Scott Shafer

[OrangeXtreme]

Zoomed in on that visitor pass. Is he a volunteer coach at Pitt U? I say volunteer because Pitt has a full staff.

Stephen Bailey ‏@Stephen_Bailey1
LRT: Looks like a @syracusedotcom commenter filled out Shafer's visiting coach pass at Steelers camp #Schafer

 

[Whitey23]

Zoomed in on that visitor pass. Is he a volunteer coach at Pitt U? I say volunteer because Pitt has a full staff.

 

[Alsacs]

If he is volunteering at Pitt then leaving Maryland is a bit shocking.
Oh well whatever good luck to SS he was a nice man but our new staff is here now.

 

[CuseLegacy]

Good for him. I wish nothing but the best for the former staff.

 

[Orangejet]

SS is looking for future employment so why not visit all the schools close to OH.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi welcomed a new, if temporary, face to his meetings and practice Monday when former Syracuse coach Scott Shafer visited the training complex.

Shafer is taking a season off from coaching after losing his job at Syracuse last year, and he plans to spend it watching his son Wolfgang, the starting quarterback at Ithaca (N.Y.) College.

Shafer plans to visit friends with the Browns in Cleveland and at Stanford, where he was assistant head coach and defensive coordinator in 2007.

Shafer is no stranger to Pitt's coaching staff. He worked with Narduzzi and running backs coach Andre Powell at Rhode Island, and he was on a Northern Illinois staff with Narduzzi and offensive coordinator Matt Canada.

Pitt notebook: Former Syracuse coach Shafer visits Pitt's practice

 

[jgeorge322]

Hurts me to see scott in pitt clothes, not because he is working for our opposition (i get hes just doing whats best for him) but because it didnt work out here. Loved that guy and upset it didnt work out.

 

[Crusty]

Shafer can probably do anything he wants and it will be OK with me. Decent human being and one of the good guys.

 

[javadoc]

Shafer can probably do anything he wants and it will be OK with me. Decent human being and one of the good guys.

I wish I had the chance to do what he can - take a year off, travel and see how people are doing things in several places, then jump back in the game on my own schedule. AND enjoy family time. Bully to coach S.

 

[Rocco]

The main reason I went dark from this board for 6 months after Shaf got fired was because of the nonstop bashing on here. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I'm not saying that people should refrain from voicing their loud opinions all the time, by any means. It became a bit more personal for me because I had become friends with a few of the coaches on the previous staff. Rather than get into it with people on here, it was easier to just pick up my toys and go home. Very, very happy with Babers and the staff he has assembled.

Nothing could be said to support Shafer after the last 2 seasons. Some of the coaching decisions were flat out bone-headed, but he was a Pitt and UVA game away from still being the HC this season IMO. Just when they would show signs of promise, it would all get flushed away with a mental error by a player or coach. Beyond frustrating and obviously became a really easy choice for Coyle to make (although I think Shafer was gone the day MC was hired anyway).

When these guys decide to go into coaching, they know they're under a magnifying glass all the time. Further, they know their families will constantly be uprooted and there will always be "moving" decisions to be made (which are a royal pain in the ass). I'm not sticking up for them because they're handsomely rewarded if successful over time, but it's still tough to talk to one of these guys with young kids after they get fired. It's depressing as hell. We can all say we work hard and I'm not saying we don't, but we also don't have to walk into Wegman's or the Y with people pointing fingers and shunning you or your family if you're losing. Think about it.

I really enjoyed the last staff from a personal perspective, and I liked that defensive style of football. The offense was a mish-mash of too many things, though. Many aspects on the coaching end were lacking, but I really want to believe that it would've gotten better this year. I really do. At the end of the day, I wish all of them the best of luck and still remain in contact with 2 of them. They're grinding trying to get it right. Just know that they all loved Syracuse and poured their blood, sweat and tears into trying to win football games here. They were beyond committed, especially Shaf.

Cheers.

 

[orangenirvana]

Some of the coaching decisions were flat out bone-headed, but he was a Pitt and UVA game away from still being the HC this season IMO.

 

[Trueblue25]

Say what you will but Pitt is heading in a better direction than Maryland in my opinion. They arguably rule PA right now. I think they gotta get their own on campus stadium but they're recruiting at a high level and are always in a good spot to contend against Duke, UNC, and Miami.

 

[SWC75]

I loved Shafer's defenses. I think he was promoted to his level of incompetence. I'd love it if he came back to SU as DC and we'd have an aggressive Babers offense with an aggressive Shafer defense. I know there's no chance of that but Tampa 2 seems like a return to the old "read and cover" days. Ugh.

 

[TheCusian]

I loved Shafer's defenses. I think he was prompted to his level of incompetence. I'd love it if he came back to SU as DC and we'd have an aggressive Babers offense with an aggressive Shafer defense. I know there's no chance of that but Tampa 2 seems like a return to the old "read and cover" days. Ugh.

I don't think the two (Babers O and Shafer's D) pair well. Too much risk.

 

[DoctorBombay]

I loved Shafer's defenses. I think he was prompted to his level of incompetence. I'd love it if he came back to SU as DC and we'd have an aggressive Babers offense with an aggressive Shafer defense. I know there's no chance of that but Tampa 2 seems like a return to the old "read and cover" days. Ugh.

Agreed.
I get the sense that the Babers "Tampa 2 vs Aggressive D" debate, will become as prevalent as the Boeheim "2-3 zone vs M2M" debate in bball.
Hopefully HCDB will be as successful in his philosophy, and the debate will remain in the hypothetical arena only.

 

[SWC75]

I don't think the two (Babers O and Shafer's D) pair well. Too much risk.

Baber's offense seems low-risk in terms of turnovers if you look at his numbers. And if you score a lot, you can afford risk on defense.

 

[TheCusian]

Baber's offense seems low-risk in terms of turnovers if you look at his numbers. And if you score a lot, you can afford risk on defense.

The risk comes by playing fast.

If you score a lot you want the other team to feel the pressure of needing to score fast, which is hard to do vs Tampa 2. If one team scores in under a minute and it's really difficult for the other team to do the same - there's a certain kind of pressure that is applied.

If you score fast and the other team knows you gamble on defense and give up big plays - they will take more chances. Higher % of shootouts.

 

[sufandu]

I don't think the two (Babers O and Shafer's D) pair well. Too much risk.

I don't know. The idea with the O is that with extra possessions the rewards out weigh the risks, isn't it.

Sometimes a team that likes to play fast gets antsy if it's defense allows other teams to chew up clock. Ultimately I think it comes down to execution regardless of defensive scheme. I think the key with an aggressive scheme on D is having a good coordinator that has a feel for calling the right plays at the right time. The key with the Tampa 2 is getting pressure with the front four. Without that, a qb just gets too much time for receivers to find holes in the zones and it gets picked apart.

 

[TheCusian]

I don't know. The idea with the O is that with extra possessions the rewards out weigh the risks, isn't it. Sometimes a team that likes to play fast gets antsy if it's defense allows other teams to chew up clock. Ultimately I think it comes down to execution regardless of defensive scheme. I think the key with an aggressive scheme on D is having a good coordinator that has a feel for calling the right plays at the right time. The key with the Tampa 2 is getting pressure with the front four. Without that, a qb just gets too much time for receivers to find holes in the zones and it gets picked apart.

I hear ya.

I was watching WVU vs Baylor 2015 last night and the Baylor DC was saying that it's a bit like tennis in that holding serve and breaking the opponents serve is where the game is going.

So by that reasoning, slowing a team down and forcing them to pick you a part is better than giving up easy scores by gambling on D. There's also a reason BG was #8 in INT.

Plain and simple: Dino expects to score on every possession faster than you can on yours.

 

[SWC75]

I hear ya.

I was watching WVU vs Baylor 2015 last night and the Baylor DC was saying that it's a bit like tennis in that holding serve and breaking the opponents serve is where the game is going.

So by that reasoning, slowing a team down and forcing them to pick you a part is better than giving up easy scores by gambling on D. There's also a reason BG was #8 in INT.

Plain and simple: Dino expects to score on every possession faster than you can on yours.

With our problems on the defensive line, I don't think a defense that relies on the linemen to provide pressure on the other team's backfield is going to work very well. And I don't know that our defensive backfield can be relied on covering people for long periods, either.

 

[syr14]

With our problems on the defensive line, I don't think a defense that relies on the linemen to provide pressure on the other team's backfield is going to work very well. And I don't know that our defensive backfield can be relied on covering people for long periods, either.

I would expect some amount of improvement since we are returning a lot of younger guys. Also considering now, how everyone is in much better shape. I'm pretty pumped to see what we've got this year. Both sides of the ball.

 

[TheCusian]

With our problems on the defensive line, I don't think a defense that relies on the linemen to provide pressure on the other team's backfield is going to work very well. And I don't know that our defensive backfield can be relied on covering people for long periods, either.

Right. That's why they are recruiting and in camp trying to get better at doing those things. (I'm also not convinced we have problems on the line, but inexperience at the DE spots, and if Wilson plays - just one DE spot).

The Tampa 2 is a zone coverage - so you're not covering people, you're covering space. It can be picked a part - but not usually for chunk yardage.

 

[SWC75]

Right. That's why they are recruiting and in camp trying to get better at doing those things. (I'm also not convinced we have problems on the line, but inexperience at the DE spots, and if Wilson plays - just one DE spot).

The Tampa 2 is a zone coverage - so you're not covering people, you're covering space. It can be picked a part - but not usually for chunk yardage.

You can get blown coverages in a zone, especially when the players are just learning the system.

Another thing about Babers that people might talk about: He seems to be the type of coach who puts in the system he wants from day one and then recruits for it and hopes the players he inherited can adjust to it, as opposed to a coach who adjusts the system to the players he has and then changes the system after he's got the recruits he wants. You can argue about which strategy is best but I think for us it could mean a bumpy ride to begin with.

 

[TheCusian]

You can get blown coverages in a zone, especially when the players are just learning the system. Another thing about Babers that people might talk about: He seems to be the type of coach who puts in the system he wants from day one and then recruits for it and hopes the players he inherited can adjust to it, as opposed to a coach who adjusts the system to the players he has and then changes the system after he's got the recruits he wants. You can argue about which strategy is best but I think for us it could mean a bumpy ride to begin with.

That's exactly what Babers has done. 4 years HC, 4 conference championships with other coaches recruits.

I don't think we'll win the conference, but I think there is no reason to think these guys won't do a good job with the talent we have.

 

[SWC75]

That's exactly what Babers has done. 4 years HC, 4 conference championships with other coaches recruits.

I don't think we'll win the conference, but I think there is no reason to think these guys won't do a good job with the talent we have.

He's done that at the FCS level and the MAC. I think the ACC may be a bit different, especially in this divsion. Briles went 4-8, 4-8, 7-6, 10-3 at Baylor. That may be closer to what will happen here.