It is what it is, tirk.
I believe it was in this thread where
@LSUDad had a quote from a site crediting Steele for the development of Reggie Ragland this season. From an athletic standpoint, or from a technique view, there were not a lot of changes with RR this season. He was around the ball consistently. As one example, Reggie was just as good last year at shedding blocks.
Where he improved this season was understanding the mental aspect; the X's and O's of how plays develop. You would hear Steele saying "eyes" more than any other instructional point.
Enter a guy like Reuben Foster. Hell of an athlete, but he's been slow on picking what's seen in the film room and translating that to the field. There was a disconnect there.
Some guys are good at teaching football's technique. Some have great football IQ's. Occasionally, you'll find a coach with both and more than likely those are the same guys you'll see have success as a head coach. Steele has a good football IQ. But, when you have players tell you he's a "clumsy football teacher" on the field? They were talking about teaching technique.
The majority of the time I've looked at Saban's hires as an equal replacement; sometimes an upgrade. With Steele my thought was "we could have done worse." I realize this is
my opinion. Having seen him on the staff, twice, gives what I consider to be ample evidence to make a judgment.
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