Football Zebold: Taggart Glad He Got the Right Guy to Lead Defense

[Brad]

Taggart Glad He Got the Right Guy to Lead Defense

 

By TOM ZEBOLD

USF Senior Writer

 

VERO BEACH – First-year USF head coach Willie Taggart isn’t afraid to ask for help.

 

Taggart was hired by the Bulls in December, which meant he didn’t have too much time to shop around for a coaching staff that fit his fancy during the holiday season.

 

Fortunately for Taggart, one of his top advisors took some time out of what turned out to be a Super Bowl run with the San Francisco 49ers to help out his “other brother.”

 

“When it was time to find a D-coordinator I talked with coach (Jim) Harbaugh, told him what I was looking for and he said, ‘I have a guy for you,’ “ Taggart said.

Harbaugh’s suggestion was a name Taggart was familiar with dating back to his days as an intern with the Oakland Raiders in 2002 when Chuck Bresnahan was the defensive coordinator. While in charge, Bresnahan helped the Raiders win three consecutive AFC Western Division titles and book a trip to Super Bowl XXXVII.

 

 â€œI called coach Bresnahan, interviewed him and said, ‘This is the guy I’ve been looking for,’” Taggart said.

 

Bresnahan spent last season serving as defensive coordinator for the UFL’s Sacramento Mountain Lions and was excited about the chance to get back to his collegiate coaching roots after talking with Taggart. Bresnahan started his career as a graduate assistant at Navy in 1983 and stayed at the college level for 11 seasons before coaching the Cleveland Brown’s linebackers from 1994-95.

 

“It’s really been fun. Getting to work with these kids is kind of a breath of fresh air. Not that I didn’t enjoy (the pro level), but it was the right time,” Bresnahan said.

 

Bresnahan’s new students are well aware of his NFL coaching background at this point and say it serves as more motivation to succeed in college and beyond.

“Coach B brings so much NFL terminology to the table, so that just makes us want to play harder. Everybody wants to go to the NFL and that experience is so helpful,” junior linebacker Reshard Cliett said.

 

Much more from Tom at GoUSFBulls.com

[JTrue]

Wasn't someone calling for his head already and the season hasn't even started?

[slick1ru2]

Wasn't someone calling for his head already and the season hasn't even started?

 

 

The question you should be asking is if this guy is so good, why isn't he working for the 49ers?  Oh, I know why.

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/877802-oakland-raiders-chuck-bresnahan-is-the-weakest-link

 

 

Oakland Raiders: Chuck Bresnahan Is the Weakest Link

The phrase "defense wins championships" has been proved time and time again in the NFL

But in the Oakland Raiders' case? The defense is a huge thorn in the side of an offensive bully.

The problem stems from the defensive play-calling, Chuck Bresnahan in particular. Against the New England Patriots, Bresnahan brought out a quarter defense; for the football ignorant, a three man pass rush and a whole lot of defensive backs.

 

As Jon Richie would say, "a bonehead call."

 

The one thing everyone who pulled for the Raiders against the Patriots had in common was the opinion that Oakland's pass rush would need to be completely effective in the form of the defensive line creating havoc in Tom Brady's face as well as the multiple blitz packages that Oakland can offer. Hitting Brady is the key to beating the Patriots.

Sure, Oakland was able to hit Tom Brady—after the whistle. Richard Seymour's early penalty can be excused, the crowd was loud and in the heat of the moment the whistle might of not made it to him, understandable. But for the rest of the game, Oakland's pass rush, which is usually highly praised due to the beasts that make up the front four, was nowhere to be seen.

 

Mike Mitchell is the only player to sack Brady, a busted play that saw the quarterback actually scramble and head out of the luxury of the pocket, only to be downed by Mitchell as he took a dive.

The defensive play-calling is terrible. There is simply no better way to put it. With the athletes on defense under contract with the Raiders organization, this defense is supposed to be high caliber and top notch.

The Raiders have all the tools to be dominate, but the problem stems from the defensive coordinator.

 

Chuck Bresnahan was fired from Cincinnati after being there from 2004 to the 2008 NFL season due to having three stagnant years as defensive coordinator. His defenses finished in the bottom of the league between 25 (not in chronological order) 30.

 

How does that quality this man for the job to steer our defense into the right path?

Oh, from 2000 to 2003, Bresnahan was the defensive coordinator, the season the Oakland Raiders faced off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl.

Understandably, Coach Jackson wants to surround himself with those he is familiar with. Al Saunders and Chuck Bresnahan both worked with Coach Jackson in Baltimore, but Coach Jackson's saying, "the best man for the job" is not applying to the coaching staff.

 

 

There is a lot of problems with Oakland's defense, from injuries to failures in second-half adjustments. While putting so much blame on the coaches can only go so far before the players need to be analyzed, Bresnahan is not helping the matters.

When Oakland traveled east to battle the Buffalo Bills, a "prevent" defense was apparent—a defense which short slants will shred every time due to the space given. Bresnahan squandered a 18-point lead with horrible calls, which showed up against the Patriots.

 

Explaining the failure to neutralize the run is task that not even Rolando McClain can do. But the pass? Blame goes directly to Chuck Bresnahan for that.

Who allows a rookie in Chekwa (definitely a good player, he will come to his own) or a constantly unreliable Joe Porter to match up against the most deadliest receiver in the NFL from the slot position? Welker accumulated over 150 yards on a rookie and a guy that should be on the practice squad.

No adjustments.

The only way the Oakland Raider team as a whole will get better is by the defensive coordinator taking off the silver and black colored lenses and seeing the problem. The players on the depth chart are perfectly able to make plays, but they need to be given the right formations to work out of.

 

 

This is not a protest for Bresnahan's head, this is the opposite. This is a plea from an Oakland Raider supporter to tell Chuck Bresnahan that he needs to right the defensive ship or Oakland will face another horrible offseason beginning after Week 17 instead of moving on to postseason play.

Fix the defense, it's your job. Hue Jackson may have faith in you, but The Raider Nation is beginning to lose patience, which means Mr. Al Davis is beginning to smell the stench of failure in the air and when that happens?

Someone loses their job.

Edited August 13, 2013 by slick1ru2

[Joe]

No sense in calling for his head. I am just not a big fan of the DC hire. Hope he proves me weong

[slick1ru2]

No sense in calling for his head. I am just not a big fan of the DC hire. Hope he proves me weong

I'm not either calling for it. I am just hoping that if the defense is as crappy as it was in Oakland, Taggart does something about it.  The other coach they got from the Bucs also was seen as someone who doesn't adjust in game when schemes don't work. I hope that Taggart has his eye on it and addresses it if things go wrong.

Edited August 13, 2013 by slick1ru2

[Hem]

Ill reserve judgement until after the season is over. If Harbaugh and Taggart like him, that's good enough for me.

[slick1ru2]

Ill reserve judgement until after the season is over. If Harbaugh and Taggart like him, that's good enough for me.

 

Who cares what you do? Its pretty no brain that if Harbaugh liked him he'd have him on staff and Taggart doesn't know him, he was referred to him. Harbough must have been really into the 49ers in 2011 because the SF press had articles on.Oakland's defensive woes.

 

Anyway, this is the last year for an automatic BCS birth. It would be nice if this team has a shot it isn't squandered with shoddy defensive coaching if that is evidently an issue.  Already seen that happen the past two seasons.  If its evident mid season, I hope something is tried to fix it. If that wasn't on the line, sure, waste as season with bad defensive coaching. I hope he proves me wrong.

[JTrue]

Clearly, Taggart doesn't know ****. First this hire, then he goes and shoots his mouth off about a rivalry we don't even have.

[Hem]

Slick took his tough guy pills this morning

[BullsWinBucsWin]

Why would Harbaugh recommend a crappy coach?  I think he may know a bit more than us message board jockeys.