‘Special Opportunity’ Excites Guerrieri
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Matt Guerrieri is talking Indiana defense and excitement grows. The Hoosiers new co-defensive coordinator sees the possibilities, the talent, the scheme. He’s encouraged by his players’ commitment to improve. He sees ways to tweak head coach Tom Allen’s attacking defense. He embraces the Big Ten opportunity that awaits, starting with the Sept. 2 season opener against Ohio State.
“The buy- in from the group is incredible,” he says, “from the attitude to the effort to the running to the ball. It’s fantastic.”
Guerrieri pushes fantastic. He’s a high-energy coach with a relationship-first foundation followed by a heavy dose of innovation and do-it-right urgency.
“It’s all about spending time with your guys,” he says. “I came in new, so everybody has a blank slate. You want them to know who you are. I want to know who they are. I love that part.”
Beyond that …
“We’ve gotten better from a technique and fundamental standpoint,” he says. “It’s one of the most important things we do. We’ve gotten better at making second effort a habit. We’ve gotten tougher. That’s been our theme.”
Allen is convinced a turnaround starts with a tougher, win-the-fourth-quarter approach. IU was 4-8 last season and could have flipped those numbers by winning the final 15 minutes of those losses.
Guerrieri, who arrived in Bloomington after four years as Duke’s co-defensive coordinator and a season at Ohio State, is a perfect fit. He and Allen and fellow co-defensive coordinator Chad Wilt are implementing a scheme to force the takeaways so crucial to success against 21st Century stretch-the-field college offenses.
“From a schematic standpoint, I think we’ve grown,” Guerrieri says. “You put in your foundation, and see who’s making plays. You look to see, are we getting better at beating blocks, at tackling, at running to the ball?”
Guerrieri saw it in spring practice. The hope is to do enough during summer workouts so everyone is ready for fall camp.
“We have to continue that theme and the momentum we built,” he says.
“It’s learning the system, learning what our guys do best. Our job is to keep it simple and play fast. Not make it over-complicated.”
Guerrieri sees difference-making players in linebacker Aaron Casey, defensive lineman Andre Carter, defensive backs Noah Pierre, Louis Moore and Jamier Johnson, and many more.
He likes the way Casey commands the middle of the field, crucial for a linebacker, and the way Carter, Pierre, Moore and Johnson have stepped up.
The 6-2, 235-pound Casey should rate among the Big Ten’s best linebackers after last season’s break-through in which he led the team in tackles (86) and quarterback hits (4).
Guerrieri says Casey “checks all the linebacker boxes” with his smart, athletic, physical, sideline-to-sideline play.
“That’s unique.”
Take the 6-foot, 171-pound Johnson, a transfer from the University of Texas.
“He’s competitive,” Guerrieri says. “The first criteria a defensive back must have is mentality and competitiveness. He has that. He has the length to battle big receivers, and he can run. He’s done a good job.”
Allen hired Guerrieri after deciding he would give up calling defensive players to fully concentrate on his head coaching duties. Guerrieri will call the defensive plays and will work with co-defensive coordinator Chad Wilt in running the unit.
Guerrieri describes working with Wilt as “awesome.”
The goal is to return the Hoosiers to their takeaway-dominant ways in 2019 and ’20, when they went to bowl games.
The potential is there, Guerrieri says.
“This is a special place starting with Coach Allen and working all the way down,” he says. “The culture is awesome. This is a unique opportunity to do something special at a great school with great people.”