The Nuclear Minter Has Already Begun

With the BBVACXYZ bowl only a mere two days away, the absence of any real football news can end and small movements of life from the Nutter Fieldhouse can now be detected. And what are these movements to tell us about the state of our pigskin warriors? Rick Minter is a badass. The hire was scrutinized lightly by fans who wanted a knockout hire like Randy Shannon, but the move was seen as prudent and sensible by people who are not crazy. An impressive resume (with head coaching experience) and a long history with the current head coach made this the right choice for Operation:Win and it seems to be paying dividends already.

One of the complaints last year is that our “bend but don’t break” defense usually became “bend until we get into the red zone then splinter” and the toughness of the defense came into question frequently, usually settling on the coaching of Steve Brown. Rick Minter came in with the exact opposite reputation, known for his intensity and aggressiveness towards his players. The always well-styled Chip Cosby recently got inside the fieldhouse to ask team members what their impressions of the new co-defensive coordinator, and while I’m not going to steal his word or act like I got this information myself, the article is pretty solid and has some good information from players expected to step up next year (lookin’ at you Winston Guy).

The article is here and it’s worth checking out, but basically it seems that Steve Brown was the Tubby Smith of the football staff; a grandfatherly figure who’s lack of rage gained him favor in the players but didn’t push them to improve. Rick Minter is the cure for that, and the players already are aware that he is not there to make friends. I expect a large amount of toughness out of this squad next year, and the Nuclear Minter will set in for quite some time. Just one thing…please, for the love of God, get the idea of a 3-4 out of your head.

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