A Q&A With Defensive Coordinator Jon Tenuta

y: Joe Bray

TarHeelBlue: Before you got this job, if someone mentioned North Carolina football, what would you think about?

Coach Tenuta: "I'm an ACC guy, so I know a little bit about North Carolina football. The thing I think about is in 1979 when I was a senior at Virginia, and Carolina beat us to go to the Gator Bowl. Buddy Curry, Amos Lawrence & Lawrence Taylor were on that team. If we (UVA) had won that game, we would have had a chance to go to a bowl game, which would have been a big accomplishment for Virginia at that time.

"That's kind of what I remember about Carolina football, since I've been away from the ACC since 1983."

TarHeelBlue: Now that you're here, what do you think?

Coach Tenuta: "It's awesome, no question in my mind.

"Having had the opportunity to coach in a lot of places, I feel fortunate in a lot of aspects to have the opportunity to coach here and be with John Bunting, who's an excellent man and a heck of a football coach.

"I've known a lot of the guys here from before, I've been around the block a few times. It's exciting for me.

"I'll be honest with you, part of it is tough, the emotional aspect of it. I grew up right around Ohio State, my parents still live there. The way the Ohio State deal went down was tough. You come out of a January 1st bowl game, and the next day you don't have a job.

"But, I was fortunate the next day to field about five definite job offers, with a couple that really intrigued me that I wanted to look into, and this was one of those. As soon as I could I came down here to interview for the coordinator's job and meet with John. I wanted to see how well we hit it off, not just the X's and O's, but the whole gamut.

"There's a lot more to college life as a college coach, because you're a teacher as well as a coach. There's three things everybody talks about, and it's no different anywhere you go. You have the athletic aspect, you have the academic aspect, and you have the social aspect.

"Having a chance to play here years ago, then coming back here now and seeing the developments that have been made, this is awesome to me."

TarHeelBlue: You said you had several offers right off the bat. What was it about UNC's that made you take the job?

Coach Tenuta: "The school number one. The institution, UNC. The ACC. John Bunting.

"I don't know what order you put those in, but they all intrigued me.

"Obviously, I didn't have any plans on leaving Ohio State, but as it turned out, this is a great place and a great opportunity for me and my family. That's big."

TarHeelBlue: Coach Bunting prefers playing an aggressive, attacking defense. Obviously, that's also your style.

Coach Tenuta: "If you've watched Ohio State play the last few years, you know that's the kind of defense we're going to play. That won't change.

"You've got to put players in position to make plays. Within the next couple of months we've got to learn our players, find our strengths, then develop our weaknesses so that we can come together as a full unit and get ourselves ready to go for the Maryland game on Sept. 1.

"We'll be watching a ton of film. You have to evaluate every player. Then there's going to be some guys who get into the fray who may have redshirted or not gotten much playing time. Everybody's going to get a fair shake, and we'll go from there.

"Everybody will pretty much start at square one. Now, the guys who have played, the older guys, will pretty much get a first shot. I've always believed that the guys who have gone through combat are the guys you'll start at a position, but there are no guarantees.

"Every place I've been, I've found there are guys who may not have gotten as much playing time, but they've developed themselves and earned some playing time.

"You've got to evaluate everything, and it's a long process."

TarHeelBlue: I'm sure you were excited when Julius Peppers said he would be coming back.

Coach Tenuta: "There's no question, he's a tremendous football player. As a matter of fact, I enjoy watching him play basketball. Just to watch his feet, watch his athleticism, see a big man move the way he can on the basketball floor is amazing.

"He's a tremendous, tremendous athlete."

TarHeelBlue: Your defense at Ohio State was a big-play defense. How do you develop a big-play defense?

Coach Tenuta: "Big plays happen when you are aggressive.

"It's also a confidence factor. You believe in a player, the player believes in himself and that unit. Those eleven guys that are out there believing in each other, who know through film study and dissecting what our opponents are doing, those guys are kind of like coaches on the field. They know to anticipate by down and distance, by their tendencies and their personnel groupings, those things come into play.

"The big thing for me is that a guy's got to play fast. If you play fast, you've got a chance to make big plays.

"The old term is if you think you stink on defense, it's very true, because if you're thinking, you're not playing fast and you don't have a chance to make a big play. It's reaction football.

"You have to give them the knowledge aspect and the understanding of what we're trying to accomplish, then take that and, bam, when the ball is snapped you're going to have eleven guys getting their rear ends to the ball. That's the name of the game."

TarHeelBlue: Did you know any members of your defensive staff prior to coming here?

Coach Tenuta: "I knew of all of them, but not personally. I did know Rod Broadway through the years. He's an excellent defensive coach, an excellent teacher, a great communicator, a heck of a recruiter.

"I've known Dave Huxtable through mutual friends. I know his style of defense and his mentality, which is great. Jimmy Webster is a guy who's been around for a long time. He was at Kansas when Nolan Cromwell played quarterback, so he's been around a long time and has a great knowledge of the game, plus he's a tremendous competitor.

"I think we (all the defensive coaches) are on the same page. John wouldn't have selected us if we didn't fit what he wanted. In this transitional period right now, where the emphasis is on recruiting, we talk a little bit of football, but you don't want to lose anybody in the recruiting wars, so that's where our concentration is now.

"We're also all getting to know each other, too. That chemistry aspect helps you in everything you want to do. Guys will say this is what I like to do, this is how I like to do things. Obviously, there will be different ideas on how to do things, but it all comes back to me in the end.

"Once signing date comes, we're going to get ready to rock and roll for spring practice."

TarHeelBlue: Do you know enough about the talent you are inheriting to discuss strengths and weaknesses?

Coach Tenuta: "No, not at all. We'll be watching film non-stop once recruiting is over.

"Get back to me after spring practice with that question."

TarHeelBlue: Would you comment on the recruiting part of the business?

Coach Tenuta: "Obviously, you've got to have the players to win ballgames.

"I enjoy getting to know the guys who may be coming to your institution, who may be playing your position. With the restrictions now, it's a lot different than it used to be. You don't have those big windows where you get to know a guy one-on-one like you used to be able to.

"All of that, the trying to get to know a player and finding out what he's all about, that's exciting. Sometimes it's tiring, but that's part of it."

TarHeelBlue: Are there different mental and physical attributes between a cornerback and a safety?

Coach Tenuta: "No question.

"I think the corner is more of a guy who needs to have outstanding confidence. He's got to have outstanding hips, he's got to have catch-up speed, he's got to be able to play the ball when it's in the air, whether it's a deep ball or a short ball.

"A corner is a unique guy. He's got to be a special type of cat. He's got to have a little bit of swagger to him, because a lot of time he's out there on an island. There's him, another guy, and there's the ball.

"Those are factors you have to look at for a guy to be out in space. Tremendous hips, he's got to be able to run like a wide receiver, he's got to have ball skill. There's a lot of things involved in it.

"Safeties, to me, are guys who are tough guys, that are tacklers, that are rangier guys who are not on islands. In a lot of aspects they're like linebackers. In my schemes the safeties do a lot of talking and a lot of communicating because they make a lot of calls.

"First and foremost, you've got to stop the run. If you stop the run and make guys throw the ball, you've got a chance to win the football game. Even people going to the spread offenses know they've got to be able to run the ball in critical situations for them to continue their drives offensively.

"You've got to stop the run. Then, I feel that package-wise we can match up and hopefully have enough cover guys to stop them. If the safety's a great cover guy, that really helps you in your package.

"Obviously, the corner and the safety are two different breeds of cat."

TarHeelBlue: When we played Clemson here last year, we got beat deep for touchdowns four times. Each time, the defender was right there with the receiver, but did not see the ball and make the play. How difficult is it to teach that?

Coach Tenuta: "I'm sure you've seen a lot of games on Sunday and seen it happen there also. It happens on Sunday all the time.

"It's tough when you're in man coverage, you've got to play through the man to find the ball. Some guys have that knack of getting themselves in what I term head position, playing through the earhole, through the eyes, through the pocket to find the ball.

"Obviously, you're at a disadvantage as a defensive back to begin with because you're back pedaling and the other guy's running forward. That's where it all starts.

"You've got to have confidence to be back there. I'm not saying you've got to be cocky, you've got to be confident. There isn't a DB around who hasn't been beaten deep. There isn't one. Even Ronnie Lott talks about that.

"It's going to happen, but you can't let it happen more than now and then. I haven't watched that whole game, so I don't know. Maybe the guy didn't quite get himself in position to knock the ball down or whatever. ut, those are things you work on all the time as a secondary player.

"We'll get that ironed out for you."

TarHeelBlue: How much do you work with your defensive backs on tackling?

Coach Tenuta: "We're going to tackle. The defense is going to tackle. Up on the board, that's number one. If you can't tackle, you're not going to play.

"You have to be able to tackle. That's big with me.

"I was fortunate at Ohio State that we didn't get beat by the big play very often, especially a run or an underneath pass. We're going to get them on the ground and live to play another down.

"We are going to be good tacklers."

TarHeelBlue: What makes a good tackler?

Coach Tenuta: "The want, the want to tackle. You can talk about technique and all that, but you've got to want to tackle somebody.

"There is no question that desire is more important than technique. This is something we will work on every day. I've been in this business for 21 years. We will be good tacklers.

"Motivation is a combination of a lot of things. I think there's motivation based on where they're from, their upbringing, their family, I think that sets the table.

"I think most players motivate themselves. I don't know how much a coach individually can motivate a player, but we're here to help them. We're going to be their friends, but we're not going to be their buddies. There's a big difference there.

"It is a two-way street. We all as a unit, as a team, have goals to reach. If you reach those goals as a team, you can reach those goals as an individual.

"I think it's my job to teach, instruct and do the best motivation job I can, but I think the player has to carry the ball. He has to do a little bit himself to get himself ready to go.

"Every individual is different, and what it takes to motivate them is different. Does it take a Knute Rockne speech to get them over the top, or does a talk like ours right now, just nice and easy, motivate them? Everybody's different.

"I don't think there will be a problem with motivation around here, not with guys like Coach Bunting and Coach Webster around."

TarHeelBlue: What positions have you coached besides defensive backs?

Coach Tenuta: "All of them. Linebackers and defensive line, which has helped me be a coordinator at a couple of places I've been. As a matter of fact, when I was at Kansas State I had the defensive line and I was the coordinator, so I've done if from the front end.

"It's helped me in understanding where things fit. It's also helped me to understand different techniques, and to relay that technique to someone else.

"I think the full gamut of what I've done in my career has helped me to be a better defensive coordinator."

TarHeelBlue: Is there any particular coach you've worked with who has influenced you the most?

Coach Tenuta: "I'd say that Dale Lindsey, who coaches linebackers for the Chicago Bears, is the guy I've spent the most time. He played for the Cleveland Browns, he's a bit older than John.

"I caught up with him years ago, and he's a guy I've spent a lot of time with, outside of a lot of different guys. I am one of those guys who thinks there's a lot of different ways to skin a cat.

"Maybe somebody's doing something a little different or a little better than I am. I'm going to go find out about it. Maybe I'll use it, maybe I won't.

"I've had a chance to watch a lot of the great ones. I went to Bill Arnsparger's camp when he was coaching. He did a tremendous job, very thorough.

"I think you go watch people and see how they teach. That's very important, how you teach things. Especially in college football, with a 20-hour work week, you don't have the time with players that they do in pro ball. Teaching is very important.

"Everywhere I've been I've picked up different things from different guys, and I'm going to continue to do that. The term is always used that someone is a guru. I think that very few guys are gurus.

"I do have a lot of respect for the Arnspargers, the Bill Parcells, the Buddy Ryans. Those guys have been through it and learned the trade and have become the best. There's a lot of outstanding coaches, and I think the more you can learn from them, the more it will help with your philosophy and what you believe in.

"You take the good and add to it."

TarHeelBlue: A lot of college players left early to go to the NFL this year. Does this trend make it less likely to redshirt players?

Coach Tenuta: "It's up to the head coach. But now, with the 85 scholarships, it's a lot different than when Coach Bunting and I played. I think you have to get the best players on the field. If a kid is a true freshman and can contribute and help you, you've got to play him.

"If a true freshman can do the job and you need him, by golly, you play him. There's enough kids around now who can come in with the maturity and the size and the speed to play. It's amazing how much more mature kids are than they were ten years ago. A lot of those players may be ready to go into combat right away."

TarHeelBlue: Do you feel more like a teacher or a coach?

Coach Tenuta: "Teaching is part of coaching, no question. You have to teach guys to crawl before they walk, and walk before they run. There's a lot of that every day, not just in how you play this coverage. You've got to teach them the coverage first, where everybody fits.

"Then you run a pattern, where do you fit on this pattern. Where do you see the ball thrown, where do you see the receiver?

"Also, a good coach needs to do more than have a great knowledge of football. He needs to be able to teach it, to get it into a player's head. Coaching is communication. You have to be a good communicator."

TarHeelBlue: Do you have any feel yet for the physical condition of your players?

Coach Tenuta: "I'm one of those guys who doesn't pass judgement on something until I see it for myself. You know, you hear so many things, but I can't pass judgement until I have some first-hand experience.

"I know Jeff (Connors) is fired up and ready to do his gig. To me, that guy is just as important during the off-season as anything. I know he'll do a tremendous job for us.

"That guy spends twelve months a year with your players. Right now, with so many of us on the road recruiting, there's only one dad around, and that's him. That guy is a tremendous key to getting players ready to play. He helps so much with mental toughness, as well as physical toughness, which I think is the key to being successful in football.

"Mental toughness is just as important as physical toughness, there's no question. y the time you get to Thursday, everything from then on, as far as you approach that game, is mental.

"Like we were saying earlier, if a guy beats you on a bomb, how mentally tough are you to come back and recover from that. The game is just as much about mental toughness as physical toughness."

TarHeelBlue: I like the mental toughness of the staff we now have. Bunting and Webster were classmates of mine, and I love the return of the ill Dooley mentality.

Coach Tenuta: "I had to play against Dooley when he coached here, and I had to play against him when he coached at Virginia Tech.

"It was always the same thing. I'm going to hit you in the mouth, and I'm going to keep hitting you in the mouth. That's Bill Dooley football.

"You knew what play was coming before it came, and you knew you had to stop it, but you usually couldn't. Coach Dooley was an excellent football coach."

TarHeelBlue: Are you excited about living in Chapel Hill?

Coach Tenuta: "Oh, I'm looking forward to living here, no question about it. It's one of the prettiest parts of the country.

"This is an awesome place to raise a family. That was a big factor in my decision to come here. I have three sons, and it's very important for my wife and I to raise them in the right environment.

"I've got three boys, Zach (11), Matt (7) and Luke (16 months). Luke was born two days after Miami beat the tar out of OSU at the Kickoff Class in '99."

TarHeelBlue: How involved do you get with your players' academics?

Coach Tenuta: "Academics are very important to me. I've always preached, and sometimes it falls on deaf ears, that the institution came first, not football. They can never take your degree away from you. It's something you'll have for the rest of your life.

"The thing about the University of North Carolina is that when someone says they graduated from here, people respect that. It stands for something. It does open peoples' eyes.

"I wasn't exactly a Rhodes Scholar at Virginia, but I did know one thing. I knew I was going to get a college degree.

"I will stress getting a degree to all of my players, I'm a firm believer in that. When I have guys leave early for the league, no matter how much money they're making, I say 'Hey guys, come back and get that degree, don't forget about it. The institution allowed you to play ball. I think you owe it to yourself and the institution to graduate.' They can't take that degree away from you.

"This institution is special. I think the players who come to Carolina understand that."

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