Breaking Ekeler back, hired as ST Coordinator

[djw004]

I'm going to guess he is still going to be on staff in some capacity. Loyalty is a big thing for Rhule, Foley and guys like Satt and Snow have been with him for a long time so he's not just going to cut them loose without making sure they have a soft landing.

BINGO!

 

[dom91932]

View attachment 49643

This seems just absurd...what am I missing???

What we all have been missing-watching competent to high level special teams play

 

[Pepe Silvia]

View attachment 49643

This seems just absurd...what am I missing???

I bet if you looking at our opponent punt return stats from the past several years it would look similar

 

[Ext. 55]

Another solid year of winning in the off season. Good pick up.

 

[CornFed Gregger]

 

[Huskerforlife]

 

[Juro]

Wasn’t that Ross Els though?

 

[Toe]

And why won’t he recruit?

There's no limit on coaches anymore, just the number of coaches who can go out on recruiting trips. And it sounds like Ekeler wants to be close to his elderly parents, so it might be a personal thing for him - prioritizing being able to spend time with them (while he still can) over spending time out on the road recruiting.

 

[SOHusker11]

Wasn’t that Ross Els though?

Ek was in the video, but he was coaching LB's. Pooch had ST att.

 

[Huskerbuck85]

Tennessee board.

Posters:

*Or chop is a big time upgrade to Ekeler on the trail and this is a necessary step to take in order to keep him on the staff.

*He’s already on the road. Where’s he going? This is a tale as old as time. You guys fall in love with someone who’s supposed to be a krooter. Brian Niedermeyer was the 2nd coming on this board cause kroots loved him

*Chop on the field finally. Enjoyed Ekeler's time and intensity here, hope he does well back home.

*Say what you want about his recruiting, but after 13 years of terrible special teams play, Ekeler was a breath of fresh air. I think we may have only got beat on special teams a handful of times during his tenure here. We executed so well on special teams it really stood out when we had a bad play. I think he’ll be missed more than people realize.

*Nailed it. There was a year that we gave up less than 10 yards for the season in punt returns. His coverage teams were elite.

Staffer:


*He had one and saw a chance to get back closer to his parents and worked for get the job.


They seem to be obsessed with this Chop dipshit as a recruiter which is their only real complaint about Ekeler.

Sounds like UT wanted him back, but home won out.

Is chop’s first name, pork? Like the guy we got rid of.

 

[Kinish]

Yeah who the fuck is this chop gentleman?

phil simpson with a cool nickname

 

[Saudi_aurora]

Didn’t Ekeler get a tattoo if/when Will Compton committed? Maybe my memory is shit, but I swear he did that.

 

[nscottie]

Didn’t Ekeler get a tattoo if/when Will Compton committed? Maybe my memory is shit, but I swear he did that.

He got the tattoo to visit Compton on recruiting trip

 

[mrmac429]

It was a fake tattoo but he showed ot to Compton on visit.

 

[nscottie]

It was a fake tattoo but he showed ot to Compton on visit.

Yes it was fake

 

[JankTheTank]

View attachment 49643

This seems just absurd...what am I missing???

From what I've been reading, Tennessee will sometimes aim to have the ball go out of bounds in some precise areas to prevent a return. In 2023, they had a rugby style kicker whose mobility would allow him to hold on to the ball long enough for the coverage unit to have made their way down field. By the time the returner caught the ball, he was almost required to call for a fair catch.

Prior to 2023, they went with a traditional punter, so Ek found ways to scheme for those results in the first two years.

It sounds like that punter had some issues the first couple of games, but eventually came into his own.

Here is some reading I've dug up:

Tennessee Football: Analyzing Vols special teams through two games

What does the Tennessee Football kicking game look like ahead of the Volunteers getting set to face the Florida Gaytors on the road?

offthehooksports.com

https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/football/2023/09/14/tennessee-football-punter-jackson-ross-rugby-australian-ambidextrous-florida/70784831007/

All in all, it sounds like Ek is flexible with his approach and also has history of dealing with a troubled punter and coaching him up to get past his mental mistakes and shine.

 

[Alcaus]

Lately Rhule is giving no reason to doubt him.

Obviously the best case scenario.

 

[Carm]

 

[huskerj12]

Didn’t Ekeler get a tattoo if/when Will Compton committed? Maybe my memory is shit, but I swear he did that.

Haha yes that was hilarious.

"In 2008, he was Nebraska's linebackers coach, and Will Compton was a top recruiting target for the Cornhuskers.

When Ekeler visited Compton before national signing day, he received some bad news: Although Compton was committed to Nebraska, he planned to decommit and pledge to Missouri or Illinois.

Ekeler refused to accept recruiting defeat. So, he decided to show the love by getting a two-week temporary tattoo.

According to media accounts, the tattoo featured a skull and crossbones and the word "Blackshirts," a term used to refer to Nebraska's defense. Compton's last name was written in Old English below the emblem.

Ekeler revealed the artwork during a final recruiting pitch to Compton, a four-star prospect out of Bonne Terre, Missouri, around whom then-coach Bo Pelini wanted to build the defense.

“We had a blast (on the visit)," Ekeler said during an interview this year on the "Hail Varsity" radio show, "and before we were leaving, I said, ‘Hey, Will, I got a little something here to remind me for the rest of my life every time I look in the mirror, if you don’t come to the University of Nebraska, you’re making the biggest mistake of your life,’ and I pulled up my shirt.”

Compton signed with Nebraska and went on to tally 247 tackles during his college career."

Mike Ekeler, newest Tennessee football assistant, once got tattoo to help win a recruiting battle

Mike Ekeler once offered space on his biceps to help win a pledge from a recruit. Ekeler, 49, is set to join Tennessee's staff as its 10th assistant.

www.knoxnews.com

 

[Milo-of-Croton]

Wasn’t it Ekeler who had the pool for how many times TV would show Bo screaming at Barney Cotton?