Mike Smith is Defensive Coordinator
A new coach gets the privilege of hiring coordinators, and Koetter found a good one to run the defense.
One of the biggest complaints about Lovie Smith’s defense is that he was guilty of the “square peg in a round hole” predicament. Instead of adapting to his players, he tried to force the players to adapt to his scheme. Alterraun Verner was asked to do things he, in his words, hadn’t done since the “peewees”.
Mike Smith isn’t like that. He is not scheme-dependent, he will adapt to his players, and put them where they can succeed, as he discussed, reported by Bucs Nation:
"“We want to be as multiple as we can be and play to the strengths of our players. We’ve got some guys that have some unique skills sets and it’s our job as a coaching staff to put those guys in the best position possible.”"
The proof is in the results. Take a look at Smith’s time with the Jaguars for all of the evidence that you need. During his five years with the Jaguars, Smith’s defense was in the top ten in points allowed in four of those seasons.
Mike Smith isn’t here if Dirk Koetter isn’t the coach.
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