Brad Roby : What have you seen in spring ball that encourages you the most about the defensive line? Where do you see the most improvements needing to be made?
Steve Brown : They have worked extremely hard and are a very coachable group. We have stressed to them that they are the foundation of our defense. They must continue to believe that they cannot be blocked.
mike hill : Coach, I hope you are enjoying your new role as DC. Have you heard from our former defensive GA Jon Sumrall? Cat fans would love to now how he and Ron are doing in San Diego?
Steve Brown : I talked to Jon last week and he is loving life. He is enjoying his role as a position coach and loves being responsible for the recruiting efforts. I don’t know if he’ll ever come back! San Diego is an easy place to love.
Jason : Everyone I know is excited to see the defense continue the improvement they made at the end of last season. With an extra year of experience under the players’ belt, will there be more variation in formations, or will you continue to stick with the 4-3 as your primary defense.
Steve Brown : We have stressed this spring to all of our players we must be great technicians. It doesn’t matter what scheme you run if the individuals don’t play with great technique and passion. I believe at this point we have improved in both areas.
jeremy loper : i was just wondering what you think the strongest part of the defense will be during the up and coming season?
Steve Brown : It is my desire that all parts of the defense will be strong. To play great defense, they have to be able to count on each other. For example, the pass rush is a defensive back’s best friend. Also, great coverage gives the defensive line one or two more steps to get to the passer. They all work hand in hand.
J.C. : First let me say congrats coach, glad to see you get the move up. My ? is, Do you think Micah Johnson would move to DE if he’s not getting much PT at LB? And, are you going to move some OL back to DL to add some depth? thanks coach
Steve Brown : The most important thing for Micah is for him to be the best student/athlete he can be. He is working very hard at his schoolwork and his linebacker play. He is still a very young player and we will continue to teach him on being the best linebacker he can be. As far as any other position is concerned, that is the head coach’s decision.
Marc : Coach Brown, congratulations on your promotion. It seemed that last year we really got killed by the dual threat quarterbacks. What changes are you planning to implement this year to do a better job of contain? Thanks and good luck to you and the CATS in 08
Steve Brown : The dual threat quarterback is a problem for all college defenses. When you face a quarterback of that nature, you must take away at least one phase of his threat. If he is a better runner than passer, you have to put more people around the line of scrimmage to stop the run.
STEVE R : How is our depth in defense? Will you be putting in fresh players?
Steve Brown : We need at least 22 players that can play at the same high level. Our goal is to have our players in great shape so they can play at a higher level longer.
Anthony : What will be the biggest difference between last year’s and this year’s defense?
Steve Brown : Confidence. Not having any fear of being wrong.
POA : Can our linebacker’s stop the run and what about our pass rushing?
Steve Brown : We are working extremely hard with the linebackers and the defensive line to improve against the run. The most important thing we’re teaching our players is to read their keys. If they trust what they see, they will play more aggressively and have more tackles for loss. If we cannot generate enough pass rush with our four down linemen, we will bring five or more to put pressure on the quarterback.
Patrick : I am a Big Fan of Wesley Woodyards! What kind of season do you expect from him?
Steve Brown : I am also a big fan of Wesley Woodyard! What we are trying to do this spring is to try to get him to raise his level of play even higher. He understands all the little things that will help him be a better player. We expect him to lead by example.
Patrick A. : First or All Congrats on Last Year! Coach, What kind of Defense can we expect this year? More Aggresive or ?
Steve Brown : Our goal is to have the defense play with aggression and passion. I believe with knowledge comes confidence and with confidence comes aggression. If our players know what to do they will play fast and fly around the ball. One of our goals this spring is to have everyone on the same page so they can play fast without fear of failure.
Michael G. : hello Coach Brown. how’s everything going? I hope the team is looking good this spring, cant wait for the season. Hey coach i was wondering, are you all going to be bringing in a new punter for this season? and also who do you think has improved the most this spring on the defensive side of the ball? thanks and go cats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Steve Brown : We signed a kicking specialist who has the ability to both kick and punt and he will come in this fall to compete for a starting job. It is my goal to have everyone improve in spring football. Without short-sighting anyone, I think of them collectively and they all have worked hard.
Jason Rice : How has the adjustments been for you from being a secondary coach to being the defensive coordinator? Good luck to you in the upcoming year.
Steve Brown : It has been both fun and challenging with the new responsibilities. The adjustments haven’t been as difficult as I thought they would be because we have great coaches on this staff. We are all working together to make the defense a special unit.
Darrell : First, congratulations on your promotion. Coach Brooks obviously has a lot of confidence in your abilities. Is your confidence growing in your defense this spring ? Thanks and good luck.
Steve Brown : For us to play great defense, our players have to feel they are dominant. With the success we had against Tennessee and Clemson, they have been able to raise the bar in their personal confidence level. The most important thing is for them to believe in themselves. I believe in them.
brent boggs : will the defense play straight up against the opposing offense or will there be any movement and shifts?
Steve Brown : Our first objective is to play great technique. When we have the ability to play with great technique, then we will also have the ability to move and shift to confuse the offensive line. If the offense knows where you’re alligned, they have a better chance of knowing how to block you. That’s why movement is going to be an important part of our defense.
ukathletics.com : Thanks to Coach Brown for his time today. Next week’s live chat will be with defensive line coach Rick Petri.
Steve Brown : Thank you to the fans for your words of encouragement. You are our 12th man. Let’s make is so loud in Commonwealth this fall that the other team can’t hear the quarterback.
