Urban hires Chris Doyle
Urban announced his staff today and as besides the fact that he left OSU's staff unscathed the other thing that jumped out at me is he hired Chris Doyle as his "Director of Sport Performance." Which seems to be a assistant Strength Coach. You may remember Doyle as the Iowa Strength and Conditioning coach who got ousted last summer after complaints of mistreatment from former players that seemed to center around race. Ferentz tried to hold onto him in hopes that the storm would blow over but it didn't. He was also the team's S&C coach in 2011 when 13 players were hospitalized from grueling workouts that caused rhabdomyolsis, a stress induced syndrome that can cause kidney damage. Ferentz famously did not return back to the school immediately from a recruiting trip when notified that his players were hospitalized. Doyle was his S&C guy for 20 years. Urban hired former OSU strength asst. Anthony Schlegel to be Head S&C Coach. He was with OSU from '11-'15 and seems to have been out of football until now.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:04 PM ^
Urbz as head coach. This Doyle guy. Hire Art Briles, DJ Durkin and Zach Smith. What a start to a staff that would be.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:59 PM ^
Let's begin by not calling him Urbz> Do you call Saban Sabanz?
February 11th, 2021 at 2:03 PM ^
No, satan
February 11th, 2021 at 2:41 PM ^
The BPONE acronym is still hanging around, which has overstayed its welcome, so I guess we can have Urbz as well.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:04 PM ^
O’DOYLE RULES!
February 11th, 2021 at 1:06 PM ^
Notable bad guy Antonio Brown is now the Super Bowl Sweetheart with the Bucs. Kareem Hunt kicked a woman in broad daylight, is now thriving with the Browns. Hell Ray Rice initially got only a 2 game suspension for dragging a woman through a hotel lobby. The NFL is known to keep a guy or two in the league who have bad histories, but if they are good at what they do someone will find a place for them. It's all about the almighty W's.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:25 PM ^
Nearly everything in life is about $$. That's what winning is all about. I'm not saying I agree with it, but that's just how it is, sadly.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:28 PM ^
Exactly. If people wanna gain some moral high horse points or shake their fists at news like this: its happened before, its happening now, and it sure as shit will happen in the future.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:34 PM ^
Yet, Eric Bienemy couldn't get a head coaching job this year, some suspecting it was his previous run-ins.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:42 PM ^
I 100% agree with you, I want to believe that there has to be something behind the scenes that Bienemy is the coach in waiting after Andy Reid retires. Would you rather take the trashfire HC job that is the Houston Texans? or would you rather wait another 3-5 years and get to coach Patrick Mahomes for the next 10-15 years? I want to think Bienemy is playing the long-term game, rather than the immediate satisfaction/compensation move. That's the only scenario that I can make sense of this, because at face value you are right, it makes no sense.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:42 PM ^
The coaching stars of the playoffs were Bienemy, Leftwich and Bowles. But Urbz gets a job.
Sad.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:53 PM ^
lol come on. Urban is one of the winningest coaches in any sport at any level, and you're surprised he got a job at the highest level of that sport? Bowles is a great DC but he's already failed as a HC. Bieniemy has questions about how he would succeed away from Reid and Mahomes. Leftwich will probably get a HC job in the near future.
February 12th, 2021 at 11:50 AM ^
Urban is also going to sell tickets in Jacksonville. Definitely factored into the decision, and deservedly so.
February 11th, 2021 at 2:11 PM ^
It has to be their skin color...Or could it be that Bowles has already had a rough go as a HC and will get one soon. Bienemy doesn't call plays Reid does and Leftwich is in his 2nd year as the OC and last year wasn't that great. Funny how getting the greatest QB of all time makes coaches look better.
Or it could also be that teams want to hire coaches that they don't have to wait for until after the Super Bowl. Super Bowl assistants always seem to have to wait a year. GMs and owners want the guy their paying to be in their team facility not coaching another team in the playoffs.
February 11th, 2021 at 2:35 PM ^
The coaching stars of the playoffs were Bienemy, Leftwich and Bowles. But Urbz gets a job.
I'll be genuinely curious how Urban turns out as an NFL coach. I think his best ability as a college coach is his recruiting ability and his organizational structure and focus on the details, much the way Saban does. Saban struggled in the NFL. I'm not sure if he's better now, but I can see him having a harder time demanding perfection from grown men than college kids. Then again Belichik is somewhat similar in personality to Saban. I think Urban is a more likable guy than those two, but I also get the impression part of his success is based on his position of power, which is not quite the same in the NFL. The power dynamics balance out a bit more and a coach has to give in the star player demands at times. But, I don't see anything wrong with giving a star college coach with multiple NCs at multiple schools a shot before a young unproven HC at the NFL level.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:08 PM ^
Schlegel started out at the Air Force Academy and was a hell of a player there for a couple years, then transferred to OSU once he realized he was good enough to play elsewhere. When he left he spewed all kinds of stuff about how it was the Freshman system that made him want to leave, rather than just admitting he realized he was good enough to play at a high Power Five level and wanted to explore that instead. Given he's a disingenuous ass, looks like he's perfect for Urban's staff.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:13 PM ^
Scumbags.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:13 PM ^
Honest question, do strength and conditioning coaches in the pro's do much? This could just be throwing a guy a bone. In the pro's, outside of rehabbing, you workout on your own and are expected to come to camp in shape and ready to go.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:19 PM ^
Honest question: do they matter in college? Workout. Do it this way or that. After so much hype around S&C guys here it seems at best they may get you slightly better gains than the next guy but either way high level athletes get swole, smash things. Unless you are one of those MSU guys with the special injections
February 11th, 2021 at 1:32 PM ^
Yes to both. But a bad S&C program can sink your entire team. At the high level, it's a lot more than just working out and doing it right. Diet and motivation and accountability play a big part too. New exercises and techniques as well. Different sports require different types of training too, and even within that. Football S&C is a lot different from soccer, and a defensive end's needs are a lot different from that a wide receiver. My BIL worked in soccer S&C as an asst. for a while in Europe after his semi-pro career flamed out. I believe it was the rung below Bundesliga or even one below that, but even they were pretty intense about the S&C program and they probably valued the S&C staff over the coaches.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:44 PM ^
On average, I know for a fact that 4 former wolverines workout exclusively in the off season with Barwis here in Plymouth Mi. Once they report to camp, they lift on there own schedule. About the only time they are with the SC coach with the team is during the season.
February 11th, 2021 at 2:55 PM ^
Bawris is basically an extension of the U of M S&C program. Lifting on their own schedule doesn't mean that the S&C staff doesn't have input on what they're doing or how they're doing or aren't available as needed, or aren't there as part of "their schedule."
February 11th, 2021 at 1:35 PM ^
IMHO the most important thing for a college S&C coach is that he is the one who is allowed to be with the players during the off season and throughout the summer. Other than the workouts, his most important job is relaying the coach's message all off season.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:35 PM ^
Special injections? Are you referring to steroids and hgh, or are you making a Larry Nassar joke?
If it's the former, I hate to inform you, but there are a lot of guys on every division one football team that do that, including Michigan.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:49 PM ^
I don’t tend to joke about molestation. And yes people use lots of things to get ahead but some programs are more adamant about how than others
February 11th, 2021 at 1:16 PM ^
Breaking news: Urban Meyer has no scruples.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:17 PM ^
zach smith hasn't been announced as director of player leisure apparel?
February 11th, 2021 at 1:24 PM ^
I know Denard was working for Jacksonville as an offensive quality control coach. I wonder if Urban is keeping him on staff?
February 11th, 2021 at 1:30 PM ^
He hasn't been listed on any of the reports that listed Urban's incoming staff. They probably don't list every staff position on those reports, though. And nothing has been published that I have seen that specifically says he's off the staff.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:27 PM ^
You would think that after the Tom Coughlin debacle that up-ended the Jag's previous ascension in 2017-18, the incomparable number of NFLPA complaints about the franchise, and the directive from the NFLPA to FA recommending them to not sign with Jacksonville, that the Jags would be looking to avoid any coaches with scandalous/dubious histories. Guess not. What a ruinous franchise. Honestly, this is the worst franchise in the NFL. Not the Lions, not the Browns, not even the motherfucking Jets.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:32 PM ^
FWIW...Schlegel has been working in sports talk radio in Columbus. Morning show with Bobby Carpenter and Brandon Beam.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:35 PM ^
Seems odd to take on someone with such a history, so recently, in this milieu, and with Urban's history. Couldn't they find like anyone else? Seems like a pretty desirable job...
Also, it looks like there's one Hawkeye on the Jags roster, CB Greg Mabin, and who is mentioned as supporting the former Iowa players who spoke out about their mistreatment
February 11th, 2021 at 1:39 PM ^
I doubt that he will somehow get away with his old tactics with grown men. Either way, I can't wait to see Urban humiliated in the league.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:43 PM ^
Does not surprise me
February 11th, 2021 at 1:51 PM ^
Urban always needs someone on staff to make him feel better about his own shady practices.
See: Zach Smith.
February 11th, 2021 at 1:55 PM ^
Urban Meyer: Great coach
Urban Meyer: Scumbag
February 11th, 2021 at 2:04 PM ^
As long as Urban doesn’t screw with poaching Michigan coaches, I couldn’t care less what he does in the pros.
February 11th, 2021 at 2:28 PM ^
he hired Chris Doyle as his "Director of Sport Performance." Which seems to be a assistant Strength Coach.
I'd assume the director is the head S&C guy unless you see another S&C coach with a higher sounding name like CEO of S&C, which would be silly. But, generally "director" is going to be the head guy.
February 11th, 2021 at 2:45 PM ^
I feel like Meyer is going to have a real rough and somewhat abrupt tenure in the NFL if these are his choices.
February 11th, 2021 at 4:22 PM ^
Doyle will remain in Jax’s employment until slightly before Urban’s health problems return.
February 11th, 2021 at 6:29 PM ^
ESPN article states: "Meyer said that he knows Doyle from when he coached Utah and Doyle was the No. 1 strength coach, but Meyer was head coach at Utah from 2003-04 and Doyle was there for one year in 1998 before moving on to Iowa."
Already in the "lie til you die" game again I see with the NFL..... Doyle is his fall guy
February 11th, 2021 at 9:52 PM ^
O’Doyle rules