The strangest day in the Mike Sherman era came on February 8, 2008, when Defensive Coordinator Assistant Head coach Reggie Herring resigned to join the Dallas Cowboys. Waves of shock pulsated throughout Aggieland. Mike Sherman had proclaimed at his press conference when hired that he was taking a lessor salary so that he could get the best assistance. And then, within a month, the key component to the coaching staff quits.
Mike Sherman hires Joe Kines as a desperation hire. Basically, he was the best person out that currently did not have a job. However, this last minute desperation hire may end up being his best.
Joe Kines was born July 13, 1944 on a train in route from Georgia to Alabama. He spent his early life traveling from city to city on train performing as a street performer for pennies. Not really. None of that is important, but this is.
When Joe got the call from Sherman, he was on working for Alabama in their Tide Pride office. Joe decided that he wanted one more crack at it and he loaded up the truck and moved to College Station. That would make 2 out of 3 defensive coordinators at Texas A&M from Alabama (Torbush and Kines), and the second straight defensive coordinator who was not working in football (Darnell and Kines). Why is he different than Torbush and Darnell?
Joe Kines has been coaching in the NCAA Division 1 and the NFL since 1977.
Joe has:
- 26 years experience at D1
- 4 years experience in the NFL
- 17 years experience coaching linebackers
- 17 years experience as a defensive coordinator
- 8 years experience as an assistant head coach
- 10 games experience as a head coach
The teams he has coached have a winning percentage .542. Just above average, right? That number is skewed by his stint as a Linebackers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. During that time the Bucs were 20-43, a winning percentage of .318.
His NCAA winning percentage is .620.
Here is what is impressive about Joe Kines. Joe has been a coach when a new head coach is brought in 6 times in his career. Twice in his career, he has been retained on the staff when a new coach has been brought in.
Kines knows the aches and pains associated with a new staff. He understands building the chemistry of the staff and developing rapport with the players. He's very experience in taking what the players do well, putting them in a system that will lead him to succeed. His first year at Florida in 1979 they went 0-10. His worst record as a coach. The next year 8-4. The next 7-5. 8-4. 9-2-1. 9-1-1. This was the beginning of the Florida foundation of football excellence and he helped build it.
In 1995, he joined Georgia as the DC. They went 6-6 and head coach Ray Goff was fired. New coach Jim Donnan retained Kines as the DC. In 1996, they went 5-6. 1997, 10-2. 1998, 9-3. 1999, 8-4.
He joined Alabama in 2003 after Dennis Franchione decided to come to College Station. Isn't it ironic, don't you think? They went 4-9 in 2003, 6-6 in 2004, 10-2 in 2005, and then 6-6 in 2006. Even more impressive was Kines' units finished second nationally in total defense in 2004 and in 2005. He was not retained by new Alabama coach Nick Saban following the 2006 season, when the Crimson Tide finished 23rd nationally.
He has a history of helping to turn programs around. At 62, is he a long term solution? No. But for now, he's a great fit with the experience to turn Texas A&M around.
And lastly, if this guy doesn't fire you up, nothing will.
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