Post by hcpride on Nov 11, 2022 19:36:18 GMT -5
Will This College Football Coaching Cycle See the Return of FCS-to-FBS Hires?
JSU’s Deion Sanders and Holy Cross’s Bob Chesney are among the lower-level coaches who could be candidates to make the jump...
RICHARD JOHNSON 3 HOURS AGO
EXCERPT ON CHESNEY FROM THE LONG ARTICLE: Similarly undefeated are the Holy Cross Crusaders, at 9–0 after a 10–3 2021 season. They’re coached by Bob Chesney, who has now won at three levels of college football with a conference championship at Salve Regina (Division III) and two at Assumption (D-II). He’s now clinched his fourth Patriot League title with Holy Cross.
A key to developing players for Chesney is a focus on special teams—similar to Beamer’s trademark Beamer Ball. At Assumption, kicker Cole Tracy graduated and transferred to LSU, where he became a second-team All-American. And returner Deonte Harty set the NCAA record (regardless of division) for touchdown returns by a specialist. He is now a contributor for the Saints after entering the NFL undrafted. Chesney has brought the mindset to Holy Cross, which is second in FBS in blocked kicks and punts and has now beaten an FBS team in consecutive years (UConn in 2021, Buffalo in ’22).
“It’s not just offense; it’s not just defense; it’s a little bit of everybody,” Chesney says. “And honestly, probably the most important thing about special teams, the fundamentals that they will learn. The fundamentals of blocking, the fundamentals of getting off of a block. Angles, pursuit, just overall toughness. And then, speed and aggressiveness.”
Special teamers eat first, which is a hallmark of other programs that pride themselves on that phase of the game—like Urban Meyer’s Florida and Ohio State teams. Starters play special teams, too, and how a player will factor on one of the special teams units goes into how Holy Cross recruits athletes.
There is more than just the physical part of an athlete’s makeup, and as college athletes raise mental health concerns at an elevated rate since the pandemic began, Chesney’s program attempts to tackle that issue with what he calls the team’s “mental strength coach,” sports psychologist Trevor Cote, who works in the school’s counseling center assisting athletes. Chesney will consult Cote on his own and have him come speak to the team during camp and in-season. It’s changed how the Crusaders have handled situations beyond just wins and losses and what happens during games, like how injured players are treated and helping them feel like they’re still part of the program even if they aren’t contributing on game days.
Chesney bristles at media attention on him by nature, saying he’s still getting comfortable with that part of the job. He likely won’t make a Tressel-sized leap, but could be one of multiple FCS coaches this cycle who could be under consideration to take a step up.
www.si.com/college/2022/11/11/fcs-to-fbs-coaching-jumps-deion-sanders-bob-chesney?utm_medium=push_notifications&utm_source=pushly&utm_campaign=2485151
JSU’s Deion Sanders and Holy Cross’s Bob Chesney are among the lower-level coaches who could be candidates to make the jump...
RICHARD JOHNSON 3 HOURS AGO
EXCERPT ON CHESNEY FROM THE LONG ARTICLE: Similarly undefeated are the Holy Cross Crusaders, at 9–0 after a 10–3 2021 season. They’re coached by Bob Chesney, who has now won at three levels of college football with a conference championship at Salve Regina (Division III) and two at Assumption (D-II). He’s now clinched his fourth Patriot League title with Holy Cross.
A key to developing players for Chesney is a focus on special teams—similar to Beamer’s trademark Beamer Ball. At Assumption, kicker Cole Tracy graduated and transferred to LSU, where he became a second-team All-American. And returner Deonte Harty set the NCAA record (regardless of division) for touchdown returns by a specialist. He is now a contributor for the Saints after entering the NFL undrafted. Chesney has brought the mindset to Holy Cross, which is second in FBS in blocked kicks and punts and has now beaten an FBS team in consecutive years (UConn in 2021, Buffalo in ’22).
“It’s not just offense; it’s not just defense; it’s a little bit of everybody,” Chesney says. “And honestly, probably the most important thing about special teams, the fundamentals that they will learn. The fundamentals of blocking, the fundamentals of getting off of a block. Angles, pursuit, just overall toughness. And then, speed and aggressiveness.”
Special teamers eat first, which is a hallmark of other programs that pride themselves on that phase of the game—like Urban Meyer’s Florida and Ohio State teams. Starters play special teams, too, and how a player will factor on one of the special teams units goes into how Holy Cross recruits athletes.
There is more than just the physical part of an athlete’s makeup, and as college athletes raise mental health concerns at an elevated rate since the pandemic began, Chesney’s program attempts to tackle that issue with what he calls the team’s “mental strength coach,” sports psychologist Trevor Cote, who works in the school’s counseling center assisting athletes. Chesney will consult Cote on his own and have him come speak to the team during camp and in-season. It’s changed how the Crusaders have handled situations beyond just wins and losses and what happens during games, like how injured players are treated and helping them feel like they’re still part of the program even if they aren’t contributing on game days.
Chesney bristles at media attention on him by nature, saying he’s still getting comfortable with that part of the job. He likely won’t make a Tressel-sized leap, but could be one of multiple FCS coaches this cycle who could be under consideration to take a step up.
www.si.com/college/2022/11/11/fcs-to-fbs-coaching-jumps-deion-sanders-bob-chesney?utm_medium=push_notifications&utm_source=pushly&utm_campaign=2485151