‘Intense’ Charlton Warren Readies the Defense

By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Fierce competitiveness? Charlton Warren has it. Intensity? He's got the award to back it up.

Now that he runs Indiana's defense, what can we expect?

For starters, consider that Warren plays to win, all the time. It's among the reasons why 247Sports rated him as the nation's No. 11 recruiter, and why head coach Tom Allen named him as his new defensive coordinator.

As Warren has said, in so many words, play him in checkers at your own risk.

Checkers, of course, isn't his Cream & Crimson priority.

Coaching dominating defense is.

"We have a mission to make them better players and young men," he says. "I really like what I've seen."

Warren comes to Indiana from Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Nebraska, the Air Force Academy, and the Air Force military force. As an Air Force player, he earned the program's Mr. Intensity Award for his weight room ferocity.

He is well trained in the Nick Saban defensive principles that has helped sustain Alabama's dynasty even amid unprecedented offensive firepower. He brings, Allen says, "SEC eyes," an outsider's view that could deliver an extra edge.

"He has the ability to pull greatness out of his players," Allen says.

Warren connects to the motivational fundamentals that have fueled the Hoosiers rise from defensive disaster before Allen's arrival in 2016 to national force.

"I spent most of my career at places similar to IU," he says. "I understand passionate players who believe and who have a chance to be better.

"These kids play with a chip on their shoulders. They heard what Indiana used to be. These guys don't care. They're here to achieve a goal. The expectations that others set are no greater than what these guys put on themselves."

Warren takes over a defense that led the Big Ten in sacks (25) and interceptions (17), and ranked fourth in points allowed (20.3), and seeks to improve it. He focuses, not on the players lost (defensive tackle Jerome Johnson, safety Jamar Johnson), but on those returning, including husky Marcelino McCrary-Ball, who missed last season with a torn ACL, and All-Americans Micah McFadden and Tiawan Mullen.

"To me it is a blank canvas," Warren says. "If they were here last year and contributed and did a great job, that is awesome. They have never really factored to me, because what I had returning is what I had my mindset on building this team going forward.

"We have to develop depth at every level. We can't be a one-deep organization. We have to build depth at all three ranks and that is only going to happen through reps, fundamentals, technique, discipline, accountability to the system."

Keeping offenses off balance involves many factors, with this main point -- successful execution trumps the number of defensive calls. For Warren, you go with what's working, and if that means making the same defensive call multiple times, so be it.

"You can't get enamored with 92 calls if you can't execute them," he says. "The Hoosiers can't beat the Hoosiers. That's what I learned the most."

While it's been eight years since he was a defensive coordinator (that came while he was at Air Force), he has been sharpened from four years of SEC experience at Florida and Georgia as a defensive backs coach.

"I've learned there isn't one answer," he says. "You have to inspire and install a certain culture. I know it doesn't matter how great the call is, it's how great is the execution? You want to do what your guys can do very well and a high level of success. You don't bust and you play aggressive."

Beyond that, he adds, "You've got to stop the run, limit explosive plays and take the ball away."

With the completion of spring practice, Warren now has a strong sense of what this defense and these players can do.

"Through the (off-season) conditioning and seeing guys move around in the weight room with (strength coach Aaron) Wellman and through these practices, I've had a good chance at every level of the defense to see what guys can do, how they move, and how it best suits us going forward for our play calling."

Warren has made an impact in multiple ways, linebacker Cam Jones says.

"Coach Warren has brought a lot of energy to the table, a lot of technique, and fundamentals," Jones says. "It's been great having his mindset. The work ethic coming into this defense that we have has been amazing. I can't wait to see what he can do for us."

Warren figures to have plenty of fun with the bull position, which is a hybrid defensive end/linebacker that can do all sorts of offense-busting things.

"That position is very versatile because he's a guy that can rush, a guy that can cover, a guy that can blitz," he says. "It takes a special skillset to be in that position, so I'm looking for that hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker, but he has to be athletic enough and quick enough to drop in coverage, to carry tight ends.

"There's a lot of things we ask that guy to do, which make him a very specialized player. For us, it's exciting because there are a lot of things you can do with that guy in the scheme in the course of a game, in the course of a drive, in the course of a series, to help keep an offense off balance."
Beyond schemes and formations, relations are crucial to Warren's success. McFadden says the key is getting to know Warren as a person and a coach.

"Then it's getting down the terminology. Knowing what to communicate when and get everyone on the same page. Those things are so important."

Warren's get-the-technique-and-fundamentals-right approach meshes well with Allen's attack system.

"We connected fast because Coach Allen always preached about being detailed, being a detailed guy, and Coach Warren came in being a detailed guy," Mullen says. "He came in head on straight and gave it to us straight forward.

"It's getting the communication down, getting the language down pat."

As far as Warren's approach, cornerback Reese Taylor says, "A football player has to be a football player. You have to learn to adjust in any type of way.

"Coach Warren is a good coach. He knows what he is doing. He's a smart guy. He puts us in the right positions, and he's focused on the little details.

"He's always going to be the one to get us riled up to make a play or get takeaways. The effort he makes us do makes us push harder. That's what makes our defense stronger and a lot more communicative."
Warren also will coach linebackers, a change given he previously only coached defensive backs.

"The most amazing thing is I don't have to worry about giving up the deep ball and getting yelled at," he says with a smile.

"We have a great group of guys. There was so much focus on fundamentals, on eyes, and keys. It's been challenging and exciting."

Having veteran linebackers such as McFadden and Jones ramps up the excitement.

"They've played a lot of football," Warren says. "I want to increase their football IQ. With my background, my eyes gravitate to the back end (secondary). That helps because our linebackers are playing with bigger vision."

‘Intense’ Charlton Warren Readies the Defense

Players Mentioned

Jamar Johnson

Jerome Johnson

Cam Jones

Marcelino McCrary-Ball

Micah McFadden

Tiawan Mullen

Reese Taylor

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