Lempa gone too

As speculated online in various places, Kevin Lempa is off to Hawaii to serve as Defensive Coordinator. Joining him will be former Eagle and current BC grad assistant Sean Duggan. Duggan will be Hawaii's Linebacker coach, which is a pretty good spot for your first staff job.

I don't see Lempa as a critical loss. He's always been well liked by players and his familiarity and ties to BC were always nice, but he's not some ace recruiter or great strategist. He also seems to consistently have weird relations with his BC bosses. TOB did not offer him a job at NC State and Spaz and Gene both wanted him out when Jags took over. His relationship with Don Brown is what brought him back to the Heights. It doesn't surprise me that with Brown gone, he's not staying with Addazio. 

The only thing that Lempa might impact is the timing of the other Defensive replacements. Addazio might speed up the process a bit so that he's not short-staffed when the quiet period ends. 

Basketball survives scare from UNH

It took OT, but BC did (finally) beat UNH. The win is good. Having to take it to overtime, is not. This was BC's last game before ACC play. Right now they don't appear ready. If Eli Carter can barely carry this team over UNH, how is he going to do it against Duke?

There's not much to take away from this game. Carter scored, but not efficiently and still turned the ball over too often. Robinson was okay, but most of the freshmen did not do much. BC couldn't make 3s or FTs. The D was not good.

I don't know what to expect now. I thought this team would show toughness in the early games and work out the kinks. Even with the Chipolte issues, this team is not clicking. I hope they don't get even more discouraged over the next three weeks.

Chip Kelly and BC: will the timing ever work?

When BC fired Spaz, Chip Kelly reached out to BC about the job. I don't know Chip nor have any idea how serious he was, but he did put out feelers. He was still the Head Coach at Oregon at the time. I don't know how seriously Brad Bates took it either. Chip, like many in his profession, has a bit of grass is greener philosophy and wanderlust. Nothing obviously came of it and I only heard about it in pieces from a few folks over the years. (The Golden and Bill O'Brien talks were much more serious.) Chip was clearly ready to leave Oregon. He took the Philadelphia job shortly thereafter. Now that he's been fired by Philadelphia, the timing might finally work. If Addazio struggles in 2016, the job could be there for Chip if he really, finally wants it.

Kelly will have his pick of jobs next year (and maybe still even this year). He will be the first call for any college looking for a new head coach. And despite his challenges in Philly, there will still be NFL teams interested in him. If he wants to win big in college or return to the NFL, BC clearly won't be a factor. But who knows what will motivate him?

Kelly has always marched to the beat of his own drum. Instead of going to a football factory or dealing with pro athletes he can't push around, the idea of building up BC might appeal to him. It gets him back to New England. It gets him in an environment he enjoys. He loves BC and is very familiar with the campus and program. He used to work the BC camps while at UNH and he had multiple BC guys on his staff. Even if Addazio struggles, in 2016 the job will be better than it was. The roster and athleticism will be good. The indoor practice facility will have been announced (and hopefully have a ground breaking). If Kelly really wants to coaching in the right place for him and close to home, BC might fit the bill.

I won't root against Addazio next year nor do I think Kelly is probable, but so much of all of this is timing. Maybe, just maybe, next year will finally be the right time for Kelly to come to BC.

Post Script

Of the BC guys now out of a job in Philly, I don't seen any returning now. After all that happened this year with the Offense, I don't think Addazio is willing to move back to Ryan Day. There's too much sensitivity to fault and reasons for past success. Bill McGovern would be a good linebacker coach, but does he want to come back to that after he's been Coordinator here? Dawson left BC in part due to his frustrations with recruiting. Recruiting remains a huge issue. I wish them all the best, but don't see any coming to BC right now. 

Don't count on Golden

There has been lots of Al Golden to BC as Defensive Coordinator talk the past 24 hours. I have been wrong on these things many, many times, but I don't think Golden is coming. Forget about the mismatch of styles or Golden serving as a threat to Addazio's position. I don't think it is happening for the very simple reason that Golden just moved his whole family back to New Jersey. Just moved, as in less than a month ago. New school for the kids. New house. Everything. Given that, I don't see him as the type of guy who is going to take an assistant job a few weeks later.

Whatever problems Golden might have as a head coach, he's been a pretty good at managing his career. His biggest mistake was probably not taking the BC job when Miami was still being investigated by the NCAA. While serving as a Power 5 DC might help rehab his profile, he might be better off sitting out a season and trying to get a head job next offseason. He might even be a candidate for BC should Addazio struggle again.

Maybe I am reading too much into the family and career issues, but once again the timing seems off for Golden to come to BC.

Waiting on DC news

Christmas is over. Don Brown's been gone nearly a week. Where is our Defensive Coordinator news?!

Obviously things don't work that fast. Because of the quiet period, there is less urgency. As you can also see from bigger programs with bigger paychecks still searching -- like Auburn -- it makes sense that there has been limited BC news. The Christmas holiday probably didn't help. While I am sure Addazio was talking to candidates, some of their availability would be limited and BC's ability to screen backgrounds and whatnot would also be limited. As supportive as the school is for Football, they are not calling in non-sports staffers on Christmas Day to help out with HR checks.

The wait has also led to gossip that the whole defensive staff is gone. I have no idea if it is true, but it would make sense. BC already lost Hutzler and Brown. Lempa has been a rumored retirement candidate for a while and Albert supposedly was on the hot seat. Allowing the new DC to bring in whomever he wants or at least have a say in hiring the Defensive staff makes the Coordinator job that much more appealing.

As for doom and gloomers saying we won't get anyone good...that is not the case. Even when Spaz was the lamest of lame ducks, he still managed to find some decent guys for his open spots. Coaching remains a very fluid profession and there are always good guys looking for a shot.

I expect BC to make an announcement before the quiet period ends in mid-January, if not sooner.

Revisit the 1985 Cotton Bowl

At this time of year I am used to watching BC in a secondary bowl. This year we got nothing. So I thought it was a good time to rewatch BC's biggest bowl game of the modern era. Below is the full 1985 Cotton Bowl. It was Flutie's last game and BC's last New Year's Day Bowl. The Cotton lost a little prestige when the Southwest Conference dissolved, but this was a huge deal at the time. Enjoy and hopefully we are back in a real bowl next season. 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all. I wish you all the best and thank you for your continued support. Blogging resumes December 26.

Michigan bloggers look at BC's Defense

While trying to better understand Don Brown, Mgoblog broke down BC's Defense from the Clemson game. It is really worth the read if you like Xs and Os (Part I and Part II). In Part II the writer also had this to say with regards to the plays made by Wujiack and Daniels: "The difference between a very good defense and an okay one is that small." It is a reminder that as much as we will miss Brown, we will also miss some of the players. There is plenty of talent returning, but the great Defense wasn't all about Brown. We also had some very, very good players.

Will USC hire Ricky Brown before BC?

Remember Ricky Brown? He was less-heralded during his time at BC. Guys like Kiwi got a lot of the attention, while Brown served as a tackling machine in Spaz's old system. After BC he spent seven seasons in the NFL with Oakland and Baltimore. The past two years he's served as a GA at Southern Cal. Now as Southern Cal's new coach Clay Helton remakes his staff, he might promote Brown from a Grad Assistant to fulltime Linebackers Coach. Helton is using the Bowl time to evaluate his openings. It would be a shame to let a young alum coach join another Power 5 team when BC still has a need for a Linebacker coach.

I am not losing sleep over Ricky Brown falling through our fingers. If he has success at USC, it helps BC in the long run. But he would seem like a perfect fit at BC. NFL ties. Young and in theory would be able to connect with recruits. He's from Cincinnati, so he is familiar with one of our most critical recruiting territories. It seems like a good risk worth taking.

But this sort of speculation doesn't mean much. Brown has no professional connection to Addazio and there is that little issue of BC not having a Defensive Coordinator. If Addazio is doing things the right way, he hires a DC and then he and the DC find a good Linebackers Coach together.

I expect Addazio will move fairly quickly on a new DC. He's going to want someone in place once the quiet period ends so that he can lock in recruits. And then he'll find a Linebacker Coach. In the mean time, best of luck to Brown out in California.

Basketball back on a roll

Now that the Chipotle issues are behind them, the basketball team seems to be playing better. They beat Fordham Tuesday to get back to .500 and have won three in a row. Fordham is a pretty good team, so this win is a decent indicator. The team also played its best defense in weeks. Other things to like:

-- Diallo is providing solid minutes off the bench and he's avoiding foul trouble.
-- BC is blocking plenty of shots. We couldn't exploit length and height earlier in the year. No we are finally playing smart, aggressive D.
-- Winning despite a poor shooting night. We are still missing way too many shots, but the ball movement and rebounding is getting better. More shots will drop soon.

The team has one more game before ACC play. A win would be a nice boost before  the schedule becomes brutal.

Teenagers are flaky, Example 697

One day after news broke that Don Brown was headed to Michigan, BC verbal KJ Gray announced he was reopening his recruitment. Although Brown was involved in recruiting Gray, don't attribute it all to his departure. Most recruiting observers viewed Gray as a soft commitment for weeks. Unfortunately from social media, people can track what these recruits do, follow and say. Gray never really seemed locked in on BC. Taking more visits falls in line with what observers felt. Plus, in media reports Gray even admits he wasn't sure he wanted to play defense at BC and is now considering offense.

Aside from his ranking, I don't know much about Gray. If Brown liked him as a DB, then I view it as a loss. But I also think BC needs guys who are buying in regardless of the coordinator or position coach. We are coming off a terrible season. Everyone coming in needs to commit towards turning around. If Gray comes back to BC, I will be happy. But getting too concerned about teenagers who are changing their minds daily, is a waste of time. Recruits flipped on us before Don Brown and will flip after.

Guessing on Brown replacements

There will be plenty of names kicked around for Don Brown's replacement. If Addazio's track record means anything, he is likely going to hire either someone he knows or someone from within his network (meaning someone that coached with a Holtz, Davie, Meyer, or Pasqualoni). I don't see an obvious internal candidate to promote. Lempa is closer to retirement than promotion and doesn't have Brown's past success. I don't think Albert has done enough recruiting wise to earn rolling the dice with him as a first-time coordinator. Here are a few guys who will probably be mentioned right away.

Chuck Heater -- Heater was Addazio's Defensive Coordinator at Temple. I don't know if there was any bad blood or hurt feelings with Addazio not bringing Heater with him to BC. Since then Heater has done well as Marshall's DC. He's old, but consistent and coached at all levels. He knows Addazio and could probably transition easily. I don't know if he would have the same recruiting success as Brown nor do I know if he would keep the same scheme.

Scott Shafer -- Maryland just hired Shafer, so this might seem unlikely, but maybe Addazio can sell him on total autonomy at BC. At Maryland, D.J. Durkin will be the Head Coach and a defensive play caller. In the run up to the season finale, Addazio praised Shafer again and again. Maybe he can pry him away.

Kevin Cosgrove -- New Mexico's current Defensive Coordinator. I can see Addazio leaning on a Davie guy. BC can offer a raise. Cosgrove has a long track record but New Mexico's results weren't great this year.

Report: Don Brown to Michigan

Boston College DC Don Brown will be Michigan's new DC per source.

— Thayer Evans (@ThayerEvansSI) December 20, 2015

SI's Thayer Evans reported that Michigan hired Don Brown as their new Defensive Coordinator. There had been plenty of Brown to Michigan gossip on BC message boards the past few days, but I didn't think it had legs. Congrats to Brown, if true. He just put together one of the best Boston College Defenses in the school's history.

If this report is true (and I have no reason to doubt it), then Addazio has a enormous hole to fill. Brown was a special fit. Here was a long-time New England guy who found local talent and knew exactly what kind of defensive talent he wanted to recruit. This allowed some low-ranked recruits to blossom.

Addazio now has a decision to make. There are plenty of good defensive coaches, but does he hire a Brown disciple or does he hire a DC who wants to change schemes? It is going to be an interesting few weeks.

Film School on Patrick Towles

These are a collection of highlights on Towles from 2014 and 2015. This doesn't show the lowlights or give a complete picture, but it does show some essentials. The guy is big, can run and has a better arm than any QB who has seen the field since Rettig. Can BC find the right plays and right scheme for him? I hope so, but the potential and experience is clearly there.

Addazio gets his 5th year QB

Former Kentucky Quarterback Patrick Towles announced that he'll use his last year of eligibility at BC. Although Towles is far from a super star or sure thing, this is great news for BC. Assuming BC can fix some of its other Offensive problems, Towles gives them an experienced, tested (SEC) QB. The comparisons to Tyler Murphy are obvious. Like Murphy, Towles has started and won in the SEC, but never held the job consistently. Both are big and athletic. The difference is that Towles can throw and Murphy was an elite runner. Towles also fits into Daz's stated desire to shift the Offense to more of a pro style. I like the move and think it sets a decent baseline of returning to a bowl.

Towles transfer does raise some other questions. What exactly will the Offense be and who will be calling the plays? Addazio must have sold him on something. Even if the guy loves the Jesuits, I don't think he would use his last year of college football without knowing what BC's offense would look like.

The other issues are related to our current QBs. It is easy to predict that some transfers and position changes are coming. This is now the second 5th year QB that has been recruited over Darius Wade. Will Wade put up with it? Should BC fans even care? If Wade can't beat out Towles, what does he have to complain about. And what of the other QBs. Do Fadule and Flutie stick around to see if the Towles offense fits their skills. Does Jeff Smith move positions or look for a new school? That will play out through Spring Practice.

There are a few BC fans criticizing Addazio for not developing a QB on his own and having to resort to transfers again. Personally I don't understand that gripe. Addazio is tasked with winning games and finding the best players he can. Sometimes a transfer might be a more efficient method than traditional recruiting. I think Addazio would love a four year starter as much as the next guy, but one year starters are better than the mess we had this season.

Welcome aboard Towles. I hope you are the missing piece to unlocking a great season at BC.

New looks at the BC Defense

Earlier in the week SB Nation posted a breakdown of BC's Defense. It is certainly worth the read, though I feel they put too much emphasis on the front four. While those guys were great, BC was at its best when the DBs were healthy. Don Brown's scheme puts so much pressure on the DBs that once the talent slips a little, the Defense starts giving up big plays.

This year's Defense was so good that it makes the final 3-9 record all that more damning. Take a look at the Top Ten Defenses this season:

1. Boston College
2. Wisconsin
3. Alabama
4. Michigan
5. Georgia
6. Missouri
7. Ohio State
8. Northwestern
9. San Diego State
10. LSU

Now while not all those teams were perfect, the only one other than BC with a losing record was Missouri. Usually if you are in the Top 10 of either major category, you will win more than you lose. During the past ten years, no No. 1 Defense has finished with a losing record (other than BC).

I keep going back trying to find some sign that a great D one year leads to a great team the next. One team that I found interesting was the 2006 Kansas Jayhawks. They finished a much better 6-6 than BC and only 11th Nationally in Defense (which was strong in the pass happy Big XII), but it was a defense that carried the team. They next year the D remained strong and the Offense finally clicked. The Jayhawks finished 12-1 and won the Orange Bowl. I don't know if BC will bounce back the same way, but that does give me hope.

When will BC ease up the JUCO recruiting?

New kicker/punter Satchel Ziffer just graduated from Old Dominion, but that is not his only school. The 5th year senior also spent time at California Junior College -- Pasedena City College. Because he has his degree, his time at a JUCO didn't hold anything up with BC Admissions. Ziffer is at BC to kick and punt, but I hope any success he has leads BC to reconsider its JUCO bias.

BC rarely recruits directly from Junior Colleges. Codi Boek and Paul Peterson are the only guys in the last ten years who came directly from a JC. Both were unique circumstances and more than demonstrated they could handle the academic rigor of BC. Neither were typical JUCO guys. But as the "typical" Junior College player changes, BC needs to adjust too.

In the old days Junior Colleges were for recruits who weren't recruited or who couldn't qualify academically. Now as more players transfer, more good prospects are using a JUCO season as a pit stop. By playing for a Junior College a player does not have to sit out a year. They can go from a FBS program to Junior College and then back to an FBS program. If a player left his FBS school in academic good standing and just wants more playing time, why wouldn't he fit in at BC?

Much like a 5th year, the benefit to BC in recruiting a JUCO is that you sort of know what you are getting. Playing at a Junior College is a much better test than any high school. BC can get immediate depth. For a guy like Addazio who is always worried about senior leadership, an older Junior College player can fill a gap.

According to Rivals Database only one Junior College player in the whole country has interest in BC. It's California DE Raveon Hoston. And he doesn't even claim an offer from BC. So don't expect the Junior College situation to change this year. But the increase in transfers can be an opportunity. If BC develops that pool, it can be one more way to build our program without comprising who we are.

Hutzler to South Carolina; staff shakeup coming?

After a 3-9 season many expected staff changes. But the first change finds BC losing one of its better staffers. On Tuesday, multiple reports announced that Coleman Hutzler is joining his old boss Will Muschamp in South Carolina. 

Although Hutzler was only at BC one season, his impact on Special Teams was noticeable. BC's coverage units were good and Walker proved to be a big surprise. Hutzler was also one of the younger staffers and more valuable recruiters.

The timing of the change was also predictable. The quiet period just started, so no coach can talk to recruits right now. This enables staffers to move without having to explain why they are leaving. Then when the quiet period ends, the Head Coach can recontact recruits and explain away the changes. I expect now that all the BC coaches are back in Boston, Addazio will make a few more staff tweaks.

First 5th Year is a kicker/punter

Former Old Dominion kicker/punter Satchel Ziffer announced his commitment to Boston College Monday night. I am encouraged that we are adding an experienced 5th year talent. I just wasn't expecting it to be a Special Teams guy.

Ziffer is certainly welcome, as BC will need a punter next year and he has the potential to kick as well.

News on other 5th years should be rolling in shortly. Presumably the guys want to join the team in January, so they would have to commit now. Also, many are wrapping up their bachelors degree this semester. Once completed they can play immediately.

There has been plenty of gossip about 5th year OLinemen and WRs coming in, but no real leads on any potential QBs.

Basketball handles Maine

After a strange two weeks, the BC Basketball team needed a game like this.  The team cruised against Maine and won comfortably.

Maine is not good, but the effort and efficiency was much better. Even Carter shared the ball and made better shot decisions. There were still too many turnovers, but much less confusion and better D.

The team is off for a week and then regroups to play Delaware.