New Defensive Coordinator

[NYC Duke Fan]

Mike MacIntyre, the secondary coach of the New York Jets will become Duke's new defensive coordinator. I don't know much about him. Does anyone?

[Papa John]

Nope, but here is his brief bio from the NYJets website:

Mike MacIntyre

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Nope, but here is his brief bio from the NYJets website:

Mike MacIntyre

This explains the link to Coach Cut. If Cut thinks highly of him, so do I.

He also coached in college at Mississippi (1999-2002)

[Papa John]

Here's some info on how those Ole Miss defenses that he was a part of coaching fared:

1999
2000
2001
2002

Coach Cut clearly thinks he's up to the task, and I like the fact that he spent some time coaching in the pros... That's a nice perspective to bring to potential recruits...

[gotham devil]

Nope, but here is his brief bio from the NYJets website:

Mike MacIntyre

Cowboys

His Cowboys bio is actually much more thorough for our prurposes.
He was the wide receivers coach for his first two years at Mississippi before moving over to the secondary and recruiting coordinator.


Last year, the Jets lost their secondary coach too. Corwin Brown became the defensive coordinator for Charlie Weis at ND.

[JasonEvans]

Also worth noting that he played defensive back at Ga Tech, so he knows the ACC. His father was head coach at Vanderbilt for about a half dozen seasons, so coaching is in his blood.

Seems like a good hire. I like that he was recruiting coordinator at Ole Miss too, meaning he knows how to identify and bring in talented players.

--Jason "let me know when Coach Cut makes a bad move cause so far everything he has done looks really solid and smart!" Evans

[Indoor66]

Also worth noting that he played defensive back at Ga Tech, so he knows the ACC. His father was head coach at Vanderbilt for about a half dozen seasons, so coaching is in his blood.

Seems like a good hire. I like that he was recruiting coordinator at Ole Miss too, meaning he knows how to identify and bring in talented players.

--Jason "let me know when Coach Cut makes a bad move cause so far everything he has done looks really solid and smart!" Evans

Well, he did OK today in the Bowl game!

[mr. synellinden]

They showed a great stat today about how much better the UT quarterback (Ainge) played with Cutliffe as O. Coordinator. I'll have to find it but the stats were compelling.

[asbcheeks]

Mike MacIntyre, the secondary coach of the New York Jets will become Duke's new defensive coordinator. I don't know much about him. Does anyone?

FWIW the Jets' secondary this year was pretty much the lone bright spot on an otherwise horrendous team, in particular rookie Darrelle Revis who started from week 1 and had an impressive season despite missing the entirety of camp due to a holdout. I imagine MacIntyre played a major role in Revis' development.

Also, the Cowboys and Jets both played a 3-4 defense while Mac was there, so I expect Duke will be doing the same.

[johnb]

For what it's worth, his high school football team won private school state titles his freshman through junior years.

It's also where Brandan Wright and David Harrison (a 7 ' center for the Pacers) graduated; the latter players probably got some PT on a team that won the state championship in 2003, 4, 5, and 6.

[duke74]

FWIW the Jets' secondary this year was pretty much the lone bright spot on an otherwise horrendous team, in particular rookie Darrelle Revis who started from week 1 and had an impressive season despite missing the entirety of camp due to a holdout. I imagine MacIntyre played a major role in Revis' development.

Also, the Cowboys and Jets both played a 3-4 defense while Mac was there, so I expect Duke will be doing the same.

Agree, but if you look at the overall defense, it really picked up in the second half of the year, after sleeping through the first half. Probably will cost the DC his job.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Also, the Cowboys and Jets both played a 3-4 defense while Mac was there, so I expect Duke will be doing the same.

Coach Cut has said we'll play a zone blitz defense. Being an offensive guy myself (intentional open shot provided - self deprecating humor if you will) do the 3-4 and zone blitz match up? As long as we don't play the prevent defense (1E) all will be well.

[asbcheeks]

Coach Cut has said we'll play a zone blitz defense. Being an offensive guy myself (intentional open shot provided - self deprecating humor if you will) do the 3-4 and zone blitz match up? As long as we don't play the prevent defense (1E) all will be well.

3-4 refers to personnel, in this case 3 down lineman / 4 LBs, while a zone blitz refers to a particular style of defensive play involving unusual methods of pass rush and coverage (down linemen routinely dropping back into pass coverage, for example). I'm no expert in defensive strategy or formations, but I believe that zone blitz schemes can be implemented with either 3-4 or 4-3 personnel.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

3-4 refers to personnel, in this case 3 down lineman / 4 LBs, while a zone blitz refers to a particular style of defensive play involving unusual methods of pass rush and coverage (down linemen routinely dropping back into pass coverage, for example). I'm no expert in defensive strategy or formations, but I believe that zone blitz schemes can be implemented with either 3-4 or 4-3 personnel.

I know what the 3-4, 4-4, 4-3 and 5-3 formations are. I just didn't know if the 3-4 lends itself to the zone blitz, but as one non-expert to another, you're probably right.

I also know what the 53 defense was for the Miami Dolphins in the "good years" in the mid 70s. The 53 did not refer to the alignment, but rather to the uniform number of the late Duke grad/Miami linebacker Bob Matheson. He played a roving position that wreaked havoc on opposing offenses!

[jjasper0729]

the "zone blitz" has been credited to Dick LeBeau of Pittsburgh. They use a 3-4 alignment and he blitzes out of that alignment. what it refers to is instead of the corners/safeties in coverage, the corners/safeties blitz in different configurations and a linebacker/lineman may drop into coverage of a zone of the field. it's meant to confuse the linemen and have rushers come from many different angles on the field.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

the "zone blitz" has been credited to Dick LeBeau of Pittsburgh. They use a 3-4 alignment and he blitzes out of that alignment. what it refers to is instead of the corners/safeties in coverage, the corners/safeties blitz in different configurations and a linebacker/lineman may drop into coverage of a zone of the field. it's meant to confuse the linemen and have rushers come from many different angles on the field.

Thanks, JJ.

Lineman and linebackers dropping into coverage. No wonder Coach Cut wants players who can run.

[jjasper0729]

yes. the key with the zone blitz is your linemen and linebackers can cover a "zone" while the corners and/or safeties blitz. sometimes, if you watch, you'll see a defensive end covering a back out of the backfield or the slot receiver that drops over the middle. it's different from a standard blitz in that the defenders take a zone rather than leave the corners on an island in man coverage on a receiver while the safeties/linebackers blitz. it takes a great deal of athleticism.