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WVU Release WVU Assistant Interview Session 8-14

Keenan Cummings

Fact Based and Wonderful
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Sep 16, 2007
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (August 14, 2018) – West Virginia University assistant coaches met with the media on Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018, at the Milan Puskar Center Team Room.


Associate Head Coach (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers) Tony Gibson


On what this season means to him

It means a lot, but every season does. I don’t approach this as anything different; that wouldn’t be fair to prior teams I’ve coached. You know when you have a special group of kids, and I think, right now, in my six years of being back here, this is the closest I’ve ever seen a group of guys that like each other, doing the same things to get better and improve our football team. That’s a very positive sign, and again, it’s easy right now because we haven’t played a game. Hopefully, they’ll stick together through the good and the bad and find a way to get it done.


On what he’s seen during camp so far

I see us getting better every day, and that was a goal from day one for us. I see us doing something better every single day. I’m pleased with that part of it – but are we game-ready yet? No. The good thing is we still have a couple more weeks to prepare and keep getting better.


On if he’s learned anything from the first-team unit

I think the good thing is – and I can’t say it enough – these guys like each other; they’re bonding. That’s so important in the game of football; they trust each other. When you get that, that’s a big hurdle. Last year, there were times where there may have been guys on the field that other guys didn’t trust, whether it was on or off the field. Once we started getting into a groove defensively was Iowa State, Kansas State; we started playing really well. Maybe an injury here or there took a guy off, and we had to start plugging guys in, but we just never caught stride. We didn’t catch it early, it came for a little bit, and then it left us again. I think all this stuff will help bond these guys with the trust factor.


Assistant Coach (Cornerbacks) Doug Belk


On assessing the newcomers at the cornerback position

The good thing is that everyone we have in the corner room was here in the spring. We’ve had a chance to grow and learn from each other. They haven’t played any meaningful snaps yet, as a unit. But I think we’re in a good spot, we’ll continue to grow and youth isn’t always bad. They’re eager to play, they have a lot to prove and they don’t wat to be weak link on the team. We’re moving in the right direction, and these guys are playing well. They’re really pushing to play well, learn and develop. We don’t have any seniors in the group, so that’s a positive of it all.


On where he sees the leadership in this year’s crop of cornerbacks

They follow (redshirt junior) Hakeem Bailey by the way he works, but he’s not a vocal guy. A lot of the energy comes from (sophomore) Derrek Pitts (Jr.) and (redshirt junior) Josh Norwood. (Redshirt junior) Keith (Washington) is a quiet guy, (redshirt sophomore) Jake (Long) is a quiet guy, but Norwood is a guy who plays hard every single play, whether it’s on defense or special teams. Pitts is a big personality kid. He’s always at the top with the GPS numbers and the work load for the day. He has a lot of energy. I’m just trying to get him to channel that energy in the right direction.


On if redshirt junior cornerback Hakeem Bailey wants this year to be a turn-around year

I think so. I challenge him to do that every day. You have something to prove every day you go out there. What you put on tape is your resume, and he wants to improve his resume. He had some good plays last year, he had some negative plays. But, overall, I think it was a great learning experience for him. Some of the young guys will do the same this year, but we want to push them to be positive, to improve on things, focus on your strengths and develop your weaknesses. That’s one thing we always want to teach in our room.


Assistant Coach (Safeties) Matt Caponi


On how sophomore safety Kenny Robinson is coming along

He’s coming. We know that once those lights come on on a Saturday, the kid can play. It’s just being more disciplined and more consistent in his play throughout practice and managing the grind of camp and everything. So far, he’s done pretty well. He’s still young, so he’s still learning, still trying to master his craft. But I’m pleased with him so far. We still have two weeks to go, so I expect him to get better in those two weeks.


On how redshirt senior safety Dravon Askew-Henry has handled the SPUR position so far

The two before him with K.J. (Dillon) and Kyzir (White), obviously, they were longer bodies, bigger bodies. I’d have to argue and say he’s one of probably the top two guys on defense so far in camp. He’s making plays, he’s been completely locked in since spring ball. When we had the conversation, he said, ‘Coach, whatever I have to do to help the team,’ and he took it and ran with it and has played that position up to expectations. I’ve been really happy with him, really pleased. He’s continuing to develop that leadership role as well. He does everything that we asked K.J. and Kyzir to do, and sometimes he even does it at a higher level.


On the defense’s potential heading into the season

We say all the time that we’re all we have in that room. No matter what anybody says about inexperience or how bad we’re going to be, we play with that chip on our shoulder. We know what we have in that room; we feel like we have some pretty good depth, we have some good leadership, and there have been times at practices that we are pretty darn good. We still need to be more consistent and disciplined, but it’s a special group that works hard. They’re very unselfish, and they love the game of football. Just that right there gives you a chance to win a lot of games.


Assistant Coach (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks) Jake Spavital


On whether the offense will utilize a running back by committee or have an established starter

In my experience in the past with this, you really don’t know, because we didn’t have a true starter last year. But you throw all those guys into the mix, then it’s sort of a running back by committee. You script your play class based off what they’re good at, and I think you rotate those guys in until it, eventually, works itself out. Then, you get a true starter from that group. I’m really pleased with these four running backs right now, and I’m putting the whole decision on (assistant coach – running backs) (Marquel) Coach Blackwell right now, because it’s a pretty difficult one to make right now. All four are playing at a high level.


On if the running backs will be more productive this year, as opposed to last year

I think we will, and I think a lot of that goes down to the experience of the offensive line. We have a lot of guys who played last year that are coming back, and the continuity with (assistant coach – running backs) (Marquel) Coach Blackwell and (assistant coach – offensive line) (Joe) Coach Wickline is great. I think both of those units are on the same page, where the footwork and the timing is all mirrored up. I think they’re going to have good success.


On how tight ends can help the offense, situationally, in the red zone

You could sort of see the success we had last year with the bigger types of bodies in the red zone. They just create those matchups. I think that’s a defensive nightmare when you have a lot of big targets who have a big catch radius. Then, you can just put the ball in their vicinity, and they’ll come down with it. I think those tight ends bring more range to our red zone mentality.


Assistant Coach (Running Backs) Marquel Blackwell


On junior running back Kennedy McKoy

He’s versatile. He can get a lot better than what he is, but he’s shown that he’s competing. At the end of the day, you control the attitude and effort every day, and he’s done a good job with that. He’s taking a role, and he’s going out and showing it on tape. I’ve been in a situation before with three or four good backs, and you’re going to need all of them. It’s a long season, it’s going to be a physical season, and hey, at the end of the day, as long as we’re taking care of each other in that room, it’s going to be all right.


On if this team needs to have a feature back

We need to run the ball, I’ll tell you that. Guys that win ball games run it. I know it might be easier if one guy plays that position than if seven play, but it’ll help them, too. At the end of the day, the most important thing is to protect them and protect the football. Don’t go turning the ball over and keep the quarterback clean. Those guys are good enough runners to make it happen.


On the benefits of having depth

Depth is really good for everybody. (Freshman running back Leddie Brown) is a special kid; he’s shown so many different things that’s natural. You want to do right by him and make sure he gets a little bit, and as that continues to build, he’ll be pretty good. His approach, the way he goes about it, the way he follows the other guys, he has something in him that you need as a freshman. I’m just looking forward to those guys competing to see how it plays out.


Assistant Coach (Offensive Line) Joe Wickline


On the offensive line rotation

I think that we’re getting closer, and any time you’ve had spring, had summer and had some time to evaluate, as a staff, you discuss where you’re at. Maybe it’s time to move a guy here and make sure that he’s a good fit there, and you look at things, get things on film. Then, you have to get closer. I will say that camp’s all about competing, both as an offense and as a defense, also special teams. As a team, we compete. In our room, each guy is competing. Is he competing for a starting role? Is he competing for a backup role? Is he competing for a third spot? Is he trying to get better as a scout team player? Is he trying to get better at whatever level he’s at? There’s always competition going on. That won’t ever stop. That will go on for the entire year. But, to be quite honest, I know that the one good point is that we have more depth than we’ve had, which has allowed guys to know that you better stay on your toes, you better make your game sharp, you better bring it every day. Make no excuses, and just get it done and get better, because there’s someone right behind you. That’s good for the first team and good for the second team, because there’s always opportunity to win a job.


On having cohesive offensive line units

I think that’s overrated, in my opinion. I hear chemistry, I hear cohesion. I know from an outside standpoint, that we want to know who’s lining up at right guard, but it’s uncomfortable when we don’t know who’s lining up at left tackle. I’m not about being comfortable or convenient. My job is to get the best five on the field. Our job is to get the best, then, to get the next best five and the next best five. Whatever that rotation and that chemistry is has nothing to do with somebody on the outside of us. It only is what’s best for our program.


On how many offensive linemen can play at the Big 12 level right now

At this point, we have some young guys that aren’t ready yet. At this particular point, we have some guys that have already proven that they can play. We some guys that have played some, and we have some guys that are making a move to where they may be guys that are there. But I won’t really know where we’re at, in terms of numbers, until we actually put the ball down and scrimmage more, or get into a game or two. Then, we’ll see what happens.
 
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