New Special Teams Coach

[Oklahombre]

An analyst. Top ten squad from San Diego State. I hope this helps.

[RussC]

I have no knowledge of what went on inside the OU football program last couple years with respect to special teams but we could all see the poor results on the field, of course. I am curious to know if Jay Nunez was just bad at the job, or if he just wasn’t given what he needed to be successful (and yet JN parlayed his stint as OU ST analyst into a ST coordinator spot at Bama, no less).

[Oklahombre]

I was listening to KREF while doing some yard work. I didn't catch it all but they were going over all the games BV had lost due to field goals missed, botched KO at OSU and Freemans fumbles. Not all of them cost the game but took away from tying or outright winning without the mistakes. They were up to 5 games when I turned it off.

Hopefully BV gives the new coach the very best atheletes on the team, just like Bob did in his early years. If not, line up all those power walk-ons and drill them on just one job to do and do it right.

[soonerindallas]

Sounds like a good hire.

[Fly]

One thing about BV, he gives those coaches the time for evolution, & it does not work he gets someone that will. He is very good
Head coach!
Fly

[WishBone]

A Welcoming and Excellent Hire with Credentials to back it up.

[WishBone]

A lil About the new ST Coordinator Doug Deakin:

Doug Deakin has been with San Diego State for a total 17 seasons, a long association which started as a student-athlete and now continues as a full-time assistant coach.
He has been the special teams coordinator for six seasons now, and also served as the tight ends coach during the 2018 campaign.
Spent three years as the assistant for football operations with the SDSU program from 2015-17.
Also served as a graduate assistant with the Aztecs from 2011-14, working with the defense and special teams.
In 2023, the special teams unit continued their success under Deakin’s guidance ranking ninth in FBS per ESPN’s special teams efficiency rankings (65.9), marking his third consecutive season in the top ten.
Jack Browning headlined the group earning a semifinalist selection for the Ray Guy Award after being named as the only player on the preseason lists for both the Lou Groza and Ray Guy Awards. He was also named all-MW second team.
Along with Browning, the Aztecs had a pair of returners earn all-conference accolades. Mekhi Shaw was an honorable mention as the team’s punt returner while Kenan Christon earned it as the kick returner.
In 2022, Deakin’s special teams unit ranked second in FBS in ESPN’s special teams efficiency rating (72.2), the second consecutive season ranking in the top five.
In a passing of the torch moment, Deakin oversaw former holder Jack Browning take over all three kicking duties for the Aztec after Araiza’s departure. In his first season (2022), Browning would earn second team Pro Football Focus All-America honors, a College Football Network All-American honorable mention, Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year, first team All-MW, and SDSU Most Valuable Special Teams Player.
Similarly, Jordan Byrd was also an all-Mountain West first team selection as both a kick returner and punt returner along with an All-American honorable mention by Phil Steele Magazine. His 689 combined kick return yards ranked seventh nationally and was the only player in FBS to return both a kick and a punt for a touchdown.
Under Deakin’s watch in 2021, Matt Araiza received unanimous All-America recognition and won the Ray Guy Award, signifying the nation’s top punter.
Araiza had the best punting season in the history of college football in 2021, setting FBS records in punt average (51.19), 60-yard punts (18) and 50-yard punts (39), and likely 70-yard punts (6).
In addition, Araiza was named Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year and merited first-team all-conference honors at punter to go with second-team distinction as a placekicker, becoming the third player in MW history to land on an all-league first or second team in the same season at both positions, joining BYU’s Matt Payne (2004) and Utah’s Louie Sakoda (2007-08).
Collectively, Deakin’s special teams unit blocked three punts in 2021, which was tied for 10th in the country.
Deakin’s pupils enjoyed another productive year in 2020, as punter Tanner Kuljian and kick returner Jordan Byrd garnered second-team all-Mountain West accolades, while Araiza received honorable mention at placekicker for the second year in a row. Kuljian led the MW with an average of 45.40 yards per punt. In addition, Byrd topped the conference with an average of 31.92 on kickoff returns, which ranked seventh in the nation.
During the 2019 campaign, Araiza and punter Brandon Heicklen merited all-Mountain West honorable mention. Heicklen was named MW Special Teams Player of the Week on three occasions that season.
In 2018, Deakin oversaw the emergence of tight end Kahale Warring, who received all-Mountain West honorable mention and was a third-round selection by the Houston Texans in the 2019 NFL Draft. Warring led the Aztecs with 31 receptions for 372 yards and three touchdowns in 2018.
In addition, placekicker John Baron II became the just the second player to win MW Special Teams Player of the Week honors five times in the same season after Utah’s Louie Sakoda accomplished the feat in 2009. Baron, who connected on all five of his field-goal attempts from 50-plus yards, made three game-winning kicks during the 2018 campaign, which is tied for the most by an SDSU player in a single season since at least 1996.
Playing Experience

A former walk-on at San Diego State who played 24 games on special teams over his final two years in 2009-10.
Also served as the team’s holder on field goals and extra-point attempts during that span.
Selected as one of three captains by his teammates during his senior year in 2010.
Ran 13 yards for a first down off a fake field-goal attempt in the Aztecs’ 41-7 conquest of Utah State on Sept. 25, 2010.
Also saw action in SDSU’s 35-14 triumph over Navy in the 2010 Poinsettia Bowl, which marked the Aztecs’ first bowl appearance since 1998 and first bowl victory since 1969.
Earned the SDSU President’s Award for Highest Standards of Academic and Athletic Excellence in 2008.
Also garnered Mountain West all-academic honors in 2009.
Was additionally nominated for the College Football Rudy Awards, which recognizes student-athletes who demonstrate excellent character, contribution and commitment as members of their college football teams.
Education

Received his undergraduate degree in business management from San Diego State in 2010, before earning his master’s in educational leadership from the University in 2014.
Personal
Is married to the former Emily Diggins.

[OU Chinaman]

...ST is the modern term for what was known as the Kicking Game back in the day.

The former emphasis on this phase of the game @ OKLAHOMA seems to have been relegated by mulesh*t to merely an afterthought when he did NOT replace Shane Beamer.
A critical error in my mind, that has unfortunately had a carry-over effect on Venables tenure.
Hopefully this hire will re-establish the vital importance of the Kicking Game for the SOONER program.

III. PLAY FIELD POSITION FOOTBALL
"First objective: kick the ball across the 50 yd line.
...most football games are won by plays that occur inside the twenty yard lines. Therefore you take actions most likely to move the ball inside your opponent's twenty, and to keep it outside your own twenty.
Further, only about four or five plays occur between the twenties in a typical game, that influence whether one team obtains possession of the ball inside the opponent's twenty yard stripe.
Thus, one must be cognizant of that fact, and plan so that your team is the one who benefits from those four or five plays.
"It's how you get the ball inside that twenty and the four or five plays that will allow you to get there from the middle of the field," says Switzer.
-From former HC Jim Mackenzie's The Winning Edge

[RussC]

Question: why did Bama grab Jay Nunez instead of Deakin?

Deakin had been on the job market since Dec 1st, when Sean Lewis was hired and did not retain Deakin on staff.

[captnop]

Question: why did Bama grab Jay Nunez instead of Deakin?

Deakin had been on the job market since Dec 1st, when Sean Lewis was hired and did not retain Deakin on staff.

My thoughts, why would Bama grab Nunez after how badly our ST played? As far as Deakin not being retained. We've all seen coaches come in and bring 'their guys'. I trust BV. If OU wins 1 of those 2, they are in CCG AND THE PLAYOFF. That's got to bother BV as bad as it bothers us. So I'm sure he's looking to address it.

[RussC]

Question: why did Bama grab Jay Nunez instead of Deakin?

Deakin had been on the job market since Dec 1st, when Sean Lewis was hired and did not retain Deakin on staff.

My thoughts, why would Bama grab Nunez after how badly our ST played? As far as Deakin not being retained. We've all seen coaches come in and bring 'their guys'. I trust BV. If OU wins 1 of those 2, they are in CCG AND THE PLAYOFF. That's got to bother BV as bad as it bothers us. So I'm sure he's looking to address it.

My point was: why didn’t Bama grab Deakin? Deakin had this glowing resume. Instead Bama got Nunez. Makes no sense. That was my point.

[captnop]

Sorry I was reading it as 2 parter why didn't SDSU keep him AND why didn't Bama grab him. THe Bama thing puzzles me ? However maybe there is some FBS bias ? If he's not in a Power conference he's not good enough for Bama ? Thats all I can think of.