Five Questions With Coach Joseph

by Jeff Greenberg, GoHeels.com

1. When the time came to decide, what factors led you to saying yes to Coach Fedora and come to coach at UNC?
"A big factor for me was knowing Coach Fedora when he was at Southern Miss and I was at Louisiana Tech. I was able to see what he did there and got a sense for the type of program he builds and how he runs it. Then I followed what he's done at UNC in his time here and I've just always liked what he does with his programs. I think he can win championships here. Then you add in my discussions and relationship with J.P.(Coach John Papuchis), who felt like they were building something special here and it became an easy decision for me. After talking with J.P. and Coach Fedora, I was sure that I wanted to jump in and help them build towards those championships here at UNC."

2. Coach Papuchis has discussed his history with you and Coach Ekeler going back to your graduate assistant days together. What's it like for you guys to have the chance now to run your own defense?
"I think it's special and unique. When you're getting into the profession and you're working hard to make your way as a G.A., the other guys you're grinding with become like family. Every family has dreams and so you talk about your future and how it would be great to move forward together. It doesn't always work out that way though because everybody has to grab their own opportunities, and the timing isn't always right to be able to do it together. We all stuck by that goal though of wanting to end up back together. We know we'll always have each other's back in this profession. So being back together means a lot to us. It happened at Nebraska, and now for it to happen a second time here at UNC is just great. J.P. is the guy that has pulled me out of the SEC twice now, so I think that speaks volumes to how excited I am to be coaching with these guys."

3. When you arrived at UNC did you watch film on the defensive backs, or did you wait and see what they showed you in person on the field?
"I didn't watch film on the guys. I went off more what guys I trust told me and what I knew already about a guy like M.J. Stewart. We actually recruited M.J. when we were at Nebraska. I got to know him well then and really liked him as a player and as a person. The irony is that my G.A. at Texas A&M, Justin Sanders, was from UNC. He was my G.A. for two years and he had a lot of background information on all of these guys. So I picked his brain some and learned some about who I'd be working with here at UNC. But I told the guys I was going into spring practice with an open mind. I wanted to give them a chance to show me in person who wanted to earn their time and show me what they were capable of doing and how hard they wanted to work. They had a clean slate and J.P. supported that, which I think brought out great attitudes and mindsets from my guys this spring. I think it gave us a great base to build from this spring on the field."

4. How would you describe what you want your secondary to be known for on Saturdays?
"My guys are going to be aggressive in all aspects of the defense. We're not going to give up easy throws because we're going to be a physical secondary. People will catch some balls because that's the way this game is played now on offense, but we're going to make them pay for it when they do catch it. That all starts with being great tacklers and having great technique. I think they really improved most this spring above the shoulders. We talked a lot about getting better with our eyes and our minds in learning how to play the game at this position. I told them that if that part is sound, the physical part comes easy because you're able to play faster. That doesn't just mean faster in terms of running, but more in terms of reacting faster. That's what helps you make big plays. Our guys will be sound and disciplined in their play, but I hope when I hear people discuss our guys the word physical is what you hear said most in describing their style of play."

5. Most people associate a Coach Fedora team with a powerful offense that determines how successful it will be in any given season. How might that be different this season?
"Having talent can be a catch-22. The NFL Draft took a toll on our offense, which means we're doing great things here with developing our players. It also means our defense knows that we will be counted on early in the season to carry the load a bit while the new guys on offense find their footing. When you look at our defense you have to be excited what you see coming back in terms of talent and experienced talent. You look at the fact we have all of our linebackers back with leaders like Cole and Dre. We have depth on the defensive line and I think we have guys there that can cause some problems in one-on-one pass rush situations. That's a big deal because that's really how conferences like the ACC have caught up to the SEC in football. I think the key to the SEC's success always began on the defensive line. The SEC had guys there that other conferences didn't have. It always had guys that could dominate you on the line and disrupt your offense. Well now, teams like Clemson have that and I think we're getting there too with the talent and depth you see on our line here at UNC. Then on the backend we have guys that are ready to get in the mix and make things happen. The fans are familiar with a guy like M.J. Stewart but I think they're going to learn more about guys they may not know now, but once they see them making the plays they're capable of, there will be excitement there too. So we have the challenge on defense of needing to start strong early, but it's a challenge I think our guys are ready for and that they're excited about when the season starts."

Players Mentioned

M.J. Stewart

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