Defensive lineman Derrick Jackson was one of the loose ends snipped by Doug Marrone at the end of this season. His position coach was also the first vacancy filled in the winter search for new blood.
In fact,¬†The Fizz spotted Jackson at the YMCA this past week, and we’re pretty sure he ran into defensive coordinator Scott Shafer. Awkward.
Taking over the duties of the D-Line is Jimmy Brumbaugh, an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech. But there’s another reason JB was nabbed by Doug Marrone. His connection to the Sunshine State.
Brumbaugh is Gainesville native, with connections to a bunch of schools in the SEC. He also has been through the battles on the field, playing defensive tackle for Auburn in the late-90s.
Florida has been Paradise Lost over the last five years. Currently Marrone, as we mentioned here at¬†The Fizz, is dealing with the¬†loss of Stan Drayton to UF. But while Drayton is gone, Brumbaugh’s connections should make him a solid replacement.
As the Orange continues to hammer the recruiting trail down south into the 2010 dead period, having someone who grew up in Florida is paramount.
Remember how Miami got good in the 1980’s? Using local ties to the fertile Florida prep fields.
SU won’t be reeling them in like The U in its heyday, but having some type of pipeline of Sunshine State players is a game-changer in the Big East (see Schiano, Greg).
