‘He’s a human cheat code’: How David Gibbs plans to get MU to force more turnovers

For over a year, Barry Odom has talked about working with David Gibbs.

When asked about creating more turnovers during Missouri’s preseason football camp in 2018, Odom recalled a conversation he had with Gibbs, who was then the defensive coordinator at Texas Tech.

“We don’t really do anything,” Gibbs told Odom. “We just make an emphasis of it.”

Now Gibbs is MU’s cornerbacks coach after the Red Raiders had a coaching change. Odom is downright giddy about it. Gibbs’ track record speaks for itself, and Missouri has struggled to create turnovers in Odom’s three years as MU’s coach.

The last three seasons, Missouri has regressed in forcing turnovers, especially interceptions, as the Tigers have ranked 22nd, 54th and most recently 73rd nationally in picks under Odom. Missouri has never ranked higher than 103rd in forced fumbles under Odom, who was hired for his prowess as a defensive coach.

Now he turns to Gibbs for help with that.

In 2012, Houston ranked No. 9 in interceptions with 19, a year before Gibbs was hired to be the Cougars defensive coordinator. A year later, the Cougars ranked second with 25 and went from being ranked No. 19 in forced fumbles to fifth.

When Gibbs became the Red Raiders defensive coordinator in 2015, he inherited a defense that had just six interceptions the year before, which ranked No. 112 among all FBS teams. In Gibbs’ first season, the Red Raiders saw their interception numbers more than double, and they finished in the top 25.

“He still doesn’t say that he has a secret recipe,” Odom said. “But I still say he does.”

Gibbs struggled leading the entire Tech defense in a scoring-heavy Big 12, as the Red Raiders tended to rank toward the bottom in total defense, but his impact on forcing turnovers should still be encouraging for Odom and MU.

At the beginning of fall camp, veteran cornerbacks DeMarkus Acy and Christian Holmes said Gibbs walked into a position meeting extremely fired up.

“I don’t have a presentation for you,” Gibbs told the players.

Gibbs pulled out a football, held it for the entire room to see.

“It’s not that hard. Just get the ball,” he said. “This is what it’s all about.”

Missouri hasn’t had a lockdown cornerback since E.J. Gaines, who anchored Missouri’s defense in 2013 and was a major reason why the Tigers won the first of two consecutive SEC Eastern Division titles. In its final regular season game of 2013, Missouri needed a win against Texas A&M to clinch the division. Gaines famously held Aggies star wideout Mike Evans to just four catches for eight yards in a 28-21 MU win, and the corner is now entering his sixth NFL season with the Buffalo Bills.

The Tigers have a chance to have another player like Gaines with Acy and Holmes both coming off strong seasons. Acy has been projected as a pick in April’s NFL Draft because of his 6-foot-2 frame and ball skills.

Acy said at SEC Media Days in July that Gibbs often talks about coaching now-Bengals cornerback William Jackson III when the two were at Houston. Acy said he wants Gibbs to brag about coaching him one day.

Gibbs, who coached the Chiefs secondary from 2006-08, said the places at which he’s had the most success have made creating turnovers part of their identity. Both Texas Tech and Houston are schools known more for having high-powered offenses but embraced Gibbs’ philosophies on defense.

Odom and defensive coordinator Ryan Walters have taken similar approaches to Gibbs’ past stops, which is why he’s optimistic that he can replicate the same success at MU. Walters father, Marc, played with Gibbs at Colorado, and the younger Walters has known Gibbs his whole life, which has made for what Holmes calls “the dynamic duo.”

“He talks about (turnovers) all the time,” Odom said. “It’s easy to talk about it, and I’m guilty of it. You talk about it early on and it sounds important and you do it, he does it as consistent as anybody I’ve ever been around. The consistency of it over and over and over. It’s going to pay huge dividends for us.”

Gibbs has pushed Missouri’s players into trying to force turnovers whenever they can. Holmes said players shouldn’t be happy with a drill if a pass is coming their way and it ends without a turnover. They have been encouraged to make the word “turnover” part of their everyday vernacular.

“He’s like a human cheat code,” Holmes said.

Time will tell how big of an impact Gibbs has on Mizzou’s defense and what kind of jump Missouri makes in forcing turnovers. Under Gary Pinkel, MU had a 47-game streak in which it forced a turnover, which played a major role in the Tigers’ two SEC East titles.

Holmes already expects a jump coming because of MU’s returning personnel and Gibbs’ teachings, which has made scrimmages a lot tougher on the Tigers offense early in camp.

“You just preach it,” Gibbs said. “You live it.”