Cornerbacks coach Aaron Fletcher spent six seasons with the Hurricane.
The University of Tulsa coaching staff lost another significant piece Monday with the departure of cornerbacks coach Aaron Fletcher to Missouri.
Fletcher, who was hired to coach defensive backs for the Tigers, was on Philip Montgomery's inaugural staff in 2015 and spent six seasons developing the Hurricane cornerbacks into some of the best in the country.
In 2019, cornerback Reggie Robinson II led the American Athletic Conference and ranked six nationally with 17 passes defended. He went on to be drafted in the fourth round by the Dallas Cowboys.
Also that season, TU was eighth nationally against the pass. In 2020, standout tandem Allie Green IV and Akayleb Evans anchored a unit that surrendered only 189.6 passing yards per game.
Fletcher is the second Hurricane assistant hired by an SEC program since TU finished as runner-up in the American last season. Defensive line coach Jermial Ashley left for Arkansas last month.
Additionally, running backs coach Justin Hill was hired away, making the jump to the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals. Hill and Ashley also were on Montgomery's original staff.
On Tuesday, TU announced the hiring of 32-year coaching veteran Jesse Williams to replace Ashley. Williams has spent his entire career — at 11 schools, most recently Eastern Kentucky — coaching defensive lines.
“He brings a ton of experience to our program,” Montgomery said. “His defensive lines have played tremendously well throughout the years. Jesse is a seasoned coach who brings a lot of knowledge and experience to our athletes, our defensive staff and our staff overall.”
Throughout his career, Williams has recruited in California, Georgia, Texas, Florida and Ohio. Aside from Texas, TU has not brought in many players from those states in recent years.
“From a recruiting standpoint, Jesse has a great base that will allow us to hit some different spots and continue to broaden our recruiting footprint,” Montgomery said. “He has a great eye for talent and developing talent, and that’s what it’s about from a coaching standpoint — recruiting guys and being able to develop them when you get them here.”
Also on Tuesday, defensive coordinator Joseph Gillespie was named linebackers coach of the year by FootballScoop. The Hurricane linebackers, led by Zaven Collins, helped TU shave 10 points off its scoring defense from the previous season.
Season in review: Was the 2020 season a success for Tulsa?
Season in review: Was the 2020 season a success for Tulsa?
Watch Now: Kelly Hines on a wild, but successful 2020 season for TU football
Can the 2020 season be considered a success?
In a word: Yes. The Hurricane, coming off three consecutive down years, was picked to finish ninth out of 11 teams in the American. Despite winnable contests being removed from the schedule because of COVID-19, TU prevailed in an improbable six conference games in a row after dropping the season opener at Oklahoma State while not at full strength. The conference championship game at undefeated Cincinnati came down to a walk-off field goal that went in the Bearcats' favor, and the season ended with a 28-26 loss against Mississippi State in the Armed Forces Bowl.
Offensive MVP: Corey Taylor II
In his final season, Taylor continued to put his team on his back, churning hard-fought yardage and giving maximum effort. Taylor was limited by injuries but finished with 544 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
Defensive MVP: Zaven Collins
Zaven Collins. Emerging as the top defensive player in the country, Collins was a dominant playmaker who anchored the Hurricane defense. He totaled 53 tackles including 11.5 for lost yardage and four sacks, four interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and safety.
Assistant coach of the year: Joseph Gillespie
In addition to overseeing a unit that ranked 19th nationally in total defense, Gillespie coached an excellent linebacker corps that featured Collins in addition to breakout tackling sensation Justin Wright.
Offense grade: B
Although it was a step in the right direction, the offense was often painful to watch, particularly in the first quarter. Some of that can be attributed to the start-and-stop nature of the season, and the Hurricane typically gained rhythm as the games wore on. Quarterback Zach Smith completed 55.9% of his passes with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The offensive line was solid and the run game was productive. Four receivers caught at least 28 passes including JuanCarlos Santana, who developed into a primary weapon. In terms of production, TU finished outside the top 50 in college football with 410.4 yards per game.
Defense grade: A
Statistically, this was the Hurricane's best defense since 2006. Despite a schedule that included games against several elite offenses, TU allowed only 21.6 points per game and was excellent against the pass, giving up 189.6 yards per game. Collins and Wright were among a wealth of playmakers including defensive linemen Jaxon Player and Anthony Goodlow; cornerbacks Allie Green IV and Akayleb Evans; and safeties Kendarin Ray, Cristian Williams and TieNeal Martin. The well-coached defense was the primary reason the team produced a turnaround season.
Special teams grade: B
After several seasons of underwhelming placekicking, Zack Long won the job and proved to be clutch on field goals, making 12 of 15 including several crucial ones that led to victories. Lachlan Wilson, a freshman from Australia, had 14 punts land inside the 20-yard line. Where TU struggled was on punt and kickoff returns, where its coverage was problematic. The Hurricane ranked among the worst nationally in opponent punt returns, giving up an average of 15.6 yards.
Top three wins of 2020
Tulsa’s third quarterback of the game, Davis Brin looks for room against the Tulane defense during their game at H.A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020.
Worst three moments
1. Bowl brawl: Immediately after ending the season with a hard-fought loss against Mississippi State, TU made national news for the ugly scene on the field. The fight that broke out went off the rails on the Hurricane sideline, with players throwing punches and swinging helmets. Suspensions for TU players are likely but haven't been announced, pending a review from the university and the conference.
2. Cincinnati drama: The most-anticipated game of the season was scheduled for mid-October at Chapman Stadium but was postponed to December because of the Bearcats' COVID situation. When game week finally arrived, Cincinnati again had positive results and contact tracing, resulting in the game being canceled and TU not being able to play for a chance to host the conference title game, which the Hurricane lost by a field goal.
3. Missed opportunity: The opener at No. 11 OSU was pushed back a week to give TU more time to prepare, having lost a significant portion of fall camp because of COVID. Several key players were coming out of quarantine and not quite properly conditioned for the game, and Collins missed most of the second half. The Hurricane offense struggled and failed to score in the second half, leading to a 16-7 defeat.
Top question entering 2021: Can TU again contend for a conference title?
There is a good chance for the success to continue. TU will retain a great deal of talent including running back Shamari Brooks, who missed the season with a knee injury. After showcasing his ability against Tulane, Brin is the likely heir at quarterback. The defense has at least seven starters expected back in 2021, boosted by the return of at least a few seniors: Green, Martin and Tyarise Stevenson. The program appears to be trending in the right direction, and this team earned respect nationally and within the conference.
Players from both teams exchanged blows following the game.
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Kelly Hines
Sports Writer
I have covered college football and college basketball for the Tulsa World since 2012. I spend my spare time as an animal rescue volunteer, focusing on spaying and neutering community cats in the Tulsa area. Phone: 918-581-8452
