Sean McDermott to become Saints new defensive coordinator
by MtnExile on Jan 6, 2009 1:14 PM EST
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A bunch of us over at Canal Street Chronicles, the Saints' SBNation blog, have been wondering what to do with our underachieving defense. Short of entirely swapping it out for Pittsburgh's or Baltimore's--or Philadelphia's--we've come to the conclusion that defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs must be sacrificed on a pagan altar at midfield. Or at least, fired. That means we'll be needing someone to come in and reconstruct the defense--obviously, not a time to be promoting from within.
Of all the candidates available out there (we're not considering present defensive coordinators), the two emerging favorites are former Lions coach Rod Marinelli (don't laugh...the man's a highly-regarded defensive coach, and nobody could succeed at Detroit) and your own secondary coach, Sean McDermott. Obviously, there's no Rod Marinelli fan site we could pose questions; but Sean McDermott's case is different: there's Bleeding Green Nation.
So if you can take some time out from your present playoff glee (and if your heart rate has slowed back down to normal), please let us know: have we made the right choice? Is Sean McDermott the right man to take a poorly performing 4-3 defense and remold them in the attacking Philadelphia mold? Of is he just serving time on the Eagles' staff and riding on the coattails of Jim Johnson?
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Well...
…did you check his Coach Bio? I’m sure it talks him up, but still. Here’s a good indicator:
In all, McDermott is the longest tenured defensive assistant coach under Jim Johnson.
That’d be helpful.
Also, if he goes there, can he take Lito Sheppard with him? I hear your pass defense needs help.
LOL
If some guy named stujo shows up here, don’t mention Lito! He’s actually be a hot topic of conversation this season, and opinion among Saints fans is mixed. It seems to be mixed among Eagles fans, too.
Gary Gibbs Must Geaux!
ehhh it’s not as mixed as it was 6 months ago… got some athletic tape you’re not using? Can you overnight it? We might be able to make something work…
But T.O. and his sideline histrionics wear on a quarterback. He's like the hot stripper you tried to clean up and convert into a real girlfriend. It's a lot of fun until the moment she has her second drink while out to eat with your parents. You unravel quicker than she does.
There’s not a lot of debate… Still, I have to think a motivated Lito in a new situation can be better than he has been this year. I don’t know that he’ll ever regain pro bowl form.
JasonB, you are one funny guy
I have to think a motivated Lito in a new situation
I believe, sir, that is an oxymoron. And also a regular moron.
This is the stujo I was warning you about
He has Lito issues. 40 years of futility tends to bring out the impatience in people.
Whatcha think, stujo…is McDermott our guy? So far I haven’t seen anyone saying “hands off!”
Gary Gibbs Must Geaux!
M-E, our wife, Gary Gibbs is calling for us to come home
We’ll catch hell if she finds out we’re over here sniffing around Sean McDermott. Looks like we’re going to have to hire a hit man to get out of this marriage.
People have wondered whether McDermott could be the next Steve Spagnuluo. He’s followed a very similar career path to Spags being both a secondary and linebackers coach for several years under Jim Johnson.
He’s been a guy I always hoped could maybe take over whenever Jim Johnson called it quits. Obviously it’s hard to say whether he’d be as good as Spags was, but I think it’s safe to say that he knows the Jim Johnson style defense as well as anyone and would likely bring the same attacking 4-3 mentality to the Saints if he were put in charge of the D there.
It’s a hard question to answer man… He could be the next star, he could be the next defensive dud… I, like Jason, believe that he would at least be able to get the structure in place, even if he’s not the best man to run it… I think you’re biggest concern in trying to bring McDermott in is if you have the correct group of players to run a defense like ours…
I’m sure the quote is here somewhere, but Jim Johnson stated the other day that the thing that allows him to run this defense is our two starting safetys (Brian Dawkins and Quintin Mikell). Without those two back there, I dunno how well this D works… Look what happens when Sean Considine has to play!
I can’t say I’m up-to-date on your roster, so only you can answer the question of weather the Saints have the right people for this; of if it’s possible to overhaul the defense in one season. Even if this move occurs, you might now see the fruits of your labor until the second season… at least.
But T.O. and his sideline histrionics wear on a quarterback. He's like the hot stripper you tried to clean up and convert into a real girlfriend. It's a lot of fun until the moment she has her second drink while out to eat with your parents. You unravel quicker than she does.
Do the Saints have the right personnel?
In a word: no. In two words: not yet.
Saints fans dream of safeties. Dawkins, Polamalu, Reed…they haunt our sleep. The coaches, though, seem to be of the school of thought that safeties are about as valuable as cheerleaders.
I also read, though, that the Eagles don’t draft safeties very high. That means either that your front office has perfected a technique for not only finding diamonds in the rough, but camouflaging them from everyone else; or that your safeties are simply very well coached up. Suppose we get McDermott and then draft Taylor Mays…is McDermott (he’s a former safety, I see) so good as a position coach that he can make another All-Pro out of Mays? Or whoever?
Gary Gibbs Must Geaux!
Dawkins was a second round pick
and has been here for 13 years and obviously no real need for us to look for anyone else. Mikell was a surprise being undrafted, I think the coaches know what to look for. I think that is shown in Demps as well because I think all of us think he is the heir to the Dawkins thrown. But we’ve had some bad/not so good safeties Reed/Considine most recently. I know a lot of people like Reed because of his story but fact of the matter he was not a very good SS.
"I need to do a better job of putting players in the right position to perennially come up short of expectations"
I would take anyone that has been under the tutelage of Jim Johnson ...
especially as long as McDermott has (10 years) and has consistently worked his way up the ranks. I don’t think you get JJs respect by just blowing your whistle in practice.
"I need to do a better job of putting players in the right position to perennially come up short of expectations"
Sean learned from JJ
But ultimately it might come down to not only what he learned from JJ but his influence on personnel decisions. JJ seems to have been able to have had enough influence to get players he likes (i.e. Clemons, Bradley). If Sean Mcdermott can get the players that fits his system and he really did come away with the knowledge JJ imparted, there’s no reason he can’t be successful.
The personell isn't that complicated
If this defense is going to work you need a secondary that can play man coverage and tons of pass rushers.
Now, getting that personell is easier said than done… but I would imagine that McDermott would be lobbying for it.
IF you look at the Eagles history, they spend high picks on corner and D-line. They spend big money on corner and d-line…
if the personnel isnt that complicated
Then why do so many teams struggle with it? There are many factors that make it work and not work – from the scouting dept to the coordinators to the HC, GM and owner.
Apparently, knowing it isn't easy either
The Saints run a vanilla 4-3. They haven’t got the personnel to make even that work. Our defensive coordinator, Gary Gibbs, is apparently absolutely clueless. I think he should be replaced not because he’s been bad, but because he can never be good, and every day he holds the position is a day wasted.
Gary Gibbs Must Geaux!
Just wanted to post one last time
on this thread to thank everyone who took part in it. Y’all considered the subject seriously, offered good opinions, and didn’t trash talk. I’ve come to expect that on every SBNation site, but still…it’s pleasant every time it happens. Thanks a bunch, and good luck against the Jints.
Gary Gibbs Must Geaux!
GARY GIBBS FIRED
Just so you know…Gibbs was canned today. I hope we can pry your secondary coach away from you. Sorry…now I feel guilty. (It’ll pass.)
Get Sean McDermott!
mcdermott
i had the luck to know sean in high school-i was on the wrestling team with him. i have never met a more freakish athlete than sean, or someone who was more driven for athletic success.
World F#$king Champions
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