WE: Interesting tidbits about Coaches (via John Keim)

[Farbod21]

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/sports/blogs/redskins-confidential/Coaching-carousel-82094962.html


2. Danny Smith was the most sought after special teams coach, not the Eagles' Bobby April. The assumption was that April was the best special teams coach. However, he was not going to be hired in the places he wanted until those teams heard from Danny Smith, according to an NFL source. And April did not get a job until it became clear that Smith would be staying in Washington.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

Wow...nice find. I'm going with a "trust Shanahan/Allen" mentality for a while. If they chose to keep Smith, I'm happy with it.

[Farbod21]

Wow...nice find. I'm going with a "trust Shanahan/Allen" mentality for a while. If they chose to keep Smith, I'm happy with it.

My thoughts exactly. I was a bit upset at the Smith and Jackson decisions, but after reading this I feel much better. John Keim is the only local reporter I think does a good job...

[authentic]

besides Smith...this was a pretty good write up about KO..



1. Kirk Olivadotti was one of the most respected coaches on the staff the past few seasons. There's a reason he's survived as long as he has in Washington (since 2000). One coach said that he could work with any group and do a good job. So why isn't he up for any coordinator jobs? Well, he was on the list in New York. I also wonder if he's not more comfortable under the radar; his dad was a coordinator who was ripped in different cities. That had to have made an impact on him. A couple years ago Olivadotti did not like talking to the press and when he did his answers weren't all that revealing. However, the past two years -- and especially this year -- he was much different. Very insightful, especially when it came to rookie Brian Orakpo and his transformation to linebacker. Olivadotti was clear and simplistic about what he needed to do; good traits for a teacher/coach to have.

[Laxpunk2006]

Our ST units have been poor because of the complete lack of talent Smith has had to work with. Our top 11 are as good as any (up untill this year) but the back end of our roster has been horrible this decade. Not much for Smith to work with especially when most of the better players were off limits to him.

The only decision I haven't understood has been ARE staying at PR for so long. Smith is a great coach.

[NewRegime]

People don't realize how good Smith really was. He was handcuffed a lot more than people realize.

[Hunter_R]

What the heck is so special about Danny Smith?

[bubba9497]

our coverage teams have been some of the best in the NFL since Smith's been the ST Czar

[authentic]

I think the personel issues revolving around our ST was beyond his control. You can't tell me that he was behind that weekly abomination of ARE on punt returns.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

What the heck is so special about Danny Smith?

Hell if I know H. It sure isn't his unit.

Maybe it's the same Gibbs factor that follows the QB, shrugs. :whoknows:

Hail.

[HigSkin]

I don't understand how Jackson is going to suddenly control Landry's mind. Hmmm...

[Rufus T Firefly]

our coverage teams have been some of the best in the NFL since Smith's been the ST Czar

Yeah. I think people blame him because we haven't had a good K or return man lately. But fans offten blame coaches for the lack of talent at their disposal.

[bedlamVR]

I know our special teams have not been fantastic but it takes more than coaching to spring a guy for a punt return or kick return . It takes exectuion and tallent . What should be more important is the number of kicks or punts we have had returned against us .

Our ST are solid but not spectacular and most importantly are consistent .

[moondog]

I'm liking the Allen/Shanahan decisions as well so far, and I, as many, am willing to have faith in them. I wasn't too happy about any of the secondary staff staying but he does bring up a good point about if you blame Jackson for Landry's infuriating, yet easily correctible bad habit of not breaking down and just making a tackle, then you also need to give him credit for Horton/Doughty and I think Moore is a nice backup as well.

I LOVE K.O. and am glad they kept him. I was pretty disappointed about Wachenheim though...I didn't know much about him but Cooley was having a pretty decent season and the way Davis stepped up and worked hard under Wach when Cooley went down I think said something about him. Cooley endorsed him during the season and I'm sure when Davis stuck around during the bye to workout, Wach was probably there with him. But, like I said, I'm willing to have faith in Allen/Shanahan, Shanny knows offense, he'll get it done...I hope.

[AKM311]

Once Allen/Shannahan get some of there people in here and build the team properly, you will see what Danny Smith can do.

He was very good in his first 4 years here with Gibbs. When we were building the roster correctly.

[skinfan2k]

a coach like danny smith can teach how to field great coverage on special teams but you cant teach how to kick game winning FGs, thats why. Kickers either have it or they dont

[authentic]

I don't understand how Jackson is going to suddenly control Landry's mind. Hmmm...

yeah, doesn't make sense to me either.

[Califan007]

Once Allen/Shannahan get some of there people in here and build the team properly, you will see what Danny Smith can do.

He was very good in his first 4 years here with Gibbs. When we were building the roster correctly.

This is one of the few times I've heard anyone on this site say we were building our roster correctly under Gibbs lol :)...Most people thought we were returning to the "proper" way of building a roster when Gibbs left and Vinny ended up with 10 draft picks at his disposal instead of a 1st round pick, three 7th round picks and a bunch of free agents.

[AKM311]

This is one of the few times I've heard anyone on this site say we were building our roster correctly under Gibbs lol :)...Most people thought we were returning to the "proper" way of building a roster when Gibbs left and Vinny ended up with 10 draft picks at his disposal instead of a 1st round pick, three 7th round picks and a bunch of free agents.

I guess let me re-phrase that. Not in philosophy whether the draft or FA is better, but by the building of positions. Gibbs philosophy was to get players who could play ST well. He made sure the positions of LB, DL, RB had enough of there players who could play quality STs. In our last few FA period, we have acquired very few.

[SkinsGuy]

Once Allen/Shannahan get some of there people in here and build the team properly, you will see what Danny Smith can do.

He was very good in his first 4 years here with Gibbs. When we were building the roster correctly.

It shows how much the HC (and a front office) can influence the entire team.

In both of his stints as Redskins HC (and as team president in his 2nd stint), Gibbs put a premium on having a quality special teams. It was as important to him as any offense or defense.

It is why he got a bright mind like Danny Smith to run it, and it did great while Gibbs was here.

With Zorn (and most likely Cerrato) there didn't seem to be the same importance put to special teams.

Zorn seemed to use ST as a means to an end, such as using the punt returner positon as a way to keep Randle El happy in a dismal season.

Cerrato seemed to think just plugging anyone onto the special teams would work.

Hopefully, Shanahan put as much importance into the special teams as Gibbs did, which means Danny Smith's group will do well.

[icbmayday]

I am so glad he will still be out special teams coach and hope they actually give him some talent to work with this year.

[hieverybody]

our coverage teams have been some of the best in the NFL since Smith's been the ST Czar

And yet we ended up the second worst net punting team in the league. Maybe I shouldn't blame Danny Smith for Hunter's problems, but our teams have been terrible.

[Darth Tater]

The 2009 season was the first season under Danny Smith that I really thought special teams beyond the kicker/punter issue was below par. While we've not had always had spectacular teams especially in the punt return game, they haven't been bad and some have been good. This year Smith lost two of his mainstays, and you might remember Sean Taylor also played teams were he had two of his greatest plays (block on the punt return by Thrash and a blocked kick return we all remember). In 2005 he had two different return men take kickoffs to the house. In 2006 his kick return guy, Betts, was pressed into full time service and turned Rock Cartwright into a solid if unspectacular KO returner.

[thesubmittedone]

I LOVE K.O. and am glad they kept him. I was pretty disappointed about Wachenheim though...I didn't know much about him but Cooley was having a pretty decent season and the way Davis stepped up and worked hard under Wach when Cooley went down I think said something about him. Cooley endorsed him during the season and I'm sure when Davis stuck around during the bye to workout, Wach was probably there with him. But, like I said, I'm willing to have faith in Allen/Shanahan, Shanny knows offense, he'll get it done...I hope.

I can definitely verify that Wach was with Davis during that bye. There was video of he and Davis throwing the ball to each other on Redskins Nation.

It's sad to see both Wachenheim and Meidt go, I was really hoping they'd both stay. That being said, Shanny has more than enough cred on offense for me to have faith in his decisions.


This is one of the few times I've heard anyone on this site say we were building our roster correctly under Gibbs lol ...Most people thought we were returning to the "proper" way of building a roster when Gibbs left and Vinny ended up with 10 draft picks at his disposal instead of a 1st round pick, three 7th round picks and a bunch of free agents.

lol, glad I wasn't the only one who has been noticing the constant re-writing of history around here. This season was so bad people seemed to have blacked out of their memory any good Zorn/Vinny/Blache had done previously.