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Tavita the new QB/WR coach - washingtonismoney - 12-20-2013

https://twitter.com/StanfordRivals/status/414056526672707584

It's perilous to judge coaching hires instantly, because like everyone else they're judged on results -- and Pritchard won't really begin his job until spring. So we have to judge on process, and in this case the process seems weak at best. Pritchard has little real experience at coaching the position, and I'd rate QB coach maybe slightly behind OL coach in importance of positional coaching. The timing also seems rushed -- was there any need to hire Pritchard so quickly? Why not conduct a search? The offensive staff composition seems very weighted to younger guys with little experience. Is that wise?

Overall, the offensive staff's results aren't bad, of course. 2013 was a big improvement over 2012 and was, overall, a solid offense -- though it was more erratic than I'd like, and made some odd decisions in personnel. Perhaps this will be corrected anyway, but I'm uneasy by the hire. We'll see who gets hired at RB coach.

Re: Tavita the new QB/WR coach - needle - 12-20-2013

Don't know if this is relevant, but I believe Shaw was QB/WR coach with the Ravens.


Re: Tavita the new QB/WR coach - stupac2 - 12-20-2013

(12-20-2013, 08:59 AM)garvin link Wrote:Shaw has been able to watch Pritchard up close for three seasons, including as running-backs coach, not an inconsequental job. I guess he likes what he sees. I'm inclined to trust his judgment until it's proven bad.

That's where I am. They seem to be really, really high on Prichard. There has to be a reason for it, even if it's hard for us, as outsiders, to see.

Also, do I get points for calling this? I think it was a fairly obvious move, but still, called it!

Re: Tavita the new QB/WR coach - stan01 - 12-20-2013

I would like the coaches to hire Connor McFadden as a graduate assistant.  The beautiful mind needs to stay at Stanford.

Re: Tavita the new QB/WR coach - OutsiderFan - 12-20-2013

One of the key factors in program success is coaching staff continuity.  Moving Pritchard to QB/WR coach does move a slightly less experienced guy into the position, but he seems to benefit from the fact he is going to be coaching a proven QB and WRs.  Moreover, Pritchard played QB, knows the position, and the offense really well.  Why risk messing up the chemistry of a passing game that seems poised to be one of the best in the Pac-12 in 2014, with a new guy not familiar with the offense or the personnel?

Contrast this with the RB position.  Whoever plays RB in 2014 will not have much experience and would seem to benefit from an experienced RB coach.  By moving Pritchard to QB/WR, Stanford keeps that continuity in the passing game, and has the opportunity to bring in a more veteran RB coach.

Isn't a more experienced RB coach a bit more important than having a veteran QB/WR coach right now, especially considering Shaw had that job in the NFL and can be a mentor to Pritchard?

Re: Tavita the new QB/WR coach - gocard14 - 12-20-2013

I'm all for promoting talent within if that's what it takes to retain your best coaches. I've only heard positive things about Pritchard, so I don't see anything wrong with this hire per se.  That being said, we may looking internally more often than is wise and an infusion of outside perspective may be helpful. 

One of the best things about being a place that consistently moves its coaches up the ladder, both internally and externally, is it makes you a more attractive destination for top up and coming coaching talent.  We should be leveraging that more then we are.

Re: Tavita the new QB/WR coach - terry - 12-20-2013

(12-20-2013, 11:28 AM)gocard14 link Wrote:we may looking internally more often than is wise and an infusion of outside perspective may be helpful. 

Shaw's hiring record shows a mix of outside hires and internal promotions.

Shaw's hires from the outside:

Bloomgren - OL
Crook - OL/TE
Sanford - RB
Tarver - defensive coordinator and ILB
Alamar - special teams
Kotulski - ILB

Shaw's promotions from within:

Hamilton - WR to offensive coordinator
Mason - DB to defensive coordinator
Bloomgren - OL to offensive coordinator
Pritchard - defensive assistant to RB
Turner - offensive assistant to TE

Internal moves from one position to another:

Sanford - RB to QB/WR
Pritchard - RB to QB/WR

Pritchard has been on staff for four years. He joined the staff under Harbaugh in 2010.

2010        Volunteer Assistant
2011-12  Defensive Assistant
2013        RB coach

Pritchard played for Harbaugh and Shaw for three seasons (2007-09), so he has been in the program for the entire 7 years of the Harbaugh/Shaw era.

Re: Tavita the new QB/WR coach - stanfan - 12-20-2013

  Tavita was hired by Harbaugh who loved the guy and believed he would be a great coach.  Shaw believes the same thing after working with him for several years.  Shaw is himself a former QB coach; he knows one when he sees one.  The players love Tavita.  There is nothing rushed about this.  What it signals is complete trust and confidence in Tavita by his boss.  And, by the way, Shaw's judgment on coaches has been absolutely stellar.  Exhale.  This is an excellent move.

Re: Tavita the new QB/WR coach - Leftcoast - 12-20-2013

The body language on game day sidelines shows energy and focus on Pritchard's part and respect and acceptance from the players.  It will be interesting to see how Tavita grows as he transitions from the "one of us/could still play" position coach.

Kudos to the new/not-so-new guy.

Re: Tavita the new QB/WR coach - Bruce Wang - 12-20-2013

Anybody who quarterbacks the greatest upset in college football history deserves at least the benefit of the doubt.

I think he's going to be an ace recruiter: the credibility of going through the Stanford experience himself and first hand demonstration of a thriving and promising career post-Stanford.

I like the model of an alumnus as our coach. Someday Shaw will retire or head to the NFL.  We will need a successor.

Re: Tavita the new QB/WR coach - BostonCard - 12-20-2013

The big coup, of course, was promoting Mason to be DC.  He has had a lot of talent to work with, but he has produced an outstanding defense with it over the last couple of years. He especially deserves praise this year, when he dealt with the loss of Anderson for the first half of the year, and Garner for the second half.  His big challenge (if he isn't lured away to be a DC in the NFL or HC somewhere else) will be next year, when we lose guys like Skov and Murphy (and likely Reynolds).  But we do bring back 3/4 of our defensive backfield, and have a lot of talent who can step in.

BC

Re: Tavita the new QB/WR coach - washingtonismoney - 12-20-2013

Two things:

(12-20-2013, 03:42 PM)Boston Card link Wrote:The big coup, of course, was promoting Mason to be DC.

The number one hire was Mason to DC. But I'd argue that Alamar as special teams coordinator has been hugely underrated by Stanford fans -- Polian's special teams stunk and Alamar's are among the best in the country. Not that that invalidates your point at all, just noting its existence for completeness.


Second -- here's Shaw explaining the Tavita promotion: https://soundcloud.com/gostanford/david-shaw-post-practice-12-20

Re: Tavita the new QB/WR coach - pincemob - 12-20-2013

It is important to promote people from within.  It helps morale and will ultimately help us attract more talent in the future.  I also like that more Stanford grads are moving up the coaching ranks.  Shaw won't be around forever.  Thumbs way up.

Re: Tavita the new QB/WR coach - DC - 12-20-2013

I don't see Pritchard improving Hogan's throwing mechanics however.

Re: Tavita the new QB/WR coach - washingtonismoney - 12-20-2013

(12-20-2013, 10:45 PM)DC link Wrote:I don't see Pritchard improving Hogan's throwing mechanics however.

More concerned about his decision making than his throwing mechanics. I've never understood the outsize attention paid to the way he throws.

Re: Tavita the new QB/WR coach - terry - 12-20-2013

(12-20-2013, 10:46 PM)washingtonismoney link Wrote:More concerned about his decision making than his throwing mechanics. I've never understood the outsize attention paid to the way he throws.

+1

Re: Tavita the new QB/WR coach - DC - 12-20-2013

(12-20-2013, 10:46 PM)washingtonismoney link Wrote:[quote author=DC link=topic=9207.msg79182#msg79182 date=1387604743]
I don't see Pritchard improving Hogan's throwing mechanics however.

More concerned about his decision making than his throwing mechanics. I've never understood the outsize attention paid to the way he throws.
[/quote]I don't think it is outsized.

Re: Tavita the new QB/WR coach - stupac2 - 12-20-2013

(12-20-2013, 10:56 PM)DC link Wrote:I don't think it is outsized.

Could you explain what's wrong with his mechanics, and how it affects his performance on the field?

Re: Tavita the new QB/WR coach - washingtonismoney - 12-20-2013

(12-20-2013, 10:59 PM)stupac2 link Wrote:Could you explain what's wrong with his mechanics, and how it affects his performance on the field?

Yeah, and be specific -- like, actual plays where you think his mechanics have hurt him. Typical criticisms of Hogan's mechanics are practically at Underpants Gnomes level of causality:

1. Hogan's mechanics are awful.
2. ?.?.?
3. Profit! (for the other team)

EDIT: the other issue is whether it's worth investing the time in improving his mechanics. Let's say your observation is that better QBs typically have better mechanics. Stipulating that for the sake of argument -- though it seems to me we've had some very successful QBs with, ah, nonstandard throwing motions -- it doesn't show that the best path for improvement for a college QB with poor mechanics is to work on mechanics. At a certain point your muscle memory becomes set, really. Every year it seems like there's a college QB who goes to work with some private QB coach, who allegedly works on his mechanics -- it was Tim Tebow once; it was also Collin Klein and Landry Jones; and I'm sure it was others -- and it seems like these differences are rarely visually apparent, and that they rarely deliver on-field or NFL draft results.

Re: Tavita the new QB/WR coach - Farm93 - 12-20-2013

On January 1st Hogan could achieve something no other QB in the history of Stanford has accomplished.  15 years from now no one associated with Stanford will remind him about his questionable mechanics if he can point to two Rose Bowl wins.

Lots of college players could improve different things, but the academic demands and NCAA practice restrictions often limit what is possible for the staff.  Should the staff spend their time trying to improve Hogan's mechanics?  Or should the staff spend their time helping Hogan (and the rest of the team) recognize opponent tendencies, schemes, and deficiencies?  Easy to say do it all, but the NCAA really makes that tough.

One could always do it the Lupoi way and outsource the prep work.Â