Duane Akina & The DBs
The conventional wisdom on Duane Akina is that he is a damn fine defensive backs coach who has proven to be a horrid defensive coordinator. I don’t think the latter is debatable for most sentient beings. The former may be more debatable than most would think at first blush.
I’d contend that a good DB coach performs three major functions: teaches individual skills to players, teaches coverages and concepts as a total unit, & identifies and recruits talent. Interestingly, in reference to Akina, Texas fans only talk about the first part of the equation when the latter two points are as, if not more, vital.
With regards to building individual skills, Akina deserves his accolades. I know this because Aaron Ross baked him a Thorpe Award made of chocolate. His charges like and trust him, he has transformed track and/or pure cover types into physical players resulting in two Thorpe awards, and guys generally show individual progress under his tutelage, irrespective of the idiot schemes we’ve been putting them in (Mike Griffin).
It gets murky at the unit level. This is the middle ground between individual coaching and coordinator level coaching. Given the results on the field, I seriously question his ability to impart unit concepts to form a cohesive secondary. Specifically basic zone principles or blended zone/man coverages. Unfortunately, these are the necessary prerequisites for defending the spread offenses that are now the norm in the Big 12. Last year’s secondary was extremely talented and experienced but horrendous in terms of scheme and an understanding of what was required of them; this year’s secondary has sub-par talent with absolutely no understanding of what is required of them. Blaming youth or inexperience isn’t an option: we’re a relatively old secondary vis a vis college football comparables. Youth as culprit would also suggest that we would improve as the season progresses rather than get markedly worse.
Finally, identifying and recruiting talent. The talent level at different positions can wax and wane each year, but there’s probably no position more consistently abundant with talent in Texas than DB. Also, it is legal to leave the state of Texas and recruit if you feel a crop isn’t up to standard. Between 2003-2006, Duane Akina recruited pretty poorly at this position: a lot of bad players, a lot of bad attitudes, and not enough numbers. We have eight scholarship DBs on our roster from those four years, most of them average. Four years, four spots on the field, and we have eight guys on the current roster. Mull that over. We should have at least 12 guys from those classes with 2-3 impact players from the sophomore, junior, senior classes. There’s no doubt this is on Mack too, but Akina is a coordinator level guy who is charged with this stuff. If he’s that neutered, Sally should coach our DBs. Let’s take a look:
2003
Brandon Foster (fast, can wear Herve Villechaise’s wardrobe, avoids contact, mediocre)
Erick Jackson (perennial underachiever despite thirty seven years in the program)
Tarrell Brown (good player, poor choices off of the field, NFL)
Michael Griffin (good player, declined senior year playing Mickey Mouse schemes, NFL)
Marcus Griffin (walk on, mediocre, Akina grades him above Ronnie Lott)
2004
Drew Kelson (smart, good athlete, enigmatic non-contributor in senior year)
Ryan Palmer (Ewok, scrappy, competitive, should be starting at Tech)
Bobby Tatum (buh bye Bobby)
2005
Ishie Oduegwu (world not yet on fire; not a misprint: we took a grand total of one DB in this class)
2006
James Henry (thug trash, bitches must be kicked)
Robert Joseph (thug trash, we knew it before signing him, we were desperate)
Chykie Brown (good potential)
Deon Beasley (good potential)
Thankfully, 2007 features an elite group of defensive backs of the variety that I can watch one minute of film and know that they’re ’ship worthy. They will restore order in 2009, but for four long years, Duane Akina generally did a dogshit job of talent identification. Mack’s solution was to promote him.
Let me throw a few of the options available to us in the state of Texas during a couple of those years that I came up with off of the top of my head. You could probably add to the list. None of these guys are out-of-the-blue sleepers and were very well known.
2003/2004
Ashton Youboty - big corner from Klein, All Big 10, NFL 3rd rounder, went pro early
Darien Williams - very solid safety for OU, two year starter
Chris Houston - Austin freaking LBJ. Best cover corner in the SEC at Arkansas. Ran a 4.3 at the NFL combine and benched 225 27 times. NFL 2nd rounder
Dominique Brooks - CU. Quality multi-year starter for Buffs
Marcus Walker - Waco guy. 2nd team All-Big 12 at OU. 2nd year starting
Lendy Holmes - starter at OU, solid player
Aqib Talib Richardson Berkner. KU All-American. Will be a 1st or 2nd round NFL guy
Conclusion: Making a change solely on the MacDuff side of the equation won’t address the core problems so long as Mack gives Akina titular control of his secondary schemes. If Duane Akina has his ego bruised being demoted from DC to just defensive backs coach, he should hit the skids, because it won’t take much effort to replace him with someone of comparable or greater ability.
I know I’m in a minority position here, so I’m interested in your thoughts…
November 26, 2007 at 12:32 pm
MOAR DEATH EWOK!
November 26, 2007 at 12:32 pm
When he recruited Foster and Palmer, Akina made it known privately that he viewed them as future nickel backs. Now they’re starting.
November 26, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Which reminds me: Damn, wouldn’t Colt McCoy make a great backup QB?
I don’t see how Akina stays at UT if he loses the DC gig. He’s not going back to just coaching secondary. He’s taking his “I crap Thorpe Awards” record to another school where he thinks he’ll be able to move up the ladder. Personal pride, career opportunities, etc.
November 26, 2007 at 1:02 pm
I think that if career opportunities were that important to him, he would have bolted before now. I wouldn’t be surprised if he takes the demotion back to DBs, since it most likely will not come with a pay cut.
November 26, 2007 at 1:13 pm
He still makes a buttload of money, lives in Austin and picks up lots of ladies with that stache! He should try working in the cubicle 40+ hours a week.
November 26, 2007 at 1:14 pm
Agreed with Woody.
It is either keep Akina as DC, which obviously isn’t an option, or remove him entirely from the staff.
It’s not just Akina, Duff and Davis though. Our staff generally sucks top to bottom, particularly at the top but there is plenty of blame to spread at the position coach level.
In fact, almost everyone associated with the football program from Cleve Bryant to Fat Dog to Greg Davis to Bill Little to Duane Akina should be excised.
November 26, 2007 at 1:15 pm
Woody, you’re right if it were you or me, but I actually have to agree with BigSatan. This isn’t exactly a staff of go-getters. They’ve got a pretty good thing going in Austin. Being busted down the ladder doesn’t really phase you if you’re still making great dough, get a fat retirement, enjoy stability, and can coach elite level talent.
And he’ll probably still keep the DC title for $$ purposes and appearance sake.
November 26, 2007 at 1:16 pm
The DBs and LBs have looked lost and confused all season. That 44 yard wheel route to Goodson was exhibit A.
Everyone stands around watching the QB as a player in the other team’s uni goes streaking by. Not a single defensive player turns his head to pick him up. All 3 LBs stay home waiting for……(still trying to figure this out)
November 26, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Most of this staff is just waiting for a piece of Sun City real estate to open up close enough to the golf course.
Then they’ll havea reason for leaving Mack’s warm sunny front porch.
November 26, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Interesting questions Scipio.
In fairness, Akina deserves kudos for also developing (or further developing) guys like Jammer, Babers, Vasher, and Ced Griffin.
Re recruiting, and as odd as this sounds, Akina is not solely responsible for the DB hits/misses since the primary recruiting areas are divided by geography not position. That said, Joseph and Henry were both Akina recruits and they have to lay at his feet.
I have a hard time laying scheme-based unit blame on the position coach unless it involves personnel decisions. In my book, Akina gets a pass on that under Chizik.
This year conversely, he should take full blame for that failure.
So, in essence, I am OK with Akina “only being” the DB coach, but I assume he won’t accept that. Fine, hit the road jack. We can find another.
Akina as the DC has got to go. Larry MacDuff earning a paycheck as an LB or a ST coach borders on grand larceny.
All that said, I doubt either happens.
November 26, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Bragg:
“Re recruiting, and as odd as this sounds, Akina is not solely responsible for the DB hits/misses since the primary recruiting areas are divided by geography not position.”
No, ultimately it’s on Mack. But position coaches have final say (or an extremely strong voice) on guys they’ll be coaching, irrespective of geographical assignment.
November 26, 2007 at 1:31 pm
His hit rate is not bad, but it is the overall quantity, so that is as much about other positions taking up roster spots with worthless players IMO.
November 26, 2007 at 1:40 pm
I’m on record favoring Akina returning to coaching the DB position skills and bringing in a competent DC. I wasn’t aware Akina was struggling with unit concepts but that would explain why our NFL talent appeared to play so poorly at UT. Mack has the final say on who gets offered the limited scholarships. I don’t know why the above mentioned standout DBs chose other schools but I bet somebody else does.
November 26, 2007 at 2:36 pm
Agree on lack of development of DB’s into a cohesive, effective unit. When you rank somewhere in the triple digits two years running in pass defense, I’m looking at the secondary coach for justification. Blame it on lack of pass rush or poor LBer play if you wish, but Akina should be the primary one to be held accountable (if we did that anymore, that is).
November 26, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Scipio,
Outstanding post. I do not follow recruiting very closely outside of the offensive skill positions so I found your Akina-era recap particularly astonishing.
Regarding Drew Kelson, is there any objective explanation as to why one of the ‘05 defense’s brightest young stars completely vanished from our secondary, even prior to this year’s injury?
November 26, 2007 at 3:37 pm
Also, I know the coachspeak re: Kelson has often centered on his “struggles in practice”. Considering our defense almost never practices in full pads, are we supposed to believe that he does a poor job of lifting his hands in the air after pursuing a ball carrier wearing a t-shirt and shorts??
November 26, 2007 at 3:39 pm
What about Curtis Brown?
November 26, 2007 at 3:46 pm
As if often noted, the entire staff needs to quit using Texas Football as their sole source of information on high school kids. No one who actually watched Marcus Griffin in high school would ever have suggested he could start for Sam Houston, much less Texas.
November 26, 2007 at 4:15 pm
Marcus was a walk on so after watching him in high school, our staff didn’t think he could start at Texas either. He did some things after he got on the 40 acres that changed their mind. What that is, I have no idea.
November 26, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Crown & Coke:
Apparently, Kelson doesn’t move that well laterally. I have so little trust for the acumen of some members of this staff that I wonder if that’s the case. It’s not like we set up safeties to thrive in the Akina abortion unless they’re Michael Huff supermen who can run 4.3, have incredible change of direction, and are fearless in run support. Hint: if only Superman can make your system work, your system fucking sucks.
Drew:
What about him?
November 26, 2007 at 5:40 pm
I went to Texas. My daddy went to Texas. My daddy’s daddy went to Texas. Texas is better. Texas is “9-3 is rock bottom, 8-4 and you step down.” Mack could be stepping down next year.
November 26, 2007 at 6:02 pm
One trait in a coach is that his team, unit, or the players he is directly responsible for become better. It doesn’t take years to see improvement. It might take time to get to where said coach wants his charges to be playing at, but improvement shows early returns.
Aaron Ross won the Thorpe on the worst Texas secondary in terms of stats in history. That lasted of course one year, but that was like Paul Horning winning the Heisman.
As Scipo pointed out Akina has failed at recruiting his position for years. Add to it his comments that none of the veteran LB’s had done anything to warrant benching some here want this idiot to return in any shape, form, or fashion?
Lastly, his input into hiring McDuff is a solid reason to release him to bigger and better opportunities that we all hear he has each year. Just as we here about Greg Davis when we all know it simply is not true.
Least we forget, what exactly does Bruce Chambers draw a paycheck for? This staff is littered with fat, lazy, overpaid coaches who simply are getting their asses handed to them on game days and in recruiting. The later is what Brown has to be superior in on the field to stand a chance of winning due to being such a poor game day coach.
November 26, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Regarding recruiting of DBs, for years we were stacked in the secondary. Thus, making it difficult to attract 4&5 star guys and commit scholarships there.
November 26, 2007 at 6:53 pm
13ev0:
Oh, that explains it.
November 26, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Very interesting discussion that adds needed nuance to the the usual “hater” v. “pumper” shoutfest. It isn’t as simple as Coach X is an idiot or not. How is he at the identifiable aspects of his job?
Scipio’s categories (relating to players and basic skill-building, teaching cohesive schemes to a group, identifying and recruiting talent) might well apply to most other assistants on the staff as well, with modifications by position. By most accounts, for example, GD is better at relating to and developing QB’s (most of whom speak well of him also) than with scheming and play-calling for the larger group.
If that is so, then this may be another example of organizations taking their cues from the top. Have we assembled a staff of mini-Macks long on relating to players and developing basic individual position skills but lacking in strategic acumen and teaching group-level cohesiveness (not to mention accountability)?
November 26, 2007 at 8:05 pm
Nauf Side!!
Tarell shoulda got dem boiz to come with him.
Holla!
November 26, 2007 at 8:09 pm
hopeful:
That’s a really thoughtful post. I’d like to think about it a bit.
November 26, 2007 at 8:12 pm
“Oh, that explains it.”
Looking at 2005, when we awarded 1 recruit a scholarship, it does. And do you really believe Yabouty comes to Texas to back up Huff, Griffins, Brown, Ross, Kelson (the #1 Safety recruit in 2004)?
I’m all for firing Akina during the 3rd Quarter of A&M even, but I think you’re stretching if you believe we haven’t recruited secondary in past years. You can’t jam pack each class with secondary players (Like we did last year). Recruiting hasn’t been the problem.
November 26, 2007 at 8:14 pm
Scip,
Oh, and I missed your post saying we should allow OU to recruit Joseph, Henry & Bobby Tatum (I’m bluffing, I have no idea if you were the seer).
November 26, 2007 at 9:52 pm
The handling (or, to be correct, mis-handling) of Drew Kelson is one of the worst job of coaching I’ve ever seen.
I will not be at all surprised if he pulls a Marcus Wilkins on us.
November 26, 2007 at 11:58 pm
Coaches have said - literally - for 4 years that Kelson didn’t have the ‘hips’ to play DB for them.
I look at what we’ve fielded at times and unless the kid’s got a set of implanted titaniums and requires a walker he should have been out on the fucking field. Just a complete mystery.
November 27, 2007 at 7:47 am
Blaming lack of recruiting because player A or B was here is total BS. Florida, tOSU, USC, LSU, reload every year! WTF are we doing, recruiting 5-9 dbs and walk ons…Hell im not even sure it would make a difference, we rank 103 national against the pass, and made A&M look like Tech. Wake up, highway partrol dude needs to go and if Mack gets in the way can his candy ass too! What is Mack’s record vs our rivals anyway???
OU……..3-6
A&M…….7-3
Arkansas..2-2(?)* Im not sure on this one…
Anyway, our overal record before MB got here against these schools was much better than .500, Just embarrising we’ve accepted this BS to continue.
Who is McDuff? and what does he do?
November 27, 2007 at 7:53 am
Ya, I remember how poor his hips looked when he locked down reggie bush in ‘05
This staff has cost Drew about 20 million dollars. Half of their paychecks ought to be sent to his home address.
November 27, 2007 at 8:47 am
Kelson’s hips also looked incredibly gay when he pummeled the ball loose from Justin Zwick to preserve the tOSU victory.
November 27, 2007 at 9:08 am
“Hint: if only Superman can make your system work, your system fucking sucks.”
ie. vince young - greg davis
November 27, 2007 at 9:11 am
Akina needs to move on.
I think Mack should hire Tim Nunez to take over in the secondary.
November 27, 2007 at 11:37 am
Akina’s greatest coaching feats were performed under Reese, teaching exclusively man coverage to NFL-type players Jammer and Vasher, and Babers (borderline NFL).
He had a good secondary with 3 1st rounders, 1 2nd rounder, and 1 5th rounder whose character dropped his draft stock. Of course, USC’s 1st-2nd rounders made them look like buffoons.
I hate the guy.