UNC football opens up spring practice

It's early for the North Carolina football team — it has completed just two spring practices so far — but there has been an aura of optimism and excitement around Navy Practice Fields over the past few days.

With the defense adjusting to an entirely new system, as well as the coaches that have come along to implement it, players and coaches across the board are hopeful of what's to come for the Tar Heel football program. 

"We got some new (coaches) over there, they've got a new philosophy, a new defense," Coach Larry Fedora said. "I think (the players) are excited about it, I think they really are. I think they're anxious to show who they are."

That new philosophy is a simpler defense, a 4-3 base scheme that Defensive Coordinator Gene Chizik brings from his time with Auburn and Texas. Included with that defense though, is a message.

"Basically it's been selflessness, toughness and discipline," Chizik said. "And that's what we start with in everything we do. And I think that's for any football player, but certainly that's the message for our team right now. These guys gotta be selfless — they can't care who gets the credit. They've gotta be very tough in terms of this is a tough game, and it's for tough guys. 

"And we've gotta get that mentality built up, kinda callus their minds to what this game is. And then the discipline part. We gotta be a much better football team when it comes to the discipline of the little things we are asking guys to do within the defense."

In that regard, there might not be a better man for the job than recently announced Defensive Backs coach Charlton Warren.

"My background is a little different than most, being in the military for 10 years, and my players will tell you it's all about discipline," Warren said. "Just to bring that discipline and structure to these players, and make them be accountable. 

"I think all kids want discipline. And so for these guys, the No. 1 thing from the minute they walk into the room to when they walk off the practice field, it's all about discipline and organization."

Transitioning from a 4-2-5 defensive scheme, which was often seen as overly complicated last season, to a 4-3 defense could go a long way in that regard. 

Senior linebacker Jeff Schoettmer talked about the differences he's seen in just two days of implementing the new system.

"The first day of practice we put in one play call," he said. "In the past we'd do five or six a day, but these last two days we've done one call on Sunday, one call (Tuesday). And I think it's really helping us.

"I think we get some bigger bodies on the field right now and obviously it will help in the run... Everyone for the most part is understanding it very quickly and I think we're moving along well."

Warren, specifically, has liked what he's seen so far out of his new players, even if he might be happy that the season is still a long way off. 

"I see a bunch of hungry guys that want to be coached the right way, and coached hard," he said. "And that's what I'm pleased with. Now we ain't playing today, which is great, and we got a long way to go, but I'm seeing guys that are hungry, they want to be coached, they want to get better and they have their mission set to be a better football player each and every day they walk and take the field. And that's all you can ask for as a coach."

From the players' perspective though, Schoettmer gives all the credit to the new faces on the sidelines. 

"It's a new beginning, new start," he said. "We have a championship caliber coaching staff coming in that's been successful in the past and you know they put in a new scheme with us and that re-energizes the whole team."

Notes from practice

• Fedora, on what senior quarterback Marquise Williams was able to do this spring, while he deals with a hip injury:

"Get a lot of mental reps. Lot of mental reps. He's able to help (redshirt freshman quarterback) Caleb Henderson, he's able to help (freshman quarterback) Anthony (Ratliff-Williams), he's able to do a lot of coaching and a lot of learning at the same time."

• Chizik, on the personnel he has to work with in Chapel Hill:

"I'm excited about it, I think that we've got some really good players at different spots and I think we've got some guys that with some more experience, potentially, have a chance to really be productive players. So I'm really excited about that.

"And again, we're only in day two, and so we're not getting excited about a lot of things right now other than the fact that they care and they're trying. So that's what we're looking for right now because the schematic part will come."

• Schoettmer, on the drills that Chizik has employed so far:

"It's great, he's done a fantastic job just on the drills we do. Every drill is specific to something we'll do in a game, we aren't just doing a drill for conditioning or just to do it. He'll show us a drill in the film room and then how it relates to the field which is really helpful, so we aren't doing anything unnecessary and stuff that doesn't really help us."

sports@dailytarheel.com