Donovan Raiola Officially Named Offensive Line Coach

Not to derail this thread, but I wasn't aware if Dylan Raiola.  Couple years away but that kid can sling the ball.  Almost makes me dare to dream again.  Almost.  Lots of ifs between now and a couple years from now.

 
Tom Brokejaw said:
Not to derail this thread, but I wasn't aware if Dylan Raiola.  Couple years away but that kid can sling the ball.  Almost makes me dare to dream again.  Almost.  Lots of ifs between now and a couple years from now.
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Right now, we still have zero chance. We would need to have a really big turn around next year and a clear path to the future with this staff to have a chance. 
 

He likes Nebraska. But is a recruit that has lost interest with the lack of success. 
 

If that happens, then having his uncle here could be a benefit. 

 
BigRedBuster said:
Right now, we still have zero chance. We would need to have a really big turn around next year and a clear path to the future with this staff to have a chance. 
 

He likes Nebraska. But is a recruit that has lost interest with the lack of success. 
 

If that happens, then having his uncle here could be a benefit. 
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Wonder if his dad would be a benefit?

 
Preface, this is directed more towards Husker twitter than any post in this thread. Seeing a lot of hate about this hire on twitter, and 280 characters just wasn't enough for a reply.

How is it possible to immediately trash this hire with this resume, coupled with his playing experience at Wisconsin?  Not even to mention his brother happening to be a 14 year NFL vet.  Guy got his foot in the door with Hawaii, bumped up to two years at Notre Dame, and spent the last 4 years cutting his teeth at the very highest level of football, and thats not good enough??  Oh, he can't recruit right?  In case anyone has forgotten, our starting offensive tackles, the ones that our fan base loves to bash, were two of the highest rated prospects at their respective positions when they came out.  Benhart was the #13 tackle, Corcoran the #4.  These guys were literally the very best caliber of recruits that we could have ever hoped to bring in at that time.

Of the three OTs ranked ahead of Corcoran in that class, two were UGA commits, Broderick Jones, and Tate Ratledge,  Jones is currently the #2 LT on their roster, behind a senior, and started a game this year.  By all accounts he's slated to step into the starting role in 2022.  Ratledge moved inside to G, and started the season opener, before suffering a season ending injury in that game.  Paris Johnson, the #1 rated T that year, committed to OSU. He also moved inside to G, at least for now, and is starting for the Buckeyes.  These were Corcoran's comps.

Point being, recruiting hasn't been the issue.  Given his history, there is no reason to believe Raiola can't coach/teach these players to be better individually, and as a unit.  Unfortunately we're not Alabama, former NFL head coach Doug Marone wasn't gonna come in and coach our OL.  We got who we got, a young up and comer who has paid his dues, and has earned the shot. 

So give the guy a break....or don't, doesn't really matter either way.  At the end of the day we're all just random dudes on the internet, and this is just my opinion.

suh_fan93 said:


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zero_blitz said:
Given his history, there is no reason to believe Raiola can't coach/teach these players to be better individually, and as a unit. 
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Is there any reason to believe be can? 

I haven't heard a single word from anyone that suggests he has the coaching chops to fix the offensive line in one offseason.

All I've heard is "well his brother and his nephew..."  which has nothing to do with his coaching acumen and everything to do with his connections.

For as bewildering as the hire is, I'd say Frost got off lightly on this one.

 
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The Dude said:
Is there any reason to believe be can? 

I haven't heard a single word from anyone that suggests he has the coaching chops to fix the offensive line in one offseason.

All I've heard is "well his brother and his nephew..."  wich has nothing to do with his coaching acumen and everything to do with his connections.

For as bewildering as the hire is, I'd say Frost got off lightly on this one.
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Or, maybe the people Frost and Co. talked to which lead them to Raiola know more about his coaching ability than fans do.  No matter what, he's who we have, so how about give him a chance before we proclaim him as a failure.

 
The Dude said:
They can't know because he's never done the job before.   They can speculate.   They can have a gut feeling.  But they can't know.
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They can know how valuable he was to the Bears.  Maybe he was the best O line coach they had, even though he was the assistant.

The fact remains, we don't know and people in the coaching industry know more than we do.  He might be a bust...or he might be really good.  We can sit around and wring our hands disgusted with everything for the next 8 months, or wait and see what happens.

 
Another part of this is that we need to get 2-3 O linemen from the portal. These are going to be guys looking for a spot to land that can get them to the NFL.  He instantly has some credibility on that front.  

LINK

Raiola has helped the Bears to two playoff appearances since joining the staff in 2018. In his first season in Chicago, the Bears posted a 12-4 record and captured the NFC North Division title. The Bears offensive line allowed just 33 sacks, tied for the third fewest in the NFC, while Chicago averaged 26.3 points per game, the fourth-best average in the NFC.

In the 2020 season, Raiola worked with offensive line coach Juan Castillo to tutor an offensive line that featured six different starting combinations. Raiola assisted in helping a pair of rookie undrafted free agents develop into starters late in the season, as the Bears reached the NFC playoffs. The Bears currently rank ninth in the NFL in rushing in the 2021 season.
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BigRedBuster said:
Another part of this is that we need to get 2-3 O linemen from the portal. These are going to be guys looking for a spot to land that can get them to the NFL.  He instantly has some credibility on that front.  

LINK
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This is good information.  I hope he turns out to be a great OL coach.  And I hope it is a back door way of landing his nephew as our QB in the 2023 class.  

 
We probably really brought him on in an effort to have all the O-lineman he can possibly talk into doing it via his NFL connections call Cam and tell him another year benefits him greatly.

 
GSG said:
They still know more than you or anyone on the board. Soo, maybe just chill the f#&% out?
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I'm perfectly chill.   :lol:

I'm a little confused by the hire is all, as are a lot of people.  Vaguely alluding to mystery figures "in the industry" who are advising Scott to hire an untested coach doesn't count as reason to believe said coach can fix the offensive line in one offseason.

Trying to frame like I'm being hysterical or having an emotional response at all because I'm asking these questions is a mistake on your part.  Same for Buster.

 
The Dude said:
I'm perfectly chill.   :lol:

I'm a little confused by the hire is all, as are a lot of people.  Vaguely alluding to mystery figures "in the industry" who are advising Scott to hire an untested coach doesn't count as reason to believe said coach can fix the offensive line in one offseason.

Trying to frame like I'm being hysterical or having an emotional response at all because I'm asking these questions is a mistake on your part.  Same for Buster.
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I have said nothing about you being emotional.

 
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