College football preview: Hot seat, meet cool customer

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."

Withers, 44, learned the value of hard work and dedication to a craft from his parents. His father, Claude, was a mailman for 35 years. His mother, LuNell, was an elementary school teacher for 30 years.

Claude, who died in 1994, also owned a janitorial business on the side and brought his sons along to clean two offices at night. Everett's daily routine through high school included practice, cleaning and homework. No exceptions.

"They instilled a lot of work ethic in me," he said.

Withers applies those values to his coaching. He scrutinizes every detail -- however minute it might seem -- and leaves nothing to chance. He constantly studies film in search of weaknesses, and the thought of anyone under his command cutting corners sends his blood pressure soaring. He considers himself a teacher as much as a coach.

Gophers linebackers coach John Butler served as Withers' graduate assistant at Texas in 1998. They worked together for only one season, but Butler said Withers made a "profound" impact on him.

"I was 23 years old and didn't know anything about coaching," Butler said. "He was one of the first guys that I learned the professionalism of football from."

Withers rattles off a long list of coaches who helped mold him. He took something from all of them. But it was Fisher and the NFL that provided his doctorate in football. NFL coaches often describe coaching at that level as "ball all day." They do nothing else but coach and study football, and Withers soaked up that experience.

"To me, Jeff Fisher is the greatest defensive mind in the National Football League," Brewster said. "And Everett spent six years with Fisher."

Back to college

Withers left his job as Titans secondary coach because he wanted to be a coordinator again and liked the teaching aspect of the college game. He previously served as defensive coordinator at Austin Peay and Louisville. The college game enables him to be more than a coach, which is a responsibility that he missed.

"My deal is I want them to be the best football players they can be," he said. "And when we come [off the field], I want to try and help them be the best citizen they can be and try and be a role model in that aspect."

Withers has a smooth Southern accent and an easygoing personality off the field. But he is demanding and intense on the field. There is never any doubt about how he feels on any given play.

Vikings safety Tank Williams played for Withers for four seasons with the Titans and thinks Withers is an ideal fit for the college game.

"I definitely think he has the right mentality to coach in college," Williams said. "You know he's going to get after those guys in practice and in the film room to make them better players. I think that will fit his style. He will be able to pick up the players' intensity level."

Senior linebacker Mike Sherels said that process happened quickly. Like during the first meeting. Withers' passion and intensity hit his players like a bring-the-house blitz.

"He seems like a calm guy until he starts talking football and defense," Sherels said. "You can hear his passion for the game in his voice. You can hear how much he wants this defense to work."

It's a complicated defense. Rather that sit in a base defense and react, Withers mixes his schemes, moves his personnel around to keep the offense guessing, and attacks from all angles. He is driven to be creative and aggressive, if nothing else.

"I come from the school of don't let people dictate to you, you dictate to them," Withers said. "Now, personnel dictates that some, too. But I really believe that you have to be aggressive on defense. You have to jump-start your players and get them moving. That's the mentality that we want."

There is a learning curve, of course. The coaching staff has challenged the players to be better students of the game to make the transition go quicker and smoother.

"This is completely and totally an NFL scheme," Butler said. "We're going to give people some problems because of the multiplicity. And all that comes from the guy putting together the game plan."

That process never stops for Withers, which is why he keeps his pen and paper at the ready. He never knows when the inspiration will hit him.

"I always believe that you give players as much as they can handle," he said. "Make them be intent on learning. Coaching is nothing but teaching. You have to be very organized and have good time management as far as what you want to do. To me, that's the fun part of coaching."

Chip Scoggins • ascoggins@startribune.com