As the game of college football has evolved over the past 15 years, it has clearly become an “adapt or become extinct” type of game.
Steve Spurrier’s “fun and gun” of the 1990s at Florida has become “not so fun to watch” in his stint at South Carolina. Ralph Friedgen’s innovative and balanced offensive attack of the late 90’s and early 2000’s eventually became outdated and not so innovative and was passed up by the new “spread option” attacks of Gus Malzahn and Chip Kelly. In the fast moving world of technology and information that we live in, it is more important than ever for a college football coach to try and stay one step ahead of the opponent, constantly striving to come up with different and innovative ways to win games.
This brings us to this week’s topic: special teams.
Special Teams are indeed called “special” for a reason. Being able to flip field position on an opponent as well as the psychological momentum a team can gain from a big special teams play cannot be understated.
Here are a few quotes from a couple coaches who put great emphasis on special teams (it’s not coincidence that these are three of the best coaches over the last few decades in college football):
A lot of teams take special teams for granted. Here, it’s a privilege to play on the kickoff team or the punt return team. That’s why you eat first on Friday night (before games). It’s a big deal. He rewards guys who do good on special teams. It’s not just overlooked like it is at some places. That’s why they play so hard.
–-Urban Meyer
I was proud of our special teams. I think when you’re playing a good football team…..you better be good in your special teams.
–-Frank Beamer
I’ve seen too many games won or lost with special teams. On offense you run a play for zero yards, and you get up and do it again. On defense you can give up five yards, and you get up and do it again. But with special teams play, you get one shot. You don’t get second chances. You have one chance to do it, or one chance to defend it. It can change the complexity of the game so readily.
—Bill Snyder
As you know, here at CBTN we are big fans of Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson and the offensive system that he has implemented at Georgia Southern, Hawaii, Navy and now Georgia Tech. However, as much as we admire the job Johnson has done as a head coach and offensive mastermind, we have to bring to light Johnson’s attention, or lack thereof, to special teams. Below is a breakdown of how Georgia Tech has ranked nationally in the five major special teams categories in Paul Johnson’s tenure as the head coach at Georgia Tech (national rankings are out of 120 teams):
| Year | Net Punting | Punt Returns | Punt Return Def | Kickoff Returns | Kickoff Return Defense |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 93 | 88 | 73 | 95 | 40 |
| 2009 | 17 | 11 | 44 | 64 | 83 |
| 2010 | 114 | 97 | 98 | 97 | 11 |
| 2011 | 93 | 68 | 13 | 103 | 48 |
| Averages | 79 | 66 | 57 | 90 | 46 |
Not surprisingly, Georgia Tech’s best season on special teams was the 2009 season in which GT won 11 games and the ACC championship, earning a birth in the Orange Bowl for the first time since 1966. Overall, Johnson’s special teams have finished in the top half of FBS teams on average in only two of five categories, kickoff return defense and punt return defense. The kickoff return defense numbers can be a little misleading seeing as Georgia Tech’s kickers routinely kick the ball short, so even a short return gives the opponent quality field position. Additionally, of the 20 rankings spots listed above, Georgia Tech’s special teams have been ranked in the bottom third of the nation in 11 of 20 spots (55%). Now let’s take a look at the CBTN top 10 active coaches since 2007 (minimum of five years experience) and see how they have fared on Special Teams:
| Coach | Avg. Net Punting Rank | Avg. Punt Return Rank | Avg. Punt Return Def. Rank | Avg. Kickoff Returns Rank | Avg. Kickoff Return Def. Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Saban | 72.60 | 12.60 | 44.00 | 45.00 | 58.40 |
| Bob Stoops | 27.80 | 47.60 | 38.60 | 45.60 | 62.80 |
| Chris Petersen | 30.20 | 22.20 | 64.40 | 27.40 | 34.20 |
| Les Miles | 23.80 | 39.80 | 30.60 | 67.60 | 27.00 |
| Frank Beamer | 55.60 | 31.60 | 42.00 | 69.00 | 52.20 |
| Gary Patterson | 70.80 | 20.20 | 31.00 | 18.80 | 23.20 |
| Mack Brown | 51.00 | 41.20 | 67.80 | 50.60 | 67.80 |
| Brian Kelly | 54.00 | 71.00 | 69.80 | 31.20 | 41.60 |
| Joe Paterno | 54.80 | 63.60 | 54.40 | 53.80 | 72.00 |
| Kyle Whittingham | 58.20 | 51.00 | 79.00 | 45.00 | 43.20 |
So, of the top 10 rated coaches over the last five years, here is the breakdown of the number of categories their special teams units have ranked on average in the top half of FBS teams:
- Saban: 4 out of 5
- Stoops: 4 out of 5
- Petersen: 4 out of 5
- Miles: 4 out of 5
- Beamer: 4 out of 5
- Patterson: 4 out of 5
- Brown: 3 out of 5
- Kelly: 3 out of 5
- Paterno: 3 out of 5
- Whittingham: 4 out of 5
Are we picking up on a theme here? Of the top 10 CBTN head coaches from 2007 to the present, eight are rated in the top half of four of the five major special teams categories listed above. Additionally, all 10 are rated in the top half of at least three of the five major special teams categories.
So, are special teams important? According to the top coaches, yes. A quick review of Georgia Tech’s 2010 season, in which the Yellow Jackets finished the year 6-7, sheds more light on the importance of special teams. In three games from the 2010 season, Georgia Tech saw the following special teams blunders, which played a major part in GT’s loss in each case:
- In a 14-7 loss to Air Force in the Independence Bowl, GT muffed two punts.
- In the game with arch rival UGA, GT missed a PAT late in the 4th Quarter that would’ve tied the game.
- After tying the game late in the 4th Quarter against Va Tech on the road, GT gives up a kickoff return for a TD.
While there are many plays in a game that contribute to the final outcome, these special teams errors played a major part in the loss. After GT’s recent 24-7 loss to Miami, in which three special teams blunders cost the Jackets dearly, Coach Johnson was asked about the Jackets’ woes and about the possibility of hiring a coach whose primary responsibility was special teams. Here was his answer:
The whole thing is ridiculous. Guys calling for special teams coordinators don’t have any idea. You know how many teams in the ACC, SEC, Big 12 and Big Ten have special teams coordinators that don’t coach another position? Six. You know who it is in our league? Boston College – which is helping them a lot – and N.C. State. And the Big Ten, it’s Purdue. In the Big 12, it’s Kansas State. I think it’s Coach (Bill) Snyder’s son. Most staffs are set up the same as ours.
—Paul Johnson after a 24-7 loss to Miami
It is not our place to tell Johnson who should be coaching what or how they should be coaching it. That being said, the numbers don’t lie and the only ridiculous thing we see is the performance of Georgia Tech’s special teams. As Mike Leach stated in his book: “You’re either coaching it or allowing it to happen.”
If Paul Johnson wants to be considered among the elite coaches in college football, he had better figure out a way to get better on special teams.
Check out more from the CBTN crew at Coaches By The Numbers and on Twitter @CoachesBTN.
