Who is Jim O'Neil?

[lou v]

Our Michael Fitzpatrick takes a closer look at NU's new defensive coordinator.

WildcatReport - Who is Jim O'Neil?

We take a deeper look at Jim O'Neil, who will soon be named Northwestern's new defensive coordinator.

northwestern.rivals.com

 

[zeek55]

People are going to point at his last two years as NFL DC as a knock, but hopefully, having a strong system in place and all the other assistants that we have should smooth the transition from Hank to O'Neil.

Obviously, there's a relationship there from his days with Fitz under Walk.

 

[phatcat]

Our Michael Fitzpatrick takes a closer look at NU's new defensive coordinator.

WildcatReport - Who is Jim O'Neil?

We take a deeper look at Jim O'Neil, who will soon be named Northwestern's new defensive coordinator.

northwestern.rivals.com

Talk about an Irish mafia. Fitzgerald hires O'Neil, who is then interviewed by Fitzpatrick

 

[EvanstonCat]

People are going to point at his last two years as NFL DC as a knock, but hopefully, having a strong system in place and all the other assistants that we have should smooth the transition from Hank to O'Neil.

Obviously, there's a relationship there from his days with Fitz under Walk.

And thus under Colby...

Ugh...

 

[zeek55]

And thus under Colby...

Ugh...

I'm not worried because the program should have 13 years of institutional memory built in from Hank. And a good set of assistants that should have absorbed that.

I assume O'Neil will view his job as to continue that.

We don't need a new defensive philosophy.

Obviously this is a results business, and I guess we'll see.

Fitz wanted to bring back somebody he's comfortable with, and that makes plenty of sense.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

I'm not worried because the program should have 13 years of institutional memory built in from Hank. And a good set of assistants that should have absorbed that.

I assume O'Neil will view his job as to continue that.

We don't need a new defensive philosophy.

Obviously this is a results business, and I guess we'll see.

Fitz wanted to bring back somebody he's comfortable with, and that makes plenty of sense.

Frankly, he probably also brought back someone who would be a little more “accepting” of Fitz’s directives. “This is a pretty damn good defense, your job is to not screw it up. We don’t need an overhaul.”

 

[EvanstonCat]

Frankly, he probably also brought back someone who would be a little more “accepting” of Fitz’s directives. “This is a pretty damn good defense, your job is to not screw it up. We don’t need an overhaul.”

I hope to the high heavens that you both are right here.

 

[Figrating]

Having been a pro DC twice shows that others think a lot of him.

Recruiting ability should always be a disqualification factor at NU but O'Neil seems to love it. And he knows what he's getting into at NU, where you can't recruit the academically challenged.

I'd think he has to be comfortable with the assistants already here, because Fitz is really comfortable with them and their performance speaks for itself, but I wonder if he's bringing in anyone else.

Welcome aboard, Coach O'Neil!

 

[jimmyNU]

I trust Fitz to hire someone who is a good fit for Northwestern but this one did surprise me. I was expecting someone who was already a DC at the college level.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

I trust Fitz to hire someone who is a good fit for Northwestern but this one did surprise me. I was expecting someone who was already a DC at the college level.

He was, technically... at Towson in 2005.

 

[EvanstonCat]

He was, technically... at Towson in 2005.

Anyone know how Towson's defense performed in 2005? And maybe a benchmark from where it was in 2004?

Would be comforting and perhaps offset the grave concerns over the alarmingly poor job he did at the NFL level if at least at the FCS level he demonstrated an ability to improve and run an elite defense.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Anyone know how Towson's defense performed in 2005? And maybe a benchmark from where it was in 2004?

Would be comforting and perhaps offset the grave concerns over the alarmingly poor job he did at the NFL level if at least at the FCS level he demonstrated an ability to improve and run an elite defense.

How often can one day the same thing?

 

[EvanstonCat]

How often can one day the same thing?

Let me rephrase.

Has anyone any information on how he did at Towson? Including improvement from the previous year? I genuinely would like to know, and cannot find any record anywhere.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Let me rephrase.

Has anyone any information on how he did at Towson? Including improvement from the previous year? I genuinely would like to know, and cannot find any record anywhere.

No idea ECat. Honestly, I wouldn’t feel any better or worse about the hire no matter what he did at Towson a decade and a half ago.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Let me rephrase.

Has anyone any information on how he did at Towson? Including improvement from the previous year? I genuinely would like to know, and cannot find any record anywhere.

Google is your friend.

 

[EvanstonCat]

Google is your friend.

No, it's not. There is nothing that I can find on how he did at Towson. Nothing at all. It's like it never happened.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

No, it's not. There is nothing that I can find on how he did at Towson. Nothing at all. It's like it never happened.

Then you need to get better at Google.

 

[EvanstonCat]

Then you need to get better at Google.

I don't think anyone is good enough at Google to crack this. Not even you.

 

[NUCat320]

I don't think anyone is good enough at Google to crack this. Not even you.

Pretty tough to find, but what I could scrape together is...eh...less than ideal. But he’s probably a better coach now, definitely more experienced.

2004: allowed 30ppg in 10 FCS games
2005: allowed 37ppg in 10 FCS games
2006: allowed 20ppg in 11 FCS games

I got year by year records here and then did my own math...

It looks like you’ll have to do your own searches...

$windowTitle

web1.ncaa.org

NCAA® Career Statistics

web1.ncaa.org

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Very odd hire

From what I read about him he ran a 3-4 Rex Ryan style defense with the Browns and 49ers. Completely different style than Hankwitz.

I was hoping they would hire someone who specialized in the Hankwitz system since it had been so effective for the Cats. Fitz obviously knows more than I do.

Coaches change and adapt.