Link here

There’s a twist I didn’t see coming.  I figured Jeffcoat Sr was the target, but there had been rumblings that the Sooners were going to slide Bobby Jack Wright down to coach DE’s, and they would then fill his spot with a DB’s coach who actually improved his DB’s.  It appears the Sooners have done just that by hiring former Georgia DC Willie Martinez.

Martinez reminds me a lot of UT’s Duane Akina.  Akina is an outstanding DB’s coach.  Think back over the last 4 years or so that Akina’s been coaching UT’s secondary, and point out to me the time that the secondary was the weak link.  Because I don’t recall such a time.  Akina just wasn’t cut out to be a defensive coordinator.  Our old friend the Peter Principle made an appearance here. 

Looking at Martinez’s tenure at Georgia, the pattern seems to be identical.  He produced outstanding players in the secondary while DB’s coach, and he even was a decent DC for a year or so.  Then things went south for the next 3 years and he got fired this year. 

Coaching Experience:
1985-86, Miami (Grad. Asst.);
1988, Bethune-Cookman (Quarterbacks / Wide Rec.);
1989-90, Boca Raton H.S. (Def. Backs)
1991, Olympic Heights H.S.- Boca Raton, Fla. (Def. Coord. / Def. Backs);
1992-93, Grand Valley State (Def. Coord. / Def. Backs);
1994, Central Michigan (Def. Backs);
1995-96, Central Florida (Def. Coord. / Def. Backs);
1997, Eastern Michigan (Def. Backs); 1998-99, Central Michigan (Def. Backs);
2000, Central Michigan (Asst. Head Coach / Def.);
2001-04, Georgia (Secondary);
2005-09, Georgia (Defensive Coordinator / Secondary).

Playing Experience:
Miami (1981-84) Def. back… Member of the 1983 National Championship team.
Hollywood Hills H.S. (1977-81) Quarterback and defensive back…team captain.

From his Georgia coaching profile:
“He has a history of producing NFL defensive backs. Over the past five years, nine of his players have been selected in the NFL draft including all three senior starters in 2005. In 2000, Central Michigan led the nation in pass defense. Martinez was a defensive back on Miami’s 1983 national championship team and played in the 1985 Fiesta Bowl and the 1984 Orange Bowl. He also was a graduate assistant at Miami from 1985-86, coaching in the Sugar and Fiesta bowls.”

I think this is a hell of a hire, and, if Martinez stays for a few years, we’ll see massive leaps of improvement from the secondary. 

Thoughts?