Louisville Co-DC Ron English Talks Spring Practice (3/23/24)
Transcript
00:00 >> Back out there coaching on the field again.
00:01 >> It's good.
00:02 You know, this is the first year though that, man, it's like, okay,
00:07 I'm just watching a lot yesterday because there's a lot of new faces out there.
00:11 And just trying to make sure that they kind of have an idea of what they're doing.
00:16 But it was a different experience because of the roster turnover, to be honest.
00:21 >> Coach, you have a lot of new faces.
00:23 >> Yeah. >> You also have a lot of guys
00:26 defensively who were here last year, but really every day weren't in the mix.
00:31 Cuz they were red shirt and or a couple of them that were injured and all that.
00:34 So you really do, it's kind of double fold, isn't it?
00:36 That there's- >> Yes.
00:37 >> It's just, there's a lot of newness to the defense.
00:39 >> Yes, and I'm trying to be a little bit patient because I thought that there was
00:44 a low fest yesterday, we just kind of jogged around all day.
00:48 Some of it is guys not knowing, and some of it is out of shape, and
00:51 some of it is getting back into it.
00:54 But the reality is that these guys have to understand this last year,
00:59 it ain't like we had a whole bunch of all stars and stuff.
01:02 We played good on defense cuz we played fast and hard and we were physical and
01:06 we executed.
01:07 So it all starts with how fast you play, getting to the ball.
01:12 So we gotta do a better job of that.
01:14 That's really what came out of that practice yesterday.
01:18 >> Jeff Brown mentioned yesterday how with it being the first day of practice,
01:21 that there are bound to be mistakes.
01:22 Is it kinda hard to be patient knowing that there is-
01:25 >> Well, the effort part,
01:26 you know what I'm saying?
01:27 It's hard to be patient on that for me.
01:29 I mean, because I know from doing this so
01:32 long that you're gonna win games with effort, win games.
01:36 And that happened for us.
01:37 Sometimes guys are not always gonna be in the right place or
01:40 guys are gonna miss attack or whatever.
01:41 But if you have some overlaps, guys get to the ball, you got a chance.
01:45 But yeah, there are some mistakes, there are some mistakes.
01:50 >> Kind of in that regard, especially on the effort on day one,
01:52 how much does leadership from guys like Devin Neal play a role in making sure
01:57 other guys in secondary are giving that pull up?
01:59 >> He's out of shape too.
02:00 >> Yeah.
02:01 >> [LAUGH] >> Came off the spring break.
02:03 >> [LAUGH] >> They're all out of shape.
02:05 That's why I was trying to be cool.
02:07 I was still over there getting all, and I come in here last night,
02:10 I'm dog cussing because I'm like this, it's a low fest or whatever.
02:14 But they're all out of shape.
02:16 I mean, Devin, I heard some of the comments he made.
02:18 He gotta get himself in shape.
02:20 These guys are out of shape.
02:21 >> Well, I guess on that note, how important would it be to have leadership
02:24 then? >> Well, I'm not saying he's not.
02:26 These guys, the difference is when you're coaching all these older cats,
02:30 it's not like you gotta, you just gotta correct them.
02:34 You have to correct them and they have to understand the demands and
02:37 all that stuff.
02:37 But as we get these kids in shape, we are talented.
02:41 That corner position is legit.
02:43 It's the way, that corner position, they got good players.
02:47 We took good players.
02:47 They're good players.
02:49 I like the safety position.
02:51 We have added some depth.
02:52 We should be better there.
02:54 I think we got better at the linebacker position.
02:56 We have added some depth in that room.
02:58 And then we expect for some guys who were here already to continue their ascent and
03:03 to become good players that can play for us.
03:06 I don't think we're as deep up front as we possibly were a year ago yet, but
03:10 I expect to develop to that.
03:12 >> You have the power to cancel spring break next year, Devin?
03:15 >> Hey, I do what Jeff Brown tells me to do.
03:19 >> [LAUGH] >> You know what I mean?
03:23 >> With the safety position, obviously MJ getting injured last year.
03:28 What's it been like in obviously not having him out there fully or
03:35 whatever, is it gonna be, it's deeper, right?
03:38 You were much deeper in safety.
03:40 >> Well, at that time, to be honest with you,
03:42 I thought he was the best DB on the team, not the best safety,
03:46 the best defensive back, and then he goes down.
03:50 But what makes him is he just works at it.
03:52 He's got a great attitude.
03:54 He never felt like, whoa, it's me.
03:57 He's in my office all the time trying to do ball.
04:00 So it's hard to beat a guy out like that,
04:08 cuz he has talent too and toughness too and all that.
04:10 He's played a lot of ball.
04:11 But now he does all the extra stuff.
04:14 It's hard to beat that guy out.
04:16 It's gonna be hard to beat that guy out.
04:17 I expect, I don't wanna put pressure on him, but
04:20 I kinda expect him to be an elite player.
04:22 I think he can be an elite player, cuz he's got the traits.
04:26 >> Sorry.
04:26 >> You're good.
04:27 >> Kinda going off of that, I mean, obviously it's not ideal to have him out
04:30 last season, but what value was there in him kind of acclimating as far as kind of
04:34 seeing what you guys wanna do and learning from-
04:38 >> I'm sure it's cool for him.
04:39 I think he has some knee issues anyway.
04:41 So I think it just cleaned it all up for him.
04:45 Cuz he has some pain in there and some stuff like that that we were dealing with
04:48 and trying to make sure that we used him properly, even last spring.
04:51 The negative is we played with two safeties all year and
04:57 some around that 9, 10, 11 yard, 11 game mark,
05:01 they kinda looked beat up and tired and fatigued.
05:05 And then they got back and they played well in the championship game, I thought.
05:09 I thought we weren't as good against Kentucky.
05:14 I just didn't think we were at that position, I'm saying.
05:17 So what I'm saying is the negative to what happened is that we really didn't have
05:22 any, we played with two guys out here.
05:23 And they played good, they were both honors people.
05:27 One was honorable mention and one was 13.
05:30 So they played good football, but they wore down, they wore down.
05:34 >> Defense has a couple guys that considered going pro and
05:36 came back in quincy nation.
05:38 How have you seen their mindset after dealing with that kind of big decision and
05:42 then making the decision to come back, you like their mindset?
05:44 >> Well, I just told him, yeah, I just told him, hey, look,
05:47 you came back for a reason.
05:49 So for example, I told Quincy, you need to do everything we ask you to do.
05:53 Just do everything we ask you to do and you'll be fine.
05:57 In other words, he's gotta get a little bit better.
05:59 He's gotta get a little bit stronger.
06:00 He's gotta finish plays better.
06:02 He's gotta be more violent when he addresses blockers and getting on.
06:06 So there's some things that he can do better transition stuff.
06:08 But he's already much bigger.
06:12 He's taking heat.
06:14 And then actually, we feel we're a little light up there.
06:17 So we're gonna not wear him out this spring, so to speak.
06:23 But he's got bigger too and stronger and all that stuff.
06:27 Those guys came in for a reason.
06:29 And you're dealing with mature guys.
06:31 You're not dealing with guys that are kind of pretended, so to speak.
06:35 That they're not pretending.
06:36 They came here for a reason.
06:37 And that reason was to increase their draft status by round.
06:42 And I think they're gonna do that.
06:43 >> Right, with Ashton, he mentioned to us back when he made this decision that
06:47 being inside for a year or two, whatever it was, then moving out and
06:53 moving around, that he needed to do it two years in a row.
06:55 How much do you see, as far as talking about the next level,
06:59 to put that on tape two years in a row?
07:00 >> He needs to do that.
07:01 He needs to do that cuz he is a tweener.
07:04 A lot of people like him, it's a three technique.
07:07 I don't know if he's gonna be that.
07:08 I don't know what he's gonna be.
07:09 I know he's gonna be a good football player cuz that's who he is.
07:12 I know he's gonna play in that league, in my opinion.
07:14 I don't know where he's gonna play.
07:16 So the more reps he can get at multiple positions, the better it is for him.
07:21 And we do pride ourselves on that.
07:22 He will play multiple positions.
07:24 And we will cross train him and it'll be good for him.
07:29 >> Those guys that sat out last year who were red shirts,
07:32 Micah, Carter, Steve, Clemens, guys like that.
07:36 How have you seen them progress and what they kinda did in the offseason?
07:40 >> What I like about those guys, particularly, first off,
07:45 I don't like a whole lot yet cuz they're just learning and they're just puppies.
07:50 But what I do like is they're gonna get a lot of reps.
07:54 Because we got some guys that are down and stuff like that up front.
07:59 So I told Coach Agen this, I said, listen, I'm excited to see you coach these guys
08:04 cuz I know they're gonna get a lot better faster.
08:06 So for us to have to, for example, at nose we're just too deep right now.
08:11 At the other positions we're three deep, but at nose we're too deep.
08:14 So those young guys are gonna get a bone load of reps.
08:17 >> Speaking of guys who didn't play last season,
08:19 while you guys have some good depth at linebacker right now,
08:21 what do you anticipate the role for TJ Capers being in 2024?
08:26 [BLANK_AUDIO]
08:33 >> I gotta see more, I gotta see more.
08:36 I don't anticipate any role yet.
08:38 TJ's gotta do what we ask him to do.
08:42 Whatever it is we ask him to do that.
08:45 He's gotta do that.
08:47 There's some things that we've asked him to do that he has not done.
08:50 And as you can tell, I'm not pleased about it at all.
08:55 So we want him to have a role, we brought him here to do that.
08:58 He's a highly recruited guy, but he's gotta do what we ask him to do.
09:02 And it's not optional.
09:04 So he has to do that.
09:05 >> What about the depth you mentioned at the beginning that you like the depth at
09:09 linebacker that you added and that kind of stuff?
09:11 What do you see from that position?
09:13 >> Well, I like JD, the A&M kid.
09:15 I like JD.
09:16 He's a worker, he loves ball, he's always in here grinding.
09:20 I like that guy.
09:21 I like him a lot, right?
09:23 And I think Stan Kwan's gonna come along.
09:25 Stan Kwan, we got to put pressure on him.
09:27 We got to put pressure on him.
09:28 But he's got everything he needs to be a good player.
09:31 So we just have to put pressure on him.
09:33 We got to put pressure on him.
09:34 >> For you personally, coming in for your second year here,
09:37 what's the biggest takeaways that maybe you've had for yourself as a coordinator?
09:40 >> Just to keep getting better at what we're doing.
09:42 I thought that teams went to some different things schematically
09:49 at the end of the year, particularly Kentucky and SC.
09:52 They did some things that stressed us in different ways.
09:55 I don't think teams are just gonna line up and run traditional runs.
09:58 I think they're gonna move pieces around.
10:00 They're gonna motion and shift and try to get eyes out of position, all that.
10:03 So just to have a plan to come up with that.
10:08 And we always like to add, we've had a good off season in terms of
10:13 being around other people to get some stuff in our package that we want to get
10:20 in there, so we've done a good job of that.
10:25 My job is to A, find a role for people.
10:29 B, put them in the right position.
10:31 And C, get them to play hard.
10:32 That's my job.
10:33 Get them to play hard and then make sure we're sound in what we're doing.
10:38 But I'm excited because I do feel like I've grown in the off season.
10:41 I do feel like I have a pulse with these players and this team.
10:47 And like Devon said, really the goal is to be,
10:51 we wanna be a defense that can carry the team.
10:54 And we have some good pieces.
10:57 >> I have a two part question with Tamari and Wesley coming in here.
11:03 I know obviously you guys have experience with former teammates,
11:06 staying teammates with Cam and Storm.
11:08 But I guess, what on film did you see about those two and
11:10 then how much does that camaraderie kind of- >> Well, they're explosive.
11:13 Those guys are explosive.
11:15 And they play SEC football.
11:18 And you coach in that league,
11:19 one thing about the SEC is that was different than what I thought was.
11:25 You got smart players and smart coaches.
11:28 That's a football league.
11:29 Those guys know ball.
11:30 So these guys know ball.
11:32 They just gotta learn what we're doing.
11:33 But I did like them in terms of, you got to make real plays in that league and
11:38 they can do that.
11:39 They can make plays.
11:40 They play a lot of football.
11:42 Wesley's been to a couple of schools.
11:45 So I had to get on him a lot earlier about, hey, this is what we do here.
11:50 And then with T-Mac, we're kind of moving him around a little bit
11:54 to play him at some different spots.
11:56 And we'll see how that pans out.
11:59 We know what he can do at the start position cuz that's really what he played.
12:03 We're playing him a little bit of safety just to kind of see what he looks like
12:06 there right now.
12:07 But he played star for three years in that league and
12:11 he's a good player at that.
12:12 >> With all the newcomers that you have, of course, you only one spring practice in.
12:16 But who's someone at this point who's kind of surprised you or
12:20 who you have big expectations of in spring?
12:22 >> I like all three of the corners.
12:25 I like all three of them.
12:29 Those dudes are real dudes.
12:31 The Holloway kid, Corey from DCF, and
12:35 then we called the dude ball kid from Illinois.
12:40 Those guys are dudes.
12:42 Them dudes are dudes.
12:44 I saw tape, I said, okay, these are real dudes.
12:48 Cuz I know on tape they don't shy away from contact and
12:52 they are competitive and all that.
12:53 But watching them out there,
12:56 [BLANK_AUDIO]
13:00 We're as good as that position at a school that I've been in a long time.
13:04 Now listen, something didn't get happened.
13:07 I'm just saying right now, that position is a real, you got a real team.
13:12 That's a real position for this team.
13:14 >> Jeff actually mentioned Aaron Williams as a guy that's awesome.
13:16 >> I can't tell.
13:18 I thought when I went and saw him play,
13:19 I said that is one of the best high school football players I've seen.
13:23 He was unbelievable.
13:24 So we went to the championship game.
13:26 He's playing on the tournament ACL, right, same name.
13:30 He had a pick, I think he scored.
13:32 He had a pick six, I think.
13:33 Did he have a pick?
13:34 He scored that break?
13:35 And then he had, just blew guys up.
13:38 You wouldn't, I left, I said there's no way that guy has an ACL.
13:42 The dude is a real dude.
13:44 He's a player too, I forgot about him.
13:46 That guy can play.
13:49 Like I said, I won't just say the floor.
13:52 This is one of the best corner rooms I've been around in a long time.
13:56 You got five guys that can play.
13:58 >> Ron, you've mentioned a few times about moving guys, putting guys, doing that.
14:02 How much fun is sprint?
14:04 You might get frustrated because they're not where they wanna be or they are.
14:07 >> Right. >> But how much fun do you have in
14:08 spring just kind of playing with things?
14:10 >> Well, it's cool because Coach Brown wants to do that.
14:13 He sees spring as youth development and for
14:16 us to do some things ideally in terms of that we wanna do.
14:22 And so that's what we're doing.
14:24 So it's fun.
14:25 It's gonna add to what we do.
14:26 We had a package, really, that we used a lot last year that we didn't
14:32 really use a lot the year before, but that we had been practicing for two years.
14:36 So you know what I'm saying?
14:37 So it just, it evolves like that.
14:39 But no, it's fun cuz when you're younger, you wanna be the offense every day, right?
14:46 I mean, that's your whole thing.
14:48 You gotta be the offense every day.
14:49 You go home, I'll fist-off, kick the dog, and you yell at your wife cuz you don't
14:52 wanna be the offense on Tuesday in March.
14:56 That nobody even remembers, right?
14:57 But then as you get older, you kinda start tinkering more and
15:03 you kinda, you know what I mean?
15:05 There are certain things that make you mad, like not playing hard.
15:08 But in terms of the mistakes, we're gonna get them right there, and
15:12 we wanna just look at some stuff we haven't looked at.
15:14 >> All right, thanks, Coach.