per PFW Hoke new secondary coach

[GakMan23]

BEARS HIRE HOKE TO COACH SECONDARY

Posted by Aaron Wilson on January 13, 2009, 12:01 p.m.

The Chicago Bears announced today that they have hired former Houston Texans assistant Jon Hoke as their new secondary coach, replacing Steve Wilks.

 

Hoke coached the Texans’ defensive backs for the past seven seasons after a three-year stint as the University of Florida’s defensive coordinator/secondary coach.

 

Hoke held the title of assistant head coach during his final two years in Gainesville, Fla. He also has coached at Missouri, Kent State, Bowling Green and San Diego State

 

The new job brings Hoke back to the Windy City where the former Ball State player played 11 games for the Bears in 1980 and posted seven tackles.

[nfoligno]

Is this a joke? The secondary has been considered Houston's greatest weakness for some time. They have struggled to develop CBs or safeties, and have never looked good in the secondary.

 

So just to understand. We fired our 3 key position coaches, and replaced them w/:

 

DL - head coach of the leagues first ever 0-16 team.

LB - our very own failed DC will take over LB coaching duties.

DB - We get the recently fired DB coach from one of the few defenses that has been worse than ours.

 

I realize it isn't as bad as I make it out, but wow. We really do love to fill positions w/ failures.

 

BEARS HIRE HOKE TO COACH SECONDARY

Posted by Aaron Wilson on January 13, 2009, 12:01 p.m.

The Chicago Bears announced today that they have hired former Houston Texans assistant Jon Hoke as their new secondary coach, replacing Steve Wilks.

 

Hoke coached the Texans’ defensive backs for the past seven seasons after a three-year stint as the University of Florida’s defensive coordinator/secondary coach.

 

Hoke held the title of assistant head coach during his final two years in Gainesville, Fla. He also has coached at Missouri, Kent State, Bowling Green and San Diego State

 

The new job brings Hoke back to the Windy City where the former Ball State player played 11 games for the Bears in 1980 and posted seven tackles.

[madlithuanian]

Well, maybe this will all set the wheels in motion for getting Cowher in next year.

 

Is this a joke? The secondary has been considered Houston's greatest weakness for some time. They have struggled to develop CBs or safeties, and have never looked good in the secondary.

 

So just to understand. We fired our 3 key position coaches, and replaced them w/:

 

DL - head coach of the leagues first ever 0-16 team.

LB - our very own failed DC will take over LB coaching duties.

DB - We get the recently fired DB coach from one of the few defenses that has been worse than ours.

 

I realize it isn't as bad as I make it out, but wow. We really do love to fill positions w/ failures.

[BearSox]

Is this a joke? The secondary has been considered Houston's greatest weakness for some time. They have struggled to develop CBs or safeties, and have never looked good in the secondary.

 

So just to understand. We fired our 3 key position coaches, and replaced them w/:

 

DL - head coach of the leagues first ever 0-16 team.

LB - our very own failed DC will take over LB coaching duties.

DB - We get the recently fired DB coach from one of the few defenses that has been worse than ours.

 

I realize it isn't as bad as I make it out, but wow. We really do love to fill positions w/ failures.

Wow, when you going to cut Marinelli some slack for being practically sabotaged in Detroit? Look at the lack of success of all the Lions coaches the past 10 years... I don't blame Marinelli at all for the Detroit situation, as it's just a product of an absolutely horrible front office. In fact, while most coaches would have had likely stepped down, Marinelli stuck with it and never gave up. I give him all the credit in the world for that. Also, I think you're forgetting how he coached the most successful DLine during his time as Tampa Bay Dline coach for 10 years.

 

As for Babich going back the linebackers coach, last time I checked the linebackers played good under his coaching, and helped the development of Briggs, Hillenmeyer, and Williams. In fact, it was when he took over as DC that the linebackers play dropped off. Maybe that's due in part because our DLine play started to suck and he sucked as a DC. But he has yet to show he's a bad linebackers coach.

 

And I actually like the Hoke hiring. The Texans secondary has been pretty decent for the immense amount of talent they are lacking. Also, Hoke was able to keep his job as DB coach even when Houston changed coaches. Not to mention Spurrier must have thought pretty highly of him to have had made him the DC and assistant HC at Florida when he was there.

 

No offense dude, but you're nitpicking right now. I don't like Lovie or the way this organization has been run the past couple years anymore then you do, but you are just looking for things to bitch about.

[nfoligno]

No offense dude, but you're nitpicking right now. I don't like Lovie or the way this organization has been run the past couple years anymore then you do, but you are just looking for things to bitch about.

 

Huh? This defense has been on a very fast decline over the last two years. I don't have to "look for things" to bitch about. They are freaking slapping us in the face.

 

Wow, when you going to cut Marinelli some slack for being practically sabotaged in Detroit? Look at the lack of success of all the Lions coaches the past 10 years... I don't blame Marinelli at all for the Detroit situation, as it's just a product of an absolutely horrible front office. In fact, while most coaches would have had likely stepped down, Marinelli stuck with it and never gave up. I give him all the credit in the world for that. Also, I think you're forgetting how he coached the most successful DLine during his time as Tampa Bay Dline coach for 10 years.

 

Couple things.

 

One, as you say, "when are you going to cut Marinelli some slack" you must have read other posts of mine about him. I have said I am fine w/ the signing, and so long as he is our DL coach only, believe it is a good one. I do however feel bitter sweet about the hiring, because I am not as sold on him as you. I do not like that we are only continuing the buddy system. And while I fully understand he is not 100% responsibile for Detroit, I like the idea of hiring winners. Instead of looking at coaches who have been recently successful, we are hiring a bunch of guys who have recently failed. But that is more about PR and "feelings". In general, I have said I like hiring him as our DL coach.

 

Two, I do have to say though, I think you are too quick to dismiss his share of the blame for the Det debacle. Are you telling me that Det is really that bad? I look around the league, and see other teams equally as bad, and yet they all managed to win a game. While there is no question other factors prevented him from being a successful coach in Detroit, I do think you have to look at him (and the staff HE assembled) to note just how bad they were.

 

But I get it. He is a failed HC, and we have hired him to be our DL coach, an area he has proven himself in the past. Much of my bitterness is due to the lack of actual change on our defense, which is not his fault. At the same time, he has just entered the picture on the problem (defense/Lovie) side of things.

 

As for Babich going back the linebackers coach, last time I checked the linebackers played good under his coaching, and helped the development of Briggs, Hillenmeyer, and Williams. In fact, it was when he took over as DC that the linebackers play dropped off. Maybe that's due in part because our DLine play started to suck and he sucked as a DC. But he has yet to show he's a bad linebackers coach.

 

Great. He gets to keep his title, and yet be demoted. Sorry, but he is going to continue to get blasted by me. The buddy system garbage is incredible. Maybe he works out better back as a LB coach (as Ayenbadejo said he was good at) but it still irks the hell out of me that we have to show such favoratism. His losing DC duties should have happened during the season. Not now. This is when we should have been searching for a new DC. Not hearing about how he will keep the DC title, but our HC will take over those duties. Sorry, but that is something you hear a team doing in-season. That is not a move you hear teams do in the offseason. We are going into the next season already in Plan B mode.

 

And I actually like the Hoke hiring. The Texans secondary has been pretty decent for the immense amount of talent they are lacking. Also, Hoke was able to keep his job as DB coach even when Houston changed coaches. Not to mention Spurrier must have thought pretty highly of him to have had made him the DC and assistant HC at Florida when he was there.

 

Sorry, but I live in Texas. I lived in Houston for a long time, and my parents still live there. In fact, my dad is a bigger Texans fan than Bears fan at this point in his life. I hear more about the Texans than I do the Bears, though the Cowgirls still ranks way higher. The Texans secondary has stunk. Players have under-performed, and just in general, they have never looked good. They invested picks, including a top 10 pick (Dunta Robinson) as well as signed FAs, and yet the common trend has been a lack of development and falling below expectations. Now, I realize that is not all the secondarys fault, as the secondary relies heavily on the DL, but the simple fact of it is, he has been in charge of a unit that has simply not been good.

 

Heck, Hoke was basically demoted a year ago when the team hired an assistant DB coach, who took over the safety position. Oh, and for the record, that DB assistant was among the VERY few to not lose his job this year.

[GrizzlyBear]

Off with their Heads!!!!!

[Connorbear]

Thankfully someone with NFL coaching experience. Hopefully, they keep Gil Byrd on staff so he will continue to learn.

 

Peace

[Connorbear]

One, as you say, "when are you going to cut Marinelli some slack" you must have read other posts of mine about him. I have said I am fine w/ the signing, and so long as he is our DL coach only, believe it is a good one. I do however feel bitter sweet about the hiring, because I am not as sold on him as you. I do not like that we are only continuing the buddy system. And while I fully understand he is not 100% responsibile for Detroit, I like the idea of hiring winners. Instead of looking at coaches who have been recently successful, we are hiring a bunch of guys who have recently failed. But that is more about PR and "feelings". In general, I have said I like hiring him as our DL coach.

Ted Sunquest (sp), former Denver GM, was on the SCORE this morning. He said that coaches like to surround themselves with people they know and people that share the same general philosophy about football. This is the nature of the beast and is not specific to Lovie and the Bears.

 

Peace

[clnr]

Per Brad Briggs, Hoke worked with Dave Toub and Harry Hiestand at Missouri, http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/be...-bear14.article

So I guess that Sundquist is spot on. He's not Lovie's boy, but other coaches on staff vouched for him.

[danimal99]

Guess this means Herm Edwards won't be the DB coach after all.

[Iguana]

at least he has NFL coaching experience. we'll see how it works

[AZ54]

I was afraid going into the offseason that Lovie wouldn't have the balls to make the hard decisions. Our defense let the team down game after game and he went out and completely overhauled the D coaching staff. Demoting Babich had to be difficult (I think he should have been gone or totally demoted with lower title and salary) but at least he's not calling the shots anymore.

 

It would be interesting to know how much of this was mandated or pushed for by JA but I suspect getting Marinelli was the key piece of the equation. After reading that interview from Sapp it seems that Lovie is going to draw up game plans with more help from Marinelli than Babich, hence the assistant head coach title. That's work on Mon/Tue by Wed Marinelli wants to be back on the field working hand in hand with the Dline, which is fine by me. Babich and Lovie can worry about coordinating the practice schedule and what not while Marinelli does what he does best.

[nfoligno]

It would be interesting to know how much of this was mandated or pushed for by JA but I suspect getting Marinelli was the key piece of the equation.

 

Agreed. We will most likely never know the answer, but I too wonder how much was Lovie and how much was Angelo.

 

After reading that interview from Sapp it seems that Lovie is going to draw up game plans with more help from Marinelli than Babich, hence the assistant head coach title. That's work on Mon/Tue by Wed Marinelli wants to be back on the field working hand in hand with the Dline, which is fine by me. Babich and Lovie can worry about coordinating the practice schedule and what not while Marinelli does what he does best.

 

To me, I think the biggest key is who runs the D on game day. IMHO, Lovie was very much part of drawing up game plans last year. I recall several comments from his saying he was involved. It was on Sundays it seemed Lovie took a back seat, allowing Babich to handle everything.

 

The score, I think, said that our D (and offense for the matter) were actually quit good in the 1st quarter of games, but it was after that point the team faded. That tells me opponents made adjustments and we did not. The hope is that Lovie is better calling games than Babich. While I question Lovie's defensive genius, even to me, there is little question he is an improvement over Babich, and thus, I think our D should significantly improve.