Football catches spring fever
Players adjust to a new coach with a new system
Cameron Blair
Issue date: 4/24/08 Section: Sports
|
"It's like someone put a whole bunch of ingredients in a blender and put it on high with no top on," Hood said. "There are so many things involved in being a head coach that you don't realize when you're an assistant."
The former Wake Forest defensive coordinator said being on the field with the players once spring practice started on March 31 eased the transition.
"It's to the point now where I'm enjoying myself because I get to be on the field with the players," Hood said. "It was just paperwork and policymaking before that."
Eastern's spring practices will officially conclude when the Colonels play their annual spring game at Roy Kidd Stadium Sunday at 4 p.m.
However, this spring game will not only be Hood's first as Eastern's head coach, it will also be the first time the majority of this group of Colonel players will be coached by someone other than Danny Hope.
With a coaching change, changes in strategy often occur. This case is not an exception as Hood brought in new schemes on both sides of the ball. But the Eastern coach said the players have adjusted well during the spring.
"The players have done a good job of responding to the new coaching style, which isn't necessarily better than Coach Hope's, but it's different," Hood said. "They understand what's expected and they're doing what we are asking of them."
A coaching change and a different playbook are not the only obstacles facing the Colonels as spring practice comes to a close. Eastern lost 20 seniors off of the 2007 team, many of which were starters.
Among the notable losses for Eastern were running backs Mark Dunn and Bobby Washington, who accounted for the majority of the Colonels' rushing yards. Defensive back Derrick Huff, who was named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation All-American Team, was another senior from last season's team.
Hood admits the large senior class was a cause for concern. However, the Colonel coach said he has been impressed with the returning players during spring practice and was quick to point out last year's team also had a sizable junior class.
"The good news, though, is that there were 17 juniors on last year's team and all of them are quality players," Hood said. "Hopefully these (players) will step up and take on leadership roles for the team."