Charleston Southern Coaching Staff Changes - D Coord. Search

[BJuice]

Charleston Southern University Buccaneers Announce Changes to Football Coaching Staff

CSU head football coach Jay Mills has announced changes to his staff off assistants, including the resignation of defensive coordinator Thielen Smith and re-assignments for assistants Patrick Nix, Chuck Kelly and Gabe Giardina. Mills announced the moves on Monday.

“After our annual review of the state of the program and our situation regarding player personnel, we decided to start working on our plans for the 2012 season immediately following the 2011 season,” says Mills. “We will continue to make decisions that will support our opportunities for success both on and off the field.”

“Additionally, we would like to thank Coach Smith for four years of great service and tireless commitment to both Charleston Southern University and the Buccaneer football program,” adds Mills. “The young men who benefitted from his tutelage will continue to grow as his influence will surely continue to guide them.”

Charleston Southern will conduct a nation-wide search for a defensive coordinator starting immediately.

This is why this change needed to be made:

Total Offense Yards per Game: Yardage given up by defense

2011 (does not include Florida State or Central Florida)

Jacksonville: 410
Norfolk State: 519
Wesley (D-III): 460
VMI: 315
Liberty: 306
Gardner-Webb: 237
Stony Brook: 464
Coastal: 436
Presbyterian: 516

2010 (does not include Hawaii or Kentucky)

North Greenville (D-II): 405
Wofford: 467
Mars Hill (D-II): 334
Liberty: 481
Gardner-Webb: 419
VMI: 242
Stony Brook: 499
Presbyterian: 492
Coastal: 457

[CSUBUCDAD]

Not surprised at Smith departing. Tough to win when your offense is putting up points and the defense is giving up 40 a game and 400 yards. Wish Coach Smith the best, he is a great guy and the players really love him but bottom line is you have to get it done or move over and give someone else a chance to see what they can do with the talent they have.

[BJuice]

I totally agree. Coach Smith is a great guy. As you and Coach Mills said, the players loved him and he made a positive impact on their lives on and off the field.

Yes, the talent is there. Someone is going to get a very solid group of talent to build a base and improve.

With all of the injuries we had this year, our #1 goal is to get healthy, but after a very disappointing season, do you think any other changes need to be made? What else can or should be done?

[CSUBUCDAD]

I am not going to throw Quinn under the bus over the first game although it seemed to me after the first series of the second half that no significant changes were made in response to the blocking scheme change by the Dogs.

[Pwns]

I wouldn't judge your new DC yet. The Citadel is going to cause problems for many SoCon defenses this year even if they don't win half their conference games.

Heck, GSU practices against virtually the same offense all the time and I don't think we will shut them down this week.

[Libertine]

I have to question coach Mills ability as well. This is my fourth year with the program and it has steadily gone downhill.
Some of his personell pics and decisions baffle me. For instance trainer Jacoby had to relieve himself from the team.
It was his choice and it should not have been. He should have been let go a lot earlier. Like Bjuice said way to many injurys last year. He made them condition like marathon runners not football players. It was hard for some of them to keep their weight up. Anyway Jacoby quit and from what I am hearing the new trainer is great. It sounds like his regiment is more in line with some of the good d1 schools.
,

I would agree with you that CSU's problems last year were not even mostly on defense. The offense couldn't move or hang on to the ball to save their lives. I would also agree that Jay Mills makes odd decisions but, then again, that's Jay Mills. He's a different guy who, for better or worse, does things a little differently.
As to the other thing, I wouldn't lay all the blame of injuries and conditioning on Jacobi who, incidentally, was the strength & conditioning coach not the trainer. He had some good credentials when he landed at CSU from Kent and had worked in some fairly substantive programs. However, he was also the only strength coach on the entire CSU staff --- for the ENTIRE athletic department. CSU sponsors 14 sports and, by himself, Jacobi was responsible for the strength training of every athlete in all of them. Further, if you have ever seen the CSU weight room you'll know that it's closer in size to that of a trade show display booth than to an actual functioning weight facility. How anyone could have managed to cycle 14 sports through that cramped little space is mind-boggling to me.

[BJuice]

I agree. The problem was not ALL with the defense. And, yes, the offense CANNOT continue to go 3 and out or 6 and out. The offense has to be able to sustain a drive. That is what gives the defense a chance to catch a breath, rest, and make adjustments. No amount of conditioning will help a defense that constantly has to go right back out there, epsecially in the heat in Charleston on a Saturday afternoon. That is why I will continue to say until I see otherwise that Malcolm Dixon is NOT the man for the job at QB. That doesn't mean he shouldn't be on the field. He should be. He should be playing WR as he recruited.

[CoastalFan2005]

I have to question coach Mills ability as well.

Serious question to CSU fans (since there's nobody on ChuckSouthFans for me to ask) - does Mills get fired if the Bucs don't win at least three games this year?

[CSUBUCDAD]

It would not bode well for him if he did not. Coach Mills is a much loved and respected man here at CSU and would likely bow out himself before it came to them asking him to resign. He is a man of honor and faith.

[Sly Fox]

Every time an FCS head coach opening appears, it seems Coach Mills' name is listed among the candidates. He has my respect for what he has been able to do for the Bucs with limited support & resources.

[Libertine]

all those numbers they posted about coach smith's D giving up were not as bad as the 530 yards quinn gave up sept.1 and citadel played their bench 4th quarter

Boom! Roasted!

The reason Mills' name pops up on all those candidate lists is because a lot of states require state schools to publicly list all the applicants.

[CSUBUCDAD]

Well after the pathetic defensive showing yesterday, I am now officially ready to throw Quinn under the bus.

[Libertine]

For the sake of accuracy, Jacksonville is non-scholarship but they are Division I-FCS and, the past few years, they have been at or near the top of the non-scholarship Pioneer League. Carry on.

[Libertine]

Hey, Pah,

What happened last week? I heard Mills make a comment about having some guys who couldn't handle a win so he made them practice in full pads during the off week.

Just curious

[BJuice]

I have been watching Charleston Southern football since 1994. I have seen many home football games in person. I have seen the highs and the lows. I am an alum. I'm not proud of the past, pre-Mills era. I am proud of the job Coach Mills has done. I am not proud of the present (the past two years). I feel like each year we are taking 1 or 2 steps backward. I don't know why. However, I am tried of it. I have reasonable expectations. We should be able to have consistent 6-5, 7-4 seasons. We should see a cycle where there is a string of 6-5 seasons, then as that class matures (bigger, stronger, faster, more experience) the record gets better. With an occasional 8-3 season.

I did not like seeing Coach Smith (DC) leave after last season. I thought he was a decent coach and a very good guy. However, his side of the ball (defense) struggled and showed a downward trend. When your side of the ball struggles and you are in charge, then you have to held accountable. I think the hiring of Coach Quinn was the right one. He comes from the right kind of program. He can instill the type of culture that needs to be instilled at CSU to be a winning program (hard work, high intensity, toughness). I think the defense is improved this year. However, it is hard to tell because the offense is so bad. A defense needs to be able to come off the field to rest, breathe, re-group, and make adjustments. A defense also cannot expect to be good when consistently left in tough situations when the opposing offense has a short field. Both of those issues are common with this CSU team because the offense is so awful.

I will maintain my position that Malcom Dixon is not capable of being a QB. He cannot the lead and execute the offense like a QB should. He does not make good decisions. I don't know why he is continually in the game as QB. He was recruited, signed, and played as a WR when he first came to CSU. The problem with the offense stars with him. I also believe that Coach Nix (OC) should be replaced. I thought he should have been replaced after last season. Our offense has regressed during his time at CSU. We have a young QB that came in this year after a stellar prep career (Croghan III). I hope he is being red-shirted this year and will be the starter next year and for the next four years. If he does not have a capable OC to grow and develop under, he will not perform well either.

This is an exmple of what I am talking about from Dixon (from Saturday vs. Stony Brook)

The Buccaneers moved the ball into scoring position three times in the second, threatening to cut into the Seawolves’ lead, but turnovers plagued CSU as Dixon was picked off twice in the red zone, while Stony Brook recovered a CSU fumble as the Buccaneers’ comeback attempt fell short.

Dixon's Statistics so far this season:

Games Played: 5
Efficiency Rating: 89.4
Comp - Att - INT: 25-67-4
Completion Percentage: 37.3
Total Yards Passing: 393
Touchdowns: 3
Longest: 72
Average per Game: 78.6

Rushing Attempts: 48
Yards Gained: 187
Yards Lost: 41
Net Yards: 146
Average: 3.0
Touchdowns: 2
Longest Rush: 23
Average per Game: 29.2

[Seawolf97]

What I saw last night was a team that did not quit even when things started to fall apart. Your QB can throw but needs to become more accurate trying to hit his receivers. That pass down the middle you scored on was a perfect shot and ended in a TD. Your receivers were open more than once. Gotta get the ball in there.
I question the everyone in the box approach to stop the run- coaching ?. Everyone in the BS is aware that Essington can throw well and Norrel and Gush can catch on the run. Maysonet only had 88 yards but our passing was what hurt you guys. Don't give up the ship, there is still plenty of football to play.

[BJuice]

It feels so good to get a very solid conference win. Pretty lop-sided by CSU standards. I know there is potential and I know this team and program can be good under Coach Mills. It has been and hopefully will be. That is why the losing is so frustrating.

If things keep improving and the team plays with the same effort and executes as effectively the rest of the season, there are a few more wins on the schedule.

It would be real nice to get a "W" this Saturday at home and get a 2-game winning streak going. One game at a time.

[CSUBUCDAD]

I have been seeing the talent the Bucs have in fleeting glimpses all season. Maybe they are starting to gel and play as a unit now. Some seasons it just takes longer for the light to come on than others I guess.