I think the only time he’s necessarily been successful was as the head coach at SUU. He failed at other places as a DC.
At byu, I’d say mixed results, but his under the radar recruiting (rather than chasing higher recruits) hasn’t necessarily translated to overall defensive talent. Seems like he’s part of the “lazy” recruiting philosophy. Some hits in the secondary, mostly credit to Gilford. The positioning of the safeties (consistently so far back) is baffling and that and the passive nature of the defense may come from some of his influences, leading to mediocre defensives. Most concerning to me are the reports that he’s had issues with several players. Not sure it true, but clearly he doesn’t pamper guys either, so that’s not always a bad thing.
Generally it’s just time for new defensive coaches. We need coaches who are relentless recruiters. Our current defensive coaches don’t seem like they are that. The talent level on defense needs a big upgrade.