@HokiesFB tweeted this out yesterday and I saw it this morning. I guess we'll see how Bob Shoop & CBF fare against the run come September 10th in prime time. The author used several methods, including defensive rankings and S&P rankings.
List is mostly SEC, but legit contenders. Most have moved around every few years. Bud Foster has established an unbroken legacy at the same location that adds weight to his #1 selection, despite being down last year.
Per @BleacherReport, the #1 defensive coordinator in the country... #LPD @coachfostervt https://t.co/9AmQGnVu1J— HokiesFB (@HokiesFB) June 30, 2016
Here is the direct link if you can't see the tweet:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2649110-10-best-defensive-coordinators-in-college-football
Forums:
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Comments
Confirms what we've known all along, nothing but the best.
Wish I'd thought of that.
Hahaha too cool!
Crisp and poundable for the tailgate
I still believe that Bud would make a good head coach if given the opportunity. Last year, it felt like the consensus opinion was that we needed to go out and get Herman, Fuente, Morris, or Smart even if that meant we had to let Bud go. He has more of a DC temperament than a HC temperament.
If Whit hired Bud as HC, I would have been ok with it. I thought Bud earned the job after 2 decades of work and I didn't want to see leave him the program. He's one of the great assistants in the history of college football and I believed he was too valuable to let go. Bud Fosters don't grow on trees.
But this is why Whit (and then Fuente) gets paid the big bucks to make these decisions and I don't. It all worked out in the end. We got a new beloved HC and kept our beloved DC.
Right on.
Sorry haven't been around to Foster good discussion after posting the topic, but looks like things are running smoothly.
I think what was needed around here was a shot in the arm for the offense. I know Bud has had some ideas on what he'd run; and I know he could go out and hire a great OC. However, the offensive philosophy coming from the big whistle himself and a veteran staff, and not just his OC, should have more of an impact. Fortunately we were able to maintain relative stability on the defensive side during the O-verhaul.
"Foster good discussion"
"O-verhaul"
Nicely done.
Bleacher report got this one right! BRAVO!
Most of the other really good DCs have moved on and become HCs. Bud is definitely way up the list based on past history, but current DCs would have to think Venables would be at the top of the list if just looking at most recent years.
I watch pretty much every Clemson game and no DC has benefitted more from having great talent in the last few years. They've relied heavily on having a much faster, bigger DL than the other team can handle that creates a ton of pressure. He doesn't make a lot of great in game adjustments either, which is how he got into shootouts with a terrible SC team, Syracuse, and an NC State team that we held to 13 points. I wouldn't trade Bud for Venables for anything. Plus big game Bud gives us a chance, his defense shut down Bama's run game in 2013 and we all remember what he did against Ohio State in 2014 and that is with significantly less talent than Venables has worked with. As a counter example, Venables got absolutely wrecked in big games by FSU and Bama, good lord, Kiffin thoroughly out schemed Venables over and over again. That second OJ Howard touchdown was the best schematic answer to an inverted cover two I think I have ever seen.
Edit: Also, Clemson's potentially best ever defense in 2014 that was number #1 by basic metrics, got lit up by the two good offenses they played all year. Georgia put on a clinic rushing for 328 yards with 8ypc. Then UNC with one of the historically worst defenses in P5 history, lost a shootout to Clemson on the road where UNC threw for 436 yards and 11.2 yards per pass. The same year @ UNC we held them to under 200 yards passing and only 323 total yards.
Venables defenses have been too big and too fast for most of the relatively inept offenses in the ACC, but when they play more nuanced, efficient, or explosive offenses they tend to have the same issues people get upset with Bud about, except they are loaded with 4 and 5 star guys on defense.
Kirby Smart says hi.
Well he's a HC now, so not eligible for the list!
Bud could recruit a bit more and get more 4/5* players as well...
Not arguing they've been more talented it's evident, but Clemson has always had a ton of talent but it didn't really start translating to results for their defense until he got there.
Clemson's defensive talent has been much more balanced recently. Historically strong at a few spots but now they've got 4-5* guys everywhere with some gems who turned out to be great too. No doubt he is a great coordinator, but he really isn't doing anything spectacular against great offenses. Best showing probably against Oklahoma in the second half of the Orange Bowl this year. I think he has shored them up, but they still have huge breakdowns and he doesn't make in game adjustments as well as Bud does. Also, I wanted to illustrate how we get onto Bud for the same issues many other coordinators have, even with better talent.
Bud has made great in game adjustments lately? Can't stop a running qb to save his life lately.
Him and the rest of College Football...
thread is about best DCs. We've not been very good against some very average, at best, dual threat QBs lately.
There's a reason they became a hot commodity. It's a variable that is hard to account for. A true dual threat QB who has the ability to make the passes and the right reads is a top draft pick. Even average ones can make things happen that are unpredictable. The game is still adjusting to solve that problem and have been since McNabb and more specifically Vick.
Not for nuthin' but exactly which elite dual threat QB are you referring to that has given defensive coordinators like Bud Foster such heartburn?
Marquise Williams who was drafted exactly ... nowhere?
James Summers and/or Blake Kemp who ... do they still play football?
Chad Voytik perhaps? Now that's an elite heisman candidate....
Or perhaps you were referring to Bradley Kaaya... He's basically Mike Vick combined with Peyton Manning right?
But wait... Thomas Sirk... now he's really the achilles heal of any defensive scheme. I mean Nick Saban and Monty Kiffen have written books about how to scheme around ole TS...
And that's just 2015... The list of "elite" dual threat QBs who have foiled the Foster master plan goes even further. Can't a guy get a break?
Sorry in advance but the Bud Foster hero worship gets old... other DCs (like Brent Venables) recruit top 5 classes and play for national championships. As far as I'm concerned, Bud has some catching up to do.
You make a fair point on the recruiting. In Bud's defense not all of our 4* offensive starters were recruited to play offense.
You should really be picking on Blake Kemp. Kid wasn't even the starter at ECU.
As for the running quarterbacks, you can either scheme to stop the run and the pass first, or scheme to stop the quarterback run first. With the attrition and youth on our defense, we still managed to stop the run and pass fairly well.
ECU was overmatched early and had nothing to lose. That's why they pulled their starting QB and threw in their sacrificial battering ram. We could have either made the adjustment to sell out the field to stop the 2nd string QB from taking off, or not.
You could argue that decision cost us the game, but we got shut down on offense for three quarters by ECU and nobody is surprised by that or cares why.
Bud Foster doesn't get "hero worship", he's an excellent DC and after 20+ years people tend to get used to that. Fans all around the country tend to recognize that, it's okay if you don't. Running QBs are becoming bigger parts of the game and they give all DCs headaches; not just Bud. Also, pick a college DC when you talk about your great defensive minds. It sounds bad in your criticism if the only better college DC you can think of is Brent Venables.
Our defense last season was definitely bad by our standards That's still both remarkably uncommon, and objectively better than 3/4 of Division 1.
Either way I think we're talking about the limitations of ingenious defensive scheming without the talent to make plays and dominate lesser opponents. Bud is a great defensive mind, a good teacher, and a mediocre (at least recently) recruiter. I recognize his excellence and how it's often foiled by other shortcomings.
He doesn't have to recruit Adibi and Hall every year. But he does have to recruit them every so often and make sure we have enough depth to field at least an ACC-level front 7. I'm just not sure he's done that recently. I'm also not particularly concerned with where that puts him on a list of DCs. I'm concerned with where that puts the Hokies in the CFP rankings and whether it keeps us in contention for the ACC.
** I don't think any of the "4* offensive starters" were ever viable d-line candidates. Assuming you're talking about Teller, Nijman, etc... I'm not seeing the body type and/or twitch to play any of those positions. And I definitely don't see any 4* recruits that would've fit the Mike or Backer molds.
** I only mentioned Venables because he was the topic of discussion up thread.
If our main point of contention is whether Bud is failing at recruiting (lack of effort/skill) or our recruiting (appearance to kids) is failing Bud, I don't really know the best way to answer that.
I think our team is poised to get better and I believe that will help. If Bud is past his peak and we're losing ground to running QBs any more than any other school I'm not seeing it. Rules now require defenses to play QBs with more leniency, and the game has evolved with it. Clemson played UNC last year, too; Williams was 18-78 against us and 17-81 against them. That's not enough data to draw a conclusion, but I feel that when we play weaker teams (with some of those less-heralded QBs) they're bound to take more rule-assisted risks (easier to get a 15 Yard penalty) and send the QB running. Greg Stroman doesn't send RBs airborne (insert flyingMattJohns.gif).
** can't say whether or not Nijman or Wyatt would have been great DL; that was what the recruiting sites had them pegged for. Technically it's two defensive players we lose to fill holes somewhere else. (Even if we secretly had them pegged as OL all along)
** You made your point about great defensive minds. Bud has Great name recognition in his position outside of Blacksburg; I admit that has little to do with arguing the current state of the defense.
My points follow:
1) Recruiting is part of, and inseparable from coaching at the collegiate level.
2) The defense was bad last year not because dual threat QBs are difficult to scheme against but because there was a dearth of talent.
3) Pooh-poohing coaches who get talent but supposedly get out schemed comes across poorly when the Hokie defense routinely gets both out-schemed AND beaten by superior talent.
4) 1-3 cast doubt (at least in my mind) on Bud's status as the #1 active DC.
I do think the team is poised to get better and can't wait to see how things play out. I also think that how much better they get is gated by how much better the recruiting becomes. So far the recruiting looks about the same. Fingers crossed that it improves and that the talent currently on the roster starts to break out.
When you have to start a lot of freshman in the secondary due to injuries, dismissals, and leaving early for the draft, they are going to make mistakes that are not the DC's fault. Making adjustments to what the offense is doing can compound these mistakes if the secondary is not comfortable with what you are doing. Allowing us to get thin at DE and LB is only partially the DC's fault. Recruiting is a team business, and sometimes the right guy gets in the program and does not work out for whatever reason. Finally, when the offense cannot score, every mistake the D makes is compounded in the hearts and minds of the fans. Good running QB's put up numbers on everyone, but they consistently put up worse number against us than most other teams (see GT, Ohio State, etc.). We have been burnt when the other team develops a special game plan to feature a running QB not in the film study. We have also given up big rushes when we cannot get to the QB quick enough, or lose contain trying to do so, but that happens to all teams, and is usually not a DC issue as much as a recruiting/depth issue, for which the DC is partially responsible. Would the D be better if we had Alabama's talent? Do you really expect Bud to have done that in Blacksburg without any offense? Would you want to trade Foster for any DC, because you think they could do better with who we have on D?
One the reasons I've been so excited for Coach Fuente's arrival is the adrenaline shot in the recruitment area. VT has had some amazing coaches throughout CFB's tenure, non more so than Bud, who've coached up 'lesser' talents to achieve some pretty amazing results. Have lost track of the number of times I wondered what VT's coaching staff could've accomplished with upper tier recruiting classes. And am hoping that in the next few years we may be able to answer that question.
So... having great talent is now a mark against you if you're a DC?
How is recruiting not just as important as scheming and/or coaching at the collegiate level?
Anyone else have young kid's who watch Octonauts? Cause that show has really ruined the name "bleacher report" for me...
Bleacher Report has ruined the name "bleacher report" for me
Two thoughts: the list is SEC heavy, but the ACC takes the top two spots. Eat it SEC. Second, I was expecting to hear every sec fanboy crying foul in the comments section, but the respect was surprisingly high for foster. There was the expected bashing from a couple people, but even then people were defending foster. We are damn lucky to still have him on staff
I think the lack of negative comments (or much mention of all) of Foster's name speaks louder than the negative comments themselves. Respect. If he'd had only a couple #1 seasons (like Venables or Boston College), or made his mark at lower tier schools, the ranking would be questionable. But he's done it all at the FBS level, in P5 conferences, year in and year out, without getting fired or "let go". He is in a different class.
As someone else mentioned (just got done watching the 2012 labor day GT game), even in games where we dominated defensively, there were one or two early drives that seemed to give momentum to the other team, but second quarter or second half they were shut down by Bud's adjustments, time and again.
...in other news: Water is wet, the sun is bright, UVA sucks, and the SEC cheats.
Seriously, great for Bud. He deserves every accolade there is.
I pray one day we will have LBs like Hall and Adibi on the field again at the SAME time! Get'em Bud!
You can't post this and not say where you got it!
unless you did this yourself then...you win.
There was a site www.gamedaypassion.com that sold some awesome "Bud is my bud" gear (the shirt was fantastic). Sadly, they're out of business now and don't think anyone else is selling them.
Yeah, I'm going to need a link
That's really impressive. It would be more apropos if it didn't hold a light beer, though. Bud Light? That ain't the Bud I know!
That's actually looking a lot like a Busch. A $9 per 18 pack Busch.
Like the one I am drinking right now, unfortunately.
Yeah, I knew I was on shaky ground there, but reached for the joke anyway. But Bush? You callin' Bud Bush? Truly, I'll see myself out.
You are killing it sir! Lol
You had me right up until bleacher report...