Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Football begins spring practices
03/22/2010 | 12:00:00 | Football
March 22, 2010
By Tyler Wooten
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Saluki head coach Dale Lennon met with the media prior to Monday's football practice. The team will have 15 spring practices during a four-weeks span, culminating in the Spring Game on April 17.
Q: "It's only day two, but what do you like that you've seen so far?"
"First of all, it's just fun getting back out here. We don't have the pads on yet, but throwing the football around and just seeing the guys in their uniforms. We have a lot of work to do -- there are a lot of new things that we're going through -- new offense, new players, some new coaches. Spring ball is going to be pretty important for us as far as putting a lot of things in place."
Q: "What are the big goals for you guys to accomplish this spring?"
"Well, the big goal for our whole team is to establish our identity -- who we are, what we do well. Each year that changes. Just because you had success the year before doesn't automatically mean it's going to be the same formula for the next year. I really think that is just the beginning of the process of finding out what works for you as a new team."
Q: "What are going to be the big changes offensively that we're going to see under Coach (Kalen) DeBoer?"
"I don't know if it's going to be a drastic change -- a lot of the philosophies are going to be the same -- but you'll see more motions, more shifts, we're going to try and put a little more stress on the defense, and probably a higher percentage passing game with a shorter passing game and doing more with the backs out of the backfield and incorporating the tight end a bit more. It'll be just a few wrinkles here and there."
Q: "Can you talk about what it means to have a guy like Chris Dieker back? And also, obviously you guys have a number of good quarterbacks that could compete."
"I think when you have returning quarterbacks it automatically gives you confidence in what you're doing. Yesterday, just watching practice with Chris out there and Paul McIntosh, the offense had an air about themselves where they were playing confident. It's the young guys that we have to bring along right now, and those are the guys that hopefully the veteran players can help develop."
Q: "You've been able to convince a lot of head coaches to become an assistant under you -- how hard was it to convince Kalen to come here as an assistant?"
"Everything with coaching is timing, and I just think Coach DeBoer was at that time in his career. He had spent his entire career at the University of Sioux Falls and he was looking to branch out. We have a lot of similar philosophies, and we've established a relationship through the years. The timing just worked out where it was the right time for him to make a move and we had a spot open."
Q: "Can you replace the output of a guy like Deji Karim? Also, can you talk about your reaction to his pro day?"
"Anytime you try to replace seniors, you can't completely replace them. But you do allow other opportunities for other guys to step up. You find other positions, which can help overcome the loss of a great player. I'm excited for him right now. I'm kind of like a fan, like everyone else, looking at the numbers and asking him, 'Who's talking to you?' He's getting flown into a couple places for visits, and that's always a good sign. I think things have really turned positive for him in just the recent month, and that's exciting to watch."
Q: "What are things you've noticed this offseason?"
"We had a very good offseason in the weight room. We lost 23 seniors, and you would expect a decrease in numbers in the weight room. But when we tested about three weeks ago, we were right at the same level we were last year, and in a lot of areas, we were better. I think it's just a familiarity with the program, the players have adapted to what we're asking them to do, they're very confident in what we're doing, and I think that's helping our development."
Q: "Could you talk about your offensive line? You have two guys coming back and a couple backups that played a lot last year."
"I think the two guys (Brian Boemer and David Pickard) we have coming back are pretty good. They're both all-conference players, and them being the left tackle and the center, that's what you want as the two guys returning. We do have some very good, young players who have been waiting their turn. We've had a couple years now for them to physically develop, and they're ready. They're ready to step up and play the game, and it is their turn."
Q: "What do you look for for them to progress this year?"
"The key on the offensive line is just getting used to playing with each other. People probably don't realize how much communication goes into every play. The linemen are talking to each other and they're doing combination blocks -- they just have to be on the same page with each other, play in and play out, and that is what we're trying to establish with a new group of linemen."
Q: "Can you talk about your thoughts on the progression of the new stadium and how it's coming along?"
"The stadium is exciting. I think now that when people drive by and take a look at it, they think it's going to be a great place to watch a football game. I think it's going to create more excitement for gameday itself. I think the whole experience is going to be that much more electric. Naturally, we're very excited to see that thing continue to grow."
Q: "What do you think people are going to notice about your defense?"
"Defensively, we're going to continue to do what we do best -- we like to bring pressure. We like to run around, and I think we have the players that can do it. Again, some guys have played a lot of football for us, they just haven't been in starting roles, and it's their turn to step up and be the starter. We're going to have some new faces, but there's going to be a lot of familiar names playing on the defensive side."
Q: "Coach, you talked a little bit about establishing identity -- I know it's early, but what kind of identity are you looking for in this team?"
"When I say 'identity,' it's really a comprehensive statement. We're talking about leadership, we're talking about personality, we're talking about team chemistry, and that's something that happens over a course of time. The thing that I really want to see is to keep our expectations at the same level that we currently have them, and going into next season we have the same expectations as we did last season, and that's what we're working toward."
Q: "Would you say that the expectations are even higher just because of what you guys accomplished this past season?"
"On ourselves, I don't know if we can make the expectations any higher. We were very disappointed we lost early, our goal was to win a national championship and that's what we're working toward. I think the expectations are still at that level, and I think we're still capable of achieving those goals, and that's why we're working hard as a coaching staff, too, just to try and take that next step as a program and find a way to get over that hump that's keeping us from going all the way. That's the exciting thing about this profession, you're always looking for that last mountain to climb."
