Spring Practice Presser 3/8/16: Chris Partridge Comment Count

Adam Schnepp

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[Fuller/MGoBlog]

One of your big focuses in coaching has always been on the defensive line. What’s the adjustment been like for you to coaching linebackers?

“Well, yeah, so no, it really hasn’t. I’ve been a linebacker coach pretty much my whole career. I played it and coached it. I spent a year coaching d-line is all. It’s been pretty smooth. In December, you know, getting prepared for the bowl and just being surrounded by those guys who played so much football here in Joe Bolden and Des [Morgan] and [James] Ross, they helped my transition there in December and it’s been real smooth.”

You’re at a position where there’ve been a lot of losses so it’s kind of a key focus for you to get that ready. What’s that been like so far?

“Oh, it’s awesome, you know. It’s a challenge. We got to get some young guys ready to go, and we’ve got some great guys that are coming back that have played a lot of football, too. Ben Gedeon has stepped in and been an incredible leader right off the bat. And then coach Brown, coach Brown’s right in there with me with the backers. He’s a seasoned, veteran coach that understands how to get guys ready to go so it’s been pretty smooth. We’re working hard.”

Has Mike McCray been full go? He’s had a lot of shoulder issues over the years. Is he doing alright with that?

“Yeah, he’s been incredible over the past first five practices. He’s a pleasant surprise. You know, you kind of knew he had it in him and just his first five practices have been phenomenal.”

And is Jabrill working with you, or is he working with the safeties coaches still? What’s that situation?

“Uh, Jabrill works with a lot of people. You know, he’s with me, he’s with the safeties coaches, he’s kind of everywhere. He’s a smart football player that can take on a lot and we’re going to ask him to take on a lot, so I think the sky’s the limit on what positions he can play. We might even line him up at nose tackle this year if we can.”

When he’s up close to the line, what’s the biggest threat he presents to an offense?

“He can get to the quarterback in under a second off the ball. He’s got quickness. He’s going to put some o-linemen in some tough situations coming off the edge, and he can also drop and get to the flat real quick. And he can cover a guy from the line of scrimmage, be it a tight end or a back out of the backfield, so he can do some real dynamic things for us there.”

[After THE JUMP: “It’s their third defense here in three years and they’ve picked it up really well. It’s exciting to see. It hasn’t been as hard a transition as people might think.”]

Are there a lot of differences in the Don Brown defense from what they were doing last year?

“Uh, you know, it’s a different defense. I think yeah, obviously there are differences, but these kids are like seasoned. It’s like, ‘Okay, next up.’ It’s their third defense here in three years and they’ve picked it up really well. It’s exciting to see. It hasn’t been as hard a transition as people might think.”

What’s this opportunity been like for you? You spent last year obviously here in a different role. What’s this role been like?

“It doesn’t get any better for me. This is awesome. This is what I love. I’m on the field. I’m coaching. I’m getting after it.

“You attack any role you have- I attacked last year like it was the best role I could ever have and I got a new one, and maybe I like this one a little better but I’m just going to attack it 110% and do whatever I can for the team and whatever’s asked of me.”

Your new role’s self-explanatory but in your previous role what were your responsibilities?

“Bring the best players to the University of Michigan that our coaches and our head coach wanted to get here, you know, and that’s what we focused on. And to vet those players out from the film to how they are with their family to how they are in school, to just figure out who those guys are and get them here.”

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

“Day-to-day? Watching film, talking to high school coaches, talking to players’ family members or prospects, setting up the perfect visit when kids are on campus, teaching our whole recruiting department and our students that we have working in our recruiting department how to look for things and what to do, evaluating our players- I did a lot evaluating our current players because I was able to watch practice and take some time evaluating them as a whole to see what needs we needed. Just a variety of different things.”

Before there was an actual opening, in like mid-December Jim said something like they were going to do whatever they could to keep you here before it was clear that you’d have a spot. What did that mean to you, because I assume you could have left and gone somewhere else? What was that like during that timeframe?

“Yeah, you know, it’s like you work hard and I want to be a coach and he knew that, and you work hard in your job and you get those opportunities but in your heart this is the place I wanted to be. I put my trust in him, and just knowing that I want to coach for Jim Harbaugh and I wanted to be at Michigan and I believe in this place and fortunately it worked out. I just had to make a decision within myself what path to take and where to put your trust into and I believed in him and here and fortunately it worked out and I’m on the field now.”

It was kind of blind when you came here, though, because you didn’t really have a relationship with him. I mean, you knew the previous coaches, obviously. What was that process like, getting to know him and diving in—I guess you knew some of the players, [so] maybe that helped a little.

“Yeah, they didn’t even know him, to be honest. I started in his first month here, so it wasn’t so much them, it was just having belief in myself and kind of diving in to something and not looking back and working as hard as you can to be successful, and part of that is trying to see his vision as quickly as possible so I can make decision and do the work the right way and try to get to know his vision. Through doing that we formed a really good relationship and I just believe. It helped because I believe in everything he does and everything he says, so it makes it easier for me to then tail off and do what I need to do in whatever my role was.”

People are expecting this defense to be very good, but nationally they’ll say, ‘Well, the one position where they lost everybody…’ and this and that will be yours. How much of a challenge do you take that as?

“Oh, that’s what I live for. I love it. I want it. Like he just asked, when I came in here it was a challenge. I mean, I’m a competitor and I wouldn’t want it any other way. We’ll get those guys going and we’ll take on the challenge and we’ll make it work.”

You mentioned bringing in the best players. Rashan Gary obviously you know. What do you know about him and his potential that other people might not know about him at this point?

“I can say I know him better than any other college football coach in the country does. That’s a fair statement. Sky’s the limit with him, and I think you guys will be pleasantly surprised when he shows up here. It’s just…you just find, and I’ve been able to see, there’s certain players that just have something. It’s a worth ethic; it’s a work ethic on the field and in the classroom. It’s a love for the game where they have a bounce in their step every time they hit the field.

“Fortunately, so far I’ve gotten to really on a lower level, on the high school level, coach two of those guys, and one of them’s Jabrill and one of them’s Rashan. You know, you kind of- they just have it, have something. Every single play they play is 110 miles per hour, so I expect huge things out of Rashan and he expects that himself. It’s not just going to be on the field, it’s going to be in the community here at the school.”

How has Bush [Jr.] adjusted to the college game here the last week or so?

“Really good. He’s someone that we’re going to look highly upon to do some big things. Of course we’re not going to put too much pressure on a young guy; he’s going to learn at his own pace but he’s ramped it up here in the last three practices really. He’s done what we’ve expected him to do.”

Can he play as a freshman?

“Yeah, I think anyone we recruited last year can play as a freshman or I wouldn’t feel good about the job I did. We’re expecting big things out of all those guys.”

A couple of years ago you’re coaching high school in New Jersey. Do you think at all today about how quickly you’ve gotten from there to coaching on the field in Division I?

“Well, yeah, obviously I feel blessed and humbled and it’s phenomenal. It’s just…I’ve been fortunate. Every day I wake up I do my job as hard as I can and hope to continue and hope to continue to grow as a coach as best as I can. I don’t have huge visions at this moment or anything like that. I just want to do the job that I’m hired to do here and continue to get better as a coach.

“I think the product of me being able to get on the field is the surroundings here. I mean, we have some phenomenal coaches. Even from John Baxter, who was the special teams coordinator, I learned so much from him, so he’s going to be able to help me in that regard. You know, just being with DJ [Durkin] at linebacker and now learning from Don [Brown] or learning from coach Harbaugh, that’s what’s been able to progress me. Being around these coaches and this staff, they’re phenomenal and they teach you every day.”

How much have you learned in the past year?

“You know, I’ve said it before, it’s like a clinic here. I can carry a notebook around and write down something new that I learn every single day. You know, and I think just being open to that, I pride myself on being able to gain as much knowledge from anybody I can and take it to what I teach the players or how I teach the players. You know, shoot, just working on special teams with Jay Harbaugh and seeing how he teaches his tight ends you learn little things of what you can take to the linebackers. It’s really just- I’ve learned an incredible, incredible amount and I wouldn’t have done it any other way.

“From the position that I came in as and now being on the field, I think it was able to give me, I guess—I was open to every coach last year, whereas if I came in as a position coach you’d kind of be silohed to that side of the ball. I was able to be with the head coach and be with the offensive guys and be with the defensive guys and have the breadth of knowledge where I’m learning different things every day. I wouldn’t do it any other way.”

Comments

dragonchild

March 10th, 2016 at 8:03 AM ^

In backyard ball I actually sometimes lined up as NT -- all 90 pounds of me back then -- because I could easily shake the linemen and sack the QB, Tecmo Super Bowl style.  Of course, the answer to that was tight splits and run me over.

Hurdling the center is nice, but I'd like to have Peppers uninjured for the whole season, thankyouverymuch.

BursleysFinest

March 9th, 2016 at 4:39 PM ^

I like this man's enthusiasm (it's like its unknown to mankind)...  With the mix of young talent, older players and a DL that'll help cover for them, I'm getting way more excited rather than scared of the LB corps this year. 

anniemoose98

March 9th, 2016 at 5:12 PM ^

Nice to see him say “Yeah, I think anyone we recruited last year can play as a freshman or I wouldn’t feel good about the job I did."

 

Shows this staff isn't just resting on the laurels of the older, already developed players like the Hoke staff did. Not that I expected them to, especially after all of the  development we saw last year. It is just nice to see a coach outright say something to this effect.

Michigasling

March 9th, 2016 at 5:16 PM ^

Despite his coaching experience, he's eagerly open about apprenticing himself to everybody on the field, even the son of the head coach (who's probably younger now than some of the kids he'd coached in his previous gigs).  And thrilled to credit them all with what he's learned

Mr. Yost

March 9th, 2016 at 6:40 PM ^

This guy is going to be AWESOME at Michigan. His attitude, work ethic, and track record show he's someone headed for success. We're lucky to have him.

Wolfman

March 9th, 2016 at 6:58 PM ^

Coach P, very impressive. This man feels absolutely at home and I must admit his confidence and the excitement level come across as totally genuine.  Based on his answers, especially the one about his belief in the job he had done last seaon, I'm expecting a pretty confident bunch of lbers this season.

Going out on a limb here, but  guessing the fact he'll be coaching Jabrill a ton this year helps more than a little. Have a pretty good feeling about their former teammate at Paramus as well. Absolutely love the  fact he and all staff members share a confidence toward one another and, as he  points out, "learning something new every practice."

We're in good hands. .

PopeLando

March 10th, 2016 at 11:43 AM ^

Jay Harbaugh has kind of been a revelation. I wasn't expecting much out of him, but damn our tight ends have been phenomenal and from all reports the dude can coach. He deserves a medal just from what he accomplished with AJ Williams.