Best place to coach? It's in the eye of the beholder

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Aug 29, 2007 | by JAKE SCHALLER

For Air Force defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter, a seat in the press box provides a better view of a game than a spot on the sideline.

From above, it's easier for DeRuyter to identify formations, locate weaknesses in an opponent's offense and observe the development of plays.

But there's one thing he can't see as well from a perch -- the eyes of his defensive backs.

"To me, one of the keys is guys playing with confidence," said DeRuyter, who is in charge of the safeties. "And when a kid gets beat, how's that guy going to react? A lot of times with a young defensive back -- freshman, sophomore -- I want to see his eyes and see, hey, is he responding the way I want him to?"

DeRuyter will have a fairly experienced secondary this season, but he might spend games on the sideline anyway. Because DeRuyter is implementing a new defense with new formations, new terminology and new rules, he likely will need to be near the field for some in- game teaching.

In 2005, his first season as Nevada's co-defensive coordinator, DeRuyter bounced back and forth between the press box and the sideline.

"I started upstairs, and adjustmentwise, sometimes it's tough in the (press) box to get things communicated to a whole defense," he said. "I know the whole defense but sometimes with new terminology and a new package, if there has to be some adjustments made, I'd rather sit everybody down on the defense and say, 'I know going into the game we thought this is what they were going to do. Well, this is what they are going to do, so this is how we're going to adjust.'"

The sideline, however, presents more problems than the view -- which former coach Fisher DeBerry often said was the worst for watching a game.

"I tend to get emotional on the sideline, much more so than in the box because it's a lot cleaner upstairs," DeRuyter said. "You're removed from a lot of the emotion of it. And just like most people, when emotion's in it, I don't think as clearly."

No matter where he watches the game, DeRuyter will make the calls for the defense. Those calls will be relayed through hand signals by a group of players and coaches. There will be one signal for the front seven, one for the secondary and one that is a "dummy signal" to throw off potential sign stealers.

When Air Force is facing a team that huddles before each play, an inside linebacker will receive the signal for the front seven and the free safety will receive the signal for the secondary. Against no-huddle teams, all players will look for the signals and wear wristbands that indicate what each signal means.

"They're used to seeing the signal from the sideline in practice," DeRuyter said, noting the Air Force offense works without a huddle. "And they're in the Air Force (so) they've all got good eyes."

But confident eyes? DeRuyter might be driven from the press box to determine that.

AFA DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS

Tim DeRuyter, 2007 Richard Bell, 1999-06 Cal McCombs, 1990-98 Bruce Johnson, 1984-89 Chan Gailey, 1981-82

Fred Goldsmith, 1980

Al Groh, 1978-79

Leland Kendall, 1976-77