It's Tavita Pritchard! - Printable Version
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RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - BostonCard - 12-29-2025
(12-29-2025, 05:04 PM)BobK Wrote: April to Minnesota
https://www.thedailygopher.com/minnesota-football/39131/minnesota-football-gophers-to-hire-bobby-april-as-rush-ends-coach
The fact that he took a demotion from being the Willie Shaw director of defense to be a position coach says something.
BC
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - old spanish trail - 12-29-2025
(12-29-2025, 04:49 PM)qwerty49 Wrote:(12-29-2025, 01:32 PM)BostonCard Wrote: Ranking of all college coaching hires…I wouldn't be surprised if Lupoi is successful. He's been the recruit whisperer for several years at Oregon, as well as defensive guru. Oregon is kinda good.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2025/12/29/college-football-coaching-hire-rankings/87794567007/
Silver lining, I suppose, is that Pritchard is not ath the very bottom, and, in fact, is two spots above Tosh Lupoi and Cal.
BC
I guess the proof will be in the pudding. I'm keeping my expectations very modest. I hope we can get to 6 wins within a couple of years.
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - MV72018 - 12-29-2025
(12-29-2025, 05:15 PM)BostonCard Wrote:(12-29-2025, 05:04 PM)BobK Wrote: April to Minnesota
https://www.thedailygopher.com/minnesota-football/39131/minnesota-football-gophers-to-hire-bobby-april-as-rush-ends-coach
The fact that he took a demotion from being the Willie Shaw director of defense to be a position coach says something.
BC
For those of us who are not mind readers, what do YOU think April's move "says"?
A. he loves the midwest more than the Left Coast;
B. Pritchard doesn't want him
C. he doesn't want to work under Pritchard
D. he doesn't think much of Stanford's returning defensive talent
E. he likes the Minnesota coach
F. he doesn't like Andrew Luck
G. he's sick of Stanford
H. his wife or partner or girl friend loves Minnesota
I. he hates Bay Area weather
J. he loves the returning talent he'll have to work with at Minnesota more than the returning talent at Stanford
K. "other"
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - BostonCard - 12-29-2025
I think it says that unless he was dying to go specifically to Minnesota, none of the other programs who are looking for a DC thought he was good enough to be a DC.
The fact that he took a demotion tells me that either he really thinks the situation at Stanford with the new guy is intolerable or (more likely) that he was let go. Given that it is not uncommon for a new coach to want to bring in mostly his own coordinators (save typically one coach for continuity), I don’t necessarily read too much into the fact that he’s no longer with the team. What I did read into was that he couldn’t land a DC position somewhere.
BC
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - Maple Leaf - 12-29-2025
(12-29-2025, 05:40 PM)MV72018 Wrote:(12-29-2025, 05:15 PM)BostonCard Wrote:(12-29-2025, 05:04 PM)BobK Wrote: April to Minnesota
https://www.thedailygopher.com/minnesota-football/39131/minnesota-football-gophers-to-hire-bobby-april-as-rush-ends-coach
The fact that he took a demotion from being the Willie Shaw director of defense to be a position coach says something.
BC
For those of us who are not mind readers, what do YOU think April's move "says"?
A. he loves the midwest more than the Left Coast;
B. Pritchard doesn't want him
C. he doesn't want to work under Pritchard
D. he doesn't think much of Stanford's returning defensive talent
E. he likes the Minnesota coach
F. he doesn't like Andrew Luck
G. he's sick of Stanford
H. his wife or partner or girl friend loves Minnesota
I. he hates Bay Area weather
J. he loves the returning talent he'll have to work with at Minnesota more than the returning talent at Stanford
K. "other" The Cardboard is a bit over the top!
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - Mick - 12-29-2025
(12-29-2025, 05:40 PM)MV72018 Wrote:(12-29-2025, 05:15 PM)BostonCard Wrote:(12-29-2025, 05:04 PM)BobK Wrote: April to Minnesota
https://www.thedailygopher.com/minnesota-football/39131/minnesota-football-gophers-to-hire-bobby-april-as-rush-ends-coach
The fact that he took a demotion from being the Willie Shaw director of defense to be a position coach says something.
BC
For those of us who are not mind readers, what do YOU think April's move "says"?
A. he loves the midwest more than the Left Coast;
B. Pritchard doesn't want him
C. he doesn't want to work under Pritchard
D. he doesn't think much of Stanford's returning defensive talent
E. he likes the Minnesota coach
F. he doesn't like Andrew Luck
G. he's sick of Stanford
H. his wife or partner or girl friend loves Minnesota
I. he hates Bay Area weather
J. he loves the returning talent he'll have to work with at Minnesota more than the returning talent at Stanford
K. "other"
L. Better value proposition / more money vs. expenses
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - newguy - 12-29-2025
i'm disappointed that Bobby April has left us.
in my opinion, he was one of the good ones.
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - SamuelMcF - 12-30-2025
(12-29-2025, 07:48 PM)Mick Wrote:(12-29-2025, 05:40 PM)MV72018 Wrote:(12-29-2025, 05:15 PM)BostonCard Wrote:(12-29-2025, 05:04 PM)BobK Wrote: April to Minnesota
https://www.thedailygopher.com/minnesota-football/39131/minnesota-football-gophers-to-hire-bobby-april-as-rush-ends-coach
The fact that he took a demotion from being the Willie Shaw director of defense to be a position coach says something.
BC
For those of us who are not mind readers, what do YOU think April's move "says"?
A. he loves the midwest more than the Left Coast;
B. Pritchard doesn't want him
C. he doesn't want to work under Pritchard
D. he doesn't think much of Stanford's returning defensive talent
E. he likes the Minnesota coach
F. he doesn't like Andrew Luck
G. he's sick of Stanford
H. his wife or partner or girl friend loves Minnesota
I. he hates Bay Area weather
J. he loves the returning talent he'll have to work with at Minnesota more than the returning talent at Stanford
K. "other"
L. Better value proposition / more money vs. expenses
M. He was demoted this past year (Andy Thompson ran the defense, Reich called this out multiple times in interviews) and was not being retained on the new staff
[I guess technically that fits under "K. other"]
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - Spiny_Norman - 12-30-2025
Samuel, what are you hearing re: Pritchard's staff? What roles if any does he plan to keep for himself (i.e., QB coach, OC)?
We are now 30 days past his announcement as HC and have heard basically nothing since then. Pritchard and Luck are not acting with the urgency that I might have expected.
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - Goose - 12-30-2025
(12-30-2025, 12:53 PM)Spiny_Norman Wrote: Samuel, what are you hearing re: Pritchard's staff? What roles if any does he plan to keep for himself (i.e., QB coach, OC)?I would amend you statement to add "that we know about". They may have acted with great urgency but can't announce their results because some of the coaches are still coaching and don't want their intention to leave being public. It also may be they acted with urgency and so far have struck out. The latter would be a serious problem :-).
We are now 30 days past his announcement as HC and have heard basically nothing since then. Pritchard and Luck are not acting with the urgency that I might have expected.
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - PVTree - 12-30-2025
Are there any tampering rules in the NCAA preventing schools from poaching/talking to coaches without the current school's permission to speak with their coach?
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - BobK - 12-30-2025
Easy way around. Talk to the coach ‘s agent
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - Mick - 12-31-2025
Interesting article on how Indiana got so good so fast. They had a Rose Bowl record even worse than Cal's, and the most losses in college football history. None of its 23 head football coaches had a winning conference record. Some good stuff in this article.
No really, how did Indiana football get so good so fast? Inside Curt Cignetti’s turnaround - The Athletic
this year, they're 13-0 and the former Cal QB won the Voldemort (Hiesman). Keys to their secret?
1. Cignetti brought five assistants from James Madison, including the OC and DC. JMU was 11-1 in their last sdeason.
2. They kept their JMU system and brought 13 JMU players. Basically brought their culture with them, setting player-led accountability.
3. Down lineman combine physicality with technique and plenty of stunts. Five of their seven were group of 5 transfers, and they racked up 112 tackles for loss, 2nd most in FBS. Only two of their seven are taller than 6'1".
4. Offense has plenty of run-pass options wtih play-action and quick passes, also incorporates drop-back passing and zone running.
5. Focus on execution rather than scheme.
6. Passing focuses on entire width of the field. Look to make other team's DBs in conflict and look for open windows on zone coverage. Attack downfield when defense shifts into man coverage.
7. Opponents say other schools (e.g., Oregon) are more exotic and diverse. Indiana just plays unbelievably fundamentally well and harder and tougher than their opponents.
8. Running game gets Big10 best 221 yards per game, thanks to the OL coach who is the only holdover from the prior staff. 4 of the 7 primary OLs are transfers. They cut down TFLs and sacks despite playing better competition. They're great at picking up stunts, blitz and movement.
9. Recruiting. Cignetti looks for (a) guys who love football, (b) certain level of athleticism, © ankle, knee, and hip flexibility.
10. Get a great quarterback.
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - jacket3ree - 12-31-2025
Indiana's strategy seems similar to Stanford under Harbaugh, although he didn't bring USD players with him.
Cignetti had way more success than Harbaugh and faster, but the recipe seems very familiar.
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - ADPinWDC - 12-31-2025
Especially since INDY must be more difficult to recruit to than Stanford, non?
lex24 - lex24 - 12-31-2025
(12-31-2025, 04:53 PM)ADPinWDC Wrote: Especially since INDY must be more difficult to recruit to than Stanford, non?
Well, doesn’t currently appear that way.
Mick dateline='[url=tel:1767206626' Wrote: 1767206626[/url]']
Interesting article on how Indiana got so good so fast. They had a Rose Bowl record even worse than Cal's, and the most losses in college football history. None of its 23 head football coaches had a winning conference record. Some good stuff in this article.
No really, how did Indiana football get so good so fast? Inside Curt Cignetti’s turnaround - The Athletic
this year, they're 13-0 and the former Cal QB won the Voldemort (Hiesman). Keys to their secret?
1. Cignetti brought five assistants from James Madison, including the OC and DC. JMU was 11-1 in their last sdeason.
2. They kept their JMU system and brought 13 JMU players. Basically brought their culture with them, setting player-led accountability.
3. Down lineman combine physicality with technique and plenty of stunts. Five of their seven were group of 5 transfers, and they racked up 112 tackles for loss, 2nd most in FBS. Only two of their seven are taller than 6'1".
4. Offense has plenty of run-pass options wtih play-action and quick passes, also incorporates drop-back passing and zone running.
5. Focus on execution rather than scheme.
6. Passing focuses on entire width of the field. Look to make other team's DBs in conflict and look for open windows on zone coverage. Attack downfield when defense shifts into man coverage.
7. Opponents say other schools (e.g., Oregon) are more exotic and diverse. Indiana just plays unbelievably fundamentally well and harder and tougher than their opponents.
8. Running game gets Big10 best 221 yards per game, thanks to the OL coach who is the only holdover from the prior staff. 4 of the 7 primary OLs are transfers. They cut down TFLs and sacks despite playing better competition. They're great at picking up stunts, blitz and movement.
9. Recruiting. Cignetti looks for (a) guys who love football, (b) certain level of athleticism, © ankle, knee, and hip flexibility.
10. Get a great quarterback.
I also read that his team practices considerably less than most.
Doesn’t hurt that Mike Shanahan is his OC. Although he’s not THAT Mike Shanahan. And he’s not related.
Finally, the article notes they have “good financial suopport from donors.”
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - 82lsju - 12-31-2025
(12-31-2025, 04:53 PM)ADPinWDC Wrote: Especially since INDY must be more difficult to recruit to than Stanford, non?
the pool of players they can recruit is significantly larger
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - ELcat - 01-01-2026
(12-30-2025, 12:53 PM)Spiny_Norman Wrote: Samuel, what are you hearing re: Pritchard's staff? What roles if any does he plan to keep for himself (i.e., QB coach, OC)?
We are now 30 days past his announcement as HC and have heard basically nothing since then. Pritchard and Luck are not acting with the urgency that I might have expected.
Other sites (including X) have been reporting on who is being retained or is leaving. Looks like at least Thompson, Byham, and Deatrick are being retained for roles. At least April and Netter are gone. Folks here probably know of more.
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - BobK - 01-01-2026
Thomson not to be the DC
RE: It's Tavita Pritchard! - Treebound - 01-01-2026
Interesting that Cignetti/Indiana retained the Offensive Line coach. Our O Line play has been really poor for quite some time and without run blocking and pass protection, we are mediocre at best. We need a return to the Tunnel Workers Union and our smash mouth mentality of trench dominance. We should be able to recruit the horses to be dominant on the line, but we need the right coach to do it. To me, this is the most critical hire to start the turnaround. 14 years ago, we were thumping Va Tech in the Orange Bowl. That game the and the Rose Bowl win over Iowa were the best Stanford Bowl games that I had the honor of attending.