Bronco is not LaVell

This is not a rip thread. Bronco is the guy! But that's just it, Bronco is the Man and once again finds himself in the unenviable situation of seeing his defense struggle considerably. Yes, injuries, but they were trending that way before losing players and there is reasonable depth to perform better than current results.

There seems to be an incongruity with Broncos efforts to delegate and distance himself from the DC position. It is his calling card and has been his legacy. I know its hard to be both DC and HC, but I'm not sure anyone else can do it like Bronco can. LaVell was able to pull it off, mostly. But Bronco can't afford to lay-off the D. His players perform better for Bronco, IMO. It is only slightly about play calling and Howell is adequate, but not getting it done.

Anyway, I'm interested in your thoughts about this. Thoughts about a current day and age and whether an HC can afford to pull away from their strength, in College or NFL for that matter. I know the D is playing their guts out, but course correction is needed.

Bronco comments last week made it clear that the thought has crossed his mind. His comment last night was very intetesting.



"The scheme is phenomenal, the execution was not" or something to that effect.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

I have absolutely not been on the anti-Bronco bandwagon. But with the team performing at 10 year lows (back-to-back home losses to MWC teams), it is time to start asking if Bronco and his staff have answers to what ails the team.



BYU is about to transition to a tougher schedule with more P5 teams on it (in 2016) than has traditionally been there. It is part of the push to get BYU into a P5 conference by being an attractive product at the right time. Is a Bronco-led team getting it done? The last 2 years the schedule was pretty weak but the record was 8-5 both years. This year is also fairly weak and the team is 4-3 and on a 3 game skid. If the schedule ratchets up in difficulty, is this team prepared to make that move? If not, can they get there?



Bronco has had a good run with a good record. But with a defense that has crumbled into a wacky-WAC defense and a struggling offense (which is still putting up numbers in spite of QB and RB issues), the time for questions is here.



PS: If the time is now for searching for another coach, I'm not a huge fan of reaching out to Utah (Sitake). We've seen that some people make much better coordinators than Head Coaches. Surely there must be a wider net than just those in the state of Utah.

Fido



The mere fact that you realize that BYU would not be able to attract a proven head coach ought to give you a really good idea what to expect. Until BYU is ready to start dishing out $3-5M annually for a big-time head coach and the appropriate assistant coach salaries for the staff he would bring - you better realize who BYU is and who BYU is not and appreciate what you have or prepare for another internal promotion or another Gary Crowton crap shoot. And, if BYU gets lucky like Utah did with Urban Meyer - look how long that lasted before they got outbid.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

I promise you that a new HC is hardly on Holmoes mind except where idiots annoyingly bring it up to him having heard it on stupid sites. And don't even bother asking if the BoT would even consider an HC switch. There are so many more solutions that would be considered before chasing off the squeakiest clean coach maybe ever in BYUs history. Not perfect, but with modern social media, the way Bronco has run this program relative to conduct, mixed with very solid success (bumps included) is only going to get Bronco raises and contract extensions.

I could understand fans who lack education in these matters to start calling for somebody's head, but to suggest Sitake almost defies any and all logic. Probably a Ute started the rumor. Sitake is a good joe, but HC???? How little brother can BYU fans act?

Bronco isn't going anywhere. Anae and Howell aren't going anywhere either. Any lack of success this season will be explained away due to injury and over zealous fans.



BYU has to win, though. We don't find ourselves doing something special in the next season or two than it's back to the MWC. I don't see ESPN giving us much of a contract as we slip into irrelevancy and that hurts not only revenue but exposure, which is all the Church cares about.



We keep losing to Utah State, Nevada, and Central Florida then the reality is we don't belong with the P5. We have to dominate those teams even with the backups in.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

Gunk wrote:

We keep losing to Utah State, Nevada, and Central Florida then the reality is we don't belong with the P5. We have to dominate those teams even with the backups in.

Absolutely. If we want to be included with P5 teams (like Iowa St., Indiana, Purdue, Vandy, Colorado, Wake Forest, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, etc.), then our one-year skid needs to stop...

Again, the point of this thread is to say that Bronco can't afford to drift away from things like LaVell did. It's a new age. HCs are more intimately involved than when and wether to call a time out or to go for one or two and be a mentor/MP (I know he does a lot more). But if he thinks anyone can actually win the heart and keep the intensity of his D like himself, I think he might be fantasizing. I think he has to go back to DC.

Negative comments for asking if Bronco is the right guy to take BYU into the next phase of independence? Wow. Look at all the other fire Bronco messages all over who didn't get any negatives. Awesome.

Cougs_Rule wrote:
Again, the point of this thread is to say that Bronco can't afford to drift away from things like LaVell did. It's a new age. HCs are more intimately involved than when and wether to call a time out or to go for one or two and be a mentor/MP (I know he does a lot more). But if he thinks anyone can actually win the heart and keep the intensity of his D like himself, I think he might be fantasizing. I think he has to go back to DC.

I agree. Lavell's strength was finding great coaches and surrounding himself with them. Bronco's strength is his hands-on coaching. That's not to say that he's not a good head coach, I just think he should take on the DC responsibilities, as well; it seems to be where his teams have seen the most success.

Schmoe wrote:

Again, the point of this thread is to say that Bronco can't afford to drift away from things like LaVell did. It's a new age. HCs are more intimately involved than when and wether to call a time out or to go for one or two and be a mentor/MP (I know he does a lot more). But if he thinks anyone can actually win the heart and keep the intensity of his D like himself, I think he might be fantasizing. I think he has to go back to DC.

I agree. Lavell's strength was finding great coaches and surrounding himself with them. Bronco's strength is his hands-on coaching. That's not to say that he's not a good head coach, I just think he should take on the DC responsibilities, as well; it seems to be where his teams have seen the most success.

I really wish Bronco was able to find and utilize great assistant coaches, so far that has not been the case. The only successful assistant coach he has had has been Robert Anae and most fans don't like him.



I think in some cases this is economic, BYU lacks the resources to hire great talent, but some of it also has to be Bronco.

As good as Bronco is, I'm not so sure this D would be that much better with all the injuries. Correct me if I am wrong, but we are without our starting safeties, CB, best LB, yes? We have talent but aren't THAT deep. Plus we underestimated, at least I did, the loss of Van Noy and his pass rush and the tackling machine that was Unga, and the domination of Manu....Bronco would no doubt make a difference with more hands on effort but let's all step back a touch and not assume it would be that much of a difference.

Not much if anything has been said on here other than one person asking "where is Takitaki? "



He was the glimmer of hope that BYU might actually have a pass rush.



He was suspended Vs Nevada for disciplinary reasons. There went the pass rush.



He is back in good standing Vs BSU. Fua is probable as is our defensive leader - Bills. Langi has replaced Stout as starting Mike linebacker - beat him out. Williams is probable.



There are a few positives for the few posters that are interested in positives.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

Cougarbib wrote:
Not much if anything has been said on here other than one person asking "where is Takitaki? "



He was the glimmer of hope that BYU might actually have a pass rush.



He was suspended Vs Nevada for disciplinary reasons. There went the pass rush.



He is back in good standing Vs BSU. Fua is probable as is our defensive leader - Bills. Langi has replaced Stout as starting Mike linebacker - beat him out. Williams is probable.



There are a few positives for the few posters that are interested in positives.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

Can you be "suspension happy"?



I'm beginning to wonder if part of the struggles on the field are because of off the field struggles. Where guys are too wound up because they're afraid of being suspended?

SpiffCoug wrote:

Not much if anything has been said on here other than one person asking "where is Takitaki? "



He was the glimmer of hope that BYU might actually have a pass rush.



He was suspended Vs Nevada for disciplinary reasons. There went the pass rush.



He is back in good standing Vs BSU. Fua is probable as is our defensive leader - Bills. Langi has replaced Stout as starting Mike linebacker - beat him out. Williams is probable.



There are a few positives for the few posters that are interested in positives.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

Can you be "suspension happy"?



I'm beginning to wonder if part of the struggles on the field are because of off the field struggles. Where guys are too wound up because they're afraid of being suspended?

You can't just drop discipline and rules though when injuries happen. It TT was suspended for skipping practice, well, that seems like a fair reason to suspend a guy on a healthy team, why not an injury plagued team?

I'm not saying discipline should be suspended, I just wonder if the team is wound too tight because the fear of suspension looms over anything and evening they do.

SpiffCoug wrote:
I'm not saying discipline should be suspended, I just wonder if the team is wound too tight because the fear of suspension looms over anything and evening they do.

Maybe a glass of wine per night and a soak in a candlight tub is in order?



If being "wound too tight" is problem here, it's time for some of these guys to get their heads in the game and lose the distractions. honestly, I think that's half the battle (especially with the current team) is getting the correct mindset. As my junior high coach would say if he thought someone wasn't focused enough "QUIT LOOKING AT THE CHEERLEADERS!!"

Heard a rumor from a friend that Bronco is going back to calling plays. We'll see.

It has been spread around on rumor board but no substantiation. I suspect that it is not true.