COLUMBUS: Greg Schiano wasn’t looking for an endorsement, just as he said he’s never looked for a coaching job.
But he received one earlier this month, anyway, when All-America safety Malik Hooker said Schiano has the full attention of the Ohio State defense.
It doesn’t hurt that the Buckeyes boast a deep and talented defensive line, an NFL-caliber middle linebacker and a ball-hawking secondary with three elite cover cornerbacks.
But as associate head coach/defensive coordinator Schiano wraps up his first season at Ohio State, Hooker said Schiano’s contributions should not be underestimated.
The departure of defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Luke Fickell to become coach at the University of Cincinnati after the College Football Playoff is receiving most of the attention.
But if the Buckeyes are passing the torch, which starts with a New Year’s Eve game against Clemson in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, Hooker thinks the torch is in very good hands.
“I feel like he brought a great scheme and just how he details everything that he puts in,” Hooker said on Dec. 15, before the Buckeyes left for Christmas break. “That definitely plays a major role because it makes players look closer at their job and know exactly what their job is. Normally players just get told to do something and they don’t understand why. He does a great job of explaining exactly why we’re doing what we’re doing and how we’re doing it.”
Lengthy career
Coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2012-13 after 11 years at Rutgers, Schiano has spent much of his 28-year career directing defensive backs. He held that title at Penn State and with the Chicago Bears before becoming defensive coordinator at the University of Miami in 1999.
Although Schiano, 50, played linebacker at Bucknell, he also tutors safeties at Ohio State.
Hooker and Damon Webb seem to have benefited in their first year as starters. Ohio State stands second in the nation in defensive touchdowns and set a school record with seven interception returns for touchdowns, shattering the mark of four held by the 1997 and 1986 teams. On his six interceptions, Hooker has three touchdowns.
Asked if Schiano is one of the reasons OSU has totaled 19 interceptions in 12 games, Hooker said, “He detailed out the coverages and stuff like that, as well as the players buying into what he was saying.
“Last year we were a good defense, but we weren’t as good as we could have been. If we would have detailed out a lot of stuff that we have done and players paid closer attention to what they were doing, I feel like we could have created a lot of turnovers last year as well. So, I think [this year was about] players definitely buying into what he was saying and taking in the coaching.”
More changes
With Fickell’s days numbered as he juggles two jobs, Ohio State announced on Wednesday the hiring of Bill Davis, who served as a Browns defensive assistant in 1999 and as linebackers coach under Pat Shurmur in 2011-12.
An analyst for the Buckeyes this season, Davis will bring 24 years of NFL experience, including seven as a defensive coordinator, to his still-unannounced role.
But after sharing the duties with Fickell this season, Schiano appears ready to take control of the defensive side.
He might have discussed openings elsewhere, with OregonLive.com’s John Canzano reporting that Schiano could be a candidate after the Ducks fired Mark Helfrich, whom OSU’s Urban Meyer defeated for the 2014 national title. In his report, which cited Schiano’s 11-win season at Rutgers in 2006, Canzano called Schiano “Ohio State’s right-hand man.”
After Oregon hired South Florida’s Willie Taggart, ESPN’s Brett McMurphy reported Schiano was a candidate for that opening, but it went to former Texas coach Charlie Strong.
Asked about those rumors, Schiano said, “I’ve made it a habit in my career not to talk about any jobs other than the one I have unless I’m taking a different one. There’s a lot of conversations that go on that don’t amount to anything. It can all be misinterpreted, and I don’t want that. When young coaches ask for advice, I tell them, ‘Do the very, very best you can at the job you have today, and the rest of the jobs take care of themselves.’ I haven’t looked for a job my entire career. I think that’s because you’re just worried about what you’re doing now.”
On Dec. 15, Schiano wasn’t ready to say he would be the sole defensive coordinator when Fickell leaves.
“Don’t make any assumptions. Who knows what’s going to happen?” Schiano said. “The thing I love about our room, with [assistant head coach/defensive line coach] Larry Johnson, Luke Fickell and [cornerbacks/special teams coordinator] Kerry Coombs, is that it’s like having four coordinators in there. It’s really a great working environment because you’ve got experienced guys who have all been doing this a long time. It’s a joy to coach great players and work with really elite coaches.”
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her blog at www.ohio.com/marla. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.