I heard today that Southern head coach Pete Richardson had hired long time Capitol High School of Baton Rouge coach Roman Bates out of retirement as an assistant coach. He is suppose to work with the running backs and help with recruiting local talent. Back in the day, Coach Bates ran a beautiful passing offense at Capitol with quarterbacks like Elgin Stewart. I am a Roman Bates fan from those days, and if he can still relate to the kids he should be a good hire. Pete was often criticized last year for not having a quarterback coach, so maybe this is his way to indirectly address the problem. I also seem to remember that coach Bates had applied for the head coaching job at Southern on several different occasions. Time will tell.
Will Roman Bates be Southern's secret weapon?
- Thread starter THAMES
- Start date
MikeBigg
Well-Known Member
A good coach who knows the game and will not be a disruption to the team. Bates actually should have been on someone's college staff a long time ago, but props to him for his consistent winning years at Capitol.
If his energy level is still high (and I'm sure it is) then the Old Lion should be a good addition.
If his energy level is still high (and I'm sure it is) then the Old Lion should be a good addition.
Blu Panther
The name says it all
who?
Blu, ... only for you,
Advocate photo by John H. Williams
Roman Bates is volunteering as a running backs coach during spring practice.
3/23/03
Oliver comfortable after learning on the go
By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN
jschiefelbein@theadvocate.com
Advocate sportswriter
David Oliver's evaluation card for his first full season as an offensive coordinator could have two notes.
Incomplete, because of the Southern University football team's constant shuffle of quarterbacks from holding the ball to holding crutches.
Or "most improved," because of the way Oliver reworked the offense in the middle of the season, shifting to a power attack, to underpin the team's 5-1 finish.
All the while, Oliver was learning on the go. Learning his players (as at this time a year ago he was just trying to remember their names). Learning the conference (as he'd never been in the Southwestern Athletic Conference before). And learning to be his own boss and call all the plays (as he'd been a tight ends coach for his career).
"I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't take back a play or two here or there," Oliver said.
"But for the most part, we ran plays that had a chance to be successful."
There's no substitute for going through a season with your own guys and your own plays.
"The 15 practices in the spring (a year ago) were nice to have under my belt," Oliver said, "but it took five or six weeks before I had a real good feel.
"Now, I've got a lot better feel for the men we'll have on the field for us, as far as what they do well and what they struggle at. The familiarity with the players -- seeing them in a year of workouts, a year of practice and finding out what they do well in a game situation -- will make a huge difference."
The epiphany came in a 27-11 loss to Alabama A&M that made the Jaguars 1-5 in early October.
With Kurvis Sharp knocked out of the game just before halftime, Southern was down to its last healthy quarterback, fourth-stringer Thomas Ricks.
It was then Oliver and staff went with their gut feeling: that the Jaguars were best at the power running game.
"I was pleased, for the most part, with the way we played in the second half of the season," Oliver said. "That coincided with streamlining the things we were trying to do."
Sophomore Kenneth Peoples (780 yards, three touchdowns) went on to become the SWAC's newcomer of the year. With the offense opened up around one steady ingredient and away from the changing-every-week quarterback status, point-production surged from 15.2 points per game in the first six games to 31.2. The sacks allowed became fewer. And the wins came, going from 1-5 to 5-1.
"When we got effective," Southern head coach Pete Richardson said, "everything revolved around the run."
In his spring evaluation a year ago, Oliver had detailed Southern might struggle with inconsistency early in the season. "That ended up being prophetic," he said.
With the Jaguars off this week for spring break after starting with three sessions last week, Oliver is hoping not to write a similar report.
"We got to where we could run the power play against anybody," Oliver said. "Now, let's find a way to get another yard out of every play, whether we hold the block a second longer, get the back running through the tackle, get the ball delivered to the receiver a second earlier so he can run out of a tackle.
"Let's find a way to make more yards and score more points."
HELPING HANDS: Roman Bates, who spent 34 seasons as head coach at Capitol High through 2000 and came out of retirement to coach Christian Life Academy last season, is volunteering as a running backs coach during spring practice.
"He's real excited about being a part," Richardson said. "I can use all the help I can get. He has a lot of fire."
Bates went 2-8 at CLA last season after going 223-150-6 at Capitol.
"Coach is a wealth of knowledge," Oliver said. "He didn't get a reputation as a workaholic for nothing."
Also, former offensive tackle Damon Nivens is assisting Gary Smith with the offensive line as Nivens completes school work.
QUARTERBACK SHUFFLE: Quarterbacks Quincy Richard and Sharp had classes Monday and couldn't practice. That left Thomas Ricks as the only quarterback available.
"It's good and it's bad," Oliver said. "You can get one a lot of reps, but it has a slowing effect on installation."
COMINGS AND GOINGS: Richardson said tailback Carl Singleton, who'll be a junior next season, is no longer on the team. Singleton had six carries for 38 yards last season after leading the team in 2001 with 393 yards and three touchdowns on 83 carries.
Meanwhile, defensive end Glynn Mangum, suspended all of last season as a junior, has returned to the team. Mangum had eight tackles and one fumble recovery in seven games in 2001.
"He served his penalty, did what I told him to do," Richardson said. "At the end of spring ball, we'll make another assessment."
Advocate photo by John H. Williams
Roman Bates is volunteering as a running backs coach during spring practice.
3/23/03
Oliver comfortable after learning on the go
By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN
jschiefelbein@theadvocate.com
Advocate sportswriter
David Oliver's evaluation card for his first full season as an offensive coordinator could have two notes.
Incomplete, because of the Southern University football team's constant shuffle of quarterbacks from holding the ball to holding crutches.
Or "most improved," because of the way Oliver reworked the offense in the middle of the season, shifting to a power attack, to underpin the team's 5-1 finish.
All the while, Oliver was learning on the go. Learning his players (as at this time a year ago he was just trying to remember their names). Learning the conference (as he'd never been in the Southwestern Athletic Conference before). And learning to be his own boss and call all the plays (as he'd been a tight ends coach for his career).
"I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't take back a play or two here or there," Oliver said.
"But for the most part, we ran plays that had a chance to be successful."
There's no substitute for going through a season with your own guys and your own plays.
"The 15 practices in the spring (a year ago) were nice to have under my belt," Oliver said, "but it took five or six weeks before I had a real good feel.
"Now, I've got a lot better feel for the men we'll have on the field for us, as far as what they do well and what they struggle at. The familiarity with the players -- seeing them in a year of workouts, a year of practice and finding out what they do well in a game situation -- will make a huge difference."
The epiphany came in a 27-11 loss to Alabama A&M that made the Jaguars 1-5 in early October.
With Kurvis Sharp knocked out of the game just before halftime, Southern was down to its last healthy quarterback, fourth-stringer Thomas Ricks.
It was then Oliver and staff went with their gut feeling: that the Jaguars were best at the power running game.
"I was pleased, for the most part, with the way we played in the second half of the season," Oliver said. "That coincided with streamlining the things we were trying to do."
Sophomore Kenneth Peoples (780 yards, three touchdowns) went on to become the SWAC's newcomer of the year. With the offense opened up around one steady ingredient and away from the changing-every-week quarterback status, point-production surged from 15.2 points per game in the first six games to 31.2. The sacks allowed became fewer. And the wins came, going from 1-5 to 5-1.
"When we got effective," Southern head coach Pete Richardson said, "everything revolved around the run."
In his spring evaluation a year ago, Oliver had detailed Southern might struggle with inconsistency early in the season. "That ended up being prophetic," he said.
With the Jaguars off this week for spring break after starting with three sessions last week, Oliver is hoping not to write a similar report.
"We got to where we could run the power play against anybody," Oliver said. "Now, let's find a way to get another yard out of every play, whether we hold the block a second longer, get the back running through the tackle, get the ball delivered to the receiver a second earlier so he can run out of a tackle.
"Let's find a way to make more yards and score more points."
HELPING HANDS: Roman Bates, who spent 34 seasons as head coach at Capitol High through 2000 and came out of retirement to coach Christian Life Academy last season, is volunteering as a running backs coach during spring practice.
"He's real excited about being a part," Richardson said. "I can use all the help I can get. He has a lot of fire."
Bates went 2-8 at CLA last season after going 223-150-6 at Capitol.
"Coach is a wealth of knowledge," Oliver said. "He didn't get a reputation as a workaholic for nothing."
Also, former offensive tackle Damon Nivens is assisting Gary Smith with the offensive line as Nivens completes school work.
QUARTERBACK SHUFFLE: Quarterbacks Quincy Richard and Sharp had classes Monday and couldn't practice. That left Thomas Ricks as the only quarterback available.
"It's good and it's bad," Oliver said. "You can get one a lot of reps, but it has a slowing effect on installation."
COMINGS AND GOINGS: Richardson said tailback Carl Singleton, who'll be a junior next season, is no longer on the team. Singleton had six carries for 38 yards last season after leading the team in 2001 with 393 yards and three touchdowns on 83 carries.
Meanwhile, defensive end Glynn Mangum, suspended all of last season as a junior, has returned to the team. Mangum had eight tackles and one fumble recovery in seven games in 2001.
"He served his penalty, did what I told him to do," Richardson said. "At the end of spring ball, we'll make another assessment."
Blu Panther
The name says it all
weren't you all complaining about the lack of a quarterback coach?