After a day off, Tennessee football was back at spring practice on Thursday morning. Afterward, the Vols’ new defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles, met with the media to give his thoughts on the start of his tenure.
He was asked about installing his defense, missed tackles from last year, his first week of spring camp and more.
Here’s everything Knowles said.
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On installing his defense, starting spring practice
“I think it’s progressed pretty well. The install, what we’ve been able to teach during the winter, nothing has been full speed. But with the staff that I was able to bring and having a few players that have been with me before, I think the install is really ahead of schedule. Today was the first day we get to see anything at full speed. So the individual player evaluation is still a long way away, but I’m happy with the progress we’ve made so far.”
On what he looks for at practice
“Most of it is individual players. I’m trying to learn the players, what they do well, what they need to work on. Obviously, when you structure a defense, in the beginning, it becomes less about what I know and more about what the guys can do. So when I walk around a lot, I’m really doing those individual evaluations and trying to get to learn the players.”
On the to-do list this spring
“We need to put the players in as many different positions or situations so we can learn what they do best. That’s the first thing. The overall installation of the scheme, the learning involved, and the teaching, that’s second. You wanna make sure that they understand the concepts. So learn what they can do, understand the concepts, and then it’s just building that culture where the guys believe that when they take the field that they’re in control of the game. It’s building confidence that’s really important.”
On if installing his scheme at Tennessee is different than the past
“In the past, there was a lot of similarities with getting these installs done and getting things accomplished. I think it’s changed a lot with the transfer portal. The fact that here, I was able to bring some coaches with me, this is different. This is different. The fact that we have coaches who already understand the system and what we like to do, and then we have a few players that have been in it, that’s unique, I haven’t been in that before. I think it really gives us a step up. I know there were some struggles last year on defense, but even the year before, they were pretty good. We’re not starting at ground zero. I mean, there are players here that remain here who have experienced success, so that makes this situation different also.”
On utilizing player skillsets
“When I was at Duke, I really began to learn how critical that was. When you’re in a situation where you may not be as physically talented as your opponents, you have to really put the players in the right position so that they can succeed. I think up to that point in my career, it was a lot of, ‘This is how I do it, and this is what we’re gonna do.’ And then I started to really get into that individual, what that player does best, and how I can put him in a position to succeed. Also, with the mindset of change, of being adaptable and based on the type of players that you have. And then even more so when I moved to the Big 12, because at the time everybody was taking a lot of deep shots and really throwing the ball all over the place.
“Between, started at Duke and to the Big 12 where I had to learn to adjust and change based on your players, but also based on what the league is like and what you’re gonna face. A lot of guys get in trouble, I think as coaches, as you get older in your career, cause you just say, ‘Well, this is the way I’m gonna do it, and everybody’s gonna do it this way, and this is what I know.’ That constant learning process of the individual, also what you face, and that’s when it’s really starting to change and being kinda correct.”
On Penn State transfer LB Amare Campbell
“Amare was the quarterback of the defense for us last year, so he knows the system inside and out. He has things he has to get better at, his tackling in open space. We’ve been able to study those things to start to give him an advantage to get better. That’s already a strong room, right? The linebacker room is really strong. So, just an example, like pre-practice when we’re going through some adjustments and things that we may not see against our offense, you gotta kinda throw some things in there throughout spring that you’re not seeing against the offense cause you know they’re coming. And we faced a situation. Amare wasn’t in there. He was standing back with me, and the linebacker that was in there didn’t get the check right. Amare’s like, ‘Hey, man, you want me to get in there and do it for him?’ I was like, ‘You gotta let them learn.’ But he could see it happening and understands what the check needed to be. So that’s a big advantage.”
On becoming a better tackling team
“We do have the advantage of the video, and we have Coach (John) Bonamego on special teams, who has really studied it. He was able to go back to all our current players and the players who transferred and break down all their tackles or missed tackles over the course of their career. And you kinda put them into categories of how they missed, why they missed, what they did well, so you can build like an individual tackling reel and teach for each player, which is really unique.
“And then, we don’t tackle anybody in practice. So you have to really be coaching body position, and it becomes more of a mental game. And I try to teach the guys like, ‘You have to mentally tackle,’ you know what I mean? Something has to click in your brain that, as you go to approach that ball carrier or receiver, what’s your technique gonna be in this particular situation?
“And we try to evaluate that on film just to get them into the right body position based on where the ball is on the field. What’s the support structure? Am I inside? Am I outside? All those things change your leverage and how you’re gonna approach the tackle. It’s not really a tackle, right? So you’re just trying to coach fit position and talking to the player and saying, ‘Okay, when you’re able to show them the film, break it down positionally, what kind of tackle would you have used right here in this situation? What were you thinking?’ And see if it clicks in their mind, because a lot of guys early on, they just run around. So you’re trying to coach the actual tackle even though it didn’t happen more from just a position and a mental standpoint.”
On if he clipped every single tackle made and missed
“Every career tackle for every player and all their misses. You can put them into categories on the ones that were successful and why they were successful. The ones that weren’t, why they weren’t. So you can show each guy has their own tackling reel throughout their career. So you’re able to show them the different situations, where the ball was on the field, what kind of play was it, what type of tackle you used or what you didn’t use and could have done.”
On if they also clipped special teams
“Special teams, too. And that’s Coach (John Bonamego), really. He does a great job with that. When I came here, he had a whole tackling report he did all along with the individual cutups, so you can sit there and watch. And we really need to use that. Didn’t have quite as much a chance this year, but in the future, you need to use that in your decisions you’re making on the transfer portal. You know what I’m saying? Because you can watch the player on film, but when you have an individual tackling breakdown, because the job of the defense is to stop the ball, to get guys on the ground.
“So it’s really an ultimate evaluator when you’re looking at transfer portal guys. The speed of the game and how things happened and where they missed and why they missed. And you make decisions on is that something we can fix? Because tackling is like stripping the ball, right? I mean, like some guy, you see the guys that are like naturally good that you’re trying to coach that technique to strip the ball. Some guys are just really good at it. Same thing with tackling. I really picked it up at Oklahoma State because we had a lot of wrestlers. Like wrestlers get people on the ground. So that wrestling, that kind of background, can help in your recruiting or your decisions also.”
On if they’ll ever tackle at practice again in this era
“I don’t think so. I mean, you may have a couple live situations. I’m sure Coach Heupel will put us in some live tackling situations, but you don’t do it that much because you’re trying to save the player on both sides, offense and defense. And also, even when you’re live against your own team, you’re not gonna cut tackle or tackle low. So that can build bad habits. If I’m a guy you see in the game, guys are gonna pull the trigger, shoot the guy, cut a guy. Even when you’re going live against your own offense, you’re not gonna do that. So it’s a difficult proposition.
“I’m glad we’ve adjusted to it for the health of the player. But now you have to get creative in how you teach them all these things with, having these tackling breakdowns, and these drills. And then coaching, even in a non-tackling situation, your body position. And asking the player, like you can put the film up there, ‘Okay, what kind of tackle were you gonna use right here?’ He says one thing, but your body is not in a great position to use that tackle. So I think that’s the best you can do. It’s good for the game. I makes it more difficult, but as coaches, we have to adjust to that.”
