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Posted
by Jesse Newell
March 4, 2013 at 12:03 p.m.
Cliff’s Notes: Charlie Weis press conference, 3/4/13
Here is the Cliff's Notes version from Weis' comments at his press conference today.
Audio has been posted along with the updated depth chart.
• Weis encouraged KU linebacker Huldon Tharp — who will forego his final season of eligibility — to come back to school this year, telling him he could sit out spring practices and re-evaluate his football status then. Tharp said physically doesn't think he's capable of playing any more. He wants to get healthy, graduate in the summer, then go out into the work force.
• Weis says there are a couple transfers that aren't here yet. The latest they will be here is late June. There are no questions whether those guys are coming, though.
• KU tight end Trent Smiley had a shoulder worked on in December. He'll be non-contact in spring. Offensive lineman Riley Spencer and linebacker Prinz Kande are coming off knee injuries. Spencer will be able to go in the first spring practice. It might take Kande a couple days, but he should be ready soon.
• Linebacker Schyler Miles had a knee procedure in the offseason. He wasn't at full speed last year. His knee was tweaked. He got it fixed instead of going through rehab. It will take him until early April until he's completely healthy. He will probably be held out of the spring game.
• KU will not have an assigned special teams coach any more. It will be under Scott Vestal's jurisdiction, but every coach will have a special teams assignment this year other than quarterbacks coach Ron Powlus. Weis was disappointed with special teams last year, and he's going to hold every coach accountable for that unit this year.
• Right now, KU's base offense going into the spring is to have two running backs on the field. After analyzing his team, Weis felt one of his best players shouldn't be standing on the sideline. Tony Pierson's versatility helps with that as well. Colin Spencer has versatility, too. Weis spent time studying West Virginia's Tavon Austin, and he thinks Pierson could have the same type of role for KU this year.
• Defensively, KU has a "BUCK" position, which is a guy that can flip from the left to the right side. The other defensive lineman don't switch but instead play end or tackle based on where the "BUCK" position plays. Weis studied KU's personnel, and he didn't feel like his team had enough pass-rushing ability or flexibility with its pass-rushing positions.
• Weis is going to try to oversee the team more instead of just overseeing the offense. To do that, Weis is going to give more responsibilities to his staff.
• Last year in the spring, Weis was trying to figure out what KU had on its roster. In some cases, it was putting square pegs into round holes. Now, you start adapting what you do to who you have. For example, KU has a lot of defensive linemen compared to a couple years ago, when it didn't have many. Now, KU can come up with systems that fit the personnel while also having personnel that fits its system.
• Linebacker Courtney Arnick was the best player on the defensive show-team. Nose tackle Tyler Holmes and Arnick were the best two players on the defensive show-team. Arnick was "a pain in the butt on every single play" with show team, Weis said. This is Arnick's opportunity to take the job and run with it, as he's listed on the first team at strongside linebacker.
• Weis thinks the battle between Pat Lewandowski and Riley Spencer at right tackle will be a good competition. Lewandowski is listed at the top of the depth chart for now.
• Putting juco guys at first team instead of returners says two things: 1. There are high expectations for the juco guys, and 2. The returning guys need to be ready to get into gear and perform.
• Greg Allen has safety size, which is why he switched from corner to safety. He's going to be pushing for playing time. KU's staff is high on him.
• Quarterbacks Jake Heaps and Michael Cummings are going to get all the reps in the spring. Weis thinks Heaps is ready to go.
• Weis said he talked to a lot of his younger players on the sideline during KU's final-game loss to West Virginia last year. He pulled some younger players to the side to ask them, "Do you want to be a part of this crap next year?" to try to motivate them to work hard so they could avoid blowout losses in the future. Those players knew Weis was going recruiting right after that, and they knew they were going to have to go to work right after that as well.
• Weis says all of his receivers are incomplete at this point. All of them are good at something, but they're also not good at something else.
• When KU got Aslam Sterling in August, he was near 400 pounds. He's now at 312. There are so many guys like that whose bodies are different. KU's staff is encouraged, but you don't win championships just in the weight room. You have to take that to the field and show progress.
• The main reason Weis started spring ball early is because he felt you get behind in recruiting if spring ball extends to late April. You have a six-week period to recruit, and if you have your spring game in late April, that period is limited to four weeks.
• Darius Willis will still play some role as a pass-rusher, but his body fits more to the middle-linebacker positions, which is where he's moved on the depth chart.
• One kid at walk-on tryouts made 14 of 15 field goals, including three of three from 50-plus yards. He's not on the roster yet. Weis says KU won't go through what it went through last year in the kicking game. There will be plenty of competition for those spots. Weis says he was happy with "none of the above" with his kicking game last year.
• Weis has been very pleased with tight end Jimmay Mundine. He's been pleased with nearly every facet. He changed his body. He's in great shape. He has leadership in him. Weis has high hopes for Mundine.
• Running back James Sims is in a lot better shape than he was at this time last year. He hangs around some of the hardest workers on the team. Taylor Cox is like that, and Brandon Bourbon is like that, too. You have to work hard to keep up with those guys.
Comments
texashawk10 3 months, 2 weeks ago
The one thing that I don't like is that Weis doesn't have a dedicated special teams coach. KU would benefit greatly from having someone whose sole responsibility as a coach is to come up with return and coverage schemes instead instead of having someone piece it together while working with another position group. Sadly, I'm not going to be shocked if KU struggles in coverage and getting good returns again this year on special teams.
HawkOverseas 3 months, 2 weeks ago
That's one way of looking at it. The way I see it though is that Weis wants every single aspect of special teams to be held accountable. Instead of having one guy oversee all those aspects, he's dividing them among all the coaches. The way I see it, a coach covering his position group and a small part of special teams will ultimately yield more success. I think it will allow for greater attention to detail for the specific areas of each coach's special teams coverage.
jaybate 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Well, ya gotta pinch pennies somewhere. :-)
I've always wondered a bit about special team coaches.
You're among the sharp thinkers on this board, and this is football, which I try to leave alone, so I've got to ask: are special teams really complicated enough to warrant a full time, dedicated coach?
Special teams coverages and blocking schemes didn't used to be very complicated back in the dark ages. Has their complexity ramped up?
The problem I would foresee for KU with, or without, a special teams coach, is that Weis won't be deep enough to be able to afford to put many good athletes on the suicide squads, which was the name for special teams back in my dark ages.
Do you think a dedicated coach could make a difference in this sort of situation?
And I'm not being a wise guy here at all, so please educate me on this aspect of football these days.
Thanks in advance.
jaybate 3 months, 2 weeks ago
P.S.: I kind of like Weis' idea of drawing the whole staff into it to increase accountability, but again, I'm undereducated in football.
jaybate 3 months, 2 weeks ago
OMG, I agreed with HawkUnderseas. :-)
HawkOverseas 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Ha, this made me chuckle. It's all in good fun, Jay.
texashawk10 3 months, 2 weeks ago
There is something to be said about having all the coaches accountable for the performance of special teams and I understand the philosophy behind it, but my personal opinion there are too many missed opportunities on special teams because there isn't enough attention to detail in that phase of the game by a lot of teams. I feel like one person whose primary responsibility is to scout opponents special teams can be an effective weapon for a school like KU where there isn't the talent level to straight up beat most teams and can create a schematic advantage by exploiting other teams weaknesses on special teams.
I think a coach who has the time to watch a lot of special teams clips can pick up on schematic weaknesses of opposing teams and exploit them to KU's advantage by way of what looks are vulnerable to fakes, where the best chance to return punts and kickoffs are, where teams are vulnerable to having punts and FG attempts blocked and stuff like that. I'm not saying that KU's current coaches don't do anything in regards to special teams, but I just personally feel like a coach whose primary job is special teams can do a better job of seeing weaknesses than a bunch of coaches because a single coach will be seeing the full picture instead of multiple coaches looking a smaller picture of special teams.
jaybate 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Thx for that clear and helpful take.
Cairo_Jayhawk 3 months, 2 weeks ago
You don't have a "full time" coach just for special teams, but you have a guy who overseas it all. I don't think KU has ever had a guy that had the sole job of special teams. I believe last year it was Clint Bowen whose main job was to coach the secondary, and my guess, played the role of assistant defensive coordinator or something.
741hawk 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Back in the late 80's, I sat-in on a workshop for high school coaches put on by the special teams coach at Fla. State. VERY impressive. Absolutely YES.it is deserving of a designated coach. Offense / Defense / Special Teams We have multiple coaches on each side of the ball. Shouldn't we have one specialist coach for special teams. I deem it that important.
HawkOverseas 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Get that kicker on the roster now! I understand it's just tryouts, but anyone who can make 3 of 3 from 50-plus will most likely be able to provide some competition for his counterparts.
clevelandjayhawker 3 months, 2 weeks ago
wonder if it was a female?
HawkOverseas 3 months, 2 weeks ago
I hope this is in reference to the failed female NFL tryout...
ralster 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Uh, a gurl would have to have great legs to kick a 50+ yd FG...
actorman 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Can't wait. I'm looking forward to football season more than I have in a long time.
Reuben_J_Cogburn 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Just win....nothing else matters.
And keep your expectations in check. Heaps is below average until proven otherwise, and we still have no receivers, no defense, and no special teams.
Harsh reality, boys. But reality none the less.
nuleafjhawk 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Why is Heaps "below" average until proven otherwise??
Seems like he should at least be average until proven otherwise.
Other than that - I enjoy your "glass half full" attitude.
BuddhaDude 3 months, 2 weeks ago
The glass is always full. It all depends on how much of what it's holding is just hot air.
Reuben_J_Cogburn 3 months, 2 weeks ago
I'm not actually saying he's below average. But we should assume he is given the inevitably tragic hopes we had before the Great Dayne Crist Experiment of 2012.
Right now, we have to address the fundamental coaching issues. Until we see improvement at these positions on the field, we have to assume they are all sub-par.
....except of course for our stellar running back corp.
ralster 3 months, 2 weeks ago
As a point of logic, I am assuming nothing either stellar or sub-par regarding Heaps. His yrs of playing, playmaking during broken plays, or having that intangible "it" factor as a QB are in no way related to Dayne Crist or Crist's mind. I will simply wait to judge him once I get to see him. There is a big thing called team chemistry and "trusting" your receivers. If you dont, the plays are longer as you try to make sure of the pass, or confirm the rcvr made the break...oh, but then the timing is already off...(does this remind anyone of what problems Dayne had trying to work with KU's 2nd string WR's?). Bottom line: I'll believe progress when I see it, but Im also NOT going to ridicule/adversly-judge any KU player before he has ever taken a snap. Patience to judge, eh?
iamakufan 3 months, 2 weeks ago
OK, I'm officially getting excited about football again. The problem is I'm also very excited about basketball. It's a good thing I'm reitred so I can make the time to read all the articles about both teams!
stm62 3 months, 2 weeks ago
It can't get much worse than it did last year, can it? It makes you appreciate the success so much more when you've seen what once was, and boy, it's been bad. I'm confident that HCCW will right the ship.
Bob48 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Special Teams is so diverse it is difficult to encompass. Kickoff, Runback, punting, runback,extra points, field goals, etc, require different concepts for each and all. It is difficult to get a coach who can handle the scheming, therefor, many of the teams do a half-baked job. It would be VERY difficult to find the right guy.
If you could find him, he would be extremely worthwhile!
The best I can remember was at Iowa State. Only one of his teams made a play against KU that was so memorable. They had scored, but needed immediate possesion. They tried an on-sides kickoff. Every man on his kickoff team knew the play. They knew exactly where the kickoff would come down. One receiver in the team was assigned to get the ball, the others were taught to go block out any of the receiving team to keep them away from the ball. It worked exactly as he planned it. The Offense went back to work again. Fortunately, one of Mangino's Defense teams was good enough to thwart them.
It would take one heck of a coach to duplicate that kind of success with his other teams!
One other guy was particularly well talented for Special Teams. He coached the Buffalo Bills teams. The head coach wasn't that good. And it was quite a few years ago -- can't remember his name off the top of my head. He may have worked in Cincinnati before the present head coach got there.
Yeah, we need a Special Teams coach! But where do you look?
Bob48 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Heck, we don't even have a coach who can teach Defense!
Bob48 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Oregon might have a good one. They beat KState in the first play of the game! Ran the kickoff back something like 95 yards. After he got to the 15-20 yd line, he was home free. The only guy who put a hand on him was 2 steps too late when it came to tackling. Maybe that guy would help teaching tackling, coverage, and Defensive schemes as well.
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