University of North Carolina Athletics
A Q&A With Coach Gunter Brewer: Part II
July 15, 2003 | Football
By: Joe Bray
TarHeelBlue: You've talked about how difficult the adjustment is coming from high school to college. Is speed the biggest change, or is it more mental?
Coach Brewer: "The speed of the game is a significant change, but the defensive coverages and the things that change at the blink of an eye are probably the biggest changes. They were used to seeing one coverage in high school, maybe two. They've never been pressed before, and they've never faced the athletic ability they'll face on the other side of the field. They've always used superior athletic ability to their advantage, but now they're facing guys who are as good or better than they are.
"Another thing is there are very few teams that throw the ball as much in high school as in college, and the one ones that do tend to keep things simple. Sam Aiken finally had his break-out years when he began to understand defenses as well as our own offense.
"They have to refine the little things, the small skills that they probably haven't worked on since their superior athletic ability has gotten them by. It takes a while to get used to a pro-style offense. I refer to pro-style offense because that's what we are.
"We're multiple, using no backs, three backs, two backs, one back, four-wide receiver sets, three-wide receiver sets, motion, shifts. Our playbook is very diverse. With offenses extending to unlimited amounts of throwing the ball, and with rule changes allowing shifts and motion, we have to take advantage of that by running in certain personnel groups.
"All of that is tough for a young kid. You have to be tough mentally and physically."
TarHeelBlue: Which of your players has the best hands?
Coach Brewer: "Jarwarski has probably made the biggest catches, but he's been a little inconsistent at times. I don't like any drops. It will be interesting to see, because not a lot of guys have played.
"We'll find out when we finally get to live action on August 30. Practice is one thing, a game's another."
TarHeelBlue: Who's your best blocker?
Coach Brewer: "I lost my best blocker and catcher in Sam Aiken. Brandon is pretty decent at it, he's got good size. Jarwarski's not too bad in position blocking."
TarHeelBlue: Darian seems to throw a very catchable ball.
Coach Brewer: "Yes, he throws a very catchable ball. He has great anticipation. He doesn't have exceptional arm strength, but with anticipation and knowing where your receivers will be, you don't have to. Joe Montana didn't have a very strong arm either.
"Darian doesn't throw it too hard, he doesn't throw it too soft. He's just right. He puts some zip on it when he needs to, then puts a nice touch on it when he has to do that."
TarHeelBlue: You've had chances to go elsewhere since you've been here. What's kept you from doing so?
Coach Brewer: "I love the kids, I love working for Coach Bunting. He's a guy who's very honest and open. He's a tough guy, I like being around that. He lets his coaches coach.
"Plus, I've enjoyed working with Gary Tranquill. He's got a tremendous mind. I feel that the more I can stay around him, the more I learn about not only offenses but defenses as well.
"Chapel Hill's a special place. It's a great place to raise a family. My wife (Rhonda) and I enjoy being in a small college town, one that's sort of like Oxford, Miss. where I grew up when my dad (Billy Brewer) was coach at Mississippi. Oxford's a lot like Chapel Hill without the surrounding area.
"I've had some other opportunities, and at some point I may want to spread my wings a little bit. I want to be a coordinator then a head football coach, but that sometimes comes with timing. You have to make choices in your career. You're always looking to do better.
"But, I could be here for a very long time in the position I'm in and be very happy about it. As long as I've got good kids with which to work and John feels that I'm doing a good job recruiting and coaching, then I've very comfortable with where I'm at."
TarHeelBlue: How much did last year wear on you?
Coach Brewer: "It was very tough. We had come off a successful season and we knew the cupboard was bare defensively, meaning that we needed to score a lot on offense and keep the defense off the field. We did that at times, then other times we didn't. We turned the ball over too much. We had our chances at times but just couldn't come through.
"Virginia was a team that I thought was very similar to us, but four times they came through and won games in the end when we couldn't do that. It was very frustrating.
"Until you can get to the point where you're playing with seniors and red-shirt juniors and sophomores, you're going to have some roller coaster rides. You have to get the program steady with some good recruiting years. You don't want to lose all your players at once then have to rely on freshmen.
"We feel real good about our incoming class. Coach got things going a couple of years ago by establishing relationships in the state of North Carolina. We evaluate our recruiting just like we do our coaching. We're our own worst critics.
"We evaluated better and earlier. The internet has become a very valuable tool. There is so much information out there. Whether it's correct or not is a question, so you have to disseminate that information and find out what's correct and what's not.
"We did a great job in camps looking at sophomores and rising juniors, so that helped us get a good start to that class.
"Another thing is the university sells itself. We invited professors, administrators, and players to get involved. We treated it as a team effort. We used Chapel Hill more. The town is a great selling tool by itself.
"We used people within the university environment to promote things as a total package that is composed of academics, athletics and social setting. When you roll all of those things into one, I don't think there's a better place in the world than the University of North Carolina. Once we put that out there, people looked beyond the wins and losses of last year and saw the potential of where we're going."
TarHeelBlue: What is your greatest strength as a coach?
Coach Brewer: "I would hope my greatest strength as a coach would be communication. That's where it all starts. Your relationships with your players and your staff are dependent upon good communication. As long as they know where you stand, and you know where they stand, then you have a chance to be successful.
"Everyone needs to understand what the goal is. Once they do you're in good shape. Everyone should feel like they can open up your door and come talk to you openly. You have to be honest with people and treat them with respect.
"Another thing is energy. I think I bring a lot of energy to what I do. I grew up in this business, it's been my life since I was born. I don't know anything else as far as another profession.
"You have to have enthusiasm and energy to work the hours we do. Young people want coaches who are enthusiastic. If your players can feel your enthusiasm and that you believe in them and respect them, they're usually reciprocal in doing the same thing.
"I also feel that I have a good overall knowledge of the game, maybe not just one particular part, but football in general."
TarHeelBlue: How does the long hours coaches work affect your family life?
Coach Brewer: "It puts quite a strain on your family life. A football's coach's wife and kids are probably neglected more than just about any other profession. We're seven days a week, pretty much all year long. We do have some down time that's spent writing letters and recruiting calls to coaches and laptops at the beach, working on the playbook.
"But, it's also a very rewarding career. There are a lot of positive things that come out of it. My kids (Lauren and Keaton) get exposed to things that other kids might not get exposed to. They get to be in some beautiful stadiums in some nice towns.
"They get to hang around the office, Coach is great about that.
"When we're not on the road, we're not at home. It's a difficult life for them. Rhonda and the kids make a lot of sacrifices."
TarHeelBlue: What are your favorite parts of your profession?
Coach Brewer: "Recruiting and game day. I enjoy practice, but the game is what you practice for. Recruiting is the thrill of competing against another coach from another school. I can't play anymore so my competitiveness comes in recruiting where I can go against you or whoever.
"Once it gets narrowed down, it's a game between the universities that are recruiting that kid, and it's my job, I'm the star player. It's up to me to make the great play to win the game.
"That's the way I approach it, and I know that's the way the rest of the staff treats it."
