GBMWolverine: Mailbag question -- Michigan Football -- Coach Robinson -- Right Man for the Job?

Posted at 6:00am — 10/13/2010

GBMWolverine: Mailbag question — Michigan Football — Coach Robinson — Right Man for the Job?

For two years you guys have warned us about the lack of talent on defense.

I’m wondering if Greg Robinson is the right man to lead our defense. Do you feel that we need to change our defensive scheme?

Can you provide the readers with the team’s philosophy to try to win games in the Big Ten with undersized linemen? I’m just so frustrated and I hate to watch this team when the defense comes on the field.

RR needs to finally realize that you need size to win in the Big Ten.

Dwain

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GBMWolverine Response:

We have always taken the stand that Head Coaches have the right to pick their own staff. It is their job that is on the line.

There are other factors/questions to consider; how does an assistant coach fit with the rest of the staff; how good of a position coach is he, and is he in line with what the Head Coach wants to accomplish?

The next question/logical leap is who would replace Coach Robinson? Who would be a better fit? Sure a Jeff Casteel would be fine, 3-3-5 and all, but we do not see Casteel leaving West Virginia. He has turned down Michigan twice, a clear indication he is quite happy being where he is, versus. where he was a few years ago under the current Michigan staff.

As for scheme, we think what Coach Robinson and staff did against Michigan State was great. Loading the box and the line of scrimmage made sense.

Until Michigan can get linebackers, who fill and get off blocks, and safeties that maintain proper leverage, and defensive backs that keep everything in front and between the hashes, no scheme will make a difference.

We have made no secret that we do not like hybrids as a fundamental base of a defense and that has not changed.

One thing about it, a program cannot keep on changing scheme and expect great/elite type players will choose UM. Michigan has changed two defensive coordinators and changed the base scheme every year that Coach Rod has been at UM.

The above shortcomings get negatively recruited big-time especially with elite athletes who are not sure how they will fit into the Michigan defense.

Places like Ohio State have kept the same base defense for a very long time, so players know what kind of system they will be likely playing in and where they will fit in. This is even true with having several different defensive coordinators over the past decade. Note that the reason for the coordinators leaving was to take head coaching jobs elsewhere.

Size-wise the staff did change the S&C a little bit over the off-season to get players bulked up a little more. If you are ”beefier” in the middle of the defense, we completely agree and understand your frustration. But the S&C that Michigan uses under Coach Barwis is very tough on “big guys” and we have seen a lot of attrition of this type of player in the current UM system.

One thing to keep in mind with a defensive coordinator is he needs assistant coaches that will teach what he wants done. That is the only way you can make this whole thing work.

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Written by GBMWolverine Staff

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