Outside linebackers in a 3-4 defensive scheme have specialized skills, and Mike MacIntyre would like to find a coach who specializes in teaching those skills.
With one hole to fill on his full-time staff, the Colorado head coach said he plans to hire someone to work with outside linebackers and pass rushers.
“That’s the way I would have originally set it up (when he came to CU in 2013), but the way we had our staff programmed at the time, I thought the way we were doing it was the best way,” MacIntyre said.
During this offseason, the Buffs have lost three defensive coaches, including coordinator Jim Leavitt, who left CU for Oregon in December. Leavitt, who also coached all the linebackers, was replaced by D.J. Eliot last month. Eliot will coordinate the defense and coach inside linebackers.
CU also lost both secondary coaches, as Charles Clark (who coached cornerbacks) left for Oregon and Joe Tumpkin (who coaches safeties) was asked to resign amid an investigation into domestic violence claims.
Rather than replacing Clark and Tumpkin with two more defensive backs coaches, CU hired ShaDon Brown last week to coach the entire secondary. He will be aided by a graduate assistant.
“(Brown) comes from the exact same scheme and they were really good in the secondary last year at Army,” MacIntyre said.
MacIntyre, who has coached defensive backs throughout his career, will also help coach the secondary.
“I was back there before and I’ll always be back there at different times,” said MacIntyre, who coached CU’s corners in 2014.
During the past two seasons under Leavitt, the Buffs ran a 3-4 base defense. In 2015, however, they spent much of the season in nickel packages.
This past season, MacIntyre wanted to play more 3-4, rather than using nickel package so often. They were able to do that by using safety Ryan Moeller in what MacIntyre calls a “Buff” position, which was sort of a hybrid of a nickel back/outside linebacker.
The idea, MacIntyre said, was to free up pass rushers, such as Jimmie Gilbert, so they weren’t always having to beat an offensive tackle to get to the quarterback.
“That was a change for us, a philosophical change,” MacIntyre said.
It’s a change MacIntyre would like to continue, and given that, he wants a coach who can work exclusively with the outside linebackers and pass rushers and whoever fills that “Buff” position role. That will allow defensive line coach Jim Jeffcoat to focus solely on the interior linemen.
“Somebody needs to be coaching those (outside linebackers), with eyes on them more often,” MacIntyre said. “We did a good job with it, but it was kind of piecemealed. So, when (the staff changes happened), I sat down and re-evaluated, and I feel like that’s best for our scheme of our defense now.
“I want to have someone to have some more expertise on pass rushing, to have individual time with them.”
MacIntyre said recruiting and some upcoming speaking engagements has limited the time he has to interview candidates, but he said he would like to have a new coach in place by the end of next week.
“I’m trying to get it as quick as I can,” he said. “I’d like to have something in by (next week) and then we can get rolling.”
MacIntyre didn’t rule out promoting somebody already on staff. It’s possible that former CU defensive end Chidera Uzo-Diribe could be a candidate. Uzo-Diribe, who played at CU from 2010-13, has spent the past two seasons as a graduate assistant on defense. After Leavitt departed, Uzo-Diribe coached the Buffs’ outside linebackers before the Alamo Bowl.
A proposal is currently on the table for the NCAA to allow teams to hire a 10th full-time assistant coach. If that proposal is passed in April, MacIntyre has said he will look to add a coach to focus on special teams.
Contact staff writer Brian Howell at howellb@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/BrianHowell33.
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