before the bowl game.

I guess it means Herm was not happy with the offense.

Its optimal timing if next season is the priority.

They will start their search right away and have a leg up on everyone else as the coaches begin to shuffle.
 

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Its optimal timing if next season is the priority.

They will start their search right away and have a leg up on everyone else as the coaches begin to shuffle.

I would guess that they have replacements already in mind. And given that they will now have a ton of practice time between now and the bowl game, Herm is probably thinking of using this time to begin the process of uninstalling the prior scheme...
 

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Its optimal timing if next season is the priority.

They will start their search right away and have a leg up on everyone else as the coaches begin to shuffle.

I would guess that they have replacements already in mind. And given that they will now have a ton of practice time between now and the bowl game, Herm is probably thinking of using this time to begin the process of uninstalling the prior scheme...

I'm glad if Herm sees a problem he fixes it. I still have flashbacks to that Utah game.
 

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Sure but I'd imagine that Daniels has been chomping at the bit too.

The Sun Devils are building the offense around Daniels. Maybe they have some coaches in mind who can help him grow. He has the chance to be an elite quarterback.

Also the Sun Devils have a top recruiting class they want to please.
 

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Surprising. It felt like the offense challenges were due to youth but this signals, at least in Herm's mind, that coaching/play calling was a bigger issue.
 
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Surprising. It felt like the offense challenges were due to youth but this signals, at least in Herm's mind, that coaching/play calling was a bigger issue.


I think the youth and especially the youth on the OL due to injuries was a major factor all year. That gave Likens good cause to dial things back and simplify the play calling.

But in the end, I think that Herm knows his ass is on the line and wants his own guys, not Todd Graham's guys going forward. The failure to put enough points in the board is giving him an opening to do that.
 

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Hue was a disaster as an NFL head coach, but he was pretty highly regarded as an OC back in the day.

I was wondering about that. My assumption was he must have been a good enough coordinator to get a head coaching gig. My only experience is Hue as NFL HC and, well, I think we all know how that went.
 
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Hue was a disaster as an NFL head coach, but he was pretty highly regarded as an OC back in the day.


He had a couple of rough gigs as HC for sure, Oakland and Cleveland.

Interestingly, he used to coach at ASU as well:

  • Pacific (1987–1989)
    Graduate assistant, Wide receivers, Running backs & special teams coach
  • Cal State Fullerton (1990–1991)
    Running backs coach & special teams coach
  • London Monarchs (1991)
    Running backs coach
  • Arizona State (1992–1994)
    Running backs coach
  • Arizona State (1995)
    Quarterbacks coach
  • California (1996)
    Offensive coordinator & quarterbacks coach
  • USC (1997)
    Offensive coordinator & quarterbacks coach
  • USC (1998–1999)
    Offensive coordinator & running backs coach
  • USC (2000)
    Offensive coordinator & quarterbacks coach
  • Washington Redskins (2001–2002)
    Running backs coach
  • Washington Redskins (2003)
    Offensive coordinator
  • Cincinnati Bengals (2004–2006)
    Wide receivers coach
  • Atlanta Falcons (2007)
    Offensive coordinator
  • Baltimore Ravens (2008–2009)
    Quarterbacks coach
  • Oakland Raiders (2010)
    Offensive coordinator
  • Oakland Raiders (2011)
    Head coach
  • Cincinnati Bengals (2012)
    Secondary assistant & special teams coach
  • Cincinnati Bengals (2013)
    Running backs coach
  • Cincinnati Bengals (2014–2015)
    Offensive coordinator
  • Cleveland Browns (2016–2018)
    Head coach
  • Cincinnati Bengals (2018)
    Special assistant to the head coach

I think he could be a great OC and mentor to Jayden Daniels. I am just not sure if he is up for diving back into the recruiting that is necessary at the college level. But from his resume, I bet he has a lot of experience with it and contacts in California.
 

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He had a couple of rough gigs as HC for sure, Oakland and Cleveland.

Interestingly, he used to coach at ASU as well:



I think he could be a great OC and mentor to Jayden Daniels. I am just not sure if he is up for diving back into the recruiting that is necessary at the college level. But from his resume, I bet he has a lot of experience with it and contacts in California.

What do you think this means for the style of offense if Hue is hired?
 
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What do you think this means for the style of offense if Hue is hired?


Check out this article I posted above: https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/what-to-expect-from-hue-jackson-s-new-offense-012016

Seems that he would have a lot of different looks to draw from. He runs a pro set, with a lot of different looks, shifts, motions. Likes the power running game, also likes the vertical passing game. I think he worked with Steve Spurrier, and also was OC at Cal, so that tells me that he would try to establish a solid passing attack utilizing Jayden Daniels.
 
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Prentice Gill has joined the ASU coaching staff in a position yet to be determined.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/spo...l-hire-oregon-ducks-prentice-gill/2587775001/


Nice pick up off of the Oregon coaching staff. Young guy, played WR in So Cal, sounds like he is going to be a big help in recruiting, hopefully on the road already!

Gill, 29, is from Los Angeles, playing wide receiver at Cathedral High School and LA Harbor College before finishing his college career in and 2010-11 at Old Dominion. He was a graduate assistant for three years at USC before moving to Oregon for one season.

Gill gives ASU another elite recruiter, particularly in California, to go with recruiting coordinator/linebackers coach Antonio Pierce, defensive backs coach Tony White and defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales.
 

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Yeah, could be a good hire. Herm seems to be putting an emphasis on guys with strong recruiting backgrounds, and that could pay dividends - it already seems to have with Pierce and others.

To be honest, not sorry to see Likens go. I thought it was a shaky hire in the first place, and the sluggish offense in the TC (and other) games was brutal to have to watch. This wins Herm some points in my book.
 

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ASU is in the mix for some big time receivers from Southern California.

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Mainstreet

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I found some interesting comments in an azcentral article this morning which may hint on why Likens was terminated.

Here are a couple of snippets:


While the Sun Devils' offensive game plans may have seemed conservative at times, Likens says his priority was doing what was right for true freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels, as well as his backup, another true freshman in Joey Yellen, who got a start when Daniels was out with a knee injury


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I didn't compromise what I believe in and a big part of that is taking care of my players," he said. "We had out guys lined up against other guys that have been in a college weight room three or four years. I had to make sure I was looking out for my quarterback."


https://www.azcentral.com/story/spo...otball-rob-likens-firing-reaction/2603224001/
 

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