‘Fine Tuning’ – Coogan Set to Anchor Potential Powerhouse Offensive Line
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Brute strength isn’t enough. Satisfaction from just blocking the guy in front of you won’t cut it. Center is now as cerebral as it is physical, more if you ask Pat Coogan, who transferred to Indiana from Notre Dame to take charge of a position that demands awareness on par with quarterback.
Nearly two weeks into fall camp, so far, so good.
“Center is cerebral,” Coogan says. “An extreme part of the game, an extreme part of the center position is diagnosing defense. You have to see both sides of the field, see past the first and second lines of the defense, see into the safety rotation. It’s all those things.”
He pauses for emphasis.
“Mental is a huge part of the game, especially at the center spot.”
Curt Cignetti, who has consistently delivered high-powered scoring offenses in his 14 years as a head coach -- IU led the Big Ten in scoring last season at 41.3 points -- has seen that mental aspect increase as college football becomes more complex.
“I think the center position, like most of the other positions on the team, has evolved quite a bit as technology has improved and the game has become more sophisticated,” Cignetti says.
“Offense, defense, special teams are more complex than they used to be, but the learning tools and the teaching tools available to student-athletes have also improved, so their ability to learn faster, quicker, and more has changed as the game has changed.”
Coogan, a 6-foot-5, 311-pound redshirt senior, is well versed in change. At Notre Dame, he started for one year and 13 games at left guard before switching to center three games into last season when starter Ashton Craig was hurt. With 30 career college games, 26 as a starter, he brings critical experience and understanding of what’s needed.
“I want to grow in that spot,” he says. “Last year was my first year at that position. I have a ton of experience playing on an interior of the offensive line.
“I want to fine tune my game, clean it up, whether it’s footwork or hand placement or head placement. That always needs attention and work. Things like my anchor in the pass game and my hands in the pass game.
“I continue to work on all those. Fall camp is a great time to do so. It’s a very exciting opportunity to work and get better.”
It was a Hoosier opportunity Coogan never saw coming after a standout high school career in Illinois led him to Notre Dame. But in these transfer portal times players change programs as never before.
“I can’t say I imagined my career to go this way,” Coogan says, “but I’m glad it did. I’m super glad to be here. With all the ups and downs in my career, the turmoil, the wins, the losses, I believe that everything has led me here. I’m super grateful for that.”
Cignetti liked what he saw in Coogan when the Hoosiers faced Notre Dame in last season’s college playoffs and was intrigued when Coogan entered the transfer portal. The Hoosiers needed an experience center with Mike Katic out of eligibility.
“Pat started at Notre Dame, a great program,” Cignetti says. “He played a lot of football for them. He was an older guy looking for a home. He had a girlfriend who went to school here. We were looking for a center. Mike Katic had graduated. It was a perfect fit. Sure glad we got him. I think he's going to be a great leader for us.”
That leadership has made a big impression on teammates such as veteran offensive tackle Carter Smith.
“I could tell from day one,” Smith says. “He's loud. He's a communicator. He does really well making all of his calls. He keeps his eyes up. He's very focused and very attentive. But he also likes to keep the mood light. If someone's down, he's going to pick them up and pat them on the back. He's fit in really well.”
That fit includes adapting to a new offense as well as building the chemistry crucial to strong offensive line play.
“This summer was huge for that,” Coogan says. “It was more time with each other to get comfortable with playing with one another. We took steps in the summer.
“Fall camp is a beautiful opportunity to continue that growth. We’re not close to where we want to be, but that’s the exciting part because we still have more practices before the first game. Make sure we’re getting better each day.”
It helps to have veteran offensive linemen Kahlil Benson and Drew Evans back. Both missed the spring with injuries. Benson transferred from Colorado after previously playing for the Hoosiers. Evans stared the first nine games for IU last year before suffering a season-ending injury. Cignetti has praised their physical play and how it boosts the line’s depth.
“It’s a credit to them and their hard work to get back on the field,” Coogan says. “During the spring, they were there mentally, watching everything. Physically, they didn’t do much football wise.
“We’re super excited to have them back. They’re great additions. Playing next to Drew in camp is great. He’s a super strong guy. He knows his stuff. I’m excited to keep growing those relationships with those interior guys.”
Overseeing it all is Bob Bostad, regarded as one of the nation’s best offensive line coaches. Coogan says he sees why.
“Coach is very intentional with his work. He’s very intentional with what he wants to see out of his guys. There are no gray areas. He’s very detailed, very detailed oriented.
“His meetings are set up in a way that we’re doing this and this and this, that’s what we’re doing today. He knows how to get the best out of guys because he knows how to work guys in meetings and on the field. The drills we do are very purposeful. They translate directly into how the defense is going to play in practice or in the game.
“Everything has a purpose. That’s why we see success on the line of scrimmage.”
A potentially powerful offensive line is among the reasons why IU, coming off an 11-2 season, are rated No. 19 in the coach’s preseason poll. The Hoosiers are one of six ranked Big Ten teams, joining No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Penn State, No. 7 Oregon, No.12 Illinois, and No. 14 Michigan. They open the season Aug. 30 against Old Dominion at Memorial Stadium.
“I'm very high on the potential of our offensive line,” Cignetti says. “Bob Bostad does a good job of coaching those guys. He’s a tough, old-school guy. I think we've got a chance to be good.”