Cincinnati’s defense will be under the leadership of its third defensive coordinator in the past three seasons.
Well, actually, third and fourth. Tim Banks and John Jancek share the title of co-defensive coordinators. Jancek also coaches the Bearcats’ linebackers, and on game days, Banks will be making critical decisions, but it won’t be a solo effort.
“I’ll be in charge of play calling, but again at the same time, some guys might suggest, ‘Hey, what do you think about this? What do you think about that?’ It’s a team effort,” Banks said.
Banks, who came to Cincinnati after three seasons alongside first-year head coach Butch Jones at Central Michigan, led a Chippewas defense that ranked tops in the Mid-American Conference in scoring defense in 2009.
But keeping offenses at bay in the Big East will be a new challenge for Banks and his staff.
“The MAC was a wide-open conference,” Banks said. “I think in the Big East you’ll see those same types of styles of offense, but I think you also combine that with the ability torun the football. There are a lot of great rushers in this conference.”
Jancek joins Jones and Banks at Cincinnati after spending the last three seasons coaching defense at the University of Georgia, including one season as co-defensive coordinator.
The Bulldogs won a Southeastern Conference championship, appeared in two bowl championship series games and finished in the top-10 nationally three times while Jancek was on staff.
“I’m excited about all of our defensive coaches,” Jones said. “Look at the knowledge and the experience that they’re able to bring to the table and the great players that they’ve coached in the past and the great defenses they’ve been a part of. I’m excited about the entire staff; they’re great teachers and they’re great people. They expect a lot and they demand a lot.”
Banks looks forward to using the coaching staff’s vast experience to an advantage against opponents next season.
“If you check our bios you’ll see John Jancek’s defenses at Georgia, I think [defensive line] coach [Steve] Stripling has coached on some great defenses when he was at Michigan and we had probably the best season in history at Central Michigan last year on defense,” Banks said. “We all bring some wealth of experience on being around some really great defenses.”
Turning Cincinnati into a great defense has started right away as the coaches are using the team’s spring practices to implement the squad’s new playbook.
“This year it’s installing new things,” said Drew Frey, sophomore defensive back. “We’ve got some new coverage calls and have to get used to the new signals and stuff. It was a little bit of a learning process.”
Frey says having two defensive coordinators has only been positive for the team’s defense.
“They work together really well, and it helps us out a lot because we’ve got two guys with a professional outlook telling us what to do,” Frey said.
http://www.newsrecord.org/sports/banks-jancek-bring-new-attitude-to-defense-1.2215021
Well, actually, third and fourth. Tim Banks and John Jancek share the title of co-defensive coordinators. Jancek also coaches the Bearcats’ linebackers, and on game days, Banks will be making critical decisions, but it won’t be a solo effort.
“I’ll be in charge of play calling, but again at the same time, some guys might suggest, ‘Hey, what do you think about this? What do you think about that?’ It’s a team effort,” Banks said.
Banks, who came to Cincinnati after three seasons alongside first-year head coach Butch Jones at Central Michigan, led a Chippewas defense that ranked tops in the Mid-American Conference in scoring defense in 2009.
But keeping offenses at bay in the Big East will be a new challenge for Banks and his staff.
“The MAC was a wide-open conference,” Banks said. “I think in the Big East you’ll see those same types of styles of offense, but I think you also combine that with the ability torun the football. There are a lot of great rushers in this conference.”
Jancek joins Jones and Banks at Cincinnati after spending the last three seasons coaching defense at the University of Georgia, including one season as co-defensive coordinator.
The Bulldogs won a Southeastern Conference championship, appeared in two bowl championship series games and finished in the top-10 nationally three times while Jancek was on staff.
“I’m excited about all of our defensive coaches,” Jones said. “Look at the knowledge and the experience that they’re able to bring to the table and the great players that they’ve coached in the past and the great defenses they’ve been a part of. I’m excited about the entire staff; they’re great teachers and they’re great people. They expect a lot and they demand a lot.”
Banks looks forward to using the coaching staff’s vast experience to an advantage against opponents next season.
“If you check our bios you’ll see John Jancek’s defenses at Georgia, I think [defensive line] coach [Steve] Stripling has coached on some great defenses when he was at Michigan and we had probably the best season in history at Central Michigan last year on defense,” Banks said. “We all bring some wealth of experience on being around some really great defenses.”
Turning Cincinnati into a great defense has started right away as the coaches are using the team’s spring practices to implement the squad’s new playbook.
“This year it’s installing new things,” said Drew Frey, sophomore defensive back. “We’ve got some new coverage calls and have to get used to the new signals and stuff. It was a little bit of a learning process.”
Frey says having two defensive coordinators has only been positive for the team’s defense.
“They work together really well, and it helps us out a lot because we’ve got two guys with a professional outlook telling us what to do,” Frey said.
http://www.newsrecord.org/sports/banks-jancek-bring-new-attitude-to-defense-1.2215021