Chop: The former Syracuse coach is the WR coach we hired last year. Kitchings is the RB coach.
Foose: Sorry but I’m not making stuff up. Maybe the memory is a little fuzzy on the timing, but there was a LOT of friction between Canada and Bielema. Now I have no doubt that Bielema was a jerk, but the fact that there was a documented power struggle meant that both sides participated.
Also, does it really make sense that a rogue OL coach wrecked the OL without the OC knowing it? The OC is working with the OL coach closely and blocking scheme has to be a part of that. The OL coach got it, but after that OL coaching change, Wisonsin went back to a power running style, rallied and turned it around.
The bigger issue that year wasn’t wiith the OL. It was good enough for Ball to put up ridiculous numbers (in spite of control freak, conservative Bielema). It was with QB. They played 3 different ones with each seeing action in 7+ games. Hmmmm, spotty QB play and management sound familiar?
That 70pt game was a bit of Fool’s Gold because they introduced the jet sweep stuff in that game, catching the other team off guard. Maybe that was the genius of Canada and Beilema giving him back some control, but Beilema left 3 days later. Alvarez coached the bowl game. Now Alvarez has a huge ego and maybe wanted one more rodeo, but it could also show you how much faith he had in Canada. Regardless Alvarez didn’t exactly lock him up after coaching with him prepping for the bowl….
I have a close friend who is really into Wisconsin, (like at a lot of the games despite living in NC, is a message board junkie, etc.). He’s not the type who hates all the coordinators, or OCs, but he told me that when we hired Canada, it was a really bad move.
Go back and search my posts and I’ve voiced consistent concerns about Canada. In contrast I actually thought Hux was a decent hire. I thought he might be a goner because changes have to be made and he’s an easy scapegoat, but I think our issues there are as much related to talent as scheme. We did far less with more on offense than on defense. Also, i can’t help but think that DD is much more involved on the defensive side of the ball, and thus the product there reflects as much (or more) on him as Hux.
