OU Finds Their Man For D-Line Opening (UPDATED)
Posted on: February 19, 2015
Image via coachesinc.com
According to multiple reports (here & here), OU appears to have found their replacement for the recently departed Jerry Montgomery. Stanford ‘defensive assistant’ Diron Reynolds is expected to be named the new defensive line coach at the University of Oklahoma.
While this is probably a name a lot of football fans may not be familiar with, a quick glance at his resume certainly fits the criteria for what we believe OU has been looking for in a new hire. In addition to his albeit brief stay at Stanford, he also brings a pretty extensive NFL background to the table as well having spent time with Colts, Dolphins & Vikings.
We will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
– UPDATE: OU makes the hiring of Diron Reynolds official.
BREAKING: @OU_CoachStoops adds Diron Reynolds as DL coach.
STORY: http://t.co/vlKsyt2M2b pic.twitter.com/ebJHW2CCCr
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) February 19, 2015
505 Comments
I’m intrigued.
Interesting.
Looks to be a very solid guy with a strong NFL background and certainly Cali connections could possibly pay dividends in recruiting.
Yeah but does he have the grades to be eligible? Stanford, sheesh.
Don’t forget two degrees from Wake Forest
I like it. Brings in a lot of valuable experience from the nfl.
Only one year fully in charge of a position group in the last ten years. The rest are “assistant” something. Very little college experience, none in the last decade, when we need a recruiter. Not to mention he basically didn’t have a job last year. Strange hire, IMO.
Now, the dude may be incredible, and I am all for that. I think this hire has upside with the NFL experience, but it is a strange one to me.
Fortunately Bob does not consult negative nellies!
If I were an incoming defensive lineman, I would love the opportunity to be coached up by someone who knows first hand what it takes to make it in the NFL. I think that alone will help recruiting take its course. Very excited about the potential hire.
I’m tired of overly critical OU fans. “He’s never recruited before” “All those NFL teams sucked” are you serious? They dude hasn’t even said Boomer Sooner yet!! Michigan was atrocious when Jerry Montgomery was there and Bob saw past that. I’ll trust him again here
Understand your passion but it’s the same passion that leads some to be concerned Chris. Nothing wrong with people venting on our site. I will say that I’m very intrigued by the hire. Am trying to talk to folks who might know him so that I can educate myself but at first glance there is a lot I like about it.
……look forward to your impressions after you’ve consulted……..thxs
Agreed. Your sources are good, K. Looking forward to your impressions.
I agree. In Bob I trust… Not that my vote counts much to Bob or the staff… 🙂
I’m down on Bob for not replacing Mike & Kish, but of all the names who’ve been mentioned as possibles, I like this guy the most. With his NFL experience, and the fact David Shaw saw fit to hire him, I cannot complain. Well done, Bob.
I’m not down on Stoops
I believe he always finds great coaches
It just isn’t always popular with the “passionate” OU fans
I like Stanford. One of my fav teams. I like Shaw. I like the point about Shaw seeing enough to hire him.
I was really worried about this hire based on some of names that were being thrown around but…
I love this hire!
Relatively young, well-versed in the 3-4, 11 years NFL experience.
Very excited about this hire.
Disagree re: 3-4 point. Don’t think it’s a huge deal necessarily, but I don’t believe based on his bio he has a ton of experience in a 3-4 scheme.
Jordan, do you happen to know what specifically he did as a defensive assistant at Standford?
Given his background, I’d expect he assisted the D-line coach
Maybe I’m wrong on that. Would Bob hire someone who wasn’t experienced in the 3-4, though? Also I thought when he was with the Dolphins and Vikings they ran the 3-4?
Vikings have run a 4-3 for a while now, and I believe throughout Diron’s entire time in Minnesota. I’m not sure about the Dolphins.
07 Dolphins ran a 4-3 under Dom Capers…But Capers speciality is the 34…our new coach was the DL coach, sure he learned a bit with Capers. Either way, he has experience under two of the best d coaches Tony Dungy and Capers. Ironic that JM is not under Capers.
I don’t believe that’s the case. As I understand it all of his NFL stops were w/ 4-3 defenses
Wait, doesn’t Stanford run a 3-4?
Yes but he was only there for one year. I don’t think it’s a big deal but others on here do. He has tons of experience with top level players so I’m confident he’ll adjust.
Stanford runs a 3-4.
Yes, but he was there for just one year (this past 2014 season). And, fwiw, wasn’t a position coach.
Does it matter since OU will run a 3-1-7??
YESSIR!!! Welcome Diron
Not a knock on Diron and Welcome aboard to him but this hire makes me wonder how many potential DCs turned down the OU offer prior to him accepting. Im just guessing he wasnt our first choice.
Bob wasn’t hiring a DC, he got what he wanted in a DL coach.
With Cooks being the only coach on the defensive side of the ball with any kind of positive recruiting pedigree I would imagine that that aspect of the job would and should be VERY important. Obviously the jury is out on whether he will turn into a good recruiter but personally Id have liked to see some very positive prior results in this hire.
Your original post said nothing about recruiting. As others are saying, I’ll trust Bob’s judgement.
The two posts weren’t necessarily related.
Im trusting Bob as well but as we all know Bob certainly isnt infallible with some of the hires he’s made ( See Kittle ).
Agreed. My trust in Bob’s “judgment” was forfeited a while ago. See Kittle.
I don’t care if he was 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th choice. He is now our DL coach and I am excited. Not much to not like here.
There’s always more than one. We may not know about them but they are out there. Logic says go after the proven coach. I’m sure we tried. They probably liked their situation and chose to stay put.
Because we didn’t get them, doesn’t mean we’re settling.
Any time you dont get your #1 choice by definition you’re “settling”
You mean like Billy Tubbs?
As sexy as it is to have Saban, everyone doesn’t. However, Meyers won the championship. tOSU didn’t settle.
Im not implying that sometimes by “settling” it doesnt work out great but obviously if you dont get the #1 or #2 person that you want then as mentioned it IS settling for a third or fourth choice.
Obviously this is speculation on my part as he might have been Bobs first choice although I doubt it.
You definitely have a good point. If you keep drilling down, you will eventually settle. Which is why I was glad to see the coaches not offer JUCO LBs.
Funny story: I asked a friend once, who would you date given the choice between Jessica Alba and Eva Longoria? He said, I’ll let you have first pick and take the one left.
I’m honestly not sure Bob necessarily had a “1st choice.” Many times in coaching situations*, a lot of these guys are equal 1 and 1A’s until the interviews.. Basically, they are all tied in Bobs book until one of them stands out in the interview process. Lets hope thats how Bob saw it anyway..cuz this dude has a helluva resume..
*But you are absolutely correct too, other times there is a clear cut favorite and he doesnt pan out for some reason or other, and then “settling” happens.
Actually TOSU did settle..Meyers offered Mike a million to come be DC at TOSU and he turnt it down and came to OU
Who is Meyeres?
Meyer’s. Urban. Outfitters.
Urban
It was a jab for not saying “Meyer”
I hope he brings the aggressive line play of the Tampa 2 defense that Dungy & Kiffin use. Not necessarily the cover schemes cause these spread attaches would love 2 deep safeties and a wide open middle most of the time. The lines however are usually real aggressive and attaching and we need that to continue to putting pressure on the other teams offense.
As of others have said, “intriguing” is the word that comes to mind, and i mean that in a positive way 🙂
Welcome, Coach Reynolds!
I say that without reservation!!!
I found this in case anyone was interested in seeing it… http://coachesinc.com/documents/Diron%20Reynolds%20Resume%20redacted.pdf
ty
Thanks, I borrowed the link to use in replies as well- hope you don’t mind
Don’t mind at all.
But can he recruit?
I can bet you, Bob is not about to hire anyone who can’t recruit well.
But he hasn’t recruited.
The sun’s shining, it really is.
🙂
This should get interesting…
I was going to make a snarky response about all the bums he hired cause they were his buddies, but decided against it.
11 years NFL coaching experience will get him in a lot of doors and have recruits interested in what he has to say! The rest is up to him!
Plus the bling, kids love to see the bling! He’ll be fine as a recruiter. He also has ties to the SE.
We won’t know that for a while, IMO.
Resume here: http://coachesinc.com/documents/Diron%20Reynolds%20Resume%20redacted.pdf
I remember that Minnesota defensive line being pretty damn salty with Jared Allen, Ray Edwards and the two Williams boys as the tackles.
True but he was an assistant, not the coach.
Yeah, and who knows what that job entails. Hopefully he soaked up some knowledge.
Jerry Montgomery just left OU to be a Defensive Assistant at Green Bay (not coaching any specific position) so we know great coaches and great recruiters can come from that line of work. LOL!
True but Jerry was a Dline coach at Michigan with a track record in recruiting.
Reynolds coached D line in Miami 07 under Dom Capers. Also coached under Tony Dungy.
Everything I am finding via internet and reading this seems to me that it is an excellent hire. Nothing but positives so far. Admittedly I had never heard of him until today. I think he will be good at recruiting. Just show the HS kids the bling (Super Bowl Ring). LOL.
on surface level i really like this guy.. however is anyone else concerned about Defensive Coordinator? I am not sure if we want Mike running the whole show by himself again..Is there going to be a CO-DC? if so who?
concerned, yes…is there change on the horizon, unclear at best. I would speculate with this hire that it seems that MS is riding solo as the DC of record. No information, just my thoughts.
This was always going to be the case. Regardless of who why hired or if Jerry had stayed.
Seems like they were striking out with big time splashy DL prospects.
I am of the mind set that we needed youth at DL with experience and a desire to prove something. I personally was never a fan of a big name somewhere else. If we were to get a big name from another school they would have needed to be the DC (I would have been cool with that). With this kid we have a coach that wants to prove himself, and make a name. I love the hire.
DC scares the hell out of me. More of the Mike Sideline Rampage Show.
It’s Mike’s show has been since BV left. Ultimately, position coaches get input, and I think MS bounces thoughts off Kish and BS…either way BS has to sign off on the scheme. So, as you know more than others I suppose, it’s on the head coach. In 2013 MS had OU ranked in the top 20 didn’t he? I think he still knows how to coach. I would like to ask which Big 12 team has stopped any of the other teams lately?
I just hate that tired old line, not bagging on you. I think Mike is done. I think his style is old and it just sounds like ranting and the kids have tuned him out. I’m just done with it, man. We’ve been hearing for years how “it stops with Bob.” “Bob signs off on the scheme.” Gag me.
Sorry it sounds like I’m bitching at you, I’m not. Just so sick of Mike.
I know. I agree about the yelling. But, again Saban yells and others also…Remember in 2013 MS screaming at Monty on the sidelines? And then, MS got in the referees way almost nullifying a big gainer to Sterling?
Cooks ? Maybe.. I really have never been a fan of co coordinators on O or D so it’s probably MS. But I think he will be fine. He gets to spend more time on game planning, attacking with the OLBs.
Interesting to say the least, we shall wait and see. Could be a big hire.
Giggled at this. “I have 4 aces but it’s not a Royal Flush, I’ll wait and see how the betting goes”.
I’m just glad the search is over. Now it’s time from him to get to work. (ok well give him the weekend off to move) Spring ball around the corner. 2015 DL not in limbo anymore. 2016 DL recruits out there to build relationships with. Full-steam ahead.
That’s right. Let’s go.
Originally loved the link between Reynolds and Stanford. Was crushed to see he was only there this year…in a down year for them. Pretty lukewarm on this as of now…
I would like to know the back story on this…..like who connected us with him and why.
No connection to Iowa. Capers in GB?
I found that Kish was the DC/LB Coach for Indiana 2002-2003. Reynolds was assistant at Indiana 2001-2002. So in 2002 did they work together? I don’t believe they did because there was a HC change in 2002.
Could have, there’s almost always a connection of some kind in a coaching hire.
Wow. If Kish is the connection…where is the nearest cliff of substantial height?
I’m rolling!
Where are you at and I’ll get the directions for you
You gonna be ok man? lol.
Ha.
Great.
Why? The 3/4 that Stanford ran when they were a great D is the same they ran last year. They had a dip in performance but the guy still was able to work with the alignment that has brought Stanford so much success. I think the guy is a homerun and then some.
That’s like hiring an assistant OL coach from Oregon because their offense has been amazing. Two-three years ago they were turning out monster DEs yearly. Now? Meh.
What about his record in recruiting? Any links?
The link posted below shows back in ’99-2002 he did some recruiting in the Carolina’s, Georgia, West Virginia, and Northern Fla. That’s been a long time ago.
Looks like recruiting is not his emphasis. But he should be able to teach d line. Seems the opposite of JM in this respect.
The Anit-JM is NOT what this program needs…especially in D recruiting.
Agree. We need an all-around guy. But short of that, this new coach has dl experience in the NFL.
So does Dusty Dvoracek. I’m just REALLY, like UBER, disappointed that he was not responsible for the greatness that Stanford’s 3-4 DL has been in previous years. My heart hurts.
He doesn’t show up as a recruiter for Stanford.
Yeah? I guess he is a coach first and foremost. Like Kish.
Maybe but considering we don’t have any good recruiters on our D staff makes it pretty alarming. Not saying he CAN’T recruit. Just saying there’s no history of him doing so that I can find.
read below
Already knew about that. Still can’t find where he landed any recruits. Only that he recruited certain states.
He has recruiting experience and has coached in the NFL so I’d say those are two pretty good head starts. But, as always, the proof’s in the pudding.
That is disconcerting. Is his line gonna be, “Hey, I was an NFL coach!”? I hope he can ink more than one player per class.
Well that seems to have sold the majority of OU fans on the surface, even if most of his NFL experience was creating opponent video tapes for position coaches.
He did coach the DL in 07 under Capers. He has more experience than JM has, but not the same recruiter.
He has two seasons under his belt as a DLine coach. JM has 7 years experience coaching DL. He doesn’t have anywhere NEAR the experience JM has.
NFL trumps College.
Nope. Sorry. One season coaching the Dolphins Dline doesn’t trump 7 years as a Dline coach in college. That’s just crazy talk.
Totally disagree. The NFL is far more sophisticated than college. He has worked in various jobs on the defense with top coaches like Tony Dungy and Capers. Monty left us all excited to get to do what Reynolds did 7 years ago under the same Capers!
He created opponent film for coaches. That’s not greater experience than actually coaching a college Dline. That’s a no sale.
He did more than make film
Okay. We can disagree about the value of the NFL vis a vis the college game. But you do know that NFL coaches have raised questions about OU D linemen and the technique taught by JM don’t you? So, imho, all in all BS seems to have picked a solid replacement.
As well they should have. It’s my understanding that JM wanted to play a one gap attacking scheme and Mike, his boss, made him play a two gap scheme which is a passive read/react scheme.
Thanks for that insight about the read/react. For what its worth, I think JM left because MS is overbearing. But that’s just me. I hope this coach can point out flaws in MS scheme.
Doesn’t make those years the equivalent of dog years.
When you first mentioned his name and where he was, I got excited about it. The more I read, the more I am left scratching my head. This, to me, is not a “splash hire.” I’d rather they got Gibbs back from KC as DC.
He does not appear to have much on his resume but that is expected with all the time he spent in the NFL. And those three letters will help him recruit, NFL….. You want big the big nasty guys upfront show them you have connections to the NFL, can teach at an NFL level and can prepare them for the NFL and you have a kids ear.
In some cases that is surely better than being tapped into a HS area.
I like the hire on the surface. He has worked directly under some very good people. He is a Wake Forest guy too so that would seem to indicate he must have some intelligence. My guess is he should be very good on the technical end of things.
I love this hire. To me this is Monty 2.0. He has more experience in the pros than did Monty and he is a young dude. He was at Stanford learning that nasty 3/4 they run and will be able to bring it in here. The name is not a homerun hire but the kid is a big time hire when it comes to knowing the position and his youth. If he can recruit then we are set. I love this hire.
yep. he coached under dungy and someone said he coached under capers. two of the best to learn from, imo. it just seems there are those on the optimistic side of the fence that will watch life play out and see how it goes, and then there are those on the pessimitic side of the fence who have already written off him and the other coaches who are not new before the spring game
q:can he recruit?
a:can he not?
q:he hasn’t been in college in a long time?
a:neither have i
q:he’s not monty
a:neither is anybody else not named monty
q:he wasn’t our first choice
a:how do you know this and what does it matter?
q:those d’s he was helping coach in the nfl are just that, not his and he just helped
a:um ok. but you’re admitting that he had something to do with the d being pretty good, yes?
q:but but but…?
a:…….
Once again, logically argued. I would rather work with someone who tries to figure out why something will work rather than work with someone who spends all of their time gleaming over why something will fail.
To be successful though, truly successful, I think you need both on staff. Input from all!
I partially agree. I believe what you talking about is the diversity of varying opinions. You have diversity but not winning attitude because a diverse team with a bad attitude will most likely fail. In my opinion, it takes both: diversity and a team that takes on the attitude “we will overcome our shortage. Let’s put our minds together and figure out a solution.”
It seems to me, for some people, if it doesn’t appear a sure thing, it’s over before you start.
More energy being infused into the program along with NFL experience. Looks like OU got a good one to replace jerry yet the discussions here feel like being at a funeral almost… Oh well, boomer!
Welcome to the world of fan boards. 🙂
Potential with good training
Not a proven dl coach
Must have a likable personality that fits with the staff
Won’t know until this time next year.
Hope for the best and trust Bob Stoops.
Not a proven DL coach? how so? He has 11 years of dline experience, mostly in pro’s. Assistant or not, that still counts.
He created film of opponents blocking schemes as an assistant for Dline coaches for 10 years in the NFL. Geez people……
It counts as supervised training.
Yep….that’s about the size of it. As I said before, the guy may end up being great. Assuming Bob has more insight into his work, he may well be the next up and comer. But you sure wouldn’t know that from THIS resume.
If you’re admittedly down on OU and/or down on Bob and currently unhappy with the football program, I’d be interested to know what are your expectations? Assuming you’re somewhat reasonable and don’t expect to win the NC every year, give me a 10 year view of what you need to see over a 10 year period to be happy? I’m just curious.
It’s a pointless discussion. As K pointed out yesterday with his accurate assessment of what Stoops has riding on 2015 – everything – there’s no changing anyone’s mind. People are only going to believe what they want to believe and ignore the rest.
Notice I didn’t attack anyone’s views or opinions. I didn’t try to argue what I believe others expectations should be. I simply asked what people’s expectations are if they’re not happy. Just curious.
I expect the program to be coached and recruited with the respect it deserves, not thoroughly neglected for the past five years as it has been, weighed down with nepotistic hires. Baseline expectation, and it is NOT being met.
I expect to be better than most. 🙂
I know you want a specific answer. I’ll try. As a fan since 71, here goes. 7 Big 12 titles out of 10 years, 1 more National title, and playoff births 7 out of 10 years. This is not far off what BS delivered from 2000-2010.
I expect the offense to perform with Leach numbers.
I expect the defense to improve with each game.
I expect the coaches not to loose the players respect.
I expect a 9-3 season.
Wow, one or two expectations you have will cause you not to meet one or two of your other expectations.
It depends on your expectations.
Not sure what I expected here…
Well….what I’d like to see is a return to expectations of dominance. I’ve grown tired of listening to the loser speak from our coaches trying to get us to accept lowered standards and past achievements as “good enough”.
I do not believe our staff has given it’s all over the last 5-7 seasons in any way, shape, or form. I believe they have been dedicated to “winning enough” without compromising the “quality of life” they so like to refer to on every occasion. As long as this is their mindset, and I believe it’s their top priority, I do not expect any changes to result in anything of note over the next 10 years except more of the same.
I think 2000-2010 set the standard. Not sure 4 championship appearances can be matched. In this new format I would like to be in the playoff 4x in a ten year window. Maybe play for two titles and win one.
At OU regardless of who the coach is we should be competing for the conference title every year. In the next 10 years we should win at least 5 Big 12 titles and if we do we will be in the playoffs at least 4 or 5 times. With that in mind we should bring home a NC in the next decade. But that attitude we should have and a standard we should expect every decade, every year, every month, every day, every hour, every minute, and every second! We are the Oklahoma Sooners!
In ten year spans OU should compete for the NC(well into November) at least 3 times winning 11 games in each(reg season) have 1 maybe 2 rebuilding years and the rest ~10 wins. Maybe Im spoiled but thats the standard for OU fans
I’m not down on the program, but I’ll play. I would be happy with almost any result so long as the coaches and players showed awareness of the state of the program, had a plan to improve and were executing that plan.
What will drive me to drink (admittedly a very short trip) is more of confusion/frustration on the field and bewilderment/anger on the sidelines…without severe and profound consequences immediately after the game is over.
I don’t think it’s too much to ask for no more seasons of 8 or fewer wins. I think we can reasonably rebuild and still win 9+ games. However, neither Barry nor Bud did that either. I don’t recall a team ever playing in the championship or even in the top 4 7 years out of 10. I admit, I was a bit shocked by Super K’s post yesterday that alluded to 2015 being a make or break year for Stoops. I thought the overall and continued success (moderate as it is lately) would sustain his credibility for several more seasons.
Like most, I don’t have a clue who Diron Reynolds is. What I am most interested to know at this point is, what will his salary be set at? That to me is the best indicator of BS’s expectations for DR and what he believes he should bring to the table as a coach and recruiter. It’s not everything, I understand that, but it is something.
FWIW, I think JM started out around $325k.
I think we’ll most likely know re: his salary after the regents meeting in early March.
……a little LT insight…….”I don’t think he went to high school or college with Bob, and I didn’t see him in any of Bob’s wedding photos. I am cautiously optimistic that this will be a good hire.”
That was a quality post.
indeed
Guess I was hoping to be wowed, and instead we land a guy I never heard of. I hope someone can give us more to hang our hat on than “he coached in the NFL.”
Dude, he coached some damn good defenses. and players. And in all honesty, how many Dline coaches have you really “heard of” before. Really? I actually am wowed. I think this will be one of Bob’s best hires.
Sorry I just don’t recall much about the 2007 Miami Dolphin D-line, and what did he do as a “defensive assistant” at Stanford? When I say get “wowed”, I’m looking for the “splash” hire K alluded to. In other words, someone who has something that stands out on his resume. Take for example his time at Minnesota where it says he was the “assistant D-line coach”. I honestly don’t know how to read that or how to know exactly how much credit he deserves as the “assistant” for the level of success they achieved. Do you?
Well Miami went 1-15 that year. But they ran a 4-3.
Not exactly reassuring
I know. But Let’s give it a chance. I think it’ll be ok.
I’m sure he’ll be at least ok. He may even turn out to be great….I’m not trying to say otherwise. I just expected I would see a list of accomplishments that were a little more impressive.
I’m assuming it means he was like a co-dl coach. I’ve seen many assistant coaches who coach their butt off… I think he gets the same amount of credit as the main dline coach, honestly, if not, they wouldnt have had him as an assistant if the other guy couldve done it all by himself. I’m perfectly fine with this. Its not like he went from assistant dline to DC or anything. He got promoted to a fulltime dline coach, which is what any assistant with his credentials should have received.
And I certainly cant speak for SuperK, but I would be shocked if he doesnt consider this a “splash” hire.
So my point is some of us were kind of wanting to be really impressed with the new coaches resume so as to put to rest any questions about replacing the coach we lost. Cryptic resumes like this (to me anyway) don’t really provide that reassurance IMO. Sorry, I’m just wanting to see something a little more impressive to help our confidence.
Like I said, we just have to agree to disagree, lol. I like his credentials, and frankly, couldnt really expect any better than this right now. I think he replaces Motny perfectly.
This is not a splash hire. He has basically no experience recruiting. Has been a quality control coach or a dl assistant for approx 13 years. That’s a long time to not move up for a coach. He wasn’t even the dl coach at Stanford. This is a strange hire. Hope it works out but this is the opposite of a splash hire, it’s more of a “Huh??” Hire
That is almost exactly the reaction I had. Assistant, assistant, quality control, assistant…..huh?
I disagree. To me. a splash isnt as much about names, as it is as much about someone who fits our staff nicely.
at sooner sports, reporting his hire there is a pic of him on the sidelines with a headphone on during a vikings game…that leads me to believe he does a little more than “make film”…I think he knows a thing or two about d line play..technique..scheming..etc…I’m happy with the hire
Maybe he has a good music list? 🙂
Like everyone else, I hope it turns out to be a homerun. Just thought it would be someone a little more accomplished if ya know what I mean.
I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree then. I feel he is more than accomplished to be a fulltime dline coach. But if you were hoping for someone like Orgeron, than I guess I can see your disappointment.
Certainly he is qualified to be a d-line coach. So then, the question becomes, is being qualified all we were looking for with this hire? I certainly didn’t think so.
Yes, absolutely. At least for me. And totally fits Bobs MO lately on hiring, young, energetic coaches to add excitement.
I’m not sure this isn’t a “splash” hire. No disrespect to K but his names were only those he had on his mind and not meant to be an all inclusive list. You’re right, I can’t tell you specifically what he did in the NFL but I trust that his time was productive to his experience level.
At this point trusting Bob’s judgment is pretty much all we got. He did well hiring JM and Bedenbaugh. He’s also made some promising hires these last several weeks. Not so great with some of the others, but that’s the way it works. For now, I’m willing to trust Bob.
I had never heard of Monty before we hired him fwiw.
Possible that we’ll never hear of him again.
Agreed. I think with some of the other candidates that were discussed here, we knew they already had coached great D-lines elsewhere. I’m just a little puzzled looking at this guys’ resume and trying to find any such accolades. Almost always being an assistant, doesn’t tell me much about how good he will be as the top dog.
True but the deal is done so let’s get behind this guy and hope he lights it up.
I can agree with that. At this point I think we’re mostly just keeping our fingers crossed and hoping for the best anyway
I hadn’t heard of Monty before he came here either
me neither
Monty was #13 recruiter in the nation the year b4 he got to OU. Reynolds wasn’t allowed to recruit off campus. I hope he does well but he’s gonna have to prove it. I just don’t get replacing the best recruiter on the staff with a guy who basically has no recruiting experience. Everyone is saying “NFL, NFL” but he was a quality control coach and a dl assistant. He wasn’t even the dl coach at Stanford he was a dl assistant there. Feel free to rip me but this hire just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me but then again Bob didn’t ask me for my opinion.
I’m not gonna rip you…guess we will have to see what kind of recruiter he will be…looking at him “from the cover” it looks like he should be able to recruit and sell kids on what he has done in the past with (insert Dlineman here)…I haven’t met the guy so I don’t know how he presents himself…apparently he is able to interview well…thinking back when we hired Norvelle the first thing I heard about him was that he coached Marvin Harrison…just maybe that link helped Norvelle to develop as a good recruiter himself…maybe Reynolds will have similar success on the trail
But I think Cooks will help in that department.. the recruiting that is.
Why hire someone else that needs help with recruiting though? We already have Kish. So now we have 2 coaches on D that need help recruiting when we could have hired a guy that is already an established recruiter with existing relationships with highschool coaches. It just doesn’t make any sense.
Not really sure he will need help with recruiting, yet. Other than with roadmaps! Have to give the guy a chance first.. I was just stating that Cooks should replace monty nicely as “head defensive recruiter.”
Im definitely not ripping you. I completely agree.
Im just hoping for the best.
Me too bro
Huh. I sure had. He was all the rage for a few years at UM before Bob hired him.
Found that cliff yet
You anxious for me to jump? LOL
This is my thoughts on negative people
Mmm-k
Im sorry but Bill Parcells wasnt interested in coming out of retirement
Plus Bill can’t recruit!
And he’s an “old white guy.” (mentioned by another poster on another thread..)
“we” don’t want him…he’s a ranter and that hurts peoples feeling and doesn’t motivate players today
Thanks for that tidbit. Very informative.
I tried
How many DL coaches can you name in the Big 12? I think we are going overboard on this name recognition and “big splash hiring gig.”
I have answered this in my response to Daddy R below.
Like when Stoops was hired….???
Not even close. Stoops had a real resume from a NC caliber team. I was only in college when he was hired, but my HC said “OU will win a NC in 4 years with him as coach. Mark it down.”
Said that day one and he won in year 2.
So, are you saying Reynolds does not have “real” resume? enough to be dline coach anyway?
Umm…no…?
I was just dismissing the idea that Stoops was a “nobody has heard of him” guy.
Ah. Gotcha. my bad chief. just seems to be getting a little testy in here over this hire.
Dude, I loved it initially. Then I saw he was only at Stanford one year and the rest of the resume does not scream “splash hire” like we were essentially promised.
See, I still think it does though. I mean, if he was hired as DC, I would totally agree with you, but for Dline, I think its as slam dunk as we couldve reasonably expected.
I can understand that. I just was expecting a guy with extensive recruiting ties and some real college experience. I’m not a fan of NFL guys and certainly not NFL journeyman guys. Lots of stops on a resume is not always a positive, in my eyes.
Many people questioned the Stoops hire….Most didnt know who he was….
An acceptable hire because Bob hired him.
update added
Where? I guess my refresh button broke.
sometimes lately, I’ve been having to press refresh twice, to actually see the updates. It’s Weird.
Now it’s there.
Stanford runs a 4 man front dont they?
No they run a kick but, very mean and aggressive 3 man front.
Interesting. always thought it was a 4-3. Least hes got some experience in the 3-4 then.
In other good news, the Thunder did quite a bit of wheelin’ and dealin’.
Just read over it.. not too bad. Surprised to see a trade with Jazz and pistons though. Glad to see Jackson finally get a chance to start, he deserves it. And Kendrick finally gone. Looks like the pieces we got back should fit nicely too. Exciting!
Yeah I hope it works out for him(‘cept when they play the Thunder)
1st off….good looking dude. Always a plus 🙂
Love the NFL pedigree…..seems like we just had a coach leave to get experience in the NFL?
I can’t imagine how he didn’t have at least something to do with the improvement of Stanfords 3-4 defense? I’ll be interested to hear more about his role with the Cardinal.
I too am concerned about his lack of recruiting experience…..
Now that it’s official, welcome coach!!
Recruits might be more impressed with his Super Bowl ring than they are with Bob’s watch collection.
But what about that Sugar Bowl ring?
That’s so small time. 🙂
I think the surf board is usually the closer.
I dont know Ray. That watch collection is EXTENSIVE!
well, he shouldn’t be late to anything
Would it be wise to delete all the negative comments about coach Reynolds before he logs on to TFB?
Im sure he knows what he is getting into at OU
Hahahaha! Too late, I’m sure!
BUT CAN HE RECR…”Oh HI coach welcome, glad to have you!”
Got to make him tough right from the start!
For the record, I have said nothing bad about him. He is quite large and is now in charge. Of the DL.
Saw this on LT
“Stanford last season:
Total Defense: 3rd
Rushing Defense: 7th
Scoring Defense: 2nd
Team Sacks: 5th
Team Tackles for Loss: 15th
3rd Down Conversion % Defense: 26th”
Sold.
What are your thoughts Brick..did you every cross paths with Diron
The ink hasn’t even been given a chance to dry and people are judging Coach Reynolds already. Please, give the man a chance.
Nobody is not going to “give him a chance”
I guess you haven’t read the threads below?
All of them. Haven’t read anywhere that anybody is saying he shouldn’t be here and will not be accepted.
Your posts below aren’t very supportive of the hire. Just sayin’…
Not loving it doesn’t mean he isn’t gonna give the guy a chance. He gets the same chance as any other coach. Even Kish got “a chance.” Hell, Kittle got a chance.
Every time I read the name “Kittle” the hair stands up on my arms and the back of my neck.
This guy has a serious resume, I dont see a Kittles hire. Im more comfortable with this guy then I am with Riley. I don’t like the Air Raid label. Pound the Rock!
Either way im along for the ride.
They’re not unsupportive either. My posts raise some concerns I have with the hire but nowhere am I saying he shouldn’t be here. Its obviously in our best interest if he succeeds and I hope he does. I just thought they’d go after somebody more proven due to their need for immediate results, and this guy is kind of a gamble.
Why, exactly, are OU fans required to automatically support every hire Bob Stoops makes? See Kittle, Bruce, etc.
Not like we have a choice in the matter anyway
Right! lol…..
Thank you!
https://twitter.com/OU_Football/status/568512860369743873
good luck to coach Reynolds….hopefully he’ll produce an AA or two from the DE talent on the roster……..his NFL resume should generate some respect from the DL…..
I like the hire. Despite all of the coaching changes, I think we’ll be a much improved team on both sides of the ball this season.
Time to dominate again. Need to pressure “sic em” and tcu…this year…Big 12 title at least.
Welcome! I look forward to see what you can add to OUr defensive history in the coming years.
I don’t know much about him but a coach with NFL experience should really do well for recruiting. Glad OU can move on from coaching searches and get to work!
I would just bet that this gentleman has some answers for the Big 12 spread offenses. The Pac 12 runs alot of spreads.
Besides he just has a bada$$ look to him.
DL recruit, ” sooooo how you gonna get me to the NFL?”
I’d also like to welcome Coach Reynolds to the OU family…Coach these kids up and help get us back to the top! BOOMER SOONER!!!
Seen Renzi Stone was added to the BoR…Wasn’t he the coach who got sent home for doling out cash to basketball players?
That was Jozsef Szendrei
Ah thanks…I was a bit worried the NCAA would be in town over that
If you watch any replays of Stanford games on TV, you’ll be impressed with the DL play. Very sound fundamentally. And he’s a 3-4 guy! Big plus. As for recruiting, he only needs to display that Super Bowl ring. Kids will listen. So will parents. The other thing to consider is that he was recruiting to Stanford. No easy task given their entrance standards. I’ve never heard of him, but now that I’ve read his resume, it’s real clear why he was at Stanford and why Bobbie hired him. The guy can flat out coach.
Yes, I agree. Stanford has had a pretty solid D for a number of years. Stoops may have found a great guy for the job. Only time will tell though.
He was there one year. That is the part that crushed my hopes. I thought he had been there for a few years and loved the Stanford success with DEs, but he was only there THIS year so past Stanford success no longer counts.
The coaches at Stanford thought he was good enough to coach there, so he’s got that going for him too.
It doesn’t count that stanford’s defense this year was very good? There’s no possible way he could’ve had a hand in that? I’m just saying that it looks like a great hire now and we’ll really see how good it is starting with spring ball.
Potato, po-tah-to. I sure hope it is a great hire. Right now I have concerns and am lukewarm. You’re excited. C’est l’vie.
That’s a good point. Our opinions are all our own, I won’t begrudge that.
I agree. Randy Hart has done a great job with the Stanford DL. http://www.gostanford.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=749929&SPID=127013&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=30600&ATCLID=208167700&Q_SEASON=2015
We did not hire the Stanford DL coach. We hired his helper.
Well then, he did a good job.
HA. Funny. When you used the word helper, I thought about a drywall guy I hired a couple of years back. He had a helper. But the helper did most of the work and it was a fine job.
I get some of the concerns but I’m choosing to get behind the hire. If it turns out to be the wrong decision, those who want Bob gone will get their wish. No need to get an ulcer over it.
Do you wanna jump!!…Do you wanna!!
Yeah, we’re all gonna die so why not?
Daddy mac’ll make ya
Kriss Kross will make ya!?
“Diron is a great fit for our staff with his knowledge and ability to instruct the fundamentals we’ve been using in our defensive system,” Stoops said. “He’s an excellent teacher who learned from respected coaches on both the college and NFL level.”
Reynolds, of course, guided Stanford’s unit up front for a 3-4 defense that ranked second nationally in scoring defense, surrendering only 16 points per game, and fifth in the country in total defense with its 287 yards per game allowed.
“I’m thrilled to join Coach Stoops and his staff at the University of Oklahoma,” Reynolds said. “I’ve always respected the great tradition of Oklahoma Football, and it’s truly a blessing to join a team with such rich history and passionate fans. I can’t wait to get to Norman to begin working with the staff and the talented student-athletes at Oklahoma.”
Link: http://oklahoma.247sports.com/Article/Diron-Reynolds-could-be-new-OU-DL-coach-35736159
Bob knows his stuff and hired a guy who he thought could do the job. Welcome to the team Diron.
Glad he stepped outside the Iowa “comfort zone” again with this hire.
Gee Whiz!
Uhhh, ok?
Good to hear from you again, DF. You been hiding out?
Death rays!
From Go Stanford.com “He earned four letters as a linebacker and special teams contributor at Wake Forest from 1990-93,”
Lets hear from Deano!
Thanks Daddy, just threw up on my PC. Thanks for that:-)
East coast guy
We still have to wait and see but I’d say OU has put together a pretty nice staff.
I would agree at this point. Love the potential on both sides of the ball.
I knew it.
Someone I never heard of.
No recruiting experience.
Replaces recruiting legend.
Keeping my fingers crossed on this one.
Ok.
Recruiting legend? two years makes someone a legend? Good, but “Legen…wait for it…dary” status should be reserved for someone with a longer tenure..
D-Brick loved the hire. I think he knows a thing or two about what excites a HS player. Like he said, easy to open doors with a super bowl ring on your finger. I think he will be an incredible hire.
I like D’brick, and respect his posts. And this is a totally curious question, but, what makes him so qualified to know? He is not the real NFLer D’brick? is he? cuz it looks like that guy went to Virginia, and is still playing for Jets… Again, I’m super curious and for real on this? not trying to be an ass…
Someone asked him and he said yes and then said, he loved the sooners growing up but wasn’t recruited. He’s the real deal and i have great respect for someone who is playing on his level who thinks this is not a good but great hire and fit.
I find it mind boggling when someone says, he doesn’t have much experience and then when one has a lot of experience, they say he’s to old and can’t recruit. Who the hell ever cared about a DL hire until this one.
Interesting. Very Interesting. Thank you! And I know right, this hire’s got everyone in a frenzy. lol. Probably cuz its the last one, and we are bored.
damned if you do and damned if you don’t apparently in every single situation every dreamed up. we went from a world where you can’t please all of the people all of the time, to a world where you can’t please anyone ever
You please me Boomer. LOL
wait…i mean…
No wonder Katie left.
with ya
Position coaches are the key to any good team, thats why Bobs early coaching staffs were so great. Lose a guy he moved up to a better spot, finally the attrition on the staff caught up to him a bit. But I do think he knows how to hire qualified individuals and have cautious optimism regarding this offseasons hires.
Yeah I remember seeing that post and I assume it is him..I know anybody can use anybodies name here so I judge by the posts they make
And he has always had very intelligent posts.
funny, some of this guys who are upset or holding out judgement on the new guy will all of a sudden fall in love if they hear D-Brick like him and realizes D-Brick is legitimate.
Well, that does not include me my friend. I like this hire regardless of what D’brick thinks! lol I hear ya though..
Appears to be. Was part of that exchange and said he grew up liking OU but being in VA never got an offer.
JM was an unknown commodity as well, step back from the ledge….
Some guys live on the edge. First RB who gets 75+ yards in a game, all these guys will come unglued and say he was a horrible hire.
Yep. It’s fantastic to watch unfold, too.
JM had 5 years experience as a DL coach at the college level when he came here and was regarded as a rising star. Hardly and “unknown commodity”.
Any pro experience, any super bowl ring? been in meetings with top NFL coaches? No, JM was good and we appreciate his services and wish him well but geez.
He has pro experience making video tapes and one year as DL coach at Miami. The sports equipment personnel have “super bowl rings” too. So what?
He wasn’t even the Dline coach at Stanford. Randy Hart was, and still is. He was defensive assistant there too. I’m just curious why this guy is always the bridesmaid and never the bride. I think that’s a legitimate concern.
You’re missing the part where all are required to love all new things and only question them once they’ve been proven unsuccessful.
Maybe that’s hyperbolic, but it sure feels that way right now.
He was worthy of a headphone at Minnesota so I assume the coaches like to hear his in game input
I hope that’s sarcasm.
why would he have headphones with a mic on it…was it all for show and they kept his mic off
Oh so you’re serious about that headset thing?
are you serious about him just being a film maker
yes spielberg coached under ditka for a few yrs
I have to be. That’s what his resume says.
is that all it says..or all you want to see
It says it alot. And he helped with stunts and alignment and was a quality control person, whatever that is.
Read above.
Long story short, coaches want to be able to tell him what to tell a guy or what to fix. The mic doesn’t necessarily mean he can speak his mind. Shoot, the speedometer on my Hyundai Sonata goes to 160…
LOL!!!! I’d like to see what happens to a Sonata at 160. Probably the same thing that would happen to a Cessna in an 8G turn at mach.
ok…sarc
You realize those mics turn off, right? I’ve known lots of GAs and other assistants that just have them to HEAR and don’t really get to offer anything in-game.
So your assuming it was off…I’m assuming he was the d line assistant and also assume that he helps coach the group…and w film experience he prob tells his lead what he is seeing from the other team…but that’s just my assumption
I’m not assuming anything. All I’m doing is pointing out that what you posted is not necessarily true. It’s far more likely that it IS off and he’s just listening to calls so he knows what to watch and what his guys are supposed to be doing.
and I’m pointing out what you post isn’t necessarily true either..yet you hang by the ledge
Hmmm…ok…? I don’t know how you’re able to point out what I’m thinking when I haven’t even posted yet…kinda thought when I reply to you, I would be posting second. Did someone really break the space-time continuum or is Marty McFly punking me?
Everyone needs their own break, and unfortunately, no one knows when that is actually going to come.
Agreed. I just don’t know why its taken this guy 10 years as a pee-on to get his break. You don’t find that odd?
wait. he’s r kelly? 🙂
R Kelly’s victim I think you mean.
no. i’m sure he’s not the only one getting pissed on. don’t know cause i ain’t there, so i won’t throw speculation on something i don’t have full knowledge of
I don’t see nothin’ wrong…with that.
go look at his bio again, I think you will change your mind.
It’s right here. What about it?
Not necessarily, at least not in the coaching ranks. Sometimes it seems like it takes forever for a guy to get his break. I’m not sure why.. but, there are lots of examples out there. maybe its just because there are so many dang coaches.
5 years including N Iowa CC, Northern Iowa, WY and 1 yr at Mich. Not exactly ‘splashy’. Just sayin…this guy has been in the room with Tony Dungy for 5 years after doing what JM is just getting ready to do. Then got thrown out with everyone else at Miami only to land with the Vikings, who have had some good defenses. This guy is bringing some knowledge. Remains to be seen how good he is at imparting that knowledge.
If the candidate pool was only those you had heard of, my guess was that the potential candidates may have been only 3 or 4 guys. Not bagging on you, but I could only name 4 or 5 DL coaches myself.
yep. the “i’ve never heard of him” deal does not hold any water. really? you’ve never heard of him? well that probly says way more about you than it does him
ha!
Here’s a quick quiz that I use in situations like this. Hopefully it will help you as much as it has me.
1) Who knows more about football:
A. Me
B. Bob Stoops
(I’m going with me on this one, but you should go with Stoops)
2) Have I heard of this guy?
A. No
B. Yes
(The answer to this one is no)
3)Has Bob Stoops heard of him?
A. No
B. Well, he just hired him, so…yes?
Since Bob knows more about football than me, and he has heard of this guy, I’m going to go with his judgment over mine. Call me crazy (because I am), but it just might help.
How is that a quiz when you provided the answers? You would be a terrible teacher Toats. 🙂
This is just a sample, Ray! But you’re right…I’m awful.
Ha, I can say that in 4 words… In Bob I trust… 😉
Ahh, the abridged version…even better!
ol’ damn cliff notes gotcha again 🙂
When the full story comes out on this guy and people understand how much Stanford respected him and desired to keep him we will be very happy and impressed with Bob. Just saying.
Other than Bruce Kittle (and maybe Willie Martinez), I think Bob has done outstanding when hiring coaches from the outside. (I blame Mike Stoops for Kish). Promoting from within has killed him.
I think Bob learned his lesson from the Kittle fiasco, and I don’t think he’s listening to Mike anymore. Montgomery and Bedenbaugh were great hires.
So these days I’m pretty confident in Bob’s ability to hire guys that will benefit the program.
Didn’t Bedenbaugh coach at Arizona under Mike?
Really don’t think Kish would be employed here if Bob didn’t believe in him.
Exactly. Kish is here because Bob wants him here. Mike has nothing to do with it.
but they’re friends and then the other things i’m supposed to say and so on and so forth and nepotism and other words i just heard for the 1st time and wanted to use them for myself
But probably wouldn’t have been HIRED here if it wasn’t for Mike Stoops wanting him.
Kish still has a great reputation here in Tucson as a Coach, but I dont think he would have a job at Oklahoma without Mike Stoops.
I have no reason for saying this, but I have a gut feeling that Mike pushed Bob to get rid of Kittle, Patton, and Shipp. Again, just a gut feeling, as it happened shortly after Mike arrived for his second stint. Maybe Bob decided before Mike returned, but I find it interesting to consider the possibility. Kittle and Patton had poorly in reruiting for quite a while before they were sacked.
The Pelini hire was clearly help out a friend hire too. Bo should have been coaching line or linebackers.
Ok, so now is the time for Super K and Yost to post their opinions on this guy. I want to know what TFB thinks of this hire. It is obvious the fans here like the hire for the most part and some are on the ledge seeing this as proof BOB MUST GO. I love the hire. What say you TFB?
I would love to hear their opinion also. Am sure they need a little time to find out whatever info they can on the guy.
fortunately they do their homework before posting, instead of the rest of us just to talk 🙂
Kind of funny, nearly all of us had never heard of the guy until this morning and now we all have an opinion.
And only mine counts! ;P
of course we do, we’re fans and all love OU football even though its a broad spectrum of positivity and negativity
That is what makes TFB so very interesting.
yes sir
And another, more important “ivity” today…sensitivity.
if you dont agree with me then you sir are wrong!
I SAID GOOD DAY!
Isn’t that a Carly Simon song?
Who is on the ledge? I’ve seen some people with legitimate questions, but not many that want to jump…although I think I DID make that comment about Mike as DC…
Just got back from teaching a 7 hour MDMP class… kudos to those who know what that means. I’m trying to catch up with today’s news. Glad to see the hire, but I’m seeing mixed reactions. Can anyone help me out?
optimists happy
pessimists unhappy
in other news:
water is wet
the pen is blue?
Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroyal blue…
SCKSChief, did you have a paid account with the OU ESPN board before it went under? Your screen name seems familiar?
No. I am/was over on SBNation CCM.
It is??? Learn something new every day! LOL
LMAO! The best post today. Thanx for the laugh!
Everyone settle down..take a breath..then flame away!
Flame on!
I think one thing everybody can agree on is our Intro video next year should be of NFL quality
If D-Iron can land commitments from Kendall Jones and Rashaard Lawrence before the spring game I would say that would be an awesome start.
This board is difficult to read sometimes
Need another red pen lol
As in “you don’t like what you see” or “I am having trouble with the formatting”?
Ctrl + scroll usually works for me.
i can’t wait to meet the guy that sat under dungy’s watch and under caper’s watch and didn’t learn a single solitary thing
Easy there. Back away from the ledge, Sonny. I’m sure you must have something to live for.
haha. are you meeting my sarcasm with sarcasm? cause well played if so. mine was meant with as much sarcasm as these keys could muster 🙂 i think this guy is awesome. coached under dungy and capers has me sold
Glad you didn’t need me to go back and edit in a wink. Thanks.
Bob could have hired Bill Belichick and people would bitch about his lack of recruiting experience. I’ll trust Bob’s hiring decisions before I give half a damn about a random fan’s “concerns”. It’s really getting old.
…and stale. like 10 day old, still stuck to the floor pilsner
I agree. I love it but I wish there was a better way than vertical comments.
Difficult in terms of the ability to navigate or in terms of some of the content. ; > )
I think he is just venting. Took me a while to learn that sometimes my wife doesn’t want me to respond to her observations. 🙂
Maybe there was some substance to the smoke that JM was a better recruiter than coaching tech and Bob decided to go the other way. Gotta figure this guy has been in coaches meetings with Tony Dungy for 5 years, one of THE most respected coaches in recent nfl history. As an asst. DL coach he has learned some things, enough that David Shaw liked him. Think the recruiting aspect will come if he’s got the personality and betting he does, and once he starts talking nfl and Xs and Os and tech with these young guys he will have their attention.
Right on.
Ahhhhhh…sweet logic
Another great coaching hire that already knows how to rock the Crimson. Welcome to the Sooner Nation, Coach Reynolds! BOOMER!
I wonder if one or more of Diron’s previous coaches from the NFL and/or David Shaw provided Bob with some insight into Diron’s knowledge and overall ability to coach…
Just spit balling here, ladies and gents.
You have to think him and Capers talked..most likely in the discussions regarding Monty……your taking my guy…give me a bone
Went and looked at a Stanford site…….haven’t even mentioned this hire. Too busy talking basketball to notice I guess.
Dif breed of fan
Yeah, may have a daughter there soon…..she has zero interest in the football program. 🙂
Congrats on that (going to Stanford)
Must have got her mama’s brains.
If she has her daddy’s humor then she’s a keeper
She even thinks I’m funny so I will keep her based on that. 🙂
There’s a very good chance of that considering that she’s my step daughter that I have just help raise since she was in grade school. LOL.
Ah well that explains it. 🙂
Nice! Congrats (maybe)!
I remember sitting around trying to figure out who this Bob Stoops guy was. After all who hires a guy with no head coaching experience for a job like Oklahoma. Wasn’t that what got us into trouble with Blake, at least he was a Sooner legacy. This guy had nothing going for him other than he won a NC at Florida as a DC but everyone knew that was him just riding Spurrier’s coat tails. I think the next two years taught me that I don’t know squat about figuring out what makes a good coaching hire.
Two years ago we were all calling for change and Bob went and got rid of Kittle, Patton and Shipp and replaced them with Monty, Bedenbaugh, and Boulware. So far those look like pretty good hires other than Monty has shown he was a flight risk.
Its going to take a couple of years to figure out if these last hires were of the same character. If things go in the tank, we will probably be looking at replacing a head coach and not just assistants. If the hires go the way the last set did we should be in real good shape.
Think I will set back and enjoy the ride. After all Lincoln Riley at least seems smart enough to hand the ball to Perine every play, if nothing else works. If he does that and let’s him play the fourth quarter against Kansas he could have a 1,000 yd season in one game.
This is a watershed moment/time for Bob, in his tenure at OU/head coaching career. I don’t think the previous sentence is hyperbole.
Bob has had quite a few coaches who were long-time assistants. Venables, Shipp, and Wright had been there for over a decade. Primarily, Bob had offensive coaches leave; Leach, Mangino, Long, Wilson, and now Heupel. This current coaching staff is, for the most part, brand new.
Look at this collection of coaches. New faces. I place no judgment on whether this is good or bad to have new faces. It’s simply a watershed moment for Bob.
Replying to my own post…I keep it real.
Why can’t each of the coaches have similar attire? Mike with this informal shirt. Bob and company in sports shirts. Lincoln, Kerry, Dennis, and Diron looking proper.
Because this isn’t the cub scouts
mike looks like he just got off the plane from recruiting and is feeling good from those cocktails
I’d say it’s likely all the new guys haven’t been given their team/coaching clothing yet; nor have they been able to take new official staff photos.
Riley’s is the only tie that isn’t the proper color. Yet.
All of the photos for the newly hired coaches were pulled from their prior school’s yearbook. Under Bob, OU = Nike Sportshirt U. I think guys that earn six figures ought to break out the dark blazer and tie for one crummy photo.
l like how Bll looks like he’s taking pictures for ” Glamour Shots” love him though.
So, let me get this straight…we just lost a guy who took some assistant to an assistant type coaching job in the NFL, and everyone loved him…We hire a guy that’s already been there and done that, and some people freak out. Gotta love OU fans.
We excel at getting our freak on.
Lol! Great point!
Anyone else notice that we have gone after younger African American coaches lately? Not saying it’s a bad thing at all, but aren’t 3 out of the 4 new coaches African American now?
I never noticed that, but then I don’t pay attention to that sort of thing because all I care about is if he can coach.
I’m not bringing it up because I’m racist or something. I tend to think it’s a good thing, not just for OU, but for society as a whole. But carry on. Wasn’t trying to make it a big deal.
No biggie, brah.
Don’t worry. It’s a legit comment. 90% of the top recruits out there are black kids. I’m guessing that it’s not totally lost on coaches that having a strong African American man (personality, not literally [though this guy seems to be both]) could better relate to those players and, just as importantly, their families, than an old white guy.
Thank you, someone who understands what I was getting at.
I don’t care if they’re half cat, half poodle if they can recruit and coach winners.
All of em are pushing 40 so I’ll take that as a compliment!
Does it matter if they’re polka dot? “Just recruit and develop monsters in the trenches.” Job description is pretty simple regardless of the hire
Move on.
Lost two, gained three. Let’s hope this move toward more diversity helps set up some instant rapport with recruits. Every little edge helps.
Most important assessment – this was not a safe hire. That doesn’t make it a bad hire. But it does put Mike back in charge of the entire defense. That decision puts Mike’s job on the line. Fail and the screams will be intolerable. Mike had cover with Montgomery as CoDC, no such thing now. Mike better be working his butt off.
biggest hire was Cooks…and of course Riley on Offense…that was our problems last year
Mike was always in charge of the entire defense. Monty was Co- in name only.
Analysis:
1.We know he can coach because of track record and reccomendations of other coaches.
2. Recruiting – requires personality, motivation and energy
We have to assume that BS and the other coaches that interviewed him made the decision that he
Can recruit.
3. He has a physical presence that gets your attention.
4. Based on the above, we should embrace the selection as one that meets our needs.
It’s a good day to be a Sooner!
Add this to #2.
http://cdn.iofferphoto.com/img/item/151/322/003/keU3.jpg
I get so tickled at those who are complaining that they wanted Bob to hire a “big name” D-Line coach. Is there even such a thing? If they were a truly big name, they wouldn’t be a D-Line coach, would they? Before we started this search and names began to surface, I’m willing to bet that most of you couldn’t even name a single D-Line coach anywhere! It looks on the surface to be a nice hire by Stoops and an upgrade in the coaching aspect of the position. His NFL experience will be valuable both in player development and hopefully in recruiting.
+1,000
Definitely in recruiting I should think. Gives him instant cred. So does the SB ring. I’m tickled pick about the hire. I think he’ll bring energy and knowledge to the position.
I’d give the coaching aspect a bump and recruiting as an unknown…performance makes recruiting easier so in theory he should be a fine recruiter as long as his coaching knowledge translates onto the field
I have a weird feeling deep in my breeches that Bob might have been given information about Coach Diron and his overall and specific knowledge and abilities.
you would hope so. I hope he’s not just picking names out of a hat to join the coaching staff.
Some are acting as if he is going to be the architect of a new defense when he is actually just being asked to coach a position that he has been close to at a high level. I think he will do a fine job coaching….just crossing my fingers that he can be a dominant recruiter.
Now is it pronounced DEE-ron, DIE-ron, DEH-ron, Deh-RON? D-Rizzle?
Welcome aboard, Coach D!
Hey uh de…di..du…coach Reynolds
The official OU Twitter account says it’s pronounced Dye-Ron..
It’s official then….we shall call him Dye-Ron.
Or after the first big gain by a running back, “Die-Ron!” by those “realists”.
D Rizzle Fo Shizzle
I would love to hear B Stoops tells us how he found this guy. Hope he turns our D-line into a brick wall and a quarterback hunting pack of wolves.
We definitely need to be able to better stop puting pressure on the QB and we to improve in not allowing short and 3rd and 4th result in FD’s by our opponent. However, we need to remember we only allowed 106.4 yards rushing to finish 8th in the country.
http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/team/24
Been following thunder news today but I like the hire. Guy has experience and the fact that he took kind of a quality control job at Stanford to wait for their DL coach to retire tells me he wanted to be around the college game so hopefully he’s wanting to move up in the college game. Even though most have lost faith in mike, I haven’t and I hope he gains his edge again then can move on because I hate that bob has to “answer for” keeping mike around
90%, or more, of the fan base were ecstatic when Mike came back. Three years later he’s having to outrun a lynch mob.
I know he’s looked bad since he came back and he needs to get the defense to come together and play better overall. Like K mentioned last night venables wasn’t running great defense but he did have his moments. What I remember about venables is he would almost always stop the run and yeah that would allow pass happy teams to pick him apart early but he usually would clean it up after halftime. That’s really what I think mike does too it’s just the offense has been so average for the last couple of years that he can’t get enough rest for the defense. I think that changes this year and mike will be happy to have a OC that will put points up in bunches
In 2014 Josh’s offense averaged 36.4 ponts. Alabama averaged 36.9 points and Flordia State averaged 33.7 points. Scoring points against top rated teams was against good defenses was our problem. Clemson 6 points, Baylor 14 points, Texas 26 points, KSU 30 points, TCU 33 points, OSU 35 points. We scored our season average against none of these 6 teams and won only against Texas.
We need the offense to not succumb against good defenses.
Or, an OC that can adjust in game and develop some sort of identity. Heupel could score points, but his offenses were sort of “jack of all trades, master of none” types.
And in 2012 we had an offense that could put up 45+ points and out score other teams which helps but the defense needs to hold teams under 24 points per game excluding out of conference games like Tulsa and la tech
It will be interesting to see how our D holds up going back to an air raid style offense.
I was never a defensive lineman but I would bet they hate quick scoring offenses.
Better than 3 and out offenses
One word< "BOOM!"
In other news, new season of Vikings starts at 9 Central.
I’ve heard its good but I need to go back and watch from the beginning
It isn’t great in terms of the acting and the pretend Scandinavian accents, but it does include enough historical/mythological information of the Vikings to make it interesting.
A somewhat tired format of a soap opera only using a violent tribe of Norsemen.
Game of Thrones without the boobz
It’s on Amazon Prime, if you have it.
Without having to go look, anyone know if Texsa ever found a DL coach?
No would be a great answer.
Yeah they got hailey from lsu who we apparently interviewed
Okay, then.
Thanks.
Yes
Got the fella out of LsU .
Well…..now we wait and hope that the powers that be have made the right choices.
As it has been, so shall it be.
One thing’s for sure: Mike will think twice before launching into a tirade directed towards coach Reynolds.
I don’t think Mike is gonna change much personality wise…I mean it would prob take a medical condition and retirement to tone him down imo…he is who he is…all of the Stoops are like that…not as bad as Bo though 😀
Maybe, but if he goes off the handle on Reynolds, he will almost immediately regret it…at least I would!
I doubt anything crazy would happen else both would regret it…I don’t know Reynolds but doubt he’s the toughest guy that Mike has coached with over the years…they have plenty of time to fig each others buttons before game time next fall…hopefully they find the sweet spots…I’m sure Reynolds knows what he’s getting into with the Stoops bros and their fire on the sideline
It was a little tongue in cheek.
Hey K welcome back, your my valentine in the football life. Wow can you tell your back. The brainiacs did a great job during your absence. My 2 cents, about the yelling; It’s not the yelling so much, but maybe it’s what’s being said during the yelling is it right or wrong, some may say but I say is it good or evil when the shouting starts. You all said the Stoops had lost the team during the bowl game. The only way to right that ship, is to confess your wrongs to your team. Your being humble Stoop’s brother’s If they have not reinvented them selves, this team will still be lost. I do not know what happened last season but this team played angry. Mixon was not good, Shannon was not good, and Mayfield was not good. I’m speaking emotionally something was not right with this team. This team has endured an awful off the field situations. A lot of these situation’s kid’s are just acting out trying to have fun. Instead they have been boo’ed, coaches publicly being yelled at. Am I wrong. I have personally experienced lived thru many experiences during my 12 yrs in service. Game recognizes game. Congrats to the De Line your captain is on the way. This coach already knows what he has in front of him. It’s like a kid in a candy store, this Coach Robinson seems giddy.
What exactly did Mayfield do that was “not good”?
There was hope Mayfield would play. Receiver’s do have their favorite qb. Not sure but it seemed that block by NCAA did effect this team. I notice TK doesn’t acknowledge bad play, like Mike said he does care about the media or what they think. I would choose my word’s more attentively. Somebody sign’s your check, do not get that big in this program.
Wut?
Wut Wut,
…
http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy43/achromaggie/Gifs/tumblr_lerzjxymSe1qd6cl4.gif
I have been busy with a move to the West Coast after graduating from OU in December, but I still drop by every now and then. I would like to say that I welcome Coach Reynolds with open arms. Stanford’s D really performs great statistically and it all starts up front. Never really hear any of the D-lineman’s names from Stanford, but they are disciplined and well-coached. The linebackers are always great which means the d-line is doing their job. Looking forward to seeing what the future has in store for us, and I will certainly enjoy the ride. Hope all as well for The Brainiacs and readers alike.
I’m really Just excited and happy that one. the wait is over. two He’s an NFL guy. welcome to Sooner Country Coach!
I was sort of on the “he’s an NFL guy” bandwagon. I’m a little bit more cautious now though. No one leaves the NFL if they don’t have to. Harbough went to UM because he was fired by SF for instance. If Reynolds was good in the NFL, then he would still be in the NFL. He has almost no recruiting experience (if any) either. So, maybe this will be a good hire, but there really isn’t much in his past history that shows that he’s a talented coach, and none that shows he’s a talented recruiter.