Robb Smith out as D Coordiantor

LesBolstad

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Sources are confirming. Thank you!
 


I hear he is hiring hardy nickerson

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THANK GOD!

When your scheme is one guy make a tackle or it gets housed, youre not gonna make it very long.
 


Fleck fires Robb Smith!

per the U:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 4, 2018
Contact: Paul Rovnak

Fleck Announces Change To Coaching Staff

University of Minnesota football coach P.J. Fleck announced today that defensive coordinator Robb Smith has been relieved of his duties.

"These decisions are always difficult, especially when they involve a close friend and colleague," said Fleck. "I want to thank Robb, Amy and their family for all the time and energy they spent helping our program grow. Robb is an elite man and will always be a dear friend of mine."

Fleck named defensive line coach Joe Rossi interim defensive coordinator, and he will lead the defense for the rest of the season. Rossi was named Gopher defensive line coach in January 2018 after working as a quality control assistant for Minnesota in 2017.

Rossi, who is from Pittsburgh, Pa., spent 2012-15 at Rutgers, which included two years as the defensive coordinator. Rossi was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2014 after serving in an interim role in 2013. He was also the defensive coordinator at Maine from 2009-11 and Thiel College from 2003-06.
 

Wish it would have worked out for Coach Smith. The defensive talent is not great, but there were serious coordination issues and Coach Fleck really had no choice as the defense was holding the team back in a big way.

Go Gophers!
 

Press release -> Fleck Announces Change To Coaching Staff

University of Minnesota football coach P.J. Fleck announced today that defensive coordinator Robb Smith has been relieved of his duties.

"These decisions are always difficult, especially when they involve a close friend and colleague," said Fleck. "I want to thank Robb, Amy and their family for all the time and energy they spent helping our program grow. Robb is an elite man and will always be a dear friend of mine."

Fleck named defensive line coach Joe Rossi interim defensive coordinator, and he will lead the defense for the rest of the season. Rossi was named Gopher defensive line coach in January 2018 after working as a quality control assistant for Minnesota in 2017.

Rossi, who is from Pittsburgh, Pa., spent 2012-15 at Rutgers, which included two years as the defensive coordinator. Rossi was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2014 after serving in an interim role in 2013. He was also the defensive coordinator at Maine from 2009-11 and Thiel College from 2003-06.
 




I’ve been checking this board the entire way back from Champagne - what a great way to be welcomed home! I may actually go to the game on Saturday now.


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He's nothing but a scape goat something had to be done and he was it.
 





Hopefully he finds someone very good by the end of the season.


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PJ Fleck had a difficult conversation for dinner tonight.
 

The right thing to do, however, if anyone expects improvement next week or the next three, they are massively deluded.
 

More about Rossi ->

Joe Rossi joined the Minnesota football staff in January 2017. He was named interim defensive coordinator on Nov. 4, 2018, after being named defensive line coach in January 2018. Rossi worked as a quality control assistant at Minnesota in 2017.

Rossi spent 2012-15 at Rutgers, which included two years as the defensive coordinator. Rossi was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2014 after serving in an interim role in 2013 and held the role until after the 2015 season. He was the special teams coordinator at Rutgers from 2012-13.

In 2013, Rutgers scored five special teams touchdowns (two kickoff returns, one punt return, one blocked punt return and one fake field goal) and true freshman Janarion Grant earned All-AAC Second Team honors as a return specialist.

The Scarlet Knights put together a strong special teams unit in 2012, ranking first in the nation with eight blocked kicks, ninth in kickoff return yardage defense (18.09) and 34th in kickoff return average (23.21).

Rossi was at Maine from 2007-11 and took over as defensive coordinator after the 2008 season. Maine annually had one of the top defensive units in the Football Championship Subdivision under Rossi. In 2011, the Black Bears ranked No. 26 in the nation in sacks, No. 31 in pass defense and No. 25 in pass efficiency defense.

Rossi’s first coaching stop was at Division III Thiel College in Greenville, Pa., where he was from 2001-2006. He coached Thiel's defensive line from 2001-02 and was the defensive coordinator from 2003-06. In 2006, Thiel led the President's Athletic Conference in scoring defense, total defense, rush defense and pass defense.

Rossi graduated from Allegheny in 2001 with a degree in history. He played defensive line for the Gators and his 12 sacks in 2000 is tied for the program record for the most in one season. Rossi was named All-NCAC three times (first team in 1999 and 2000 and second team in 1998) and started all 41 games of his collegiate career. His was team captain in 2000 and his 23 career sacks ranks fourth in program history.

https://gophersports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=149&path=football
 

Not surprised Smith was fired but am somewhat surprised it happened before the end of the season.


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He's nothing but a scape goat something had to be done and he was it.

What did you think was going to happen? He was DC after all.

Should Fleck have fired himself?

Not sure what else could’ve been done at this point.


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It could not have been easy for Fleck, but it had to be done.
 

He's nothing but a scape goat something had to be done and he was it.
Did you bring enough of whatever you have taken for the whole class?

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Wow. Good for him. When he mentioned "schemes" as part of the problem on 'CCO this morning was pretty surprised.

Guess it was foreshadowing.
 




I'll always remember when Holtz took over for Salem. My uncle, a long time season ticket holder at that time said, "the defense is pretty much the same guys as last year, they are just playing better." Of course thats one person's opinion, but it seems that through schemes, motivation, discipline or whatever, some coaches get more out of the same players than others. Let's hope that we find one of those coaches.
 






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