Eyes in the Sky

An interesting tidbit in the Michigan Game Notes for the Vanderbilt game is a list of the coaches who will be up "in the booth" during the game as opposed to those who will be on the field. New offensive coordinator Mike DeBord will be calling the offense from up in the booth but new defensive coordinator Ron English, not suprisingly, will be down on the sideline with the players. Assisting DeBord in the booth in calling the offensive sets will be Quarterbacks Coach Scot Loeffler. The two defensive coaches who will serve as the eyes in the sky for Def. Coordinator English are first-year coaches Steve Szabo (linebackers) and Ron Lee (cornerbacks/punt team). As indicated, I am not surprised that English wants to be on the sideline with his players motivating them between series as that seems to be a big part of his coaching style. I can't imagine him couped up in a small booth separated from his players while the game was being played now that he is the defensive coordinator. English spent his first three seasons (when he was the secondary coach and Jim Herrmann was defensive coordinator) up in the booth. DeBord, on the other hand, apparently does not mind being up in the booth although I can't recall where he positioned himself when he was coordinator previously from 1997-1999. Go Blue!