FB: John Latina replaces Matt Luke as OL coach

[dpslaw]

http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_s..._breaking_news

Thoughts?

[devildeac]

http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_s..._breaking_news

Thoughts?

I just read several stories on him from Akron, ND, Clemson and a couple other places he has been. Sounds/looks like a great hire.

Now that he's going to be coaching the OL, does he qualify as a "big man" coach?

[CameronBornAndBred]

I just read several stories on him from Akron, ND, Clemson and a couple other places he has been. Sounds/looks like a great hire.

Agreed. And once again Cutcliffe shows his loyalty to those he works with. Anyone know how effective he was as an OC at Akron? If Roper unfortunately gets bound and tied by the players in the locker room at halftime could Latina be useful?

[Double DD]

Latina has a rep for being a great guy and has had success earlier in his career but he was not a very good OL coach at Notre Dame. They had a lot of trouble with pass protection and the running game while he was there despite having some of the best OL talent in the country. He was also was at best an average recruiter. And his offenses at Akron ranked 119th and 115th in the country in total offense the last 2 seasons. No other school had a worse offense the last 2 years.

[dpslaw]

Latina has a rep for being a great guy and has had success earlier in his career but he was not a very good OL coach at Notre Dame. They had a lot of trouble with pass protection and the running game while he was there despite having some of the best OL talent in the country. He was also was at best an average recruiter. And his offenses at Akron ranked 119th and 115th in the country in total offense the last 2 seasons. No other school had a worse offense the last 2 years.

I don't know much about the guy, but if he had (and presumably recruited) "some of the best OL talent in the country," then he wasn't "at best an average recruiter."

[Acymetric]

I don't know much about the guy, but if he had (and presumably recruited) "some of the best OL talent in the country," then he wasn't "at best an average recruiter."

Probably means there was a lot of talent on the line when he arrived.

[Double DD]

I don't know much about the guy, but if he had (and presumably recruited) "some of the best OL talent in the country," then he wasn't "at best an average recruiter."

Notre Dame had their assistants recruit regionally. He obviously had some contact with the OL recruits but it was fairly minimal compared to the assistant in charge of that region. Charlie Weis actually ended up doubling up with Latina in his region at the end of his tenure to improve recruiting. He wasn't bad at it as he seems to be a likeable, but there was something lacking as you can see by Weis's decision.

[mkline09]

Great hire from my vantage point. Got a guy from two big time programs (though not what they once where) in Ole Miss and Notre Dame. Still great experience and the fact that he worked with Cut in the past makes me think all these rumors about him interested in other jobs is just that, rumor. So I look forward to see what he can do with an improving line. Anyone know if he is going to be the running game coordinator like Luke?