Ron English's Defensive philosophy: What a difference a year makes

Angelique S. Chengelis (a/k/a "The Angel of The Big House") caught up with Defensive Coordinator Ron English recently during the 4th Annual Carr's Wash 4 Kids. Coach "E" was quoted as saying, ""It's going to require patience. I'm serious. I've got to coach this team differently. This is not last year's team. Last year's team, you could get after them. There were days they used that as motivation, where as these guys, they get flustered, and they're not ready for that yet."

The Wolverines have lost four major defensive standouts from last year's team that went 11-2 -- Lombardi Award-winner LaMarr Woodley, All-Big 10 Alan Branch, leading tackler David Harris and All-American Leon Hall. At last year's Carr's Wash 4 Kids event, Coach "E" told WTKA (1050-AM) that the one word he would use to best describe the 2006 defense was "attitude." He described his philosophy as "we are going to just line up and say we are more talented than you and we think we can beat you." At the time, I questioned his approach as I wondered if Michigan had enough talent to take such a tact. As it turns out, Coach "E" was right but I was not completely wrong to question his philosophy. His team had the #1 rushing defense in the nation and the team rolled to an 11-0 record. However, the "D" fell apart in the final two games of the year as it yielded 74 points combined to OSU and USC. Michigan's "D", although talented, did not have the skill to simply line up and outplay the highly talented Buckeyes and Trojans. Now Coach "E" has to go back to the drawing board without, arguably, his four best defenders from last season.

Coach "E" explained the difference in philosphy for 2007 in this way, "Last year, our approach was, 'Hey, we're better than they are, that's the way it is. This year, to an extent, it will be, 'If you make a mistake, so what? Who cares? Move on.' It's going to be fun. It's going to be a process, and I'm looking forward to it." Go Blue!

*Note: Photo of Def. Coordinator Ron English chest bumping Jamar Adams (22) from 10-28-06 game vs. Northwestern by John T. Greilick/The Detroit News

Help Wanted: Coaching Vacancy

The vacancy on the Michigan Football staff created by the departure of Ron Lee has yet to be filled although there are rumors flying around the Michigan blogoshphere that the school has already identified its leading candidate for Lee's replacement. The question is how Coach Carr will want to configure his staff for the 2007 season. Traditionally, the staff had a dedicated special teams coordinator who had the dual responsibility of being in charge of recruiting. A few years ago that position was capably held by Bobby Morrison. More recently, Mike DeBord (2004-2005) performed those tasks before he was promoted to Offensive Coordinator prior to the 2006 season. Last season, the tasks were divided up among a few different people. Chris Singletary was brought in as the new Recruiting Coordinator while Ron Lee was brought in to coach the cornerbacks and work with the punt return team. Ron English was, of course, promoted from defensive secondary coach to Defensive Coordinator. However, Coach English continued to coach the safeties in addition to his new duties. Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers Coach Erik Campbell chipped in by helping work with the team's punt returners while Associate Head Coach/Running Backs Coach Fred Jackson worked with the team's kickoff returners. This coaching special teams-by-committee approach ultimately did not prove to be very successful as is demonstrated by the fact that Michigan finished 79th in the nation (of 119 teams) in kickoff returns and 57th in net punting.

For 2007, Coach Carr should assign Ron English to solely perform the duties of Defensive Coordinator. Coach Carr's new hire should be the defensive secondary coach responsible for both the cornerbacks and the safeties. The question is what should be done about the Special Teams Coach. I think Coach Carr needs to re-assign tasks among the existing staff so there can once again be a singular Special Teams Coach. I think Linebackers Coach Steve Szabo is the logical choice to be tapped as the one to add Special Teams Coach to his title as he has vast experience and he has the least on his plate relatively speaking when compared to the current tasks of the other coaches. Sorry Coach Szabo but it is for the good of the team. Go Blue!

Michigan's 2006 defensive rankings vs. its 2005 defensive rankings

The 2006 season was Ron English's first year as Michigan's Defensive Coordinator and the honeymoon lasted for eleven (11) games as the Wolverines' defense dominated opponents while the team went undefeated. Unfortunately, however, everything came undone in the final two games of the year and the Michigan defense yielded a combined total of 74 points in the final eight quarters of play of the season (i.e., the OSU game and the Rose Bowl vs. USC). Although Michigan's defense was touted (hyped) as a top defense all season, the flaws were seriously exposed in the season's final two games. Despite all the goodwill Coach English generated from his players' performances earlier in the year, Coach English still endured a fair amount of criticism for failing to have an adequate defensive game plan in either of the season's final two games. Whereas his predecessor Jim Herrmann was criticized for bogging down the players with too many technical requirments, Coach English was rebuked for not employing sophisticated enough schemes. Although the two defensive coordinators have different coaching philosophies, the bottom line results are not as different as you might expect. Here is a comparison of how Michigan's defense performed during the 2005 season under Jim Herrmann and how it performed in 2006 under Ron English:

Scoring Defense

1. 2005: 20.3 pts. per game; 4th in Big 10; 24th in NCAA
2. 2006: 15.9 pts. per game; 4th in Big 10; 15th in NCAA

Total Defense

1. 2005: 345.2 yds. per game; 3rd in Big 10; 36th in NCAA
2. 2006: 268.3 yds. per game; 2nd in Big 10; 10th in NCAA

Pass Defense

1. 2005: 207.8 yds. per game; 2nd in Big 10; 42nd in NCAA
2. 2006: 224.9 yds. per game; 7th in Big 10; 89th in NCAA

Pass Efficiency Defense

1. 2005: 116.3 rating; 3rd in Big 10; 33rd in NCAA
2. 2006: 111.9 rating; 4th in Big 10; 25th in NCAA

Rushing Defense

1. 2005: 137.3 yards per game; 3rd in Big 10; 36th in NCAA
2. 2006: 43.4 yards per game; 1st in Big 10; 1st in NCAA

It is undisputed that Coach English had a highly successful rookie year as defensive coordinator. However, he did not accomplish anything with this defense that Coach Herrmann would not have achieved. In fact, Coach Herrmann would have had Michigan more "game ready" for the season's final two games than did Coach English. Coach English looked overwhelmed, frustrated and out of answers during both the OSU game and the Rose Bowl. I understand this was his first year as defensive coordinator but remember that Coach Herrmann guided Michigan to the National Championship during his rookie season as defensive coordinator in 1997. Coach Herrmann is an outstanding coach and I still believe that Michigan was too quick to dump him after the 2005 season. Coach English, who coached under Coach Herrmann for three seasons, would be well advised to install some of his predecessor's defensive formations for the 2007 season. The blending of the two coaching philosphies will only serve to make Michigan's defense even better. Go Blue!

*Note: Photo of Coach Carr staring down Def. Coordinator Ron English during the Rose Bowl by Kirthmon Dozier/Detroit Free Press

Pass Defense...or lack thereof

Ron Lee served a one-and-done tenure as Michigan's cornerbacks' coach as the Wolverines' secondary often struggled during the 2006 season. While Coach Lee was scapegoated for the secondary's shortcomings, it should be remembered that wunderkind Defensive Coordinator Ron English was responsible for coaching the safeties in 2006. The whole secondary underperformed during the course of the season. Michigan's pass defense was ranked 89th in the NCAA (of 119 Div. I-A teams) in terms of pass yardage as it yielded 224.92 yards per game. Conversely, Michigan had the #1 rushing defense in the nation. Of course, part of the reason Michigan was giving up yards through the air was because teams were throwing so much as they were unable to run the ball against the Wolverines' defense. As far as Pass Efficiency defense, Michigan was #4 in the Big 10 and #25 in the nation with a rating of 111.96. In 2006, the Wolverines defensive strategy was to protect the weak secondary by getting to the quarterback with a strong pass rush from its incredibly effective front seven. However, when the Wolverines were unable to get to the quarterback (see the OSU game) the defensive secondary coverage broke down and big plays were allowed. Overall, the secondary had a tough year. Here is a closer look at the top nine (9) players who made up the defensive secondary last season:

CB Leon Hall (Senior/Senior): Hall was a consensus All-American pick in 2006 and he was the anchor of the Wolverines' secondary. He was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award given to the nation's top defensive back and he became Michigan's all-time leader in career pass break-ups with 43. He also finished his career tied for 4th all-time in interceptions with twelve.

CB Morgan Trent (Junior/Soph.): Trent started eleven games this season at right cornerback holding down the opposite end of the field from All-American Leon Hall. He tallied 45 tackles in 2006 which tied him for 4th best on the team. He is widely regarded as the fastest player on the team. He was tested often this past season (especially in the Rose Bowl) as teams threw away from Leon Hall. The good news is that he tied for the team lead with 8 tackles in the Rose Bowl. The bad news is that the USC receivers he was "covering" picked up an awful lot of yards before he eventually tackled them.
S Jamar Adams (Junior/Junior): Adams was the defensive signal caller for the 2006 Wolverines and he was a second-team All-Big 10 selection by the conference coaches. Adams started all 13 games this past season at strong safety and he recorded 47 tackles (3rd best on team) and 7 pass break-ups.

S Ryan Mundy (Senior/Junior): Mundy started six games and played in eleven contests at free safety in 2006. He did not play in the Rose Bowl game. On the year, he tallied 25 tackles, an interception, a pass break-up, a sack and two tackles-for-loss. Mundy played a key role for the defense this past season after missing all but one game of the 2005 campaign due to a nerve injury.
S Willis Barringer (5th/Senior): Barringer started the final three games of 2006 at free safety and played in 8 games overall at safety this past season. He is a four-year letter winner and was voted co-recipient of the Robert P. Ufer Bequest as the senior football player who exhibited the most enthusiasm and love for Michigan. He was injured during the first quarter of the game vs. OSU and missed the remainder of the contest but he returned to action for the Rose Bowl where he registered six tackles and two pass break-ups.


CB/S Brandon Harrison (Soph./Soph.): Harrison played both cornerback and safety in 2006 and had six starts in secondary and saw action in all 13 games. He played cornerback in twelve of those games. Recorded 30 tackles and 3 tackles-for-loss on the year.

S Brandent Englemon (Senior/Junior): Englemon started 5 games at safety in 2006 and appeared in 12 games during the season. He registered 29 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and three pass break-ups. He played on special teams units in the Rose Bowl game vs. USC.
CB Charles Stewart (Junior/Soph.): Stewart started two games at cornerback in 2006 and played in all 13 games. He totaled 24 tackles and two pass break-ups. There was a lot of pre-season talk, particularly from Def. Coordinator Ron English, that Stewart was coming on and would challenge for a starting spot. However, Stewart faded fast and was primarily utilized as a special teams player this past year. He finished third on the team with 11 special teams tackles.
CB Johnny Sears, Jr. (Soph./Fr.): Sears played in 12 games in 2006 and earned his first varsity letter. He recorded a career-best 4 solo tackles versus Ohio State while playing cornerback and on special teams units.

Of the players listed above, all but Hall, Barringer, and Mundy are expected (for now) to be returning for the 2007 season. Stevie Brown (Fr./Fr.) was mainly a special teams contributor in 2006 but did see action at safety in four games and figures to be a major contributor next season. As far as help from incoming recruits, Donovan Warren and Artis Chambers are expected to have the biggest impact next season on the defensive secondary of any of the newcomers. Go Blue!

Defense: Play Fast

The defense had an impressive debut under Defensive Coordinator Ron English. Especially impressive was the defensive front four of LaMarr Woodley, Terrance Taylor, Alan Branch and Rondell Biggs. The whole defense (but especially the 4 guys up front) followed Coach English's mantra to "Play Fast." Coach English stresses that his defenders know their assignment, get to it and cover it well. Coach English has a "straight-ahead" philosophy and on Saturday the Wolverines just kept coming. Woodley had a break-out game but Biggs was almost as impressive at the other Defensive End spot. Although Woodley and Biggs put up the big numbers coming off the ends, Branch and Taylor also played extremely well coming up the middle. Vanderbilt QB Chris Nickson was harried all day and took quite a pounding over the course of the game. This defense looks like it is going to be tough to score on this year. Go Blue!

D-Coordinator Ron English wants "Attitude"

During the Carr Wash 4 Kids, new Defensive Coordinator Ron English was interviewed on the radio on WTKA-AM (1050). He was asked if he had to describe his 2006 Michigan defense in one word what word would he use. English said that most people answering this type of question answer "aggressive" but the word he would use would be "attitude". Coach English went on to explain his answer by saying that he wanted a certain mind-set on the field. He said (and I'm paraphrasing) that the team won't surprise people with what we are going to do. We are going to just line up and say we are more talented than you and we think we can beat you.

To me this means that Coach English doesn't plan to do a lot of stunting, scheming or blitzing to cover weaknesses. The defense will line up in a base package and everybody better cover their assignment. Such a philosophy may work if you really have the best talent but I'm not sure that we do. I don't remember still seeing Charles Woodson or Marlin Jackson's names on the roster. This philosophy may be fine in June but I'm not so sure it will survive a Big Ten season intact. My attitude is one of wait-and-see. Go Blue!

Defensive coaching overhaul for 2006

Following last year's 7-5 campaign, Coach Carr made sweeping changes in the senior coaching staff on the defensive side of the ball. Of course, Jim Herrmann was let go as Defensive Coordinator (uh, I mean was given the opportunity to explore possibilities in the NFL) but the changes hardly stopped there. We have a new linebackers coach (Steve Szabo) and a new cornerbacks coach (Ron Lee). The senior man in his position is Steve Stripling who is in his SECOND season with us as Defensive Line coach having held that job previously with MSU.

Now to be fair, our new Defensive Coordinator Ron English is in his 4th year with U-M but this is his first season ever serving as Def. coordinator at any level of coaching. His college coaching experience, while extensive, has primarily been limited to coaching members of the secondary. Now I understand fans calling for new blood to be brought in, but did we really need this much bloodshed from the former defensive staff? I mean there is going to be a tremendous learning curve with this many "new" coaches on staff being led by a coordinator who is adjusting to his new position. Granted these "new" coaches aren't recent graduate assistants getting their first full-time gigs. That is why I put new in quotes. They are just "new" to U-M. Szabo for example has been coaching for 38 years including the previous 12 years in the NFL. So, I think he knows what he is doing. It's just that it takes time for a staff to gel just like it takes a team time to come together and there are an awful lot of new (but experienced) hands who aren't used to working together that are going to have to hit the ground running once Vanderbilt rolls into A2. I like stability and I can forsee some chaotic times ahead until the defensive staff finds its way which will hopefully occur before we hit the Big 10 schedule.