UTFBVFL86

Love the 'SEC rival' you claim to quote. Who are they? A fellow writer who happens to pull for a different team that you? This article is another example of the lack of depth of sports reporters trying to create quasi meaningful content around topics and roles with which they have little to no experience in doing themselves. Do you seriously believe that an aspiring DC considers how often the offense might score before deciding to take the job? Taking just one example, do you think Saban does a ton of handwringing every time his DC position is vacated, and do you similarly think that DC candidates approach the job with dread if their team has a high powered offense? If so then maybe you'd believe a discussion between the HC and DC would go something like this: DC: Uh hey, Coach Saban, can ya'll please take it easy and try to stretch this next drive out so my guys can catch a breather? HC: Sure thing, DC. How bout a modest 8-10 play drive with a few short runs and a screen or two? I might even call a timeout, if you think we need the extra time? Does that sound alright, DC? I'm pretty sure Saban or any other coach that knows what they're doing would say that their guys can rest after the game is over. That's why they do significant conditioning year round. Twenty plus years ago the conditioning test for players showing up for fall camp was on the order of 16x110yd sprints for time, usually in 16 secs or less with 30 secs rest in between followed a couple mins later with 10x 40yd sprints, also timed. This was followed by other running tests, including backward 20yds springs, leg cross-over sprints, etc. Now days it's not uncommon for the testing to consist of around 30x110yd sprints. This change was made precisely because of the rising predominance of offensive capability in CFB. The point is teams are built for this, and the frequency with which the offense does or might score is most definitely NOT something that would cause a prospective DC to have second thoughts about the job. The bottom line with the elongated timeline around UT assistant coaching searching/hiring is the timing of the firing/hiring of the HC. Whether there's ever really a good time to fire a HC is debatable, but late Nov to mid Dec is when most coaches who are considering moves actually make them. There's typically another period after the week long January gathering for the FB Coaches Association meeting where coaches from all across the country meet, interview, and decide on their own or the futures of those they're looking to hire. Please show some restraint and some added accuracy in your articles going forward, and please either include quotes from people worthy of quoting, or just don't write anything at all.