- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,198,919
- Reaction score
- 59
Michigan football has had about as thorough a changing of the guard this offseason as you can have, with all but one coach from last year's staff gone.
Tony Alford, who oversees the running backs, is the extant returner, but new head coach Kyle Whittingham had intended for there to be two, having rehired Lou Esposito to work with the defensive tackles. But when the NFL came calling, Esposito answered, and thus Whittingham had a late hire to make. And with that, he brought in former Vanderbilt coach Larry Black.
A former Indiana defensive tackle and brother of former Wolverines DT Jibreel Black, the new Michigan defensive tackles coach spoke for the first time since joining the maize and blue, detailing his philosophy to Jon Jansen on the latest In the Trenches podcast.
"We're going to play – we're going to try and be as high level as possible," Black said. "I always teach our guys this, what we're looking to do: we're looking to create space versus the run. So playing with triple extension, locking things out, playing with leverage, and like resetting and really preaching to those guys. If we could control those A gaps and those B gaps, we're going to be one of the best D-lines in the country. Playing hard.
"I always tell my guys, like, how high level can we be? So, when it comes to the run, creating space, and then when it comes to the pass, how are we closing space in the pocket, closing distance on those O-linemen, and like really getting to our moves and causing havoc? And just being very detailed. We want to be the best run defense in the country, and we want to be top against rush, sacks, pressures, and hurries. Like we want it all."
That might be what he wants out of his players, but Black also asks a lot of himself. He told Jansen that if he's ever languishing or not bringing the energy, he asks the players to call him out on it. Because he's as accountable as they are.
"I'm going to bring it every day. That's my job as their coach," Black said. "How am I coaching up their technique so they can play as fast as they humanly can, and (with) high energy. And I tell my guys this every day. Call me out on a day when you don't feel like I have that and I'm not bringing it, let me know. But it's going to be hard. And I've been doing that with my players since I was at Carthage, and it's just like pick a day. I challenge them. Pick a day where I don't have that. And that's what I hold them to.
"So it's exciting, man, but I'm excited. Like, I just hope when you guys watch our front, working with Coach Powell has been great. And Coach Hill -- when you guys watch our front, I hope you guys feel like, man, these guys are angry, but they're freaking playing with technique, and we're freaking building a run wall, and we're closing space versus the pass. That's what I want you guys to see."
Spring practice begins in less than a week, and Black admits he hasn't gotten to know the players as well as he would like to this point. So while he doesn't have as solid an impression on his room as perhaps some of his colleagues, what does he hope to see after 15 practices?
"I want those guys to stack really good days. And what I'm looking for is like as we stack days throughout the spring, and we look up, one week is done. That's a great week," Black said. "We stack another good week. That's done. Then you look up, you have a great two months. That's where we're going to get better.
"I hope when we look up at the end of spring, we felt like we became very, very dominant with our hands. We're getting our steps in the ground. We're playing with a base. You know what I mean? Like we're resetting the line of scrimmage, and then we're doing a good job executing in our rush lanes and causing havoc and affecting the passer. That's what I hope to look up.
"And then just from our whole defensive structure, guys knowing where they fit in within the defense and being able to execute the calls at a high level, like it's freaking like Western Michigan is here. You know what I mean? Like that's what I'm looking forward to, and that's the exciting part about it."
Spring ball is set to begin on March 17, with the annual spring game set for April 18 at The Big House at 2 p.m. EDT.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football's new D-line coach Larry Black outlines philosophy
Continue reading...
Tony Alford, who oversees the running backs, is the extant returner, but new head coach Kyle Whittingham had intended for there to be two, having rehired Lou Esposito to work with the defensive tackles. But when the NFL came calling, Esposito answered, and thus Whittingham had a late hire to make. And with that, he brought in former Vanderbilt coach Larry Black.
A former Indiana defensive tackle and brother of former Wolverines DT Jibreel Black, the new Michigan defensive tackles coach spoke for the first time since joining the maize and blue, detailing his philosophy to Jon Jansen on the latest In the Trenches podcast.
"We're going to play – we're going to try and be as high level as possible," Black said. "I always teach our guys this, what we're looking to do: we're looking to create space versus the run. So playing with triple extension, locking things out, playing with leverage, and like resetting and really preaching to those guys. If we could control those A gaps and those B gaps, we're going to be one of the best D-lines in the country. Playing hard.
"I always tell my guys, like, how high level can we be? So, when it comes to the run, creating space, and then when it comes to the pass, how are we closing space in the pocket, closing distance on those O-linemen, and like really getting to our moves and causing havoc? And just being very detailed. We want to be the best run defense in the country, and we want to be top against rush, sacks, pressures, and hurries. Like we want it all."
That might be what he wants out of his players, but Black also asks a lot of himself. He told Jansen that if he's ever languishing or not bringing the energy, he asks the players to call him out on it. Because he's as accountable as they are.
"I'm going to bring it every day. That's my job as their coach," Black said. "How am I coaching up their technique so they can play as fast as they humanly can, and (with) high energy. And I tell my guys this every day. Call me out on a day when you don't feel like I have that and I'm not bringing it, let me know. But it's going to be hard. And I've been doing that with my players since I was at Carthage, and it's just like pick a day. I challenge them. Pick a day where I don't have that. And that's what I hold them to.
"So it's exciting, man, but I'm excited. Like, I just hope when you guys watch our front, working with Coach Powell has been great. And Coach Hill -- when you guys watch our front, I hope you guys feel like, man, these guys are angry, but they're freaking playing with technique, and we're freaking building a run wall, and we're closing space versus the pass. That's what I want you guys to see."
Spring practice begins in less than a week, and Black admits he hasn't gotten to know the players as well as he would like to this point. So while he doesn't have as solid an impression on his room as perhaps some of his colleagues, what does he hope to see after 15 practices?
"I want those guys to stack really good days. And what I'm looking for is like as we stack days throughout the spring, and we look up, one week is done. That's a great week," Black said. "We stack another good week. That's done. Then you look up, you have a great two months. That's where we're going to get better.
"I hope when we look up at the end of spring, we felt like we became very, very dominant with our hands. We're getting our steps in the ground. We're playing with a base. You know what I mean? Like we're resetting the line of scrimmage, and then we're doing a good job executing in our rush lanes and causing havoc and affecting the passer. That's what I hope to look up.
"And then just from our whole defensive structure, guys knowing where they fit in within the defense and being able to execute the calls at a high level, like it's freaking like Western Michigan is here. You know what I mean? Like that's what I'm looking forward to, and that's the exciting part about it."
Spring ball is set to begin on March 17, with the annual spring game set for April 18 at The Big House at 2 p.m. EDT.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football's new D-line coach Larry Black outlines philosophy
Continue reading...
