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HATTIESBURG — Southern Miss football coach Will Hall went with a familiar name in Chip Long to fill his open offensive coordinator job.
But for the defense, Hall went in the complete opposite direction.
Hall hired Clay Bignell from Eastern Illinois as the Golden Eagles’ new defensive coordinator, who he said he had never heard of before beginning the hiring process. Bignell said he didn’t have any prior connections to Hall or Southern Miss, either.
One of the main standouts, Hall said, was a familiarity with Bignell’s scheme.
“I went down into the FCS and Division II levels and looked at about 10 or 12 guys that were really doing well,” Hall said. “I wanted guys that had called it before, and Clay’s name just kept coming available.”
2023 was Bignell’s first season as Eastern Illinois’ defensive coordinator, leading a unit that dominated at the FCS level on the way to an 8-3 record.
The Panthers ranked inside the top 20 nationally in turnovers gained, fumbles recovered, interceptions, scoring defense and fourth-down defense, including an FCS-best 1.36 turnover margin.
The pillars of the defense are a heavy dose of zone coverage that keeps defenders with their eyes on the quarterback.
One of the more noticeable features, however, is the communication, which has been loud and commanding at the start of spring practices. It’s also simpler than last season’s, which could help install the defense quicker with Southern Miss replacing many of its defensive starters from last season.
“It’s all based off one-word signals from the sideline,” said Bignell, who added that he will call plays from the booth. “One word will signal in the front, stunt and the coverage. That way, we can handle any tempo teams and it gives you an easy ability to double-call things as well.”
Bignell said he draws roots for his scheme…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/expect-southern-miss-footballs-defense-220307186.html
Author : Hattiesburg American
Publish date : 2024-03-06 22:03:07
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