It's official: Pete Alamar special teams coach

[washingtonismoney]

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https://twitter.com/#!/KyleBonagura/status/173122459845926912

Hoping that Low APR U fans are wrong about this one.

[washingtonismoney]

The bright side is that I doubt he's worse than Brian Polian.

[fullmetal]

Apparently we're about to find out.

[stanfan]

FWIW, the kal board thinks he did a lousy job there and is a poor hire for Stanford.

[terry]

That's what they said about Harbaugh too.

I understand the Calfan complaints, but Alamar also can point at some successes on his track record. I'll reserve judgment rather than taking the Calfan comments at face value.

[garvin]

We had another 59er castoff who had some success in the Stanford football program. His name was Ralston, or something like that.

[Yvonne]

I knew Ralston came from that other place, but was he a castoff?

[71Bear]

Alamar was a solid TE coach and a questionable ST coach at the #1 Public Institution of Higher Learning in America.  In particular, his coverage strategies were weak.  It will be interesting to see how he does at LSJU.  He joins an illustrious group of #1 Public Institution of Higher Learning in America/Stanford coaches including Mike White, John Ralston and Terry Shea.

P.S.  Aside to Terry: Some of us were very vocal about the Harbaugh hire being a very good move by Stanford.  It was the "Friends of the AD hires" that we questioned.  Feel free to search the archives of The Cardboard to corroborate my statement.

[Kathy]

I knew Ralston came from that other place, but was he a castoff?

I wouldn't call Ralston a castoff. He played for the Low APR U and later was an assistant coach for the weenies. He left Berkeley for the head coaching job at Utah State, and then took an enormous step up in his career when he landed the Stanford head coaching job.

[washingtonismoney]

Alamar was a solid TE coach and a questionable ST coach at the #1 Public Institution of Higher Learning in America.  In particular, his coverage strategies were weak.

For what it's worth, if this is his primary weakness, it may be covered up by this rules change: http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7611324/ncaa-moves-kickoffs-30-yard-line-35

Kickoffs will be on the 35 yard line rather than the 30, and touchbacks will be to the 25. The effect, one imagines, will be to obscure much of the difference between quality kickoff teams and poor ones. (Although it's possible to imagine coaches trying to get kickers to coffin corner every kickoff, which would return the importance to kickoff coverages.)

[Leftcoast]

I'm not sure what Low APR U folks were saying INTERNALLY but on external boards there was much crowing over the Harbaugh hire.  Particularly centered around "No D1 Experience", "DUI charges while in San Diego" and his personality quirks.   The crowing hit a crescendo with the toilet kerfuffle and the AD lay-offs.   Remember Low APR U was still near their Top-10 ranking plateau and some Low APR U fans fans (presumably new ones) felt the B.ear program had left Stanford in their rear-view mirror and needed new rivals.

One particular troll (if you read his posts you'd understand I'm being nice with that description) on the Wilner blog continually posted Harbaugh's winning percentages vs Ted.ford's until he suddenly stopped in mid-2010.    Gee, I wonder why? 

[71Bear]

Anyone who followed Harbaugh's career as a player/coach could see it was on a solid line upwards.  He is a winner who really doesn't give a darn if he rubs his opponents the wrong way.  Now that he is with SF, I love the guy.  Previously, I could only respect him...   

Heck, the only mistake he has made in the last three years was not running Gerhart at the end of the 09 Big Game - a game that will be remembered for two monumental coaching screwups - JeffT's failure to go for a TD (and settling for an FG) and Jim H's aforementioned gaffe.

Geez, settling for an FG when you are in a position to drive a stake through the heart of your opponent by scoring a TD - that probably sounds familiar to my Cardinal friends, eh?

[Leftcoast]

Grrrrrr .......