WVU Defensive Players Enjoying New Coaches - WVU Football, WVU Basketball, News - Mountaineer Sports

The West Virginia University football team is seeing spring practice utilized in two different ways. The offense is more or less refreshing itself with Dana Holgorsen's offense. The defense has been busy installing a new 3-4 scheme.

Holgorsen did not finish hiring his new defensive staff until February. That did not give the new coaches much time to get to know their new players.

Spring practice began in March and will end later this week. In that time, the players went from not really knowing their coaches to liking them a lot.

"They are a younger group of guys, so they relate to us more than they did last year, not taking anything away from them," Defensive Back Brodrick Jenkins said. "They are a group of guys with a lot of energy."

This staff is also younger than the last one. That has helped the players identify better with the coaches and perhaps more importantly, the coaches to identify better with the players.

"They are similar in age," Jenkins said. "They grasp that we are younger players and have brought out the younger, energetic things and it has benefited us."

"They are about the same age as the offensive coaches and we joke around and have fun," Defensive Back Avery Williams said. "It's not always serious. When it comes to football it is time to get serious."

Co-Defensive Coordinator Joe DeForest is serious about installing his 3-4 defense this spring. The players enjoy his approach to coaching the defense.

"He is a guy if you are doing good will not abuse you if something bad happens," Jenkins said. "If you mess up he wants you to learn from it, get better from it and not keep making the same mistakes."

"I like how he coaches," Defensive Back Darwin Cook said. "He gets mad and says a couple of words, but he always encourages you just like your mom and dad when you get in trouble. That's a good thing about him."

"Coach DeForest is a funny coach," Williams laughed. "He may be yelling at you and then at the same time he will turn it into a crack against you." 

Throughout the spring, DeForest has been trying to get to know his players and their abilities. While doing that, he has also gained a lot of appreciate for their work ethic.

"As far as the effort and attitude and enjoyment of the game, it has been great to watch them," DeForest stated. "They are picking it up and right where we want them to be. We've got to fine-tune some stuff to make it better."

Fine-tuning things will be the goal for the summer. That will continue into fall camp as the Mountaineers prepare for their first competition as a member of the Big 12.

The coaches and players will also continue to work on their relationship off the field.

"We spend a lot of time together and I spent the majority of the first part of this semester getting to know them," Cornerbacks Coach Daron Roberts said. "I got to know about their families, what they want to achieve in life outside of football and I feel like we built a good relationship within the corners room."

Chemistry is an important ingredient in successful teams. Seeing that chemistry grow between the defensive players and coaches will certainly be one of the goals for the summer.