Say it Ain't So! Willie Martinez Not Returning?

#1
Tman44

Tman44

God Father of Soul
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#1
One of the biggest gripes I've seen on VolNation this year revolves around Willie Martinez and our horrible secondary play. Call after call from loyal Vol fans for his ouster may not have fallen on deaf ears. It seems Willie's contract is up and CJH is not expected to renew it. I'm very happy to see us upgrade at that coaching position; however, I hope it doesn't hurt us in the short run in recruiting. Halleluiah Go Vols!

 
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#2
#2
So it looks like he would be a great pick up. Others were suggesting in another thread that he was trash. I would think if Georgia is interested in hiring him he’s probably not that bad, I’m only saying that because it seems like they can choose who they want.
 
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#3
#3
I posted in the other thread about Raymond a link and another poster had one up too.

UF had a rough season on the defensive side of the ball after they played us and was among the worst in the nation at forcing turnovers.

Still think Raymond is a massive upgrade on Martinez as Zach said in the A2Z article you linked.
 
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#5
#5
Tman44 said:
One of the biggest gripes I've seen on VolNation this year revolves around Willie Martinez and our horrible secondary play. Call after call from loyal Vol fans for his ouster may not have fallen on deaf ears. It seems Willie's contract is up and CJH is not expected to renew it. I'm very happy to see us upgrade at that coaching position; however, I hope it doesn't hurt us in the short run in recruiting. Halleluiah Go Vols!

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Zach Ragan must have read my post in the recruiting forum talk thread and repurposed it is an article. He is such trash. All opinion. No actual reporting. Who said Heupel wasn’t renewing Martinez? That could absolutely still happen. Glorified blogger.


That said, I absolutely would be in favor of adding Raymond or replacing Willie with Raymond.
 
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#6
#6
Tman44 said:
One of the biggest gripes I've seen on VolNation this year revolves around Willie Martinez and our horrible secondary play. Call after call from loyal Vol fans for his ouster may not have fallen on deaf ears. It seems Willie's contract is up and CJH is not expected to renew it. I'm very happy to see us upgrade at that coaching position; however, I hope it doesn't hurt us in the short run in recruiting. Halleluiah Go Vols!

Click to expand...
Tman44 said:
One of the biggest gripes I've seen on VolNation this year revolves around Willie Martinez and our horrible secondary play. Call after call from loyal Vol fans for his ouster may not have fallen on deaf ears. It seems Willie's contract is up and CJH is not expected to renew it. I'm very happy to see us upgrade at that coaching position; however, I hope it doesn't hurt us in the short run in recruiting. Halleluiah Go Vols!

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Any links to a legitimate news source with this info?
 
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#7
#7
utvols74 said:
If the DBs can just turn their heads around and look for the ball - that will be a complete upgrade - like going from 2.0 to 6.0.
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Got to first be in good position to do that, some of which has to do with the talent level. Haden appeared to make enough progress this year to be able to do that.

Unfortunately for Willie, he has a history of coaching corners that consistently got best deep in college, only to be drafted and perform well in the pros. Quite the polarizing coaching profile.
 
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#8
#8
Tman44 said:
One of the biggest gripes I've seen on VolNation this year revolves around Willie Martinez and our horrible secondary play. Call after call from loyal Vol fans for his ouster may not have fallen on deaf ears. It seems Willie's contract is up and CJH is not expected to renew it. I'm very happy to see us upgrade at that coaching position; however, I hope it doesn't hurt us in the short run in recruiting. Halleluiah Go Vols!

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I don't know if Martinez needs to go... but he isn't the one calling for 10-15 yard cushions. He's not the one who gets out play called most of the time.
 
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#9
#9
Also, Banks coaches the safeties and DBs overall. He also calls the defensive plays that includes the big cushions that are allowed. This could be due to the lack off talent that he has. Not saying that Martinez shouldn't go but poor secondary play is not all his fault. JMO it is a lack of talent more than anything.
 
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#10
#10
sjt18 said:
I don't know if Martinez needs to go... but he isn't the one calling for 10-15 yard cushions. He's not the one who gets out play called most of the time.
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Your scheme will be dictated by the caliber of athlete you have playing the position. I think Raymond would be able to haul in more elite talent at the position. They could play press man more and if they did want to play with a cushion, more elite talent would have the speed to close, wrap up, be more physical, and maybe 🤞🏻turn their heads. We will see what CJH does. He has been pretty loyal to his staff so far and we don’t know if Coach Raymond would want to come here anyway.
 
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#11
#11
sjt18 said:
I don't know if Martinez needs to go... but he isn't the one calling for 10-15 yard cushions. He's not the one who gets out play called most of the time.
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I’m game for giving banks more time. But one key here is Martinez
 
#13
#13
#1HomeGrownUTVOL said:
So it looks like he would be a great pick up. Others were suggesting in another thread that he was trash. I would think if Georgia is interested in hiring him he’s probably not that bad, I’m only saying that because it seems like they can choose who they want.
Click to expand...

Don’t you know that the coaches on VolNation know infinitely more than Kirby Smart!?
 
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#18
#18
JustinVol said:
Also, why did Florida short can him
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the-sacrificial-lamb-josefa-de-obidos-e38559c4.jpg
 
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#19
#19
volroadwarrior said:
Also, Banks coaches the safeties and DBs overall. He also calls the defensive plays that includes the big cushions that are allowed. This could be due to the lack off talent that he has. Not saying that Martinez shouldn't go but poor secondary play is not all his fault. JMO it is a lack of talent more than anything.
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Well, the first time he was here it wasn't for a lack of talent. That's just want he teaches.
 
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#20
#20
JustinVol said:
I’m game for giving banks more time. But one key here is Martinez
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Why? Martinez coaches DBs. He teaches technique. I'm not claiming he cannot have impact. I will say that you cannot afford to have a DB coach who isn't a really good recruiter which could be part of it. But firing a DB coach when your DC so routinely gets outcoached looks like scapegoating.
 
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#21
#21
So, let me see if I understand this correctly. Florida fired Raymond because his position group didn't show enough improvement or development of players. So we fire Martinez and then hire someone that was fired. Ok....that is literally the most ignorant thing I've seen on this board and it's some ignorant crap posted daily.

There's just no hope for some of this fanbase.....😔
 
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#22
#22
Tman44 said:
One of the biggest gripes I've seen on VolNation this year revolves around Willie Martinez and our horrible secondary play. Call after call from loyal Vol fans for his ouster may not have fallen on deaf ears. It seems Willie's contract is up and CJH is not expected to renew it. I'm very happy to see us upgrade at that coaching position; however, I hope it doesn't hurt us in the short run in recruiting. Halleluiah Go Vols!

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Good riddance
 
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#24
#24
GO​
JJ McClesky

J.J MCCLESKEY​

PROFILE
Hometown: Knoxville, Tennessee
Wife: Susan
Children: Jalen and Justin

EDUCATION
Bachelor’s – Tennessee, 1992

PLAYING EXPERIENCE
1990-1993, Tennessee – Football
1993-96, New Orleans Saints
1996-2000, Arizona Cardinals

COACHING EXPERIENCE
2018-present, Tulane

POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE (3)
2023 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
2020 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
2018 AutoNation Cure Bowl
J.J. McCleskey made an immediate impact in his first four seasons as the Green Wave’s cornerbacks coach, as he helped establish Tulane’s secondary as one of the best in the American Athletic Conference.
This past season under McCleskey’s leadership, the secondary unit finished the season ranked second in the AAC in interceptions. Defensive back Jarius Monroe led the team in interceptions, including one in the 2023 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.
During the 2021 season, McCleskey’s secondary unit played a pivotal role in helping the Green Wave defense rank among the league’s Top 5 in scoring defense, interceptions and redzone defense.
Tulane’s 2020 secondary unit led The American (tied for 14th overall) in passes broken up with 42. In addition, the Green Wave’s 51 passes defended ranked second in the AAC and tied for 19th in the nation, while their nine interceptions ranked 35th nationally.
In 2019, the Green Wave’s secondary snagged 12 interceptions, which ranked tied for third in The American and 31st nationally. Four of the Green Wave’s 12 interceptions came from Larry Brooks. He led the team and ranked second in the conference and 23rd in the nation.
Thakarius Keyes was named Third Team All-AAC by Phil Steele Magazine and honorable mention by The America under McCleskey’s tutelage. Keyes was drafted in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.
In 2018, Tulane’s secondary intercepted 12 passes, which ranked fourth in The American and 40th nationally. Three of the Green Wave’s 12 interceptions came from the hands of Donnie Lewis Jr.
Lewis’ three interceptions led the team and were tied for sixth-best in The American, while his 1.6 passes defended ranked fourth nationally and led the league. Following the year, Lewis earned Second Team All-AAC honors.
In April of 2019, Lewis was selected in the seventh round of the NFL Draft.
McCleskey also played a major role in enhancing the Green Wave’s recruiting efforts. After he joined the Tulane football program as an assistant coach in January 2018 he helped the Green Wave secure their best recruiting class since 2004 (247Sports.com).
McCleskey played eight years in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints and the Arizona Cardinals from 1993-00. A versatile athlete, he spent time on offense, defense and special teams in both college and professional football. Most recently, McCleskey trained and mentored athletes on and off the field through Mental Edge Sports, which he founded in 2012.
McCleskey joined the Saints in 1994 as an undrafted free agent, and played wide receiver his first season before moving to defensive back. In his career, he totaled 44 tackles, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries, contributing on defense and special teams.
A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, McCleskey attended the University of Tennessee as a walk-on athlete and was eventually elected a team captain by his teammates as a senior. He played cornerback, safety and receiver, helping lead the Volunteers to SEC Championships in 1989 and 1990 and four bowl appearances including the Cotton Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Fiesta Bowl. He holds the distinction as being the first ever Tennessee football walk-on to be named a team captain.
A resident of Louisiana for 25 years, McCleskey founded ME Sports to train and support athletes. He coached and mentored more than 70 athletes that have moved on to play at the collegiate level. He also served as head coach of the Louisiana Bootleggers 7-on-7 squad from 2015-17. He led the Bootleggers to a second-place finish at the 7-on-7 national championship in 2015 and was a part of the program’s 2014 national championship.
In 2017, McCleskey was elected into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame.
McCleskey received his bachelor’s degree political science from Tennessee in 1992. His wife, Susan, received her MBA from the Tulane A.B. Freeman School of Business in 1993. McCleskey and his wife have two sons – Jalen and Justin.

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The American Conference Logo​
©2023 Tulane Athletics
 
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#25
#25
sjt18 said:
Why? Martinez coaches DBs. He teaches technique. I'm not claiming he cannot have impact. I will say that you cannot afford to have a DB coach who isn't a really good recruiter which could be part of it. But firing a DB coach when your DC so routinely gets outcoached looks like scapegoating.
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It may be. Unfortunately for him is people want fast answers and his contract is up.
 
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