DC search: Joe Cullen, Chiefs DL coach,
https://x.com/samwebb77/status/1753931443464511568?s=61
Per Sam Webb looks like Moore is focusing on Joe Cullen as DC. He was with the Ravens for five years before coming to the Chiefs.
He is known in Detroit for driving through a Wendy’s with no pants on back in 2006 when he was with the Lions.
He has some DC experience with Urbz in Jacksonville.
February 3rd, 2024 at 7:40 PM ^
Maybe he just had really nice pants and didn't want any grease stains on them.
February 3rd, 2024 at 8:13 PM ^
Or was just trying to keep the crease
February 3rd, 2024 at 7:39 PM ^
I’ll ignore the Wendy’s incident here… If we’re gonna hire a guy in his mid 50’s that has coached one season of college football in the last 20 years (at the FCS level mind you) then I think I’d rather just promote Elston to be co-DC alongside Clink…
February 3rd, 2024 at 7:56 PM ^
Yeah Clink has as many years learning this system as all these up and comers had and he was sharing the DC duties with Minter as well. Elston will be fine.
February 3rd, 2024 at 8:26 PM ^
No one escapes from a Clink defense.
February 3rd, 2024 at 8:48 PM ^
I just think these career NFL guys tend to come with some growing pains when it comes to things like tempo, which was a notable issue for MacDonald. Minter had more of a background in college so it was less of an issue there.
They also tend to not be the greatest recruiters. Be it from a lack of effort, desire, or ability to connect with teenagers. A younger NFL guy I can see being a better fit there (which is why MacDonald and Minter made more sense), but I have doubts about a 56 year old that’s 20 years removed from college football.
All that being said, I don’t know that the upside is there versus an Elston/Clink duo and then hiring a willing/able recruiter at LB.
February 3rd, 2024 at 8:57 PM ^
Agree 100%..I have said it a few times that MacDonald struggled with tempo coming from the NFL and burned us especially against MSU. And this guy is way more ingrained into the NFL
I would rather pass and find someone else
February 3rd, 2024 at 9:48 PM ^
Well since Harbaugh told him about this guy, I think he would be great. Plus 5 years in the Ravens D? Yeah I'll take him, you'll are nuts
February 3rd, 2024 at 10:04 PM ^
I think he’d be fine as a defensive playcaller. I just think there’d be some growing pains with things like tempo (there usually is with NFL guys) and I see zero reason to believe he’d be a willing recruiter.
Since we already have internal options with multiple years in the system, I’d just rather spend the coaching staff spot on a younger coach that has some recruiting chops.
Harbaugh telling Moore about the guy doesn’t mean he’s the best hire. Harbaugh has had his fair share of terrible hires in his time here.
February 3rd, 2024 at 11:47 PM ^
Paging Josh Gattis. Paging Josh Gattis. Please pickup the red courtesy phone for a call from Bob Shoop.
February 4th, 2024 at 10:01 AM ^
There’s a pretty extensive list when you go back. Dan Enos was a bad one. Drevno was okay at best. Funk was less than impressive as an OL coach. Weiss was okay as a coach but getting let go for computer crimes will always make it second guessed. Schemy was a disaster hire. The low level staffer who was soliciting a minor…
Yeah… Jim has brought in some quality people but he’s had his share of duds. The simple concept of Jim recommending someone doesn’t mean it’s a good hire.
February 4th, 2024 at 10:40 AM ^
Funk coached for Hoke.
February 4th, 2024 at 12:51 PM ^
You’re right, I was thinking of Frey. The other 4 letter F word
February 4th, 2024 at 11:32 AM ^
Sherrone is clearly beefing up his recruiting staff for many reasons, but one is certainly so he can hire some great coaches who may not be all-star recruiters. I think that's his 'Macdonald' strategy.
February 4th, 2024 at 12:52 PM ^
That’s not how beefing up a recruiting department works. That has more to do with the logistics of setting up recruiting visits and identifying/evaluating talent than the actual recruitment of players. Recruiting staffers really aren’t allowed to directly recruit.
February 4th, 2024 at 2:13 AM ^
That's what I thought too. But after I read the SI story linked above (and below) I was very impressed. You should read it to get a better idea of what he is. (And Jim recommended him.)
February 4th, 2024 at 7:36 AM ^
If you have an Elston/Clink duo...you need two more coaches, not just a LB coach.
February 3rd, 2024 at 7:40 PM ^
+1 for awesome back story😂
February 3rd, 2024 at 7:42 PM ^
Hope he’s not the pick.
February 3rd, 2024 at 8:16 PM ^
Terrible!
February 3rd, 2024 at 7:45 PM ^
Informative article about his backstory:
February 3rd, 2024 at 8:32 PM ^
Detroit Lions -> alcoholism-> recovery-> naked wendys -> comeback
February 3rd, 2024 at 9:07 PM ^
A true Detroit love story.
February 3rd, 2024 at 7:54 PM ^
Can we outsource our coaching searches to Alabama for fucks sake?
Homeboy flew across country to a new state and new program and wrapped that shit up in less than a week.
February 3rd, 2024 at 8:53 PM ^
I mean it helps to bring a good chunk of your previous staff with you. And as of yesterday I believe Bama still has one spot to fill on their staff.
Michigan’s “problem” is that they’re going after a couple guys with NFL interest. Meaning we’re conducting a DC search on the NFL timeline, not NCAA.
February 3rd, 2024 at 9:01 PM ^
Moore has been the coach for one week. Besides, this is a good hire.
February 3rd, 2024 at 11:16 PM ^
Wait we are getting excited about the guy who was a mid DC at Indiana? Honestly this KC coach is way better
February 4th, 2024 at 11:26 AM ^
We were excited about a mid DC at Vanderbilt 2 years ago...so I would agree!
February 3rd, 2024 at 8:05 PM ^
So we will take back a guy like this but not Partridge? Both should get a second chance. Bring back Partridge.
February 3rd, 2024 at 8:20 PM ^
You can let that dream go. Partridge is done at Michigan.
February 3rd, 2024 at 9:48 PM ^
Partridge was mediocre. Quit with the nonsense.
February 4th, 2024 at 8:25 AM ^
Hate is a terrible thing to live with...
February 4th, 2024 at 11:27 AM ^
Partridge was a bad DC at Ole Miss....not even mid, bad. He's good as a recruiter on staff but definitely not DC material.
Would 1000% rather have an NFL guy who's been in the NFL for a long time versus a guy who was coaching high school ball 8 years ago
February 3rd, 2024 at 8:15 PM ^
Terrible!
February 3rd, 2024 at 8:31 PM ^
Please make this a bad dream
February 4th, 2024 at 12:13 AM ^
We're coming off a natty, a 15-0 season, a Rose Bowl win over 'Bama, and three straight wins over top five Ohio State teams and you consider this a bad dream?
I would love to know what your good dreams are like. You had better be smashing supermodels on a bed of $100 bills in your good dreams if you think this is a bad one.
February 3rd, 2024 at 8:38 PM ^
What qualifies this guy to coordinate a defense? Does he have any capacity to main the Raven’s style defense we’ve been dominating with?
I’m obviously not a coach but this doesn’t seem like a very impressive potential hire to me. I don’t see any evidence of continuing the defense we already run nor do I see evidence of elite recruiting so…what’s the appeal here?
Anyone care to chime in on the upside(s) I’m not aware of?
February 3rd, 2024 at 8:49 PM ^
The ravens defense isn’t some magical unicorn that nobody knows what they are doing. We’ve got to relax with that. This guy has been a DC and has experience with the Ravens system. Seems fine but I still would prefer Clink
February 3rd, 2024 at 10:18 PM ^
I think Seth is right that the Amoeba is well-suited for beating good college QBs. The coach still has to be good at teaching & calling the scheme and also good at recruiting.
February 3rd, 2024 at 10:38 PM ^
Every time Seth says Amoeba, I want to take a drink.
February 3rd, 2024 at 11:45 PM ^
I think of Jerry Tarkanian.
February 4th, 2024 at 9:51 AM ^
Thought I saw here somewhere that Clink doesn't want to call the plays? To each his own, I guess, but it seems like that would really limit your progress up the coaching ladder....
February 4th, 2024 at 12:38 PM ^
Like most of us here, I'm just guessing when it comes to my thoughts...
That being said, you'd think Clink and Elston would've both had DC opportunities by now...given their ages...if they had the potential or wanted the opportunity.
I'm guessing either they don't have the skillsets or the interest in being a DC.
February 3rd, 2024 at 9:24 PM ^
He coached 5 years with Ravens a few years ago. But like some others have said, I don’t get the thought that the Ravens defense is so unique that nobody else can run it. What makes the Ravens defense unique, is the usage of versatile players to allow the defense to do unpredictable things. Complex blitzes, dropping unexpected players into coverage, putting guys in weird gaps, complex zones. Any DC worth his salt would be able to call it.
Now here’s the kicker… any defensive coach can call any defense they’ve been a part of. What separates a good DC apart from a bad DC/position coaches is how they call the game. Their feel for the game. When to call certain pressures and coverages. But from a purely conceptual standpoint, being on staff is generally enough to be able to run a scheme.
But this defense in general is very similar to any 3-4 defense so really, any 3-4 DC could run it. Getting a guy with a Ravens background gives you a leg up in the knowledge of how the different concepts mesh, but there’s nothing stopping a 3-4 DC from utilizing those same concepts in their own scheme.
It’s also important to acknowledge that no two guys will run the defense the same way. They all have their own tweaks and tendencies they add to the overall general concept. MacDonald doesn’t run it the same way Wink did, nor does Minter run it the same way MacDonald does. Orr won’t run it in Baltimore the exact same way MacDonald did. Here’s the base, here’s the general concept, then it’s up to the individual and their feel for the game to turn it into a great unit.
February 3rd, 2024 at 11:08 PM ^
Appreciate the response. Thanks!
February 3rd, 2024 at 8:45 PM ^
I recall Jon Kitna dressing up as Cullen at a costume party.
February 3rd, 2024 at 9:48 PM ^
Weird. I recall Jon Kitna undressing as Cullen at a costume party.
February 3rd, 2024 at 10:20 PM ^
The best Kitna moment was calling out OC Jim Colletto. During the game. While he was in formation.