Greg Mattison No. 96 on list of 100 most influential people in college football
Greg Mattison hasn't coached a down of college football since 2007, but the Michigan football team's new defensive coordinator is part of CBSSports.com's list of the 100 most influential players, coaches and administrators in the sport.
Mattison, who joined head coach Brady Hoke's staff in Ann Arbor after a three-year stint as defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens, is No. 96 on the list.
On Mattison, the website writes:
One could certainly make the argument that it was the continuing ineptitude of former defensive coordinator Greg Robinson that cost former head coach Rich Rodriguez his job in Ann Arbor. After all, Robinson's latter year spearheading the Wolverine defense was, by far, the worst in points allowed in Michigan history; the former was the third-worst (and just for good measure, the second-worst season came in Rich-Rod's first season, with one-and-done Scott Shafer as DC). Yes, Michigan has an unusually stingy history of defense, but that's just the thing: Michigan fans have every reason to expect that stingy defense. That's just how it's done at Michigan.It'll be up to Mattison, then, to keep Brady Hoke's seat cool, and he's got the pedigree to do it. Mattison is entering his 35th year of assistant coaching defense and his 16th as a defensive coordinator, and he's been a part of some very successful defenses (Florida's '06 BCS Championship team, for one). Fans shouldn't expect miracles and shutouts on Day 1 or even in Year 1, but they're going to need to see some sense this year that Michigan's old way of football is coming back. Getting the points per game allowed back under 27.5 for the first time since 2007 would be a good start.
Nos. 91-100 on the list have been named, with the remainder of the list to be revealed as the countdown to college football's first game ticks.
Comments
Blu n Tpa
Sat, May 28, 2011 : 10:18 a.m.
c240 Well then 40 points would be an improvement over the last three games, now wouldn't it?
cutty240
Fri, May 27, 2011 : 2 a.m.
The kind of money he is making,he'd better put up something.People don't understand,he was very close to getting fired by the Ravens.Another old Fossell Coach just about ready for the nursing home rocking chair.Oh he will yell and scream,and blow the house down,and still get 40 points thrown up on him.
tater
Thu, May 26, 2011 : 3:30 p.m.
Mattison is the most encouraging hire of the entire coaching change fiasco. Michigan's problem has almost always been offense. When there were 115 schollies, the "here we come, try to stop us" approach worked great. Until, of course, they faced USC or someone with equal or better personnel. Then, they usually sputtered, and lost a "tough defensive battle." I am surprised that really talented DC's don't have more input into the offense. Mattison needs to be asked questions like "what is the toughest offense you ever tried to stop," or "what kind of offense do you dread preparing for the most." Then, you run the things that give elite DC's like Mattison nightmares. It really isn't bleeping rocket science. Hopefully, it works out something like that with the current staff. Borges does seem fairly flexible, and a WCO that looks more like that of LaVell Edwards can make at least 90 percent efficient use of the current players. But it would be nice to find out from Mattison what he really hates to prep for.
Blu n Tpa
Sat, May 28, 2011 : 10:27 a.m.
So every other team Michigan plays will now know how to attack Coach Mattison's defense? Wouldn't that be like showing your cards to the other players at a poker game?
David Vande Bunte
Thu, May 26, 2011 : 3:25 p.m.
To be fair to Greg Robinson, the 3-3-5 was not his idea, it was RichRods, and although Robinson did have some previous NFL experience running it in the NFL, ultimately the defensive scheme the team employs falls on the head coach. The buck stops there, not with the defensive coordinator. When it comes to defense, both were clueless, not just Greg Robinson.