@CanesFootball Returns to Greentree for Day Two of #CanesCamp
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami football team returned to the Greentree Practice Fields on Thursday morning for the second day of spring practice under head coach Mark Richt.
The Hurricanes began practice this morning at 9 a.m. during another sunny day in South Florida. The second practice placed the team in helmets and no pads as the Hurricanes ran through another day of drills and play installation.
Following practice, Richt, defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski, safety Jaquan Johnson, tight end David Njoku, linebacker Jamie Gordinier, cornerback Sheldrick Redwine and defensive lineman Chad Thomas spoke to members of the media.
Miami returns to the gridiron on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Greentree Practice Fields. Saturday’s practice also will mark the team’s first day in pads.
The spring schedule will conclude on April 16 with its spring game (2 p.m.) at Lockhart Stadium and will be aired live on ESPN3. The Hurricanes’ spring game also will be open to the public and will be free for all fans.
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Spring Camp – Day Two
Head coach Mark Richt
On the second day of practice
“We practiced harder, longer. We finished the drills better. We had a lot less guys, if they ended up on the ground they got up off the ground. I didn’t see anybody bow his neck or even act like anything other than ‘coach me coach’ attitude. We’ve got a long way to go overall, but when they practice that way and buy in that way then we have a chance.”
On the practice format
“I think they enjoy the organization. They enjoy the tempo. They enjoy the coaching. They enjoy the consistency of how we’re asking everybody to do the same thing, whether it be how they dress, how their chinstrap buckles when a drill starts. Whatever it may be. So I think that’s probably why they are enjoying it. I think they’re probably already seeing that we’re getting better.”
On what is required from the team
“There is a certain way we want things done and we’re going to ask them to do it that way. Then we’re going to demand basically that they do it that way. When you’re consistent with them, ‘this is the way we’re going to do it and if you don’t do it that way then this is going to happen,’ they learn pretty quickly, if you follow through. If you only follow through once or twice, if one day you’re in a good mood and you do it one way and one day you’re in a bad mood and you do it another way, it’s confusing. I think every team, and even when you raise kids, they want to know if you are serious, ‘hey yeah, you got to be in at 11 son’. If he comes in at 11:15, two nights in a row, he’s like ‘whatever’. If he shows up at 11:01 every time and you bust his tail every time then he knows that you are serious and they will stay within the boundaries that you give them. I think they (our team) really do want to buy in.”
On the 4-3 defense
“It wasn’t like I had to have a four-three no matter what. I was wanting that, but you got to hire the right man. If he happens to run a three-four with some four-three concepts, if he’s the right man, if he’s the best man for the job then I’m going to hire him. But I really feel Manny was the best man for the job and I do love the fact that it is in a four-three format. It does let guys turn it loose and kids I think they really enjoy doing that. If you are a read it and react team and that kind of the thing, it’s just not quite as fun.”
On the team’s defensive personnel
“You want guys with speed. You want guys that are very athletic. But you want guys that are going to be coachable and teachable. Its not like guys are just doing what they want to do. They’re turning it loose because there aren’t so many assignments that their minds are binded up. A confused player can’t play fast. So coach (Diaz) makes it simple for the defense, but creates problems for the offense. Something that I know about Manny (Diaz) is that he is a very smart football coach. He understands offensive football. He understands protections. He understands run the game. He understands what offenses are trying to accomplish and then he’ll have something for it.”
On whether or not he will be spending a lot of time with the defense
“Me personally, I’m not going to spend a lot of time on it. I hired Manny (Diaz) to be the tip of the spear on this thing. I’m going to be coaching offense. I’m going to be very involved with special teams. I will meet with the defensive staff on a weekly basis, once or twice a week. Once early in the week to kind of get a feel for what’s happening and as far as what he’s thinking, and then another after games so we can review everything together and talk about personnel and all that kind of the thing. Manny is being hired to run the show, because I’m not going to be over they’re trying to tell the defense what to do. Now there may be some things that I might say ‘hey when a defense does this to us its problematic, you may want to think about it,’ but I’m not going to be an expert, compared to what Manny knows.”
Manny Diaz, Defensive Coordinator
On the team’s plan defensively
“What we want to do as a coaching staff is when it is not good, we want to tell them it’s not good and when it is good, we want to tell them it’s good. I think as a player that’s all you can ask for. As a coaching staff, we are fully invested in the development of our players. As a player, that’s really all you can ask for. They may not always like what we tell them, but they’ll know that it’s the truth as far as we can see it. I think if they know more than anything that we care about them and that we are there for them. I think hopefully they will respond to that.”
On the team having fun
“Well we actually got on them. I don’t think they had as much fun day one. We actually had to chastise them for not having enough fun. We kind of got on them a little bit and tried to get them to play with a little more passion. They’re learning what that means. That can mean a lot of things to different people. But we want to be a team that when you come watch us play, we look like we are playing with the proper passion.”
On the team’s willingness to compete
“The great thing we have is that our kids are willing. They have brought in to everything that Coach Richt is saying. They want to be coached hard. They get it. No one here is happy with the amount of games that have been won.”
Craig Kuligowski, Defensive Line Coach
On spring practice
“This is an evaluation process. It’s not a one day thing. It’s an every day thing. We are looking for consistency, competitiveness, toughness and can we trust them.”
On whether or not there is a lot of thinking required in the new defensive scheme
“If there is a lot of thinking required, I did something wrong. You cannot ask someone to run through a wall, but before you run through, analyze it and find the weak spot. That is what your scouting report before the game is supposed to tell you.”
Jamie Gordinier, Redshirt Freshman, LB
On the team’s conditioning
“The strength staff that we’ve hired has done a great job with conditioning, so I feel good.”
On what the defense is working on right now
“The thing is, a lot of people want to think it’s the scheme – it’s the four-three, we’re blitzing now – but really we’re fixing two things. We’re fixing running to the ball and tackling. That’s two things that we’ve been focusing on.”
On the defensive scheme
“Right now it is simpler because were just getting started. We haven’t installed too much. It’s just the basics right now.”
On the team’s attitude
“Everyone is having fun. There is a lot more energy, so that’s something I like. It comes from the head coach. It comes from the whole coaching staff and all the work we’ve done in the offseason to prepare us for this moment.”
Jaquan Johnson, Sophomore, DB
On the defense
“The defense is not complex at all. It’s fairly simple. It helps us play fast and get to the ball and make tackles. The defense helps me personally. I’m moving fast and using my instincts.”
On the rotation of players
“It’s been a big rotation. Sometimes I’m with the first group, sometimes with the second or third. It’s been a big rotation so it really hasn’t been a depth chart yet.”
On the new defense
“It’s something new at the University of Miami, so everybody is excited. Everybody is just working towards trying to get it down and get in their playbooks, so we can really master it.”
David Njoku, Redshirt Freshman, TE
On his approach to spring practice
“All I’ve been told is to work hard every day and good things will come. So that’s what I’ve been doing. I’ve been working really hard every day and giving it all I’ve got. Full speed everything, that’s pretty much it.”
