mike zordich

Sherrone Moore worked. Let's go get a bunch of guys like that! [Barron]

January 20th was far less than ideal for a date to have your staff settled, but with yesterday’s announcements, the football assistant team for 2021 is locked in.

IN: Cowboys DBs coach Mo Linguist and Ravens LBs coach Mike Macdonald as co-DCs, Maryland LBs coach George Helow as safeties coach, Indiana RBs coach Mike Hart as RBs coach.

OUT: Don Brown (DC), Mike Zordich (cornerbacks), Bob Shoop (safeties), Ben McDaniels (QBs)

STILL HERE: Josh Gattis (OC/receivers), Ed Warinner (OL), Jay Harbaugh (special teams, loses RBs), Sherrone Moore (TEs), Shawn Nua (DL), Brian Jean-Mary (LBs)

MO LINGUIST, CO-DC/CORNERBACKS

Who? Michigan has named Dallas Cowboys DBs coach Mo Linguist as co-DC with Ravens LB coach Mike Macdonald, who was announced last week.

While both are young and first-time coordinators, unlike Macdonald, Linguist does have an extensive collegiate resume. He has also moved around a lot. Until joining the Cowboys last season (2020) Linguist was the cornerbacks coach at Texas A&M for two years (2018-‘19), spent a year coaching the secondary on PJ Fleck’s staff at Minnesota (2017, when Warinner was there) before that, a year as Mississippi State’s safeties coach (2016) before that, the defensive passing game coordinator at Iowa State (2014-‘15) for two years before that, and the same for Buffalo (2012-‘13) for two years before that. He also coached at James Madison, Valdosta State, and Baylor, where he played then became a graduate assistant in 2007. If you’re a little lost, here’s a map:

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[After THE JUMP: see-ah what I mean-ah?]

[Bryan Fuller]

So how is it replacing David Long?

“David Long, tough player to replace.”

Don said coming in that he was sort of worried about where the secondary would be but then Ambry [Thomas] came along—

“Ambry’s come along, Vincent Gray’s come along, Jaylen Kelly-Powell’s come along. You can’t count out Gemon Green. So, we’ve got some—guys have been working extremely hard and doing really well and then, you know, we’ve got DJ coming in this summer, so it’ll be interesting.”

MGoLOLThoughtIWasTheOnlyOneWhoWouldAskAboutGrayAndI’dSlowPlayItAllCoolButLookTheThirdQuestionIs What’s different about Vincent this year from last year?

“He’s just comfortable. He’s very comfortable. He’s a very naturally talented, gifted guy. So he knows the system now and now he’s just going out there and playing, he’s not thinking. It’s really a beautiful thing.”

Does the new offense give more of a challenge for your guys?

“Yeah, it’s great for us, really. The RPO deal, we love it. You’ve just got to be very disciplined on the backend. The linebackers got to be disciplined. I think it’s gonna help us tremendously going forward for sure.”

Has anything surprised you about the group so far?

“Well, I guess you could say I’m pleasantly happy that Vincent has come along, that Jaylen Kelly-Powell has come along, and that Ambry is just—the sky’s limit with that guy. He’s really had a great spring, so happy for those guys and certainly happy for us as a defense that they’re playing well.”

Where has Ambry made the most improvement from this time last year?

“Well, I think in his technique, in places at the line of scrimmage, and the fact that he knows that he has an opportunity to start, he’s really embraced that role and he’s becoming a leader. He’s becoming a leader in our room. He’s been great all around.”

Does it sometimes hold someone back when they know it’s going to be tough to break into that group? Like last year Ambry clearly wasn’t going to be a starter.

“Right. Well now, see, that’s the great thing about it: they see that there’s light, they see that there’s a opportunity, they see that there’s competition for the other spots that are open so I think it’s helped everybody along the way get better. Definitely.”

[After THE JUMP: on Lavert, who's at nickel, the act of enrolling early, and the Ohio State game]

Noon games are a beautiful thing
[Fuller]

Things Discussed

  • The defense is confident, with good reason, it turns out
  • Alex Hornibrook and Jonathan Taylor
  • Ambry Thomas' development
  • Ronnie Bell stepping up fast

[After THE JUMP: Stuff and things]