LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe has hired three coaches to fill out his staff for the 2009 season.
Former Utah State head coach Brent Guy and former Tennessee assistant Larry Slade will work as defensive coaches while former Southern Mississippi offensive coordinator Jay Johnson will work with the offense.
Kragthorpe says the experience level of all three coaches will help the Cardinals as they try to rebuild after a 5-7 season.
“I’m very excited to add the caliber of coaches like Larry Slade, Brent Guy and Jay Johnson to our staff,” Kragthorpe said. “All three of these coaches have a tremendous amount of experience and will be great additions to our football staff.”
Slade, who spent a decade at Tennessee under former coach Phillip Fulmer, will work with the secondary. Slade and Kragthorpe worked together at Texas A&M in the 1990s.
“Larry is one of the most-respected defensive back coaches in the nation,” Kragthorpe said. “I worked with Larry at Texas A&M, and he is one of the best I’ve ever been around. I’m excited that he has decided to join our staff.”
Kragthorpe also announced special teams coach Mark Nelson has resigned to pursue other opportunities.
Slade was one of three defensive assistants at UT that had not found another position. ends coach Steve Caldwell and line coach Dan Brooks are still without a job.
The entire UT defensive staff was let go by new coach Lane Kiffin.
Vanderbilt 93, Tennessee 79, Feb. 9…
Tennessee 69, South Carolina 57 men's…
Vanderbilt 65, Tennessee 47, Jan. 24…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 50
TnVolFaninSmyrna writes:
First
HotlantaVol writes:
Slade better keep his resume up to date. Kragthorpe will need a miracle season to keep his job in 2010.
GR82BAVOL writes:
Wow...I thought he'd end up staying, but obviously I was wr...wro...OMG! I was WRONG!!!! LOL!
Seems like a clean break. It takes a really classy man to stay on and do what he did.
Good luck coach Slade!
pdhuff#552644 writes:
UL will never get beat deep.
GoVol writes:
So I guess Chavis thought Slade was good enough for Tennessee, but not good enough for LSU?
DingoVol writes:
Hard to get beat deep when you line up 8 yards off the line of scrimmage. 3rd and 9 is the scariest play against a Slade defense.
FWBVol writes:
Usually the head coach, in this case Les Miles at LSU, has the say on assistant coaches. Coordinators have some input, but it's the head man's call. That might be why Slade ended up at LU not LSU. Perhaps Miles wasn't as impressed with Slade as Phillip Fulmer was.
nicksjuzunk#646117 writes:
Well done Coach Slade. All the best! They may laugh, but you've helped to put many in the NFL. Can anyone start to name UT db's in the league now?
NoMoreWooAfterGoodOleRockyTop writes:
Enter Mustang slam...
andy112382#209793 writes:
They already have a secondary coach they were keeping at LSU from what was written. So I bet he would be estatic to work with someone he knows so well, but doesn't appear to have that option.
tennesseeike writes:
In all due respect to Coach Slade, I really felt he was the weakest link in our former coaching staff.Guess evaluation of coaching personnel is one of ther reasons I am in another line of management.
At any rate, I hope the other two find employment in the near future. I would like to see the payroll of former coaches gone from our account.
Go Vols and work hard Coach Kiffin.
andy112382#209793 writes:
Like Jabari Greer, Jonathan Wade, Deon Grant, Jason Allen, Rashad Baker, and Gibril Wilson?
Ironcity writes:
Chavis always put his DB's in a bad position. He sent linebackers on constant blitzes that seemed to rarely succeed. He beg offenses to throw slants against us (and they did). I for one felt sorry for Slade because he always took the abuse that should have been thrown at Chavis. Its good to see other coaches in the country noticed that he was pretty good.
andy112382#209793 writes:
I kind of wondered where the talk about Slade being weak came from....wasn't our secondary suppose to be the weak link last season and it ended up being pretty solid? Seems like we had done a good job handling injuries to the secondary under Slade, like when Inky went down. If he was weak and we being in someone even better, then our secondary should be untouchable considering recent results.
andy112382#209793 writes:
Yea, he should rent, not buy.
This was about making staff changes to save Kragthorpes rear from getting booted to the curb.
TommyJack writes:
On the money Ironman. I never hated on Slade. Hard to do his job w/o pass rush.
HtownVol writes:
This site is for UT fans to comment of the subject at hand, not for stupid arss kids to claim that they were the first to comment. Leave a comment, giving your opinion or dont leave anything at all. Dont you feel like such a losr after you type that?
Anyway, sorry the immature kid T'd me off. I think this is a great hire for UL. Slade did great here. He really taught kids how to play DB. We had a lot of young players recently and he made them into a dangerous secondary. Not onlu E.B, but Rogan and co. were all very solid this year.
nicksjuzunk#646117 writes:
Indeed sir. Might as well add Eric Berry in there and probably Morley. But the man obviously had no clue how to coach.
HtownVol writes:
Dont point out that i cant spell. Im at work and I have to hurry when I type so da' boss dont catch me. OK
volfan_stuck_in_jersey writes:
Hows this for starters...
Jason Allen
Gibril Wilson
Kevin Burnett
Omar Gaither
Marvin Mitchell
Deon Grant
Rashad Baker
Jabari Greer
Jonathon Wade
Who am I missing?
SomeGuy writes:
I wish Slade had gone to a solid program instead of one where the HC is on the hotseat and may be fired next year. It would be interesting to see what Slade can do when not handicapped with running Chavis's awful Mustang package.
auttat writes:
HUH? Slade was let go the first day Kiffin was hired.
auttat writes:
HAHA! Burnett, Gaither and Mitchell are linebackers
NoogaVol55 writes:
Actually, LSU went and got the DB coach from South Crapolina...Good Luck Coach Slade...I hope your current salary is high enough that UT doesn't have to pay you any money.
volfan_stuck_in_jersey writes:
HaHA you are right. You also have to determine what defensive sceme they are in... also if you want to get technical... Defensive back....Line BACKer...
Correct if I am wron but dont LB's play defense?
jobrando#216494 writes:
USC must not pay up when there coaching staff is raided like it has been this year. The old ball coach has to be just about done.
jobrando#216494 writes:
KNS is struggling for news. Looks like they could cut about half the staff and save money.
NoogaVol55 writes:
Definitly...Spurrier's days are numbered...whether his decision or the administation. It kind of makes me smile....even more so if Kiffin beats him down next year...Two visors in the SEC is one too many!
Waldorf writes:
My apologies to any defensive back on the Louisville campus for your new coach.
auttat writes:
What?
andy112382#209793 writes:
Ah, ok....I knew they either had someone they kept or had already made a hire, there was an article that was talking about how unlikely it was that Chavis would be able to bring his own assistants in.
adamsck#591720 writes:
Ya'll are such a bunch of haters.
Best of luck Coach Slade. Hope you like Louisville and thanks for all you did for TN.
Greyback_Vol writes:
Kevin Burnett
Omar Gaither
Marvin Mitchell
Hey, hoss...these are all linebackers, not DBs
Greyback_Vol writes:
Correct, but moot in this discussion. Slade didn't coach LBs at UT, so giving him credit for their development doesn't work.
Thank Chavis for developing LBs the last 10 years, not Slade.
SmokeDog72 writes:
Slade will fit right in with that crappy D they play in Louisville. Actually, he might be a slight step up.
jasonn1970 writes:
If he really wants to get off to a good start up there maybe he should insult the intelligence of the fans there the way he did here after the UCLA game......
JeffBleedsOrange writes:
You're the first idiot.
mlynn1 writes:
Good riddance, Fulmer should have fired him 5 yrs ago!
Docrok writes:
Omar Gaither and Kevin Burnett are not DBs
givehim6 writes:
Funny all these ex-UT coachs are getting hired some where else, but no one seems to want Phil.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
He sure rang that bell.
adamsck#591720 writes:
Dude, look around. How many head coaching jobs are open compared to how many assistant positions? Plus, ESPN seems to like having Phil around. I really don't see the need to hate on Phil now that he's gone. Whatever the results he gave is all to UT for a long time and we shouldn't take every opportunity to trash him now that he's gone. It's petty.
Phil will get a semi-major DI or DIA job in the next few years. You heard it here first. And while there he'll do well - not great - but well.
Piingman writes:
Slade was terrible. Those guys got the NFL in spite of him. Go back and look from 2000-2005 and you will see some of the worst secondary play EVER caught on film. Baker, Greer, and Wilson? They were constantly toasted when they played here and couldn't catch the ball for an int to save their life. Yet, two are solid NFL players now and one is a somewhat "star" for the Giants (Wilson). All because of GOOD NFL coaching. Not developing talent was what killed the Fulmer staff. And don't give me the names Grant and Berry because those guys were (are) so good that it doesn't matter who is coaching them.
leedsvol2007 writes:
It's very interesting particularly considering LSU struggled in the secondary this season-albeit with an entirely new unit.
rabidvol1998 writes:
Paalllleeeaaaassseee. This question is asked on every article when an Asst. gets hired. Everyone knows the facts or shouldn't be on this site.
Coach Fulmer is not looking for a job this year.
Or if you don't believe it and think no one will hire him, then enjoy reading about him hunting, skiing and fishing in Wyoming with his millions while you right dumb things about him on the internet.
He got fired. Should have. Set the standard we wish to get back to. Just the facts.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Interesting thoughts!
You didn't think Phil early was interested in Clemson or one other situation?
Be well.
rabidvol1998 writes:
Maybe. I thought Miss St. would have been good. He could have coached 4-5 years and become the second winningest coach in SEC history (SEC wins).
Most, if not all of his advisors suggested he take a year off and I think he took that advice to heart.
txsvol#372416 writes:
Smart man if he does so. He'll get a UT check for the next few years, while he waits for a better opportunity to surface. Clemson would be a good fit. Mississippi State would not! I think he ought to consider the new football program being started at the University of Texas San Antonio. It might not pay as much as he expects, but there probably is a clause in his UT contract to make up the balance. It would be a chance to leave a legacy (like General Neyland at UT) in a brand new program. While they won't play football for two years, administrative groundwork needs to be done with a high profile, name coach (like Howard Schnellenberger at Florida International University). And, he and Vicki have a grandson 70 miles up the road in Austin! SAVol
GR82BAVOL writes:
auttat,
2 coaches were retained by the current staff, and it was possible one or both might stay on with the new staff per CLK in his initial press conference. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Slade was one of them.
rabidvol1998 writes:
Very interesting. I'll keep an eye on this. Texas has a lot of recruits.
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