Brian Van Gorder Takes Auburn Defensive Coordinator Job

I think MS knows what he has to do. Im not saying he pushed BVG into the Auburn job but Im sure he gave Chiz a great incentive to take BVG.

I was just going to write up a long fanpost about what needs to be done, but I see action has been taken. I’m thinking he saw the writing on the wall, because the offical Falcons feed was the first to report it.

One more to go.

I honestly thought we’d keep BVG. Next year is going to be very interesting.

You’d think moving to the same position in the college ranks would be a step down – Gene Chizik’s contract is good for a few more years and just won a National Championship, so I don’t see a succession plan thing going on.

I’m inclined to think he saw the writing on the wall, or the working relationship between him and Coach Smith wasn’t ideal. I don’t expect the AJC to find out, but hopefully more to this story will emerge and give us a glimpse into the back office workings that led BVG to Auburn.

I know we had good run defenses, but I begin to ask myself is that scewed now in the evolving NFL landscape where Offenses are throwing more than ever before. Is our D Rush rank based more on that or on the fact that teams in our division just slap throw the ball more?

Truthfully.

I would not have been upset had he returned, nor am I upset about his departure.

We need to shake things up this off-season, and VanGorder’s departure starts the ball rolling.

As his replacement.

We should move MM to the defensive side of the ball. He’s aces!

BVG: “I’m out bitches.” /drops mic
Smitty:…………

She will most certainly be missed.

But yeah, this one is a shocker. I always liked BVG.

We hated your 15 yard completions on 3rd and 10, but I can say with confidence that you improved our defense, even if we didn’t always realize it.

Now, go make Auburn’s defense terrible so that when UGA comes to town, they steamroll you.

He won’t be taking over the VT head coaching job anytime while Beamer is in town, and he is worthy of a job upgrade. He has proven time and time again that he can have successful defenses with undersized guys. I know it is a jump to go from college to the pros, but the guy knows his X’s and O’s.

I am very happy that BVG is in Auburn.

as much as we hate MM’s playcalling, he did what he was brought in to do: Make Matt Ryan a good, professional QB and install an offense that caters to the strength of Matty. He’s done that, and his playcalling is now stagnant and useless here. We need fresh blood, someone who will take chances on some of the more exotic plays we have. Or they can bring a totally new offense to the table and name is “WhoopAss” and I’d be cool with that, too.

BVG was brought in for a similar reason: Collaborate with Smitty on making a good, professional 4-3 defense that will be consistent enough to get by and young enough to last a while. BVG has done that, and in doing so, has opened up a coaching opportunity at a big time college, which is where he probably belongs.

Now, we bring in a 4-3 guy who runs exotic blitzes and coverages using the personnel we have (Former Eagles DC Jim Johnson ((I think that was his name)) did this, I believe), and we’re going to get really good, really fast.

If Smitty goes it’s got to be Billick or Dungy although I think Dungy is done forever. I thought Jimmy Johnson would have coached again by now but looks like hes happy where he is.

Sorry. Just had to go there.

enough was enough. Someone must devils advocate.

Smith :Offensively, we didn’t score any touchdowns and basically that says it. #atlny11

Smith: You’re either getting better or you’re going backwards. There is no neutral. #atlny11

If you think Mularkey is staying around after that, I don’t know what to tell you.

Think he might consider staying if the right DC is brought in?

Hmmmmmm….thoughts??

The might can be islands that way. DoCoud is too darn fast to not be able to learn it.

Overall, BVG did a good job here especially his first two years when he didn’t have anything to work with. As young players matured, the defense gradually improved. I’d hate to think he got run out of town, but that’s how the NFL is. I wish him the best.

Best situation for both teams. Atlanta needs some shaking up. With lots of pieces on the roster it just makes sense to try new coordinators. Glad he got to leave on his own terms…

the Falcons are gonna give MM a chance to be offered a job somewhere else before firing him. Just the classy thing to do not to fire a OC whom another team potentially hires as their Head Coach hell it might even sabotage his departure…and we do NOT want that.

Question of this day: Who do you want the next DC to be?

not some guy from Nowheresville St. Proven NFL defensive minds.

because with BVG taking a new job and MM job hunting since last year….maybe they already knew long ago. And I wonder if the players knew they putting their best coaching effort out there.

so i think he would be willing to sign a reasonable deal to do so. There just isn’t anybody else out there right now. To draft a DE in the 2nd rd is a not an upgrade over Abe, there aren’t any FA’s out there any better than Abe. So I say resign the guy. Let Kroy walk, bring up Sid as 3rd DE scout the hell out of the 2012 and 2013 drafts for Abe replacement. I like Sid but until he shows it I’m not calling him the heir apparent. I’ve seen what Kroy can do as a starter that’s why I say he can clean out his locker because Sid can do what he does and probably better.

to see BVG go. I think his inability to adjust during games to what was being thrown at his D was a killer. And yeah, maybe he was just doing as Smitty wanted. Guess we’ll find out when the new DC takes over. I’d love to get Steve Spagnuolo or Mel Tucker.

tell me Mularkey is a dead man walking.

so I’m a bit sorry to see him go (unless TD has some terrific hotshot in the wings). Wish Gordy the best, and wish he was taking MM with him.

But the good news is that unless they go in-house, we should get a completely fresh set of eyes on both offense and defense.

I would love to get someone who schemed against the Falcons, a promising position coach say, to come in and say, “This is how we planned to beat you. Now, I can show you how to fix it.”

Clearly need to turn a page, though I wish Mularkey was the one going.

strategic post placement is all it is.

Falcons Total Defense Ranking under his tenure:

2008: 24th
2009: 21st
2010: 16th
2011: 12th

Although I know many hated his soft zone, but looking at the bigger picture he has helped our defense improve tremendously. Sure we were terrible in 3rd down situations, and had a middling pass rush, but I believe he receives too much blame for those failures.

With Grimey our only good-elite corner and Abe our only good pass-rusher he had 2 options:

Blitz with linebackers/safeties/corners to generate pressure, however leaving our corners alone in coverage

OR: drop the safeties and linebackers back in coverage to prevent teams from taking advantage of our shabby DB’s and generate almost no pressure with a front 4 with only one good pass-rusher.

Seems to me he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Whatever you thought of him, you can’t deny that he has been a solid DC that has improved our defense.

But honestly, I liked BVG. When it comes down to it, who do we really have on the defense. Just Abe. Grimes, Lofton, Sean Weatherspoon. and I guess William Moore are the only solid/ somewhat playmakers guys we’ve got. When you look at it, hes done well with what we’ve got. No pass rush and an average secondary. I mean he’s show he can stop the run. Don’t act like we have Pittsburgh talent.

He has coached some great games. GB and NO each scored only 25 and 23 (the first time) on our D. As long as the O is even slightly in the game, we could hold teams.

I don’t think he was pushed out at all, I think he just left us. I think BVG said “To hell with this. Don’t clump me this guy (MM). I can always coach somewhere else.” Why would he stay around, not knowing if he’ll get fired just because the fans say so?

Now the Offense is the exact opposite. Please get rid of MM or I will have trouble following this team next year. But, I am hopeful that a single new OC could absolutely change this team to a top 5 scoring team, which would then make the Def look much better.

all hail the death of the soft zone in Atlanta.

He wants to be a head coach. Pros, college… doesn’t matter. He made the decision a month ago that being Atlanta’s DC was not going to get him that job in the NFL, but that being an SEC DC might.

What sticks in my craw is that he thought Atlanta making the Conference championship game might put him on the HC list, but he decided a month ago that wasn’t going to be in the cards.

Not completely surprised, but considering the list of priorites, I wouldn’t have thought that to be first move… Convenient, maybe? Out of respect, he was the best DC since Wade.