NICOLE MILLER/Daily Bruin Phil Snow, UCLA’s new defensive coordinator, gives Devon Reese a few tips. Snow was Arizona State’s defensive coach last season and nearly went to Illinois before being offered the job with the Bruins.
By Scott Bair
Daily Bruin Reporter
It’s mid-August. It’s back-to-school time for millions of students across the nation. For the nine returning seniors who compose the defensive side of the UCLA football team, preseason training is nothing new. This is a group that has experienced the highs of 1998 and the lows of 1999.
This season, however, football camp will be different. When the bell rings this year, a new teacher will walk to the head of the class. The man holding the chalk is Phil Snow, who has spent the past seven seasons as defensive coordinator of Arizona State.
His Sun Devil defenses held opponents to less than ten points in 26 percent of the games he coached. With that kind of record, Snow was a hot commodity this offseason, and had originally committed to coach the defense at Illinois. But when UCLA came calling, Snow just couldn’t pass up an opportunity to return to his West Coast roots.
As one of the only new additions to the UCLA defense, not only does Snow face the daunting task of correcting a defense that allowed 31.5 points per game last year, but he must gain the respect of a group of 18 upperclassmen who must learn a new system. Snow knows that he can’t correct problems on the field if he can’t gain respect off of it.
“In football, as it is in any game, it’s confidence that allows you to succeed,” Snow said. “If you believe you can play well, then you will play well. It’s my job to show them that.”
Only a few weeks into his tenure, Snow has already gained the confidence of several of the pivotal upperclassmen on the defense.
“Coach Snow is real aggressive, on top of his players, and on top of his game,” senior defensive end Kenyon Coleman said. “He wants you to play at the peak of your potential. I have nothing but respect for someone like that.”
Bringing out the best in a talented and experienced starting 11 may take longer than a few weeks, though.
In an attempt to speed up the process and keep the talent core on the field, Snow aims to simplify the number of defensive personnel packages. Snow hopes that keeping the play-calling terminology virtually the same will make the transition easier for the older players.
“With the speed and talent of our linebacking core, to take a better player off the field just because of his position doesn’t make a whole lot of sense,” Snow said.
With the exception of four or five wide-receiver sets, the base package will remain intact, putting a lot of trust in returning secondary starters Ricky Manning Jr. and Marques Anderson to halt the big play threat.
“I’m excited about Coach Snow’s new system,” Manning said. “He’s making me elevate my game. That’s what I want, for him to come in and make me a better corner. I have to be one if I want to be a part of this defense.”
The addition of Snow has brought a welcome sense of optimism to a defense that has never played to their full potential.
They believe in him because of his pedigree, his attention to detail, and most importantly because of his ability to teach.
“If you’re a good teacher, your team is a reflection of you,” Snow said. “What they do on the field reflects on whether I can keep them feeling confident in themselves, and in doing so, maximize the potential of this team.”
Although UCLA academics don’t start until late September, Professor Snow’s class is already in session.