Never in all my years of fandom...

[BrentVU]

... have I been so impressed by a Vandy staff as I was last night.

I and about 40 other fans attended a "Football 101" event at McGugin, kind of a "fantasy camp" for us superfans. It was pricey ($100), but for the avid fan, worth every penny.

We were greeted in the reception area by new DC Jesse Minter and quarterbacks coach Joey Lynch. We were escorted to the players meeting room, where Coach Lea addressed us and we got to ask him questions for about 30 minutes. He issued notebooks to all of us and expected us to take notes; I took plenty!

The new offensive and defensive coordinators then got 30 minutes each to talk about their philosophies and schemes. Coach Raih, who came to us from the 49ers, is an absolute ball of fire who dominates any room he's in; he showed us film of various schemes from the NFL and how he implemented them in the spring game and at practices. (Suffice it to say, fans are going to like this new offense a lot!) Coach Minter is a little more subdued; he basically showed us all of his defensive calls while explaining that the new defense would be very multiple (though relying primarily on a 4-2-5 and a 3-4 scheme). There's a new position in the scheme called the "Anchor", a LB/DB hybrid, and De'Rickey Wright seems to be a leading candidate for that.

Next we went into breakout sessions in the position rooms; I chose to go with Coaches Morgan and Minter in the DB's room and learned a lot about coverages and technique for cornerbacks. (With B.J. Anderson fully back after an injury last year, we should have more experience and depth at DB than I thought.) While we were in the halls, a big group of players showed up to greet us and cheer for us!

But the highlight was probably a 45-minute session with Director of Football Operations Barton Simmons, who explained how they are going about scouting and recruiting, and what they are looking for in prospects; and then he turned his recruiting pitch for Vandy on us, the same one he gives on official visits! By the time he was done, there wasn't a "recruit" in the audience who wasn't ready to commit. The guy flat knows his stuff and knows how to deliver a sales pitch.

But we weren't done! The evening concluded with a BBQ dinner and drinks in the indoor practice facility, which all the coaches (including Coach Lea) and support staff hung around for. I sat at a table with Jovan Haye and "Coach Eggs" (the LBs coach and got to ask all the lingering questions I'd been wanting to ask. They could not have been more genuine and welcoming.

It was all so wonderfully unexpected! I learned so much. I have never felt so valued as a fan. If you missed it, you absolutely missed out; but Lea said there would be another one next year. The lingering impression is that Lea has absolutely built his staff for the long haul; he is doing everything with great integrity; and despite being a rookie coach, there is no base that he has left uncovered.

[Seadog73]

Brent, Brent, Brent, you obviously fell into a warp in the space-time continuum.

But, FWIW, I have never seen such a commitment to athletics by Kirkland Hall and the athletics administration since I enrolled as a freshman in 1969.

[bornadore57]

Great overview. Thank you very much.

Was there any discussion of the transfer portal and the staff's utilization of it?

Brent - Anytime you post, I read. Over the years, your involvement has been a highlight of Vandymania. Thank you for loving Vanderbilt athletics.

[BrentVU]

Was there any discussion of the transfer portal and the staff's utilization of it?

Yep, I asked Barton Simmons directly about that. The answer is that they are looking to build and develop players for a long-term future, and although they might take a player here or there, they are not going to rely on the transfer portal very much. A lot of the guys in the portal, he said, are in there for a (bad) reason. If a player lacks good grades or character, it's a "non-starter" for Vandy. "Let the other schools fight over those guys," he said. "We're in it for the long haul."

Some people may not like that answer, but it's consistent with what Coach Lea said in the spring. Buckle in, fans, we're in for a rebuilding process, but it may take a while.

[bornadore57]

Sorry to bother you again, Brent, but your note has me excited about the (long term) future of Vandy football. Thanks for the answer about the transfer portal, which makes sense to me.

Now, about Coach Minter being "a little more subdued" than Coach Raih. lt sounds as if 99.9 percent of the population might fit that description. Could you provide a little more individualized description of Coach Minter? How does he compare to Coach Lea, as an example? I love Coach Lea, but I don't think he is "an absolute ball of fire who dominates any room he's in." I'm just curious. As we all know, the results will define these men, not a description of their personalities.

[Labradore]

Thanks for the recap Brent! How does one find out about this type of event and get an invite next year? (I’d gladly pay $100 for the experience… in fact, I’d pay $500 if they’d like to do it more as a fundraiser)

[mnvandy]

Thanks for the recap Brent! How does one find out about this type of event and get an invite next year? (I’d gladly pay $100 for the experience… in fact, I’d pay $500 if they’d like to do it more as a fundraiser)

I got an email about it. Not sure if it’s because I’m a Gridiron Club member, former STH or what list I got on. Definitely would’ve considered flying down for it if July wasn’t crazy for me work wise, and yeah, that does sound like it was worth the $100.

[BrentVU]

Now, about Coach Minter being "a little more subdued" than Coach Raih. lt sounds as if 99.9 percent of the population might fit that description. Could you provide a little more individualized description of Coach Minter? How does he compare to Coach Lea, as an example? I love Coach Lea, but I don't think he is "an absolute ball of fire who dominates any room he's in." I'm just curious. As we all know, the results will define these men, not a description of their personalities.

Yes, I'd say Minter is a reflection of Coach Lea... not David Raih-like, drill-sergeant intensity, but more laid-back and cerebral. His goal is to make things very simple for the players, but must balance that with a defense that's flexible enough to stop all the different defenses you will see these days. Here's a YouTube of Minter miked up at practice that was released some time back... judge for yourself...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfQirRi0DBM

The thing that immediately strikes you about Raih and Minter is that they look so young! Neither looks old enough to be coordinating an SEC football team... but they are both late 30's, I think (about the same age as Lea)... and both have had a solid career in the NFL.

To Labradore, who asked how you get invited to these things... it was open to everyone. I'm no one special. I can't remember how I found out about it... on Instagram maybe? I posted about it here on this board back when I found out about it. They could have done a better job of getting the word out.

[alathIN]

It's really cool that they are doing this.
What a great idea, and what a cool way to get the fans charged up.