Before being hired to USF’s coaching staff, much speculation swirled around the Bucs as to why they would allow defensive backs coach Ron Cooper explore other opportunities. Friday, Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report wrote the team felt he was overrated.
Sources tell Pewter Report that one of the reasons why the Bucs felt compelled to let defensive backs coach Ron Cooper out of his contract to accept the same position at USF was that he was simply overrated as a coach.
Reynolds also writes that Cooper’s departure could possibly help in the return of veteran cornerback Ronde Barber. He adds that Cooper did not communicate very well and may not have measured up. Makes sense as he has never held an NFL position until the Bucs made him the offer to join their staff.
So should USF be worried with the hire of Ron Cooper? Can he regain the recognition he had at LSU?
Cooper coached Morris Claiborne, Patrick Peterson, and Tyrann Mathieu. Three very talented players which do not require much coaching as Reynolds points out in his article. For now, the Bulls do not have nearly as good a defensive backfield that LSU had when Cooper was there from 2009 – 2011.
The Bucs secondary was getting beat all season, even Eric Wright and Aqib Talib. Barber was about the only one who was always in the right place at the right time. Could it have been the scheme? Perhaps. But someone had to take the fall for the secondary struggles.
And that someone, was Ron Cooper.
To read the entire insiders article from Scott Reynolds, click here. (Note: You must be registered on PewterReport.com to read the article.)
(Photo credit: US Presswire)
