In 2022, LSU football finished No. 130 in special teams efficiency according to ESPN’s Power Index. Considering there were 131 teams in the FBS last season, that’s not a fact that makes many Tiger fans ecstatic.
Behind Brian Polian, the unit placed outside the top 100 in kickoff return defense, punt return defense, blocked kicks and blocked kicks allowed, with the stats by no means telling the full story.
A breakdown on the line allowed Florida State to block a potential game-tying extra point, which followed multiple muffed punts from Malik Nabers. A muffed kickoff against Tennessee immediately turned the tide in the Volunteers’ favor in what quickly spiraled into a demoralizing blowout.
The list goes on. While Polian would remain with the team to help navigate the transfer portal and manage the roster, his time as the special teams coordinator would come to an end following the 2022-23 season.
Enter John Jancek.
On Feb. 28, the then-senior defensive analyst was promoted to be the team’s next special teams coordinator, along with receiving a second designation as the outside linebackers coach.
Amidst his three-decade career, those marked his seventh and eighth coaching positions in the SEC alone, which have spanned from a defensive quality control coach with Georgia, where he won a national championship, to the defensive coordinator at Tennessee. Considering Jancek’s extensive SEC background and experience, the move made a lot of sense.
With all the coaching jobs he’s had over his career and the fact that Bryan Kelly hired him specifically to take care of the team’s biggest flaw from last season, it may come as a surprise that he has never actually been a special teams coordinator before. However, Jancek doesn’t see it that way.
“I’ve been a part of special teams my entire career as a defensive coach,” Jancek claimed. “Linebackers, safeties, whatever it may be. All those guys are very involved in special teams.”
On the same topic, he believes that his chemistry with Kelly plays a large role in both his comfort with the position and Kelly’s trust in him getting the job done. They have had multiple coaching stints together, most notably when Jancek was Kelly’s defensive coordinator at Grand Valley State from 1999-2002.
“With me having coached for Kelly in the past, he had a comfort level with me,” Jancek said. “We had great communication and really it was not what we did, but how we did it.”
In terms of special teams and fixing its problems from last season, Jancek says the focus now is on the present and doing everything they can to make this current unit the best it can be.
They have coaches assigned to different areas of each unit. For example, graduate assistants Zac Jancek and Nick Coleman are designated to each side of the punt team and Special Teams Analyst Lester Erb is focused on its overall organization.
On the players, the focus is getting multiple guys plenty of reps throughout spring, especially when it comes to fielding punts. The guys currently getting reps include Greg Clayton Jr, Sage Ryan, Noah Cain and freshman receiver Kyle Parker. Jancek said Aaron Anderson would also be involved once he returns.
“It’s an ongoing evaluation, but we feel good with the guys we have back there,” Jancek said. “There’s a number of guys that are getting work and the amount of reps that they need to get so that we have a comfort level as punt returners and kick returners.”
Regarding his designation as the outside linebackers coach, both Kelly and defensive coordinator Matt House believe having an individual focused on developing their pass rush is something it needs to take that area to the next level. House added that the complexity of the JACK linebacker position is often underestimated.
“They can be part of the coverage or be part of the front. They can be an inside rusher or an outside rusher,” House said. “Although it’s not the most difficult position to learn from an assignment standpoint, it’s very important that you drill the technical aspect of that position.”
Like his assignment to special teams, Jancek has never keyed in on the outside linebacker position. But due to his overall experience at coaching defense, he believes he’s more than capable of tackling it.
“I’m pretty well-versed in coverage, I’m pretty well-versed in pass rush and pretty well versed in the run game,” Jancek said. “I think that’s the outside linebacker position.”
While his experience is a huge talking point, another aspect of his character that’s consistently brought up is his energy. When House and defensive end Ovie Oghoufo were asked about him, each cited his energy and wisdom as reasons they’re high on him.
“He comes in and drops knowledge and expects a lot from us. And it’s fun, he’s a fun coach. Very active, very elusive.” Oghoufo said. “It makes it fun for us at practice, but you know, he’s demanding, which is good too.”
