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jamf 01-30-2013 07:24 PM

Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
[url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/30/steelers-to-hire-redskins-danny-smith-as-special-teams-coach/]Steelers to hire Redskins Danny Smith as special teams coach | ProFootballTalk[/url]

I am happy about this. his coverage teams have been solid but I expect more from our return teams.

Schneed10 01-30-2013 07:28 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
I thought he was a good ST coach but to me the speed at the bottom of your roster, and depth in general, drives ST performance much more than the coach does. It's not like there's some big schematic secret on special teams that it takes a great mind to design.

mbedner3420 01-30-2013 07:28 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
See you later, Brandon Banks.

DynamiteRave 01-30-2013 07:40 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
This pleases me.

Mechanix544 01-30-2013 07:55 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
[quote=DynamiteRave;991901]This pleases me.[/quote]

This.

12thMan 01-30-2013 08:01 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
Yeah, no great loss in my opinion. He's definitely NFL caliber though. But there were times I wanted kick him in the nuts.

ethat001 01-30-2013 08:35 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
Anything that reminds me of the swinging gate needs to go. Good coach would've walked off the field when Zorn called it.. TWICE.

[QUOTE]Me: "Sir, I just have one question for you -- did you or Zorn call the Swinging Gate play?"
Smith: "Well, we just wanted [the Giants] to call a timeout...which they did."
Me: "Yes."
Smith: "If you remember Suisham had just gone to the Cowboys, and we were playing them next week. He knew the play, and we knew we couldn't run it against the Cowboys."
Me: "Yes, makes sense."
Smith: "So, I told Zorn, 'Don't do it [after the timeout].' But, he called it b/c he wanted to use it and knew he couldn't against the Cowboys."
Me: "Yes, unfortunately, the thing that people remember is the one time you screwed up. You guys had a lot of success with the Special Teams on trick plays that year."
Smith: "Yes, that's exactly right."

[url=http://www.extremeskins.com/showthread.php?365514-Burgundy-and-Gold-Banquet-My-Conversations-with-Danny-Smith-Shanahan-and-Darryl-Grant]Burgundy and Gold Banquet: My Conversations with Danny Smith, Shanahan, and Darryl Grant[/url]
[/QUOTE]

GMScud 01-30-2013 09:55 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
Well, I know a lot of it has to do with personnel- you can only cook with the ingredients the chef gives you, so to speak. His coverage units were always good, but we've never had an explosive return threat and our kicking situation has never had any consistency either.

I just kind of shrug my shoulders at this move.

SmootSmack 01-30-2013 10:09 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
[quote=GMScud;991928]Well, I know a lot of it has to do with personnel- you can only cook with the ingredients the chef gives you, so to speak. His coverage units were always good, but we've never had an explosive return threat and our kicking situation has never had any consistency either.

I just kind of shrug my shoulders at this move.[/quote]

At the same time, Smith has aggressively pushed for some of that personnel-Gano and Banks specifically.

GMScud 01-30-2013 10:24 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
[quote=SmootSmack;991934]At the same time, Smith has aggressively pushed for some of that personnel-Gano and Banks specifically.[/quote]

Very true. I can see how he could have made the argument for Gano... But once the kickoff rules changed... well, to me it was a no-brainer to show Banks the door at that point.

Daseal 01-30-2013 11:11 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
I'm glad to see him go. He's not a bad coach, but I've seen too many blocked kicks and returns from 8 yards deep in the endzone for my liking. I don't understand WHY he's so well respected around the league. I'm most surprised that he survived multiple regime changes. I wish him well going forward, but I'll be glad to see some new blood come in at ST.

WaldSkins 01-30-2013 11:15 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
Uh where's the Rooney rule candidate? In all seriousness, if there's one nfl job I could probably do it's special teams coach.

hooskins 01-31-2013 01:11 AM

[QUOTE=WaldSkins;991953]Uh where's the Rooney rule candidate? In all seriousness, if there's one nfl job I could probably do it's special teams coach.[/QUOTE]

Lol. I think the rule is for HC vacancies only.

KI Skins Fan 01-31-2013 08:51 AM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
If you believe in ST rankings, we just lost the coach of either the 27th ranked or the 32nd ranked (according to two sources) ST's in the league.

MTK 01-31-2013 09:53 AM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
Alexander doesn't sound too happy to see Smith go. Said he was very detailed regarding technique. There's a reason why he's respected around the league. I'm sure we can find a good replacement though.

Lotus 01-31-2013 09:56 AM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
Good luck Danny.

We could do worse than DS but we also could do better. Let's hope we do better with his replacement.

Chico23231 01-31-2013 10:08 AM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
[quote=SmootSmack;991934]At the same time, [B]Smith has aggressively pushed for some of that personnel-Gano and Banks specifically[/B].[/quote]

this this this...His coverage teams were great, but "his guys" in the return and kicking games hurt his credibility imo. He's a decent coach, but its time to move on...I think I mentioned a couple times over the season if "his guys" would come back to hurt him

CultBrennan59 01-31-2013 11:32 AM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
I want us to get Larry Izzo. The guy was a beast special teams player in his many years in the league. He's probably up there with the all time greats like Steve Tasker. He--izzo-- was coaching with the Giants last year.

BigHairedAristocrat 01-31-2013 11:50 AM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
[quote=Lotus;992013]Good luck Danny.

We could do worse than DS but we also could do better. Let's hope we do better with his replacement.[/quote]

If we could do better than Smith, the Steelers would have pursued that guy instead of Smith. Our special teams play (especially coverage units) have been excellent for years. I would be surprised if we did not notice significant decline next year.

Obviously, Smith's love for Banks and Gano call into question is talent evaluation accumen. But you can't really question that he's a [U]great[/U] ST coach .

REDSKINS4ever 01-31-2013 11:58 AM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
Smith had been there under Gibbs, Zorn, and Shanahan. He was a great ST coach for us. I wonder now who the Redskins will replace him with.

FRPLG 01-31-2013 12:26 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
I think a majority of ST play is attributable to the talent that the units are allowed to use. The benefit of having Danny was that he fought for talent and had enough respect in the org to get it. The questions will now be whether the new coach is able to cobble together units of similar or better talent.

Monkeydad 01-31-2013 12:43 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
Was he in charge when Randel El was here?

If so...horrible job from then to now with Banks.


I'd love to see Crawford take over return duties full time.

WaldSkins 01-31-2013 12:45 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
Brian Mitchell for special teams coach!!

CRedskinsRule 01-31-2013 01:20 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
[quote=WaldSkins;992117]Brian Mitchell for special teams coach!![/quote]

no thank you. Just because a man was an outstanding player doesn't always translate to coaching, and with Mitchell's persona from TV, I can't see him transitioning to a positive force on the Skins staff.

HailGreen28 02-01-2013 12:39 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
[quote=BigHairedAristocrat;992078]If we could do better than Smith, the Steelers would have pursued that guy instead of Smith. Our special teams play (especially coverage units) have been excellent for years. I would be surprised if we did not notice significant decline next year.

Obviously, Smith's love for Banks and Gano call into question is talent evaluation accumen. But you can't really question that he's a [U]great[/U] ST coach .[/quote] all those block field goals and block in the back penalties on returns
2011-2012 season, and overall play the last few years, haven't been great.

guess if the league ask about him so much, I'm wrong again. but while I wish him well I'm not sad to see him go.

RedskinRat 02-01-2013 12:46 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
[quote=CRedskinsRule;992137]no thank you. Just because a man was an outstanding player doesn't always translate to coaching, and with Mitchell's persona from TV, I can't see him transitioning to a positive force on the Skins staff.[/quote]

I second B-Mitch for ST Coach!

CRR, you go and stand in the corner until you see the error of your ways.

MTK 02-01-2013 04:30 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
Some good insight on Smith from John Keim's latest email report:

Danny Smith’s departure

» I know fans did not like Danny Smith much of the time, and I know the rankings suggested a unit that was mediocre. I’ve never been a big fan of special teams rankings because so much goes into special teams — it’s tough to blame a special teams coach for Billy Cundiff’s misses, for example — that are beyond any coach’s control. The Redskins didn’t always do the special teams many favors by keeping, for example, seven receivers who contributed nothing to special teams except for returner Brandon Banks. Who, it should be pointed out, contributed little.

It also didn’t help last season that when Kedric Golston went down, backup offensive linemen (Erik Cook) could not block on special teams. A special teams coach has no choice but to play Cook because that’s who others want on the roster. It’s the way of life for pretty much every special teams coach.

In Pittsburgh, from what I’ve heard, Smith will have more input into the roster – getting one defensive player and one offensive player of his choosing. He did not have that sort of power in Washington. Part of the allure, too, was returning to his hometown, where his father still lives. He’s also good friends with general manager Kevin Colbert, knows coach Mike Tomlin and has worked with defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau in the past. Also, keep in mind that all his coaching friends in Washington were gone; Smith was the last of the Joe Gibbs II regime.

» That’s not to leave Smith blameless by any means, nor is it to blame any woes on other coaches. Ultimately your job is to produce a strong unit, and the Redskins were not a dominant special teams group. I get that. Other special teams coaches work under tough constraints. I get that, too. This year, the return game was not as productive, in part because Banks did nothing. The rest of the special teams were solid. The kick coverage was pretty good considering the line-drive kicks from Kai Forbath. I also know five blocked field goals is impossible to defend, even if you can explain each one.

» But while fans were blasting Smith, other teams kept calling him to join their organization. There were a number that requested permission and were denied; a handful more would call to feel him out. And his players swore by him, too. I’ve covered a half dozen or so special teams coaches; none received the amount of respect Smith did from his players. To a man, they all talked about his attention to detail.

» One person who worked with Smith in the past said of him, “There would be a parade of players walking into his office every day in the offseason or in season just to see how he’s doing. I’ve never seen a coach get that much love from his players the way Danny does. And he doesn’t covet it. It’s just the way his personality is and the way he phrases things that makes players buy in and follow him.”

» Smith was nice to the media, but he was not always helpful, so any assertion that the media says nice things about him — or simply adds balance to the conversation — is because he’s “good to us” is far from fact. In fact, his last group interview occurred in August, and he did one more early in the season with the Washington Post. After that? He avoided the press. A regular scene: After practices, when every other player and coach would walk past the media into the facility, Smith would walk 100 or so yards up a hill to a side entrance and avoid us all together. That never went over well.

» It’s a bit different to lose two coaches to lateral moves (Ike Hilliard as receivers coach now in Buffalo) after such a good season and with a promising group. There’s still no word yet as to who will replace either coach. Lorenzo Alexander endorsed special teams assistant Richard Hightower, but this would be his first time in charge. Whoever comes in won’t have a tough act to follow in the eyes of the fans. The players will view it differently.

GridIron26 02-01-2013 05:03 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
Well this sums up the loss we lost. Let's hope Hightower or whoever else becomes our ST coach will be able to do well

RedskinRat 02-01-2013 05:03 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
B-Mitch takes over from Richard Hightower and Richard Hightower get the nod.

Being a GM is a doddle.

CRedskinsRule 02-01-2013 05:04 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
<*standing in corner*>

SmootSmack 02-01-2013 05:08 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
Hightower seems to be the favorite but he's no lock. He's a Kyle Shanahan guy. He helps Raheem out with the DBs as well

RedskinRat 02-01-2013 05:16 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
[quote=SmootSmack;992385]Hightower seems to be the favorite but he's no lock. He's a Kyle Shanahan guy. He helps Raheem out with the DBs as well[/quote]

Any inside info on what the guy is like as a Coach or a person?

Thanks!

SmootSmack 02-01-2013 05:53 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
I have no idea. Never hear anything about him

mbedner3420 02-01-2013 07:00 PM

Re: Danny Smith Expected to Join Steelers
 
it honestly doesn't matter to me who we get for the position. I'm actually more interested in seeing who we get for receiver coach.

CRedskinsRule 02-01-2013 08:09 PM

[QUOTE=mbedner3420;992395]it honestly doesn't matter to me who we get for the position. I'm actually more interested in seeing who we get for receiver coach.[/QUOTE]

Just for the sake of debate why would you be more interested in the WR coach then special teams? From my point of view, our wr's aren't rookies, they basically are professionals. and need to be self motivated. a WR coach might guide but he isn't going to dictate any part of the game.

A ST coach on the other hand is usually tasked with taking the bottom third of the roster and making a unit that is penalty free, can make or break the field position game in punts kickoffs and returns. And is responsible for the FG kickers readiness.


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