3. Bob Shoop will be the hire of the year
Bob Shoop was brought in to replace John Jancek at defensive coordinator on January 9, 2016. Overall, Jancek did a solid job in building the defense. It improved every year, but last season’s late game meltdowns proved the need for a new coordinator. Enter Bob Shoop.
In his last two stops at Penn State and Vanderbilt, Shoop was responsible for producing top 25 defenses in the last five years. His Vanderbilt defenses were good enough to help secure victories over teams like Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. In 2015, his Penn State defense ranked 15th in the country in total defense, allowing only 324.3 yards per game and 10th against the pass by allowing only 174.5 yards per game.
The Nittany Lions allowed 20 or fewer points in five games under Shoop. He also helped the 2014 Nittany Lions unit rank second nationally in scoring defense. It’s clear that Shoop is regarded as one of the best defensive minds in the game. He’s intelligent. He’s aggressive. The players have praised him all offseason. The 2016 Vols defense is the most talented in recent memory and has all the weapons that Shoop needs to make an elite unit. Bob Shoop will elevate the defense to new heights and by the end of the season, he will be named the best hire in the country.
