Why are head coaches such horrible clock managers?

[Sean Miller Fan]

I am watching the Tennessee game. On 2nd down, App St is tackled at the Tennessee 40 with 28 seconds left. App has 1 TO. Instead of calling their last TO with 28 seconds left and try to pick up 10-15 yards for a game winning FG, they mess around and snap the ball with like 7 seconds left and the game ends on that play, a QB run.

I swear that football programs need a GA to be solely in charge of clock management on gamedays. This is just one example but HC's are just awful at it. They cant do the quick math in their head. They're worried about too many other things.

 

[PhPanther1]

The tennessee player lost his helmet, the clock was stopping anyways. There was no need to use a TO.

 

[HunkyPanther]

He was more worried about leaving time for tenn than winning the game.

 

[Piranha]

Terrible clock management

 

[BFo8]

He was more worried about leaving time for tenn than winning the game.

Huh?

That makes no sense with how little time was left. As bad as their kicker was it would've been a no brainier to use that timeout to set up for an eventual 42 yard game winner.

On the 3rd down play you throw. If incomplete you try the FG, if complete for 1st down clock stops and you can spike. If you screw up and complete it short of a first down you still have time to run the FG unit on the field.

It was absolutely inexcusable.

 

[BFo8]

I am watching the Tennessee game. On 2nd down, App St is tackled at the Tennessee 40 with 28 seconds left. App has 1 TO. Instead of calling their last TO with 28 seconds left and try to pick up 10-15 yards for a game winning FG, they mess around and snap the ball with like 7 seconds left and the game ends on that play, a QB run.

I swear that football programs need a GA to be solely in charge of clock management on gamedays. This is just one example but HC's are just awful at it. They cant do the quick math in their head. They're worried about too many other things.

Pretty sure you will see clock management coaches on the payroll within a few years in the NFL. Too many coaches still have no idea how to manage it properly.

 

[pittzap]

I am watching the Tennessee game. On 2nd down, App St is tackled at the Tennessee 40 with 28 seconds left. App has 1 TO. Instead of calling their last TO with 28 seconds left and try to pick up 10-15 yards for a game winning FG, they mess around and snap the ball with like 7 seconds left and the game ends on that play, a QB run.

I swear that football programs need a GA to be solely in charge of clock management on gamedays. This is just one example but HC's are just awful at it. They cant do the quick math in their head. They're worried about too many other things.

With zero confidence in your kicker, you have to stop the clock. They were playing like they were going to run the clock out, then kept throwing the ball. No way you let the clock run when you have to either get a TD or get as close as possible. No way that kicker was making any field goal other than a chip shot; and maybe not even that.

 

[pittzap]

Huh?

That makes no sense with how little time was left. As bad as their kicker was it would've been a no brainier to use that timeout to set up for an eventual 42 yard game winner.

On the 3rd down play you throw. If incomplete you try the FG, if complete for 1st down clock stops and you can spike. If you screw up and complete it short of a first down you still have time to run the FG unit on the field.

It was absolutely inexcusable.

Was that the same third down where they were already out of FG range and they threw the ball behind the line of scrimmage to the short side of the field?

 

[HunkyPanther]

Huh?

That makes no sense with how little time was left. As bad as their kicker was it would've been a no brainier to use that timeout to set up for an eventual 42 yard game winner.

On the 3rd down play you throw. If incomplete you try the FG, if complete for 1st down clock stops and you can spike. If you screw up and complete it short of a first down you still have time to run the FG unit on the field.

It was absolutely inexcusable.

Agree...and yes baffling. But I am referring to those first few plays on that last possession when there was what? almost two minutes left? The poor clock management started there...taking too much time between downs, long snap counts. It just seemed by their lack of urgency that he was overthinking. No hurry at all. You have to get yourself in scoring position before you start chewing clock.

 

[BFo8]

Agree...and yes baffling. But I am referring to those first few plays on that last possession when there was what? almost two minutes left? The poor clock management started there...taking too much time between downs, long snap counts. It just seemed by their lack of urgency that he was overthinking. No hurry at all. You have to get yourself in scoring position before you start chewing clock.

Now I see what you're saying, definitely agree Satterfield played that last series trying to make sure it was the last possession of the game. Not much wrong with that.

It's a shame that such a well coached game by him was ruined with the clock management on the last couple plays. I didn't listen to the postgame, but hopefully he took responsibility for not calling that timeout.

That kicker probably had less than a 1 in 3 shot of making a 47-48 yarder at that point, but you absolutely had to get him a shot at it.

 

[Jeffburgh]

Pretty sure you will see clock management coaches on the payroll within a few years in the NFL. Too many coaches still have no idea how to manage it properly.

I have been saying this since the 90s. If I was a head coach, I absolutely would have someone dedicated to game management issues on the sideline w me, or in my ear in the press box.

 

[fitzburgh]

I have been saying this since the 90s. If I was a head coach, I absolutely would have someone dedicated to game management issues on the sideline w me, or in my ear in the press box.

100% agree, with so many decisions needed in a short span of time and with more and more coaches deciding to call plays...definitely need someone to manage timeouts and clock during 2 minute drill. Now back in my day, his name was the QB...but coaches have to own every damn decision nowadays.

 

[Nittany1997]

The clock management was awful and ultimately cost them the game...

 

[OH Pete]

I have been saying this since the 90s. If I was a head coach, I absolutely would have someone dedicated to game management issues on the sideline w me, or in my ear in the press box.

Totally agree. Clock management is so easy from the stands or the couch. But for anyone who has done any coaching at any level knows that in crunch time, it is extremely difficult to do given everything else you have to worry about at that time. Having a coach with you whose sole job is to watch the clock and make recommendations as to pass/run, plays to the sideline or up the middle, huddle or no huddle, time out or no time out, etc is something that EVERY head coach at EVERY level of the game needs. The decisions are easy - so easy that I can do it from home. The hard part is to do it quickly while also doing everything else a football coach does when the game is on the line.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Totally agree. Clock management is so easy from the stands or the couch. But for anyone who has done any coaching at any level knows that in crunch time, it is extremely difficult to do given everything else you have to worry about at that time. Having a coach with you whose sole job is to watch the clock and make recommendations as to pass/run, plays to the sideline or up the middle, huddle or no huddle, time out or no time out, etc is something that EVERY head coach at EVERY level of the game needs. The decisions are easy - so easy that I can do it from home. The hard part is to do it quickly while also doing everything else a football coach does when the game is on the line.

And Im not saying you need a guy whose only job is Clock Management. He can be a low-level assistant, intern, GA who coaches during the week but when the game comes, his only job is Clock Management.

Ill give you another example. Min had 1st and goal from the ORST 1 with 1:40 left and ORST had 0 TOs. Take 3 knees and game is over. Instead, both teams effed up. Min ran a play and scored a TD, giving the ball back to OR St down 7 (min missed 2 pointer). And ORST actually tried to stop them from the 1. If Imand ORST fan, Im praying they let them score as its literally the only chance ORST has to get it back.

You need a moneyball type statistical nerd for these end of game situations. The HC at any level cant do it and thats been proven time and time again. This is one area where fans truly do know more than the HC because they can only watch the clock and not worry about 100 different things.

 

[Jeffburgh]

And Im not saying you need a guy whose only job is Clock Management. He can be a low-level assistant, intern, GA who coaches during the week but when the game comes, his only job is Clock Management.

Ill give you another example. Min had 1st and goal from the ORST 1 with 1:40 left and ORST had 0 TOs. Take 3 knees and game is over. Instead, both teams effed up. Min ran a play and scored a TD, giving the ball back to OR St down 7 (min missed 2 pointer). And ORST actually tried to stop them from the 1. If Imand ORST fan, Im praying they let them score as its literally the only chance ORST has to get it back.

You need a moneyball type statistical nerd for these end of game situations. The HC at any level cant do it and thats been proven time and time again. This is one area where fans truly do know more than the HC because they can only watch the clock and not worry about 100 different things.

Absolutely, go get some math geek type who is into football, have him run out every imaginable scenario ahead of time, meet with him with your STs coach and coordinators to game some things out to prepare, then have him on the sidelines preferably, or in the booth monitoring the game and give you updates on things all along, and have him particularly ready to advise in late game/half situations, but not just then.

 

[ameoba defense]

I agree with all of this. Tomlin has been bashed for his bad clock management, so I started paying attention to other coaches, college and pro. It's consistently bad at all levels. Even Belichick had me scratching my head in a couple of games.

 

[Jeffburgh]

I agree with all of this. Tomlin has been bashed for his bad clock management, so I started paying attention to other coaches, college and pro. It's consistently bad at all levels. Even Belichick had me scratching my head in a couple of games.

Im not a huge tomlin fan, but it most certainly is not exclusive to him.

 

[joeydavid]

There's a reason they are football coaches...it pays well and you really don't need to be so smart. See Jimmy from Creepy Valley..

I am watching the Tennessee game. On 2nd down, App St is tackled at the Tennessee 40 with 28 seconds left. App has 1 TO. Instead of calling their last TO with 28 seconds left and try to pick up 10-15 yards for a game winning FG, they mess around and snap the ball with like 7 seconds left and the game ends on that play, a QB run.

I swear that football programs need a GA to be solely in charge of clock management on gamedays. This is just one example but HC's are just awful at it. They cant do the quick math in their head. They're worried about too many other things.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Im not a huge tomlin fan, but it most certainly is not exclusive to him.

Its all coaches at all levels. They are all unbelievablely bad at it. Its an epidemic.

I remember when Boyd had that Hail Mary TD against NM in the 1st Half. We were nearly in FG range and had a TO left. There was no way that needed to be the last play. Worked out that time though.