NEW DC SEARCH: GT hires Blake Gideon

[slugboy]

I hope this goes well, but I doubt this is our Bud Foster.

Gideon returns to Atlanta, where he coached cornerbacks for Georgia State in 2018.
He also coached special teams and safeties at Houston in 2019.
Special teams at Ole Miss in 2020.
Joined Steve Sarkisian's staff at Texas from 2021-2024.

Three teams in three years? Four years at one of the nation's elite prograns? It's way too early for us to start picking out a china pattern.

(For you young'uns, that was a thing back in the day.)

He's probably a head coach way before then. Having him be a good DC here for a few years would be great.

 

[croberts]

You are only fooling yourself if you think anyone other than HC is sticking around long term that is highly successful in this day and age. Even if a coach doesn't want to be a HC, and those guys are few and far between, if he's as successful as we hope there will eventually be a bigger program offering a salary worth the jump.

I reluctantly agree 100%. Just trust Key to keep the seat filled with a very competent defensive mind.

 

[apatriot1776]

I hope this goes well, but I doubt this is our Bud Foster.

Gideon returns to Atlanta, where he coached cornerbacks for Georgia State in 2018.
He also coached special teams and safeties at Houston in 2019.
Special teams at Ole Miss in 2020.
Joined Steve Sarkisian's staff at Texas from 2021-2024.

Three teams in three years? Four years at one of the nation's elite prograns? It's way too early for us to start picking out a china pattern.

(For you young'uns, that was a thing back in the day.)

The proper hope is to keep him for three years and then he moves on to better things and gets hired as a head coach. Same pattern as Buster Faulkner. Bud Foster types are probably gone the way of the dodo bird.

Key to keeping that sort of continuity is, we need to become a program that teams hire head coaches from. The type of place assistants stay at a few years until the right job promotion opens up. We are on the cusp of that (see Faulkner) but not there yet - we're still a bit of a stepping stone to a Texas, u(sic)GA, Ohio St., Alabama type of job. I'm not arguing we will be on that echelon. But I think we can become that Ole Miss level, where a Weis Jr and Golding are staying a few years because finding another assistant job doesn't move the needle anymore.

 

[Bogey]

"Bogey", if he's good I doubt we see 5-6 years out of him, we're a different model now and still evolving and with our new model will be constantly evolving IMO. Personally I like it. The more I watch Key the more I like.

Stinger, I live in the new world but I dream in the old world because I am a pragmatic old man who was born and raised in the old world. We are lucky to have Brent who has shown he can adapt and succeed in this new environment, whatever it takes. But if we can keep our best coaches for several years, which is certainly a possibility even today, I am confident we will be even better than if we are continually changing our coaches and schemes every year or two. Weinke is an example of this possibility.

 

[SunBum]

Dangit. I went straight from "Who is this guy? Couldn't we find someone with solid DC experience" to "Aw man, how are we gonna keep this guy" in about 2 minutes...

 

[Ramble1885]

nice, quick hire who comes from a team who has had a lot of success lately

 

[Randy Carson]

Dangit. I went straight from "Who is this guy? Couldn't we find someone with solid DC experience" to "Aw man, how are we gonna keep this guy" in about 2 minutes...

Welcome to exciting new world of college football.

 

[stinger 1957]

Stinger, I live in the new world but I dream in the old world because I am a pragmatic old man who was born and raised in the old world. We are lucky to have Brent who has shown he can adapt and succeed in this new environment, whatever it takes. But if we can keep our best coaches for several years, which is certainly a possibility even today, I am confident we will be even better than if we are continually changing our coaches and schemes every year or two. Weinke is an example of this possibility.

I understand and also would like to keep them 3 years, but I'm guessing that is the max with the good ones in todays world and where (IMO) we are taking GTFB. I'm with you and believe we have the right guy to operate in this world, hard as it is. He establishes himself at GT and he knows that before he even got started with the opportunity.

With this hire and probably before this hire he is telling the asst coaching world I am your man and place to be if you're really good and want the opportunity to move to bigger things and opportunities.

 

[stinger78]

CBK and Co have navigated GT football into a rising tide. A rising tide lifts all boats. That applies to coaches and, now, players.

This is the catch-22 of today’s CFB. If it is managed well, it can lead to somewhat greater parity. If not, then it’s likely time to find a new sport.

 

[slugboy]

Here's the defensive staff as listed on Ramblinwreck.com today:

• Tyler Santucci – Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
• Jess Simpson – Defensive Line
• Cory Peoples – Defensive Backs
• Kyle Pope – Outside Linebackers/Edge
• Dylan Dockery – H-Backs
• Kobie Jones – Cornerbacks
• Tim Salem – Sr. Football Advisor to the Head Coach – Defense/Special Teams

As usual, we take forever to update the site.

Blake Gideon replaces Santucci at DC. He typically coaches DBs, which means we have Cory Peoples, Kobie Jones, and Gideon coaching the backfield.

Texas occasionally runs a 2-4-5, and Kwiatkowski is their DC. I don't know what Gideon will run, but here area couple of overviews of Kwiatkowski and his defense. I don't think we are gonna run this though. Gideon had also coached with other defensive coaches--he even started with Muschamp.

Breaking down No. 3 Texas' defensive scheme ahead of No. 12 Arizona State's CFP debut in Peach Bowl

One of the main reasons Arizona State is where they're at - preparing for the Peach Bowl in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff - has to do with t

devilsindetail.com

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/60...ive-coordinator-2/?source=user_shared_article
Texas DC Pete Kwiatkowski isn’t a household name — and that’s fine with him

The 2-4-5 defense and "gap and a half" technique

The 2-4-5 was quietly ascendant in the 2024 college football season as the most popular new defensive scheme. How does it work?

americaswargame.substack.com

Modern defense is not the 4-3 vs the 3-4 but the 2-4 vs the 3-3

The 3-4 and 4-3 are antiquated terms, what types of fronts are teams really playing these days and what are the differences?

www.footballstudyhall.com

Spring will be interesting. Some coaching assignments will shift around. With Gideon's background, I would guess he figures out what he wants to do in the secondary, and aligns the front to support that. I don't think he'll bring over Kwiatkowski's mad genius defense (Kwiatkowski was a LB and has an LB-centric defense), but he's seen and worked with a lot of creative defenses.

 

[BCJacket]

1. I'm surmising, given how quickly this moved, that Key knew Santucci was a hot commodity and that he might leave for the right opportunity. He knew who his next choice would be, locked him down, and that's encouraging.
2. The events, and how they played out, continue to evince that he has an excellent reputation within the coaching fraternity. Good coaches want to come work for him. I don't believe Gideon would have left Texas for just any opportunity.
3. I imagine Gideon may make a few staff changes, probably bring in a linebackers coach. But he has an excellent experienced defensive staff around him. Good situation for a first time DC. I would not be surprised to see us add an experienced semi-retired ex DC/HC 'analyst' to support/assist him in game planning and play calling.
4. I hope he gets hired away for a NFL/HC/Texas DC/AHC opportunity in a couple years after an impressively successful tenure.

 

[TromboneJacket]

1. I'm surmising, given how quickly this moved, that Key knew Santucci was a hot commodity and that he might leave for the right opportunity. He knew who his next choice would be, locked him down, and that's encouraging.
2. The events, and how they played out, continue to evince that he has an excellent reputation within the coaching fraternity. Good coaches want to come work for him. I don't believe Gideon would have left Texas for just any opportunity.
3. I imagine Gideon may make a few staff changes, probably bring in a linebackers coach. But he has an excellent experienced defensive staff around him. Good situation for a first time DC. I would not be surprised to see us add an experienced semi-retired ex DC/HC 'analyst' to support/assist him in game planning and play calling.
4. I hope he gets hired away for a NFL/HC/Texas DC/AHC opportunity in a couple years after an impressively successful tenure.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he reduces the number of DB coaches so that we have the budget for a good LB coach. I hope he’s willing to hang on to Simpson though. Good DL coaches at the college level are hard to find.

 

[YoungSting]

Does he have enough experience (old enough) to have “his guys”? And would his guys have enough experience that would make use better than what we already have?


ETA: excited for the hire. Just thinking out loud about the normal process of a DC bringing in coaches he knows

 

[jojatk]

Here's the defensive staff as listed on Ramblinwreck.com today:

• Tyler Santucci – Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
• Jess Simpson – Defensive Line
• Cory Peoples – Defensive Backs
• Kyle Pope – Outside Linebackers/Edge
• Dylan Dockery – H-Backs
• Kobie Jones – Cornerbacks
• Tim Salem – Sr. Football Advisor to the Head Coach – Defense/Special Teams

As usual, we take forever to update the site.

Blake Gideon replaces Santucci at DC. He typically coaches DBs, which means we have Cory Peoples, Kobie Jones, and Gideon coaching the backfield.

Texas occasionally runs a 2-4-5, and Kwiatkowski is their DC. I don't know what Gideon will run, but here area couple of overviews of Kwiatkowski and his defense. I don't think we are gonna run this though. Gideon had also coached with other defensive coaches--he even started with Muschamp.

Breaking down No. 3 Texas' defensive scheme ahead of No. 12 Arizona State's CFP debut in Peach Bowl

One of the main reasons Arizona State is where they're at - preparing for the Peach Bowl in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff - has to do with t

devilsindetail.com

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/60...ive-coordinator-2/?source=user_shared_article
Texas DC Pete Kwiatkowski isn’t a household name — and that’s fine with him

The 2-4-5 defense and "gap and a half" technique

The 2-4-5 was quietly ascendant in the 2024 college football season as the most popular new defensive scheme. How does it work?

americaswargame.substack.com

Modern defense is not the 4-3 vs the 3-4 but the 2-4 vs the 3-3

The 3-4 and 4-3 are antiquated terms, what types of fronts are teams really playing these days and what are the differences?

www.footballstudyhall.com

Spring will be interesting. Some coaching assignments will shift around. With Gideon's background, I would guess he figures out what he wants to do in the secondary, and aligns the front to support that. I don't think he'll bring over Kwiatkowski's mad genius defense (Kwiatkowski was a LB and has an LB-centric defense), but he's seen and worked with a lot of creative defenses.

I'd expect the changes won't be made to the website until there's an official announcement on the hire from the program. I haven't seen one, yet. Usually it takes a few days from the time these are reported to the time we actually get those official announcements

EDIT: as I hit the submit button it suddenly went through my head "yeah I think @slugboy knows that you idiot" but I couldn't delete the post. Sorry about that.

 

[Lil G]

Moving my post to the scheme thread

 

[slugboy]

I'd expect the changes won't be made to the website until there's an official announcement on the hire from the program. I haven't seen one, yet. Usually it takes a few days from the time these are reported to the time we actually get those official announcements

EDIT: as I hit the submit button it suddenly went through my head "yeah I think @slugboy knows that you idiot" but I couldn't delete the post. Sorry about that.

It’s kinda like the wayback machine, though. I wonder how long Santucci stays on the site?

ETA: I rationally understand the GTAA has a process for updating ramblinwreck.com. I just can’t get over the feeling that the process is “whenever the content person gets back from the coffee shop and feels like doing it”.

 

[whitegoldsphinx]

It’s kinda like the wayback machine, though. I wonder how long Santucci stays on the site?

ETA: I rationally understand the GTAA has a process for updating ramblinwreck.com. I just can’t get over the feeling that the process is “whenever the content person gets back from the coffee shop and feels like doing it”.

Really? That fast?

 

[Jerry the Jacket]

It's all about the Benjamin's now. Conferences, Schools, Administrations, Coaches, Players and anyone else affiliated with college football is in on the gold rush. Like the pioneers heading west to make their fortunes, the football world is chasing the almighty dollar and where it stops nobody knows. I think anybody that stays in one spot more than one year will be the exception rather than the rule.

Go Jackets!

 

[MountainBuzzMan]

Does this mean we are not bringing Tenuta back?

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

For those who keep referring to Bud Foster, the main reason he never left VT was no one would hire him as a head coach. He had a reputation as being bat **** crazy. Even VT wouldn't hire him to replace Beamer.