[file because today was a suit day]
Your brother told us that you threw people out of practice yesterday.
“I did?”
That's what he said. Rick Leach too?
/laughs
“No, you'd never kick Rick Leach out of a Michigan practice.”
Who won the last time-
“That was exaggerated.”
Who won the last time you two played golf?
“I don't know. He won the last big one.”
He said he won nine holes and then you too played two extra holes that you won.
“I don't recall.”
You had five practices. Are you getting a better feel for the personnel and what you have to work with?
“Yes, yes. You get a better feel for – you get to know people as you go. You learn a little more about someone every day.”
Can you talk a little bit about personnel at the center position? I know you've had some attrition.
“Uh huh. Yes.”
I was just wondering who's filling in.
“Glasgow's doing a real nice job. He's been a tough, steady player. We will need others at that position as well.”
Were you disappointed to see Jack [Miller] leave or did you understand it?
“Yeah, and I appreciated the honesty and I have a level of respect for what he had to say and continuing his education. There is some job opportunities that he has and he's going to pursue that, so you always appreciate the honesty.”
In terms of quarterbacks is there maybe one thing that you want a little bit more of right now? How's that all going?
“It's going good. We're making strides every day, like I said earlier. They're doing a lot of little things better and better each day and they're all really – it means a lot to them, each guy that we have. That's all you can ask for as a coach.”
[I purposely didn’t do bullets because you’re going to want to read everything after THE JUMP]
We talked the other day about Alex Malzone's ability to focus. As a young guy, have you been impressed similarly?
“I'd say that for all the quarterbacks we have. The level of focus and the want to do well- you give them a coaching point and they are right there hanging on it. Every day drill by drill we’re improving different facets as we go. They all want to be good. They all want to be the way we’re coaching them to do it. Like I said, that's all we ask.”
You're about one third of the way through after five practices-
“One third of the way exactly!”
Do you have a good feeling for the culture of the program you inherited and where it is?
“Well, it's very early for that, to say what the culture is going to be. It'll be what it is, what it becomes.”
Defense is usually ahead of the offense at this time of year. Is that the case or don't you have a feel for that yet?
“Uh, defense has been doing extremely well. Been very impressed with the way our defense has been playing.”
Do you feel any pushback from players and anything that you're trying to do with them?
“Our guys have been real gung-ho. We talked about it with the quarterbacks but it's overarching with the whole team. They've come in in great shape and their focus, their energy – they want to be great, They want to improve, they want to be better each day and that's what you ask for as coaches. There's a real level of happiness when you get that.”
If there's any attrition would you expect to know pretty quickly?
/blank stare
Like Jack leaving the other day. If there's anything else like that would you expect to know fairly soon?
“I don't know if I’d use the word ‘expect.’ I don't know if I could expect that. I don't know if I have the capacity to know that or expect that.”
You seem to-
“Life happening.”
Life's happening for you. Last week was pretty –
“Football happening, life happening!”
Can you talk about your life over the last week?
“It's a process. It's ongoing.”
The accident on I-94 and then being with the Oakland A’s: is this a typical week in your life?
“No. It's two things that were – I've never been a first base coach for a major league baseball team. That was a first, so that would not be typical, no.”
The I-94 –
“The other, that was a horrible accident. Just happy that both of the passengers and the dog are alive and really came out pretty darn well. Makes you understand and know for sure that there is a creator that looks out for all of us.”
Have you spoken to her since?
“Yes. It's tough. Wow.”
What did she say?
“She's just an amazing, amazing lady. And the dog. Can't describe the accident because I've never seen one like that before. Not even on videos. It's a miracle. Like I said, there's a creator that looks after us. She understands that as well.”
Back to football, guys were saying you've been out there on the practice field for four hours every time you've been out. Does that take away from meeting time and how do you find the balance there?
“One way we found the balance there is part of that time is meeting on the field. It's class on the grass.”
Is it intentional? Do you want to keep them out there that long to test their endurance or toughness, or what's the benefit of it?
“No, no, you just get better at football by playing football. That's the mindset there, and as I said there's a significant part of that time that is teaching and is class just on your feet rather than being in a classroom.”
What's a day like today like for you getting to spend some time with high school coaches and your brother? That's the kind of thing you probably wouldn't have been able to do in the NFL.
“Yeah, it's a thrill. I love being around coaches. I've been around coaches since I can ever remember. My dad was always friends with coaches. My relatives were coaches. I've worked for coaches, so [I have a] deep, abiding respect for the coaching profession. High school coaches touch the most amount of athletes, football players, than any other level and it's great to share. It's great to share ideas, their ideas and our ideas, and get to know some of the best and brightest coaches.”
Are you still in a spot where quarterbacks are sharing reps evenly?
“No, not all are sharing evenly but all are getting reps throughout practice and in terms of drills but seven on seven and team there's [in audible].”
Who has earned the most?
“We’re still working on that. I'm not going to put a label on anybody at that position yet.”
But you are starting to see some separation, even if it's small?
“I would just say, to answer your question, that the reps are exactly the same now.”
In your mind are you starting to develop a pecking order, so to speak?
“Every day you get to know better. You get to know each player better.”
Does that change every day? Are those things where one day one guy’s right there and then the next day he's not and somebody else goes in?
“It's still early. You get to know better each day what the players do well, what they're capable of doing.”
Typically, how long does it take an offensive line and running backs to grasp what Coach Drevno is doing with the power run game?
“I don't know exactly how long it takes. It takes the time it takes. Gets the attention it deserves.”
What will the spring game look like? Will it be more of a scrimmage or will you have a game?
“As I said before, that’s still to say. We'd like to have a game but [it’s] to be determined depending on a couple different factors.”
If you do the game are you going to do the draft and all that stuff?
“Yes, if we do a game we'll do a draft. Choose up sides like the playground.”
Jabrill Peppers came in with a lot of hype last season. Is he as good as advertised from what you've seen in practice so far?
“You know, as I've said before, all the players we're getting to know every day but Jabrill has been impressive in his desire to get as many reps as he can get, whether it's in a drill or it's in team drills. He really likes football. He really likes competing, and that had stood out foremost in my mind.”
Is it important after the spring game to have some sort of pecking order at quarterback in your mind since the next time you meet it's going to be August?
“Put a level of importance on that?”
Yeah, is it important to have a pecking order after spring?
“It's a process. I don't know that 15 practices will be enough to make that determination or not.”
Do you not want to characterize the quarterbacks because you just don't know yet or you don't want to do it publicly?
“It's both one and the same. It's the same answer for both privately and publicly. We're just beginning. We're just trying to find out who our best players are, what our players do well. We're at the beginning, so there's no dual answer. It's the same answer.”
Same answer with you also don't know the guys at quarterback that might not be on the roster yet?
“You're trying to come at it every different direction and try to unveil…”
/laughs.
“It's already unveiled. I'm telling you exactly what our mindset and our process is and exactly how it is.”
How important is a day like this for recruiting? You have 800 coaches here, so in terms of getting to know people or reacquainted with people for the next recruiting class.
“Oh, sure. It's there. That's not the purpose of why we're doing this. [The purpose is] fellowship with other coaches. Guys that are ambassadors for the game of football and how important is that with football under attack these days that there are ambassadors for the game of football. But it's there. Definitely it's something that's there.”
MGoQuestion: When we spoke to Jedd Fisch he said that a goal was for the quarterbacks to raise their completion percentage every practice. Do you set specific goals for other position groups and, if so, what are they?
“A goal is just a deadline with a dream- a dream with a deadline. I got that backwards. Strike that and reverse it. A goal is a dream with a deadline.”
Is that the thought of the day?
“That's the thought of the day.”