[Goose]

Here's the related analysis I mentioned:

Really crazy that we went three years in a row without even cracking top 75 scoring defenses in the country and yet didn't shake up the coaching staff at all. For what it's worth, there are eight other Power Five programs in the country that have had that level of futility. To put into perspective just how heinous Stanford's defensive coaching has been, I am going to rank the Inept Nine based on number of composite 4-star defensive players they had on their 2021 rosters:

1. Stanford: 9 (4 DL, 4 LB, 1 DB)
2. Georgia Tech: 8 (3 DL, O LB, 5 DB)
2. Maryland: 8 (2 DL, 4 LB, 2 DB)
4. Vanderbilt: 4 (2 DL, 1 LB, 1 DB)
5. Arizona: 2 (0 DL, 1 LB, 1 DB)
5. Kansas: 2 (1 DL, 0 LB, 1 DB)
7. Duke: 1 (0 DL, 0 LB, 1 DB)
7. Texas Tech: 1 (0 DL, 0 LB, 1 DB)
7. Wake Forest: 1 (1 DL, 0 LB, O DB)

Congrats, Stanford, we stand alone as the most talented crappy defense in America! Georgia Tech and Maryland are the only ones even comparable. In front seven the disparity is absolutely insane - we had over double the 4-stars on our defense last year as any other of the Inept Nine.

Heading into 2022, here's what the indefensibly crappy defenses have done:

Georgia Tech has a new assistant head coach for defense/defensive run game coordinator and a new defensive backs/defensive pass game coordinator. Two of the top three defensive assistants are new.

Maryland made the defensive line coach the defensive coordinator last month and they hired a brand-new inside linebackers coach, a brand-new safeties coach, and a brand new outside linebackers coach/special teams coordinator. The cornerbacks coach is in his second season. Almost a complete defensive coaching overhaul.

Vanderbilt kept the defensive ends coach but brought in a completely new slate otherwise. Essentially complete overhaul, of course, including firing the noted defensive coordinator head coach who now has one of the top defensive coordinator jobs in the nation.

Arizona has a brand-new new defensive coordinator, brand new outside linebackers and defensive ends coach, two second year defensive backs coaches, and a second year defensive line coach. Overhaul.

Kansas has a second year defensive coordinator and a second year linebackers coach to go along with a brand-new defensive ends coach/special teams coordinator, brand-new defensive tackles coach. Overhaul.

Duke has a brand-new coach at every single defensive coaching job, obviously a complete overhaul.

Texas Tech has a brand-new coach at every single defensive coaching job, obviously a complete overhaul.

Wake Forest has a brand-new defensive coordinator, brand-new linebackers coach, and brand-new safeties coach. Almost a complete overhaul.

Stanford made no coaching changes whatsoever.

Those who are in contact with powers-that-be should feel free to share this. I can't imagine what the defense would be. Sadly, as a result, I can't imagine what our 2022 defense will be. We are the only chronically inept Power Five defense not to massively shake things up on defense this off-season, in most cases with a new defensive coordinator as well as other shuffles. And nine teams is not exactly a small sample.

While this certainly does raise the question of why Stanford's defense performed so poorly given the number of 4 star recruits, it doesn't actually attempt to answer that question. It also points out that all other schools responded by replacing their defensive coaches (or more). As of now, we don't know if replacing those coaches will help. Some of the names on this list, like Kansas and Vandy, are generally under-performing programs. I strongly suspect changing coaches there will make no difference. Some of these schools will probably drop off the list not because they get better but rather because they get even fewer 4 star athletes. The fact other schools are adopting a particular course of action is not of itself evidence said actions are a good idea in general or even in particular cases. The assertion that standing pat is "crazy" is allegedly supported by the fact others are not doing so. That is true if and only if all such replacements produce better results. There may be plenty of good reasons to replace Anderson for example, but the fact others are replacing their coaches isn't one of them.

[Goose]

Here's the related analysis I mentioned:

Really crazy that we went three years in a row without even cracking top 75 scoring defenses in the country and yet didn't shake up the coaching staff at all. For what it's worth, there are eight other Power Five programs in the country that have had that level of futility. To put into perspective just how heinous Stanford's defensive coaching has been, I am going to rank the Inept Nine based on number of composite 4-star defensive players they had on their 2021 rosters:

1. Stanford: 9 (4 DL, 4 LB, 1 DB)
2. Georgia Tech: 8 (3 DL, O LB, 5 DB)
2. Maryland: 8 (2 DL, 4 LB, 2 DB)
4. Vanderbilt: 4 (2 DL, 1 LB, 1 DB)
5. Arizona: 2 (0 DL, 1 LB, 1 DB)
5. Kansas: 2 (1 DL, 0 LB, 1 DB)
7. Duke: 1 (0 DL, 0 LB, 1 DB)
7. Texas Tech: 1 (0 DL, 0 LB, 1 DB)
7. Wake Forest: 1 (1 DL, 0 LB, O DB)

Congrats, Stanford, we stand alone as the most talented crappy defense in America! Georgia Tech and Maryland are the only ones even comparable. In front seven the disparity is absolutely insane - we had over double the 4-stars on our defense last year as any other of the Inept Nine.

Heading into 2022, here's what the indefensibly crappy defenses have done:

Georgia Tech has a new assistant head coach for defense/defensive run game coordinator and a new defensive backs/defensive pass game coordinator. Two of the top three defensive assistants are new.

Maryland made the defensive line coach the defensive coordinator last month and they hired a brand-new inside linebackers coach, a brand-new safeties coach, and a brand new outside linebackers coach/special teams coordinator. The cornerbacks coach is in his second season. Almost a complete defensive coaching overhaul.

Vanderbilt kept the defensive ends coach but brought in a completely new slate otherwise. Essentially complete overhaul, of course, including firing the noted defensive coordinator head coach who now has one of the top defensive coordinator jobs in the nation.

Arizona has a brand-new new defensive coordinator, brand new outside linebackers and defensive ends coach, two second year defensive backs coaches, and a second year defensive line coach. Overhaul.

Kansas has a second year defensive coordinator and a second year linebackers coach to go along with a brand-new defensive ends coach/special teams coordinator, brand-new defensive tackles coach. Overhaul.

Duke has a brand-new coach at every single defensive coaching job, obviously a complete overhaul.

Texas Tech has a brand-new coach at every single defensive coaching job, obviously a complete overhaul.

Wake Forest has a brand-new defensive coordinator, brand-new linebackers coach, and brand-new safeties coach. Almost a complete overhaul.

Stanford made no coaching changes whatsoever.

Those who are in contact with powers-that-be should feel free to share this. I can't imagine what the defense would be. Sadly, as a result, I can't imagine what our 2022 defense will be. We are the only chronically inept Power Five defense not to massively shake things up on defense this off-season, in most cases with a new defensive coordinator as well as other shuffles. And nine teams is not exactly a small sample.

While this certainly does raise the question of why Stanford's defense performed so poorly given the number of 4 star recruits, it doesn't actually attempt to answer that question. It also points out that all other schools responded by replacing their defensive coaches (or more). As of now, we don't know if replacing those coaches will help. Some of the names on this list, like Kansas and Vandy, are generally under-performing programs. I strongly suspect changing coaches there will make no difference. Some of these schools will probably drop off the list not because they get better but rather because they get even fewer 4 star athletes. The fact other schools are adopting a particular course of action is not of itself evidence said actions are a good idea in general or even in particular cases. The assertion that standing pat is "crazy" is allegedly supported by the fact others are not doing so. That is true if and only if all such replacements produce better results. There may be plenty of good reasons to replace Anderson for example, but the fact others are replacing their coaches isn't one of them.