(Duplicate) Defensive Coordinator Luke Fickell (official thread)

[kn1f3party]

Disagree. I don't think he has the authority to make said changes right now...

He could likely change roles (playcalling) but who would replace the current?

Until LF is given the authority to get his people on that side, he is a lame duck.

Sorry, but this isn't the 4th grade. You don't have to do what the teacher tells you to because she is the teacher. If shit is going badly and the reputation of the University and yourself is on the line, you should be beating down doors. If you aren't getting the support you need to win, make it known. You don't hang your reputation out to dry for a program that says, "thanks for all you've done, don't let the door hit you on the ass." tOSU will be fine, long term. Fickell could very likely be set back for decades if this gets bad enough. The University will outlive him and at the end of the day what does being the sacrificial lamb really do for us?

I arguably think this program will be better off if he started rattling some cages from his end. If he quietly does this swan dive, who knows what kind of ramificiations it has on recruiting and transfers.

We'll see what happens Saturday. If things look dramatically different, I'm sure he did more than sit back and let it play out.

 

[osugrad21]

Sorry, but this isn't the 4th grade. You don't have to do what the teacher tells you to because she is the teacher. If [Mark May] is going badly and the reputation of the University and yourself is on the line, you should be beating down doors. If you aren't getting the support you need to win, make it known. You don't hang your reputation out to dry for a program that says, "thanks for all you've done, don't let the door hit you on the ass." tOSU will be fine, long term. Fickell could very likely be set back for decades if this gets bad enough. The University will outlive him and at the end of the day what does being the sacrificial lamb really do for us?

I arguably think this program will be better off if he started rattling some cages from his end. If he quietly does this swan dive, who knows what kind of ramificiations it has on recruiting and transfers.

We'll see what happens Saturday. If things look dramatically different, I'm sure he did more than sit back and let it play out.

If he does not have firing authority right now, what should he do? Not sure if you missed my whole point in there or are simply set on something must be done regardless of actual possibilities.

 

[kn1f3party]

If he does not have firing authority right now, what should he do? Not sure if you missed my whole point in there or are simply set on something must be done regardless of actual possibilities.

Not in his shoes, but if I were based on what seems to be general knowledge, remove the responsibility from coaches that are failing to perform at an adequate level and give them to someone that thinks they are capable. I'm sure someone on this staff has played video games or is at least up for the task.

It has been 5 games already, something has to be done at this point lest these guys want their careers irreparably damaged before they even begin.

I get your point, but in any bureaucracy you never have your hands completely tied. If Smith says you can't do it, go to Gee. If Gee says you can't do something, don't dodge the questions in the press conference. There are political ways to say, "this shit ain't my fault guys, they won't let me do anything even though I want to win."

 

[BengalsAndBucks]

I get your point, but in any bureaucracy you never have your hands completely tied. If Smith says you can't do it, go to Gee. If Gee says you can't do something, don't dodge the questions in the press conference. There are political ways to say, "this [Mark May] ain't my fault guys, they won't let me do anything even though I want to win."

But not in ways that don't reflect badly on the university as a whole, and if there is one thing that Luke has shown through all of this its that he cares deeply about and puts the university ahead of himself.

 

[kn1f3party]

But not in ways that don't reflect badly on the university as a whole, and if there is one thing that Luke has shown through all of this its that he cares deeply about and puts the university ahead of himself.

I don't necessarily think you have to drag the school in the mud. But I do think he is unnecessarily falling on a knife.

Obviously, we don't know what is going on behind closed doors.

Maybe I'm venting, but we're getting embarrassed. When is it going to be over?

 

[Gatorubet]

If he does not have firing authority right now, what should he do?

Go back in time and not accept the job under those conditions. "All of the responsibility and none of the authority." The classic set up for failure. Makes you feel sorry for the guy, who I'm sure thought that he could survive most of the first five games, get his guys back, and go on to a season that might get him a long term gig for the big bucks, all while helping his alma mater. Instead, he gets whipping boy status for things he did not create and cannot cure with the limited tools he was given. Sad.

 

[kn1f3party]

Go back in time and not accept the job under those conditions. "All of the responsibility and none of the authority." The classic set up for failure. Makes you feel sorry for the guy, who I'm sure thought that he could survive most of the first five games, get his guys back, and go on to a season that might get him a long term gig for the big bucks, all while helping his alma mater. Instead, he gets whipping boy status for things he did not create and cannot cure with the limited tools he was given. Sad.

This. At this point his options are (A) let this murder your career or (B) go down swinging. Neither are good options. I won't profess to know which is better. But if one of them gets us back on track faster I favor that.

 

[Poe McKnoe]

Disagree. I don't think he has the authority to make said changes right now...

He could likely change roles (playcalling) but who would replace the current?

Until LF is given the authority to get his people on that side, he is a lame duck.

I agree with this. Seems like this mess is a lack of decision making from the decision makers...kind of like the press conferences, Tressel retirement, and with their no longer interim head coach.

Even in previous years with subpar offensive performance, everyone just expected Tressel to right the ship and he normally did. Without giving Fickell the necessary control, he was set up to fail from the beginning, unfortunately.

 

[Poe McKnoe]

If he does not have firing authority right now, what should he do? Not sure if you missed my whole point in there or are simply set on something must be done regardless of actual possibilities.

I say have Bollman do the gameplan and install the plays, then turn over playcalling to someone else. What do you do, piss Bollman off in the process? So what, if there's a lame duck it's him and not the head coach.

Honestly, Fick may not have a clue to what goes on in the offense. But the shear nature of being a defensive coordinator means you know what defense could work against a given offense. Vice versa, he should know what type of offensive plays would work against what the opposition is showing on defense. He could call for screens, trick plays, quick passes based on what he knows as a defensive coach. Then let an offensive guy pick the play. Hell, Bauserman is as old as a graduate assistant, knows the plays, and knows better than to run Mo Wells up the gut on 4th and 1.

 

[kn1f3party]

I say have Bollman do the gameplan and install the plays, then turn over playcalling to someone else. What do you do, [censored] Bollman off in the process? So what, if there's a lame duck it's him and not the head coach.

Honestly, Fick may not have a clue to what goes on in the offense. But the shear nature of being a defensive coordinator means you know what defense could work against a given offense. Vice versa, he should know what type of offensive plays would work against what the opposition is showing on defense. He could call for screens, trick plays, quick passes based on what he knows as a defensive coach. Then let an offensive guy pick the play. Hell, Bauserman is as old as a graduate assistant, knows the plays, and knows better than to run Mo Wells up the gut on 4th and 1.

This. IMO there is always something that can be done.

 

[Gatorubet]

This. IMO there is always something that can be done.

Muschamp recommends this:

 

[MaxBuck]

It's not really possible to fire assistants in mid-season, unless they've been proven to have committed a felony or done something morally egregious. So Fickell's hands are tied. And he won't be hired to continue.

Problem is, if Fickell tells the OC he's been relieved of his duties, we have nobody else who has the experience to design the attack, teach the attack, and call plays. Not to mention coach the O-line. Bad situation that I don't see a real solution to until the post-season.

 

[Buckeyefrankmp]

Disagree. I don't think he has the authority to make said changes right now...

He could likely change roles (playcalling) but who would replace the current?

Until LF is given the authority to get his people on that side, he is a lame duck.

I think this is the problem. This also tells me that he is not going to be the coach next year. If the administration wanted him long term, they would let him make changes to the coaching staff during the season, not just filling empty spots like he did with Vrable.

 

[MaxBuck]

I think this is the problem. This also tells me that he is not going to be the coach next year. If the administration wanted him long term, they would let him make changes to the coaching staff during the season, not just filling empty spots like he did with Vrable.

Again, I don't think making staff changes mid-season is really feasible. Not even sure it can be done under NCAA rules. I don't think "the administration letting him" enters into the equation at all. Let me remind you that he was not prevented from hiring Mike Vrabel. Given the iffy performance of linebackers and pass rush this season, that one doesn't seem to have been a home run.

 

[kn1f3party]

May not be able to make a coordinator decision mid-season but you can certainly make a play-calling one.