Mizzou Links, 2-20-09

by Bill C. on Feb 20, 2009 5:39 AM CST in News Comment 6 comments

First things first...Defensive Coordinator links!

Dave Matter: The latest on Eberflus
Now, what do the Tigers do? Sources have indicated that Pinkel will turn to linebackers coach Dave Steckel to become Missouri's new defensive coordinator. Steckel, 51, Pinkel's linebackers coach the last eight seasons, has been a college assistant for the last 26 seasons with stops at Toledo, Rutgers, Lehigh, Minnesota, Ball State and Miami, Ohio. (It'll be interesting to see how Steckel's media policy evolves with this promotion. He generally doesn't do interviews, though he grants me one or two a year.)
Post-Dispatch: Eberflus leaving Tigers for the NFL

Now...to basketball. Mizzou finally plays again!

Mutigers.com: No. 10 Missouri travels to Colorado
CUBuffs.com: Buffs to Host No. 10/11 Ranked Tigers (No. 10/11?? We only acknowledge No. 10! DO NOT DISRESPECT US, COLORADO.)
Steve Walentik: Big 12 Power Poll

GOOOOOOOSE!!! gets some nice pub. And then some more nice pub. I really wish we'd come up with "Grey Goose" a long time ago so it would have at least a small chance of catching on...who doesn't love chanting things with "OOOOOOSE" in the title??

Speaking of good pub, how about this nice story on all seven newcomers?

“One thing about the freshmen,” assistant coach Matt Zimmerman said, “when they do make a mistake, they don’t pout.

“And when we’re in the locker room, celebrating a win and maybe one of them didn’t play, he’s as happy as can be. For the team.”

English says: “Different games take a different something. I don’t care about scoring. When it happens, it happens.”

(Again, just remember...everything happens for a reason. If recruiting had gone the way we wanted it to go, we'd have ended up with Scott Suggs or Travis Releford and not Kimmie English. Just thought I'd pound that home one more time, ahem.)

To the sports with balls and bats: The Missourian takes a look at both Mizzou Baseball's season-starting Arizona road trip and Mizzou Softball Coach Ehren Earleywine.

Finally, back to football, where it looks like Chase Coffman will still be slowed at the Combine, but not necessarily Mizzou's pro day in another month or so...which is good, because apparently he still has some questions to answer.

And as always...

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…oh, and I just added “DISRESPECT!!!” to the Insider’s Guide to Rock M Nation. It needed to be done.

Rock M Nation
Thrust nunchuk upward!

by Bill C. on Feb 20, 2009 7:40 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

A gracious nation salutes you.

My 2009 New Years Resolution: Quit feeding the trolls.

by ghtd36 on Feb 20, 2009 9:49 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Is this the proper place to comment on Eberflus?

If we are just promoting from the inside, my confidence level of a much improved defense next year:

less than 10%

by Zou want a piece? on Feb 20, 2009 8:12 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Who could we afford...

…that we could import from the outside and bring a “much improved defense”? For one, we can’t actually afford any of the Muschamp types. We just can’t. For another, as I mentioned on the podcast last night, this defense simply wasn’t as bad as people think. The key differences in performance between 2007 and 2008 were a) Willy Mo wasn’t healthy and dominant, b) we had just about the same amount of failures, but they came at much more key times (like Q4 against KU, for instance), and c) our opponents’ offenses got much, much better in 2008.

I can hear my buddy Jeffrey screaming, “WE HAD TEN RETURNING STARTERS!!!!” from here, and there’s no question that the defense certainly didn’t get better in 2008, but it simply did not get much worse. And besides, if we’re disappointed that 2008 didn’t match 2007…well…don’t the current coaches get as much credit for 2007 as they do scorn for 2008?

Rock M Nation
Thrust nunchuk upward!

by Bill C. on Feb 20, 2009 8:30 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Biggest

“that’s what she said” comes courtesy of Mr. English:

When it happens, it happens."

[/OT childish behavior]

Arizona expatriate in Missouri

by Snakebitten on Feb 20, 2009 8:39 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Promoting from within is probably the right approach

If we were going to make a big change I would have wanted it to happen prior to the recruiting season.

First, you’re searching through Filene’s Basement this time of year for quality coaches. You could get lucky, but then you might not.

Second, even if you find a guy you think is a clear upgrade, how will he work with these players?

Third—a distant third, but worth mentioning—I have my concerns about whether Shelden Richardson will be eligible to play at MU this fall. (I’m hopeful that he is eligible, but preparing for the worst.) The worst case scenario is that he’s ineligible this year, goes to a JUCO and re-opens his recruiting. If Pinkel brings in somebody Richardson has no relationship with, he increases the likelihood of the worst case scenario. For this particular kid I think the continuity on the staff matters a good bit.

"Those who fear disorder more than injustice inevitably produce more of both." -- Rev. William Coffin

by dcrockett17 on Feb 20, 2009 9:14 AM CST reply actions 0 recs