Official: Rocky Long hired as DC and LB coach at New Mexico

[PTR]

2 hours ago, soupslam1 said:

Aztec fans drove Rocky out at SDSU with their incessant whining about the Aztec offense. Although true it’s apparent Rocky had enough. The Aztecs loss is the Lobos gain. It’s good for the MWC that the Lobos will become a respectable program again. 

Ironic, because that's ultimately what drove him from New Mexico in the first place. Funny how things come around full circle sometimes. 

[steveem]

Just wish he has made his mind up a little bit earlier. Happy semi retirement Rocky.

[MWC]

3 hours ago, soupslam1 said:

Aztec fans drove Rocky out at SDSU with their incessant whining about the Aztec offense. Although true it’s apparent Rocky had enough. The Aztecs loss is the Lobos gain. It’s good for the MWC that the Lobos will become a respectable program again. 

I wouldn't call it whining when the sdsu offense was so bad.  And Rocky did little to fix it.

[Hoser]

7 hours ago, Ibanez said:

I'm baffled by this move. Don't get me wrong, It is an A+ pickup by the Lobos but seems like a big step back for Rocky. The pressure at SDSU must of really got to him. 

Rocky has been around the block more than once.  I would assume that Rocky is well aware of what he is doing and seemingly is not worried about steps backwards or maybe in this case a step forward in what he wants to do in the closing years of his career.  What pressure at SDS are you referring to?

[soupslam1]

2 hours ago, aztech said:

Defensively only.

Except now Rocky has no say over the offense. If they go back to the triple option they will score points just like they did before. Their problem wasn’t offense, it was not being able to stop opponents from getting 40-50 points on their lousy defense. With Rocky that won’t be the case and will make the entire team better. 

[SDSUfan]

Can't say I'm not bummed about this. The 3-3-5 is very efrfective and we've lost a group of folks who can teach it.

[kingpotato]

That immediately takes a pretty "meh" hire into the best offseason hire. SEC Mountain is gunna be a defensive slugfest 

[SleepingGiantFan]

3 hours ago, LoboMan59 said:

When SDSU played at nmsu, he had your team stay in El Paso, thats how much of a Lobo he is inside! Shouldn't be surprised at all.

toonkee isn't an Aztec. As to Rocky not being a Lobo, as much as I otherwise respect him, the guy has been snarky with the SD media for the last two years. So much so that his surly attitude has exuded that of coaches at the top of the profession like Saban and Meyer who have accomplished considerably more than he has. Pretty much like "How can a peon like you dare to question a great man like me?" I'm sure some Aztecs will pillory me for saying this but regardless of all the happy faces at the retirement presser a few weeks ago, I think there was some bad blood between Rocky and not just the press but also JD Wicker and I think it was time for him to move on.

[Koji Vu]

Good for Rocky. He left SDSU in a good spot. This article sums it up best: He wants to "settle down one last time" in an area where he has life-long friends.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/aztecs/story/2020-01-27/rocky-long-aztecs-new-mexico-defensive-coordinator

[Wyovanian]

Gotta love all the folks who think they live in Paradise, but have never spent any time in northern New Mexico (or anywhere else for that matter) being flummoxed by his move.

One of my mentors left the Bay Area decades ago for Santa Fe. He's still there. Northern New Mexico is beautiful. World class dining in Santa Fe, world class skiing in Taos. Tons of outdoor opportunities, lots and lots of cultural events...

I've known almost a dozen successful people who left Laramie for Las Vegas, San Diego, Santa Barbara, the Bay Area, FoCo, Denver, and Seattle who've all since returned to Laramie. A few of them keep second homes in those areas, but they call Laramie home.

[Wyobraska]

38 minutes ago, SleepingGiantFan said:

toonkee isn't an Aztec. As to Rocky not being a Lobo, as much as I otherwise respect him, the guy has been snarky with the SD media for the last two years. So much so that his surly attitude has exuded that of coaches at the top of the profession like Saban and Meyer who have accomplished considerably more than he has. Pretty much like "How can a peon like you dare to question a great man like me?" I'm sure some Aztecs will pillory me for saying this but regardless of all the happy faces at the retirement presser a few weeks ago, I think there was some bad blood between Rocky and not just the press but also JD Wicker and I think it was time for him to move on.

Craig Bohl started to get like that with the local media this year.  How dare people question coaches on obviously shitty offenses.  In no way do I want Bohl to leave, but even a casual observer can see your offense is horrible.  Don't act like it isn't and act like no one else can possibly understand football.  

[aztech]

1 hour ago, SDSUfan said:

Can't say I'm not bummed about this. The 3-3-5 is very efrfective and we've lost a group of folks who can teach it.

Who knows if Hoke is going to stick with it.  In our recruiting territory he can go after players for a standard defense and there are more available coaches who are familiar with it.

[k5james]

4 minutes ago, aztech said:

Who knows if Hoke is going to stick with it.  In our recruiting territory he can go after players for a standard defense and there are more available coaches who are familiar with it.

If they hired who they're rumored to have hired we're going to be a 4-3 team.

[Spaztecs]

11 minutes ago, k5james said:

If they hired who they're rumored to have hired we're going to be a 4-3 team.

Well, you could at least name some names.

As to the 3-3-5, many times, esp on passing situations, you could clearly see a 3-2-6 alignment. Harder to tell where the blitzes are coming from.

[renoskier]

This whole thing seems weird, just can't quite wrap my head around it.

[aztech]

6 minutes ago, k5james said:

If they hired who they're rumored to have hired we're going to be a 4-3 team.

I'm pumped to hear that!  Small quick guys are good for Rocky's 3-3-5, but they lose their quickness if left on the field too long.  

[Lobo Amor]

5 hours ago, Wyovanian said:

Gotta love all the folks who think they live in Paradise, but have never spent any time in northern New Mexico (or anywhere else for that matter) being flummoxed by his move.

One of my mentors left the Bay Area decades ago for Santa Fe. He's still there. Northern New Mexico is beautiful. World class dining in Santa Fe, world class skiing in Taos. Tons of outdoor opportunities, lots and lots of cultural events...

I've known almost a dozen successful people who left Laramie for Las Vegas, San Diego, Santa Barbara, the Bay Area, FoCo, Denver, and Seattle who've all since returned to Laramie. A few of them keep second homes in those areas, but they call Laramie home.

I live in northern New Mexico and it is gorgeous. So much beauty, culture and history here. I live north of Santa Fe (too expensive to live there) but not far away. I've been around the USA and nothing beats northern New Mexico. 

[SleepingGiantFan]

4 hours ago, renoskier said:

This whole thing seems weird, just can't quite wrap my head around it.

I get that. However, you're trying to make sense of a situation involving Rocky Long and there's no stranger cat in all of college football.

[sean327]

14 hours ago, renoskier said:

This whole thing seems weird, just can't quite wrap my head around it.

Why? Rocky is going home. Why is that so hard to understand?

[sean327]

10 hours ago, Lobo Amor said:

I live in northern New Mexico and it is gorgeous. So much beauty, culture and history here. I live north of Santa Fe (too expensive to live there) but not far away. I've been around the USA and nothing beats northern New Mexico. 

I left New Mexico after high school. 35 years later I’m still gone. It’s not that I don’t want to go back, I do one day. I miss it and it will always be home for me. I just have to let this string run it’s course.