Brown, 54, hit the ground running to start working on it, seemingly getting out of the car after 13 hours and heading straight to meetings and the practice field.
The 13-year NFL coaching veteran and former UT assistant (1983-89, 1993-94) didn't have the terminology down, he's still learning the playbook and is probably as familiar with the personnel as they are of him. But Brown jumped right into the mix as the Vols (7-5) prepared for a New Year's Eve matchup (TV: ESPN, 7:30 p.m.) with Virginia Tech (9-3) that's beginning to creep up.
"I'm a liability right now, to be honest with you," said Brown, who most recently worked as assistant head coach and passing game coordinator with the Detroit Lions in 2008. "I haven't been here, I don't know the offense. They know a lot better than I do, so they're telling me and I'm asking questions - I'm asking more questions than them. 'You know what your split is? What's your depth here?' They're telling me, and that's good and healthy.
"(The transition) won't happen before the bowl game, I promise you. But it won't take long. Plays are plays and everybody does a lot of the same stuff. Right now I'm struggling with the terminology. You know, once I see the play I know what it is, I know what we called it at Houston, I know what we called it at Detroit, and I know what we've called it at other places. But I've got to put it into Tennessee's terms. Once I learn the terminology and the little nuances, then I'll be fine."
Brown had plenty of help with that from his new receivers, who received a packet of information detailing the finer points of his resume and highlighting the players he's worked with during his career.
Not that Brown needed it, but that bought him instant credibility with the Vols, and they lined up to help him start soaking up the offense.
No comments:
Post a Comment