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What is your playing experience? How did you become the TpB OL expert?
Slattimer:
I really don't have a ton of playing experience I guess. I played in high school. Started my junior and senior year at DE & Guard. I almost quit football after my freshman year, as I was a short fat runt that got my ass kicked in practice everyday. Thankfully, my football coach talked me into hitting the weightroom, which, combined with hitting a major growth spurt between my freshman & sophomore year, changed everything for me. Probably one of the best decisions I've ever made.
After that, I signed at an NAIA school to play TE, something I've never played before. I eventually was switched back to guard which I loved. There's no better feeling on the football field IMO than pancaking someone. I've caught exactly one TD pass in my life, and it was in college. I didn't stay long, transferred out and went on to finish school, but that's where I got my coaching start, as an OL coach, and did that for 4 years before I got my first HC job.
So I've coached for 18 years now, 8 as a HC, 6 years as an OC, and 4 years as an OL coach. But I've always coached the OL as my position. I played it, coached it.
I think I went through the typical phases that most coaches go through. You start out, and you think you know better than everyone else, the way you teach things and scheme, is just better. But in all reality, you don't know a damn thing. I know I was like that, and then you quickly find out, you don't know a damn thing, to the point of being overwhelmed, like, holy shit, I really don't know anything. And that's when you start to get better.
I'm about as competitive as they come, and in general, am just a football junkie. I go to as many clinics as I can, pick brains of as many successful coaches as I can, and have been fortunate to work under some really good coaches as well. I study as much film, playbooks, clinic tapes, drill tapes, etc. as I can. And most specifically, on the OL as it's always been "my" position group.
In college, I played in an inside/outside zone system. And to be honest, I didn't know what the hell I was doing half the time. Looking back, knowing what I know now, it's pretty sad how bad it was that I didn't pick it up faster. But I had a basic knowledge of the system after I finished.
Probably what has helped me the most over my career as a coach, I was always in charge of drawing opponents scout cards for practice. I'd say I'm very meticulous in making sure everything is correct to prepare our defense, to the point of obsession. Studying other team's offenses, you start to figure out blocking schemes, rules, and techniques as you go. And you get a wide variety of them week to week.
I've also stumbled upon many great resources over the years...especially with OL play. I found my way into a treasure trove of COOL Clinics - which is the Coaches of Offensive Line clinic held yearly. Probably the most famous OL clinic out there. Milt Tenopir resources, Bill O'Boyle Resources. And just study them. See how I can use it.
I finally stumbled upon the 2014 Ohio State Playbook one year. And the level of detail in it was incredible. And I just studied it, the rules, words for techniques, their calls. Decipher them, and see how they fit. It really shaped how I taught our tight zone, and will probably always lean on that teaching because the level of detail in the techniques of the descriptions and calls were just phenomenal, and made a lot of sense to me.
I will say this, I'm not an expert, but I'm not a novice either. There's parts of the game I've got a better understanding than others, and I can also try to enhance those. I've got a pretty good understanding on identifying schemes presented. I think that goes back to drawing scout cards. If you can't quickly identify what another team is doing, it becomes a time consuming process. I remember we were preparing for this team in the playoffs one year, and they shifted and motioned, every. single. snap. Our first run through of the film, I was like, holy shit. How are we going to get our kids ready for this? But after charting it, and being meticulous in your labeling, we started to figure out a method to what seemed like madness on film. I would have probably not been able to do that in my first several years as a coach. But the more experience you get, the more comfortable you get and developing your system.
What are your overall impressions of the Rhule hire and the job he has done so far?
Slattimer:
I really like the hire. I think he's a great fit given his reputation as a builder.
From my perception - Rhule does a couple of things really well.
#1 - What they do, their process, they have a firm belief that it works, and has shown to work.
#2 - The accountability to high standards to that process.
I think those two things are a big reason why he SHOULD be a success here.
As far as the job he's done so far, it's really hard for me to judge, because I just don't know. He's hired a lot of asst. coaches that seem to be aligned with his vision, they're really pretty young. I hope that works out. Recruiting seems to be doing okay. I don't think he's ever going to be a top 10 type class, but maybe I'm wrong on that.
I am skeptical of Satterfield and "We're going to hudl and use a fat running back, etc." But that's mainly my preference in style of offense.
I think the DC hire is a fantastic hire.
What are your thoughts of the job Frost did here? Why he failed?
Slattimer:
Feel like he made a lot of gaffes out of the gate that didn't help his cause. The whole, the B1G will have to adapt to us and the basic trashing of how other staffs have done things wrong rubbed me the wrong way. I ran into Frost when he was a GA at the grapes and talked to him for a few moments, asked what he thought about Callahan and Co, and basically got the same answer, they're doing things wrong...
Apparently he had all the "answers" to fix Nebraska, but really didn't. I don't have a clue what went on beyond the scenes and how much the rumors are true. I typically fall in the line of thinking, it's never as bad as something seems or as good as something seems.
As to why he failed, ultimately, I think it came down to 3 things.
#1 - Failure to develop a serviceable offensive line. That's going to doom you no matter what you run. But it's been flat out atrocious IMO for a while.
#1b - Also, not having a clear identity on offense, I know they had one, but it just never seemed like they had something they hung their hat on.
#2 - Failure to get younger guys on the field sooner. Mainly talking defense, as it seemed like you needed a Ph. D to be able to play, and when the older guys graduated, we saw what happened at the start of the year.
#3 - Failure to make special teams a priority earlier. Maybe it was a priority, maybe it was lip service, but the errors of the years in that phase of the game, man, they messed up a lot and cost games.
Speaking of Oline, how do you feel about Raiola being retained?
Slattimer:
Initially, not a fan...at all. I've warmed up to it some. But I'm still skeptical. I believe there was development this year. The OL did seem to get better in some areas. I thought you could see a clear difference in Pass Pro, especially their sets after Frost was fired. That said, the amount of twist game that got home was frustrating. The comments about not having any live PUP period until after Frost was canned, holy cow. But that's not really an indication on Raiola.
I think the biggest thing is if the former ND OL coach vouched for him, that's a big deal.
Circling back to the defense hire, how do you feel about White and his 3-3-5 defense in the Big 10?
Slattimer:
I feel like all of the pundits and media talking about the 335 are engaging in yellow journalism. I'm purely speculating here, but based on verbiage you hear from the coaches. Namely, they will adapt to their players, and Tony White specifically saying the defense is about concepts, leads me to believe the actual alignment structure of the front matters very little. Again, I'm speculating, but based on personnel and who they've recruited, I have my doubts of how much odd front they will truly run. I'm guessing it will be more even, but I could be wrong.
But what is important is the concepts. What is their base coverage? I'm guessing they'll utilize 5 DBs, one being some sort of hybrid player. The coverage will dictate the front and fit. I'm most interested in whether they will be a 7 front or an 8 front defense. That will dictate the style of coverage, mostly, which in turn will also dictate how they fit.
So, I really don't have much feeling towards a 335 in the B1G. I'm confident he'll have a plan, they'll be aggressive, and they'll make it simple for the players to play fast. I think that's one thing you saw from his defense at Cuse. Fast and aggressive.
How do get catch the Georgia and Alabama's of the world? Does it start at the LOS?
Slattimer:
Honestly, I don't know many schools have the capability of catching those schools in terms of consistency. Can a school like Nebraska build enough to give them a chance vs those teams...I think you can. But as you mentioned, it starts, as it always does, at the LOS.
Skill player wise, I think Nebraska can recruit good enough athletes to compete with those teams. But the freak-beasts up front those schools have, Nebraska has to develop, because I don't think you're going to get enough freak-beasts up front across the board to compete at that level. I think they could get a couple. So taking the right guys, and developing them into really good collegiate players, is crucial. And that's why I've always thought Nebraska needs a developer of talent first and foremost, because I just don't think they're going to recruit to those levels. Can we get classes in the Teens, I think so. But to crack the top 10 is extremely difficult, and the top 5 is damn near impossible unless you have a crop of legacies that are just freak beasts to join up.
The other position I think is crucial is DB. Elite level DB players are not a dime a dozen. So getting guys that are flat out fast is crucial number one, and then if you can develop them, great. But if you can get some elite level talent at DB, the way football is played today, makes your life on defense a whole lot better.
Now that Rouse has committed, how do you see the starting 5 shaking out for next year?
Slattimer:
Assuming all healthy, I'm guessing
LT: Rouse
LG: German
C: Scott
RG: Turner
RT: Teddy
Although Teddy & Rouse could flip.
A lot has been made of the PFF scores. Turner graded out really low for a starter, is he better at guard or tackle?
Slattimer:
I think G. He's not been good. Maybe Luto will play over him.
I hate PFF grades....
What is your opinion of PFF grades?
Slattimer:
PFF Grades are pure speculation and guess work, assigning some arbitrary number without knowing the play call, schemes or techniques used. There is absolutely no way they can be certain and assign a grade for any player that is relevant. Sure, they can guess what the protection call was, or what the blocking scheme was and get a general idea...but have no knowledge of how a specific coach teaches aspects of the scheme. A player could be doing exactly what he's supposed to do, and PFF dings them because they're guessing and don't have any idea.
Added to the fact, the PFF guys don't have All-22s. They based their player charting and grades off of telecasts, which is a complete joke as you never see All-22 and get a sense about what is actually going on how 11 fit together within a scheme. It grinds the shit out of my gears.
If you could give any advice to Rhule what would it be?
Slattimer:
Don't use a fat running back...lol
I'd like to thank @slattimer for his time, had a good time talking to him. Look for more interviews in the next couple of weeks. We are currently reaching out to recruits for interviews.
Slattimer:
I really don't have a ton of playing experience I guess. I played in high school. Started my junior and senior year at DE & Guard. I almost quit football after my freshman year, as I was a short fat runt that got my ass kicked in practice everyday. Thankfully, my football coach talked me into hitting the weightroom, which, combined with hitting a major growth spurt between my freshman & sophomore year, changed everything for me. Probably one of the best decisions I've ever made.
After that, I signed at an NAIA school to play TE, something I've never played before. I eventually was switched back to guard which I loved. There's no better feeling on the football field IMO than pancaking someone. I've caught exactly one TD pass in my life, and it was in college. I didn't stay long, transferred out and went on to finish school, but that's where I got my coaching start, as an OL coach, and did that for 4 years before I got my first HC job.
So I've coached for 18 years now, 8 as a HC, 6 years as an OC, and 4 years as an OL coach. But I've always coached the OL as my position. I played it, coached it.
I think I went through the typical phases that most coaches go through. You start out, and you think you know better than everyone else, the way you teach things and scheme, is just better. But in all reality, you don't know a damn thing. I know I was like that, and then you quickly find out, you don't know a damn thing, to the point of being overwhelmed, like, holy shit, I really don't know anything. And that's when you start to get better.
I'm about as competitive as they come, and in general, am just a football junkie. I go to as many clinics as I can, pick brains of as many successful coaches as I can, and have been fortunate to work under some really good coaches as well. I study as much film, playbooks, clinic tapes, drill tapes, etc. as I can. And most specifically, on the OL as it's always been "my" position group.
In college, I played in an inside/outside zone system. And to be honest, I didn't know what the hell I was doing half the time. Looking back, knowing what I know now, it's pretty sad how bad it was that I didn't pick it up faster. But I had a basic knowledge of the system after I finished.
Probably what has helped me the most over my career as a coach, I was always in charge of drawing opponents scout cards for practice. I'd say I'm very meticulous in making sure everything is correct to prepare our defense, to the point of obsession. Studying other team's offenses, you start to figure out blocking schemes, rules, and techniques as you go. And you get a wide variety of them week to week.
I've also stumbled upon many great resources over the years...especially with OL play. I found my way into a treasure trove of COOL Clinics - which is the Coaches of Offensive Line clinic held yearly. Probably the most famous OL clinic out there. Milt Tenopir resources, Bill O'Boyle Resources. And just study them. See how I can use it.
I finally stumbled upon the 2014 Ohio State Playbook one year. And the level of detail in it was incredible. And I just studied it, the rules, words for techniques, their calls. Decipher them, and see how they fit. It really shaped how I taught our tight zone, and will probably always lean on that teaching because the level of detail in the techniques of the descriptions and calls were just phenomenal, and made a lot of sense to me.
I will say this, I'm not an expert, but I'm not a novice either. There's parts of the game I've got a better understanding than others, and I can also try to enhance those. I've got a pretty good understanding on identifying schemes presented. I think that goes back to drawing scout cards. If you can't quickly identify what another team is doing, it becomes a time consuming process. I remember we were preparing for this team in the playoffs one year, and they shifted and motioned, every. single. snap. Our first run through of the film, I was like, holy shit. How are we going to get our kids ready for this? But after charting it, and being meticulous in your labeling, we started to figure out a method to what seemed like madness on film. I would have probably not been able to do that in my first several years as a coach. But the more experience you get, the more comfortable you get and developing your system.
What are your overall impressions of the Rhule hire and the job he has done so far?
Slattimer:
I really like the hire. I think he's a great fit given his reputation as a builder.
From my perception - Rhule does a couple of things really well.
#1 - What they do, their process, they have a firm belief that it works, and has shown to work.
#2 - The accountability to high standards to that process.
I think those two things are a big reason why he SHOULD be a success here.
As far as the job he's done so far, it's really hard for me to judge, because I just don't know. He's hired a lot of asst. coaches that seem to be aligned with his vision, they're really pretty young. I hope that works out. Recruiting seems to be doing okay. I don't think he's ever going to be a top 10 type class, but maybe I'm wrong on that.
I am skeptical of Satterfield and "We're going to hudl and use a fat running back, etc." But that's mainly my preference in style of offense.
I think the DC hire is a fantastic hire.
What are your thoughts of the job Frost did here? Why he failed?
Slattimer:
Feel like he made a lot of gaffes out of the gate that didn't help his cause. The whole, the B1G will have to adapt to us and the basic trashing of how other staffs have done things wrong rubbed me the wrong way. I ran into Frost when he was a GA at the grapes and talked to him for a few moments, asked what he thought about Callahan and Co, and basically got the same answer, they're doing things wrong...
Apparently he had all the "answers" to fix Nebraska, but really didn't. I don't have a clue what went on beyond the scenes and how much the rumors are true. I typically fall in the line of thinking, it's never as bad as something seems or as good as something seems.
As to why he failed, ultimately, I think it came down to 3 things.
#1 - Failure to develop a serviceable offensive line. That's going to doom you no matter what you run. But it's been flat out atrocious IMO for a while.
#1b - Also, not having a clear identity on offense, I know they had one, but it just never seemed like they had something they hung their hat on.
#2 - Failure to get younger guys on the field sooner. Mainly talking defense, as it seemed like you needed a Ph. D to be able to play, and when the older guys graduated, we saw what happened at the start of the year.
#3 - Failure to make special teams a priority earlier. Maybe it was a priority, maybe it was lip service, but the errors of the years in that phase of the game, man, they messed up a lot and cost games.
Speaking of Oline, how do you feel about Raiola being retained?
Slattimer:
Initially, not a fan...at all. I've warmed up to it some. But I'm still skeptical. I believe there was development this year. The OL did seem to get better in some areas. I thought you could see a clear difference in Pass Pro, especially their sets after Frost was fired. That said, the amount of twist game that got home was frustrating. The comments about not having any live PUP period until after Frost was canned, holy cow. But that's not really an indication on Raiola.
I think the biggest thing is if the former ND OL coach vouched for him, that's a big deal.
Circling back to the defense hire, how do you feel about White and his 3-3-5 defense in the Big 10?
Slattimer:
I feel like all of the pundits and media talking about the 335 are engaging in yellow journalism. I'm purely speculating here, but based on verbiage you hear from the coaches. Namely, they will adapt to their players, and Tony White specifically saying the defense is about concepts, leads me to believe the actual alignment structure of the front matters very little. Again, I'm speculating, but based on personnel and who they've recruited, I have my doubts of how much odd front they will truly run. I'm guessing it will be more even, but I could be wrong.
But what is important is the concepts. What is their base coverage? I'm guessing they'll utilize 5 DBs, one being some sort of hybrid player. The coverage will dictate the front and fit. I'm most interested in whether they will be a 7 front or an 8 front defense. That will dictate the style of coverage, mostly, which in turn will also dictate how they fit.
So, I really don't have much feeling towards a 335 in the B1G. I'm confident he'll have a plan, they'll be aggressive, and they'll make it simple for the players to play fast. I think that's one thing you saw from his defense at Cuse. Fast and aggressive.
How do get catch the Georgia and Alabama's of the world? Does it start at the LOS?
Slattimer:
Honestly, I don't know many schools have the capability of catching those schools in terms of consistency. Can a school like Nebraska build enough to give them a chance vs those teams...I think you can. But as you mentioned, it starts, as it always does, at the LOS.
Skill player wise, I think Nebraska can recruit good enough athletes to compete with those teams. But the freak-beasts up front those schools have, Nebraska has to develop, because I don't think you're going to get enough freak-beasts up front across the board to compete at that level. I think they could get a couple. So taking the right guys, and developing them into really good collegiate players, is crucial. And that's why I've always thought Nebraska needs a developer of talent first and foremost, because I just don't think they're going to recruit to those levels. Can we get classes in the Teens, I think so. But to crack the top 10 is extremely difficult, and the top 5 is damn near impossible unless you have a crop of legacies that are just freak beasts to join up.
The other position I think is crucial is DB. Elite level DB players are not a dime a dozen. So getting guys that are flat out fast is crucial number one, and then if you can develop them, great. But if you can get some elite level talent at DB, the way football is played today, makes your life on defense a whole lot better.
Now that Rouse has committed, how do you see the starting 5 shaking out for next year?
Slattimer:
Assuming all healthy, I'm guessing
LT: Rouse
LG: German
C: Scott
RG: Turner
RT: Teddy
Although Teddy & Rouse could flip.
A lot has been made of the PFF scores. Turner graded out really low for a starter, is he better at guard or tackle?
Slattimer:
I think G. He's not been good. Maybe Luto will play over him.
I hate PFF grades....
What is your opinion of PFF grades?
Slattimer:
PFF Grades are pure speculation and guess work, assigning some arbitrary number without knowing the play call, schemes or techniques used. There is absolutely no way they can be certain and assign a grade for any player that is relevant. Sure, they can guess what the protection call was, or what the blocking scheme was and get a general idea...but have no knowledge of how a specific coach teaches aspects of the scheme. A player could be doing exactly what he's supposed to do, and PFF dings them because they're guessing and don't have any idea.
Added to the fact, the PFF guys don't have All-22s. They based their player charting and grades off of telecasts, which is a complete joke as you never see All-22 and get a sense about what is actually going on how 11 fit together within a scheme. It grinds the shit out of my gears.
If you could give any advice to Rhule what would it be?
Slattimer:
Don't use a fat running back...lol
I'd like to thank @slattimer for his time, had a good time talking to him. Look for more interviews in the next couple of weeks. We are currently reaching out to recruits for interviews.
