Five Questions With Coach Ekeler

by Jeff Greenberg, GoHeels.com

What were the factors or reasons that led to you accepting your position with UNC? – "First of all, I had never met Coach Fedora before. I knew J.P. (John Papuchis), who had been promoted to defensive coordinator, for six years. He's one of my best friends in coaching and I think the world of him. I think he's a phenomenal coach. He had raved to me about Coach Fedora and how much he respected him as an offensive mind and as head football coach in how he runs his program. That was really my only link to North Carolina. When they were looking to fill some positions on the defensive staff Coach Fedora called me. We were actually in Jamaica at the time so when my wife and I landed back in Charlotte from that trip we hopped in a car and came to Chapel Hill to meet with Coach Fedora. That meeting went really well and the rest as they say is history."
You have a history with Coach Papuchis, as you mentioned, but also with Coach Joseph, the new defensive backs coach. How would you describe the dynamic in the defensive staff room right now? – "I think it's absolutely fantastic right now. Probably the best I've ever been in from the standpoint of how we're in sync with each other. It starts with how J.P. is running it from an organizational standpoint. He has a clear vision of what he wants to do and how he wants to accomplish that vision. We're all really on the same page. We think alike because we all grew up under the same coaching tree so to speak. The difference now from when we first worked together is that we've all branched out in different jobs and had different experiences that we could draw from and bring that to the table now. But at the end of the day we're very similar in how we operate. Then there is that trust factor we have between us. We've broken a lot of huddles together and we really know what to expect out of each other. J.P. knows everybody in that room has his back and we're all pulling the rope in the same direction. It's a great situation to be in and it's going to be a lot of fun for all of us. We have the chance to work together for a great head coach, at a great institution and with a lot of great players. Yes, we have history together, but I'm focused on now and moving forward to see the history we can make here at North Carolina."
How would you describe your ideal or prototypical linebacker? – "I think from a size or physical standpoint, they're all different and you can be successful at this position with guys of different size. I've had guys that weighed 215 pounds and had 158 tackles and eight sacks that went on to be drafted into the NFL and sign $60 million contracts. I've had guys that were 6'6" and weighed 240 pounds that were top 10 picks in the NFL. So what I'm getting at is that size doesn't always matter to me when looking at a linebacker. It's more about their instincts. It's about their love and passion for the game. It's about toughness, both mentally and physically. How bad do they want it? How bad to they want to be a great player? Everybody says they want it, but not everybody has the drive and focus to become great. I'm looking for guys that want to be great and work hard to match those expectations with their actions. I don't want to hear guys just say it. I want to see them live it."
When you arrived here in Chapel Hill, did you spend time watching film of your guys or did you rely more on what you were going to see for yourself on the field when you met them? – "I could care less about what they've done before. It's about the here and now and what they're going to do today, tomorrow and in the coming months. I wanted to trust what I saw with my own eyes and my own evaluation of the guys. I got a chance to jump right in on day one in Blue Dawn and watch them move around and compete. Now J.P. had the history with them so obviously he was a resource in bringing me up to speed on whom I was working with and what they're all about. But just as he told me I was free to work with a clean slate here I wanted to give the guys that same opportunity to show me in person who they are and what they're all about. I wanted to see for myself what these guys bring to the table and what they can do for our defense."
Where did your room get better during spring practice? – "I think our focus started with J.P.'s desire to eliminate the run game of our opponents. That was what we focused on and to do that our guys will have to play with great technique, get off blocks faster and they have to be physical at the point of attack. That's what we stressed daily and I think we got better in those areas. We like to say it's "A.B.T. or all about technique." That's what our room is going to be about and they showed that this spring. First of all with Andre Smith, it's been a natural progression for him. He's played a lot of football here and now he's focused in on the little things with his game from practice habits to his technique. He worked hard on taking the next step in his progression. I think Cayson Collins and Cole Holcomb are in that same boat. They all made a lot of strides and they should be at this stage of their career with the experience they have now. Players get better or get worse and they worked hard to get better and they did. That's where it's more about their individual drive than it is the coaching because they have to choose bring that lunch pail attitude to practice and work hard to be better. I believe that work ethic in the spring and summer is what will transfer over to having a successful season in the fall."

Players Mentioned

Cayson Collins

Cole Holcomb

Andre Smith

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