Well, here it is… Herbstreet and Musberger said that on January 2nd the blogosphere would be calling for Lloyd Carr’s resignation… but I have a different call to arms: fire Scott Loeffler!
Lloyd Carr is a classy and outstanding head coach who has helped keep the University of Michigan one of the nation’s leading college programs in terms of success, image and class. In my opinion the problem seems to center around the quarterback, who for the past seven years (Chad Henne and John Navarre) has been a slow footed and tall QB with a rocket for an arm who lacks the ability to look off safeties and has problems with completing passes under 5 yards. The other problem which was evident in the Rose Bowl: poor pocket presence and taking sacks insetead of throwing the ball away out of bounds. Henne has started damn near 40 games and yet does not seem to see defenders who are coming directly at him. Another habit that drove me insane was the fact that until the 4th quarter Henne refused to throw the ball at the end of his drop. So for example, Henne took a seven step drop which is supposed to mean that he drops back with seven steps, plants, and throws at the end of his drop. Instead Henne would take his seven steps and just hang out in the pocket for another four or more seconds until he got sacked or flushed out.
In the Rose Bowl Henne seemed to think that he had hours to sit back, relax, maybe check out the USC song girls and then maybe throw the football. Where is the urgency? How has he not read the coverage and found a target after seven drop steps? You have no idea how mad I was (and still am) that the problem that plagued Michigan all season long has not been remedied: Henne has absolutely no pocket presence as soon as his protection breaks down.
So I say insetead of jumping on the fire Lloyd Carr bandwagon, think about getting rid of quarterback coach Scott Loeffler. Loeffler has done a great job helping Michigan signal callers with a good TD-INT ratio and helping a running team develop a solid passing game, but the same problems that plagued John Navarre are prevalent with Chad Henne as well, and that tells me that he is not the right man for the job. Loeffler got his job for one reason: Carr is loyal to the Michigan program and Loeffler is alumni… but that does not qualify his to coach quarterbacks for a title contender. I’m not saying that he should not be coaching college football… just that he should not be coaching at U of M.
That’s all I have to say about that.
8 responses so far ↓
1 pete // Aug 7, 2007 at 5:11 pm
you are an idiot. you obviously have no idea what you are talking about. Just an example. One of the best qbs in the NFL contributes his sucess to Scott Loeffler. Tom Brady. so think before you speak.
2 eric // Aug 7, 2007 at 10:23 pm
Yes, obviously this idiot is incapable of seeing the brilliance of a QB coach who has failed to produce a NFL starting caliber QB during his tenure; he was the GRAD ASSISTANT when Tom Brady was at Michigan, thus no official credit. The official credit for Brady really belongs to Stan Parrish who was the QB coach who was also officially the QB coach of Brian Griese, Tom Brady… and your favorite.. Scott Loeffler. Parrish taught Loeffler everything he knows and yet you are so quick to take away the credit Parrish deserves for Brady’s development and pass it off to Loeffler… as if that somehow would give him the carte blanches to forgive falling short of those standards since he came back to UM from Central Michigan.
Look Loeffler is a good coach who has produced good QBs to date (he helped Brady I’m sure… but cannot be credited with “producing” him. As I pointed out earlier that credit goes to Parrish). I expect Michigan to have great coaches who produce great QBs, and so far Scott has not been great; neither have his QBs.
I coach at a much lower level than Loeffler but it’s plain as day from watching film that he has consistently been unable to coach his QBs on the short passing game, pocket presense and avoiding sacks. Until he proves otherwise he hasn’t proved that he belongs at the top level of the University of Michigan. So please, I’ve thought plenty about why Loeffler should go on the chopping block, and it would be nice for once for someone to bring an insightful and intelligent argument to the table instead of calling names like child.
3 Seal Clubbers | Seal Clubbin’ Fun » Blog Archive » Calling Lloyd Down From The Ledge // Sep 4, 2007 at 6:39 pm
[…] An Oldie, But A Goodie After last year’s Rose Bowl debacle I called for Scott Loeffler to be dragged out of his office, tarred, feathered, and asked politely to pack his s*^t and get out. My opinion has not changed. Look at the stat line for Chad Henne in last weekend’s game: […]
4 Tom // Nov 19, 2007 at 4:36 pm
Well put Eric, I’ve always been annoyed by the lack of sophistication and class of an argument that starts or ends with a personal insult. (Especially when it is supported in the middle by incorrect information.)
But, anyway, I couldn’t agree with you more. My brother and I have continually been amazed at the credit Henne has gotten over the years for Michigan wins or the commentary that suggests he’s an excellent Pro QB prospect. If you can’t run like Vince Young you better have the pocket smarts and accuracy of a QB like Brady or Peyton (it’s almost painful to watch Brady “scramble”.) He’ll get creamed just like Leinert did if he manages to make it onto an NFL team.
I think this Mallet kid has some real potential, he is big and tall too but he doesn’t seem like he’s afraid to move around and act with a little urgency.
5 Phyl // Jan 2, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Why don’t you ask Tom Brady who he gives credit to for his development? I’ll let you in on a secret. It is Scot Loeffler. You boys may want to check your spelling before bashing someone.
6 eric // Jan 3, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Phyl… you are the second person to state that same thing, but I’m yet to see a direct quote and source.
Anyway, I’m sure Tom Brady would back Loeffler; he’s just that kind of guy. What’s he going to do, say he sucked balls?
Of course not.
By the way, when did saying that someone was a good coach become considered bashing someone? If someone said I was a good blogger, but not a great blogger, I’d put that crap on a banner and mount it in my home office.
You might try some reading comprehension classes while you find me that direct quote where Brady credits his entire career to Scott Loeffler.
Sadly though this is all a moot point with my original post being a full year before Lloyd Carr’s last day as head coach. Loeffler is gone, and so is Carr.
Let’s move on.
7 Dustin // Feb 29, 2008 at 10:06 am
Obviously this guy is an idiot. First of all, you can’t teach pocket presence. That’s an acquired trait. Also, everything that the qb’s out of michigan do well has to do with the qb coach being great.
Michigan has had great qb’s ever since scott took over. Give the man some respect. The main reason for people wanting to get rid of Carr, was the fact that he had been at michigan so long, that he settled into the coaching spot. He didn’t take chances any more. He wouldn’t even use different game plans to beat different teams. It would be the same thing game in and game out.
8 Dustin // Feb 29, 2008 at 10:10 am
brady doesn’t credit his whole career to his college qb coach. He credits it to his high school qb coach, whom is deathly ill right now, and wasn’t able to make it to the super bowl. But ask any qb out of michigan and they would tell you that scott is a good qb coach. Hell, ask any team in the NCAA and they would tell you the same thing.
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