A lot of USC people (inside and outside the athletic dept.) ask me about Justin Wilcox’s success as defensive coordinator at Wisconsin. So I asked a Pac-12 coach about Wilcox.
“His success has come with structured coaches,” the Pac-12 coach said. “(Steve Sarkisian) was out of control. (Wilcox) had to worry about other stuff. Now just he coaches football.
“It starts at the top. When he worked for Chris Petersen at Boise State he did fine. At Wisconsin, the athletic director (Barry Alvarez) runs the program. He does better with structure.”
Or to put it another way, he can’t be a frat boy when he works for adults who aren’t drunks
No more toga parties?
I hear you but where’s the fun in that?
Playing mediocre Big 10 and Mountain West offenses might have something to do with that, too.
One of The top scoring offense in the nation in Michigan, Michigan St and Ohio state are mediocre offenses? Lol pac-12
OSU is the only legitimate offense in that conference. Michigan, like most teams, has benefitted from playing awful competition thus far. Michigan State currently sits at 93rd in scoring offense. I don’t think any sane college football fan would mistake the Big 10 for a conference filled with explosive offenses. They do play solid defense. The Pac 12 is the exact opposite.
Better defenses in the Big10. Better offenses in the Pac12.
Only better defense because of the crappy offense … right
That could be true.
Michigan St could lose to Appalachian St. The Spartans are very down this season and Wilcox hasn’t played Ohio St. He played a bend, but don’t break defense at SC. He played the secondary at a zone prevent and he switched it up too late in the last three games where he had Adoree and Biggie playing man press coverage. Give the Pac 12 offenses some credit. Maybe he was handcuffed with Sark or Helton, but I can’t wrap my head around him. Is he good or overrated?
Good post
I was late to the the blame Wilcox bandwagon, but I finally did succumb. I begrudgingly admit I was probably wrong in my conclusion. Big 10 and Mtn West defenses aside, he obviously has some skills. He wasn’t blameless at USC; but he wasn’t the only problem & probably not the biggest.
Sounds like Wilcox and Kiffen both need to be under adult supervision. Good coaches when led and directed.
Kiffin a good coach, that’s hilarious
“Now just he?”
Wolf was talking to imaginary people.
Wilcox was told to take his skinny jeans off. They don’t work in Badgerville. He’s got a big ole’ beard now and flies right or he knows Alvarez will deep six him.
Badgerville? It’s called Madison, the state capitol, Jacqui the trans.
Wilcox defense works better with Power run teams.. LSU / Michigan / Michigan St.. All Pro style, power run teams.. his defense struggles against the spread offense which there is a lot of in the Pac 12
If that’s true then Wisconsin should get killed in two weeks when they play Ohio State. BM.
Again.. commenting on everyone’s post.. Wolf pays you well to get his comment numbers up.. huh?
Poor BM is feeling dyspeptic again. The heartbreak of Crohns!
Wisconsin is a completely different coached team, no defensive coach will be allowed to do what he did at SC, I can’t believe wolfman didn’t already know this, he is being rhetorical..their practices are like what beat SC last year…like Bama’s
Wilcox is probably going to end up a coach like USC’s Paul Hackett.
Someone very smart in plotting the X’s and O’s from a very big playbook. But when it comes to managing a game, Wilcox falls short (see the last 3 1/2 minutes of the 2014 “Jael Mary” game vs. ASU).
Wilcox was always described as football smart and knowledgeable. But his defenses were never called tough or nasty. His defenses, usually positioned smartly with the right personnel, just never seemed to have a killer attitude to go with the right play call.
As successful as he could be, I think his defenses will always be soft.
All the teams Wisconsin has played are either predictable or weak. He inherited a team that was coached by Dave Aranda. Pretty good if you ask me. Wilcox couldn’t handle the QB’s in the Pac 12. Probably made a good move going to the Big 10. Scoring is up in college football because of the rules and the Read Pass Option along with spreading out the defenses. He has two weeks to prepare for Ohio St. So far no team has slowed down the Buckeyes.
Come on wolf. You seriously expect us to believe that people within the USC athletic department ask you about anything?
Of course they don’t but what would they say?
The Wolfman can see things most men can’t and he knows things the coaches don’t know.
Experience, High Football IQ and fearless attitude.
He is the Football Whisperer.
I got to listen to him talk recently at a coaches clinic – in general, he struck me as a pretty sharp guy. But what I liked best was he seems to see things as a teacher. He places a very high priority in his scheme – alignment & assignment – on being able to teach it to the players so they can just play without being slowed down or hesitant. He mentioned some early struggles with kids who were talented but just couldn’t “get it” & couldn’t get on the field early enough, so from there on, he made sure that he could get the best players out on the field to make plays. Obviously the Badger defense there didn’t really have those issues – is a smart, talented bunch who’ve been taught well. But they’re really playing with an edge we haven’t seen here.
Big rumor has NE rejoining the Big 12 w. BYU, Cincinnati and HOU in tow and even more surprisingly OK leaving due to the enormous control TX has over the entire conference. from yardbarker
Steve Sarkisians offense was Justin Wilcox worst enemy, because it left his defense out to dry. How Sarkisian fools people into believing he’s a good coach is beyond me. The man is just not a leader, and never will be.
He coached under Sark at UW and did an excellent job before going with him to USC.
…..so much for that theory.
The main one trashing him was you. You trash a these USC coaches then they go on to have success making you look like a fool. Peter Sirmon is doing well too. So is Keith Hayward
Pac is where D.C. go to die .. Big 10 is where a no talent like Wilcox can hang around awhile before he takes Miami of Ohio HC job