The pen and paper are never far from reach. Everett Withers keeps them close by because, well, he's always thinking of new defensive schemes.
He is a constant doodler. Always has been, even as a kid. He loves to diagram plays. Morning, noon and night. Whenever a new defensive idea pops into his head, he reaches for his pen and paper.
"That's what I do," he said. "I keep my notebook by me."
Gophers fans who have witnessed and suffered through years of cover-your-eyes defensive calamities hope the contents of Withers' playbook help change the attitude and performance of a unit that has long been viewed as the weak link.
A former NFL assistant and defensive coordinator at two colleges, Withers now sits in a seat that has roasted many backsides before him.
He doesn't look even a tad uncomfortable.
Withers left the NFL to become the Gophers defensive coordinator because he saw potential, not the past.
Besides, Withers said he is too consumed with the present to get sidetracked by anything else. He has installed an entirely new defense, one that is based on multiple schemes and an aggressive, attacking mentality. He wants to strike first, not engage in rope-a-dope defense.
He will put his defense on display for the first time Saturday, when the Gophers open the 2007 season against Bowling Green.
"Confidence is the biggest deal," he said. "Having confidence that you can make a play. We've got to really do a good job of teaching our kids and getting them in the right spots and then letting them play. They're going to make mistakes, but make them full speed."
Student of the game
A coaching star. That's how Gophers coach Tim Brewster describes Withers. Actually he called him a "flat-out star."
Brewster, who worked with Withers when both were assistant coaches at Texas, rarely passes up a chance to talk about Withers' organization, knowledge of the game and attention to detail. Others cite those same qualities. From his former high school coach to Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher, the message remains constant.
"Ev has a complete understanding of the overall defense, and he has the ability to take that knowledge and communicate those concepts easily to the players," Fisher said. "He is organized and detailed, and he is specific and deliberate in getting his coaching points across to his players."
People close to Withers saw his coaching potential years ago when he was growing up in Charlotte, N.C. Withers was talented enough to earn a football scholarship to Appalachian State, but a career in coaching was what motivated him. He was a cerebral player who loved to diagram plays and talk strategy with his coaches. He was the rare kid who wanted to coach in the NFL, not necessarily play in it.
"Even as a young guy he had that professionalism about him," said Bruce Hardin, his high school coach.
Withers played defensive back at Appalachian State for an up-and-coming coach named Mack Brown, who was struck by Withers' football IQ. Brown, now the head coach at Texas, called Withers into his office one day in 1983 to discuss his career goals.
"You could see that this guy is going to be a star as a coach," Brown said. "He is driven. Always has been."
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