The spring schedule has been announced and fall practice is underway for the Coyotes, who have three more practices from now until the end of October. In that span, we will catch up with position coaches to learn more about their units. We continue the series with defensive coordinator and safeties coach Travis Johansen, who begins year two at USD.
 
Returning Starter
Elijah Reed, Sr., Denver, Colo.
 
Returners
Isaiah McDaniels, Jr., San Diego, Calif.
Darion Bolden, Jr., St. Louis, Mo.
Josh Moore, R-Fr., Kansas City, Mo.
 
Newcomers
Isaia Paopao, Jr., Oceanside, Calif. (Riverside City CC)
Nate Valcarcel, Fr., Greenfield, Wis. (Whitnall HS)
Chase Lopez, Fr., Brighton, Colo. (Pomona HS)
Isaac Richards, Fr., Brooklyn Park, Minn. (Totino-Grace HS)
 
It has become a reoccurring theme when talking to Coyote defensive coaches, but this "spring season" inside the fall has created an incredible opportunity for a unit excited for year two in its new scheme under Johansen. USD loves what it's seeing in this newest class of Coyotes, and building legitimate depth at positions here in October as opposed to building it throughout the course of a traditional fall season is a real advantage.
 
The graduation of Mike Johnson and Phillip Powell from the safety position means lone senior Elijah Reed is the veteran of the back line. Isaiah McDaniels had a coming-out party in the season finale against South Dakota State at free safety. Behind them are a number of newcomers anxious for an opportunity, and all are netting invaluable reps.
 
"What these guys have been able to do is really pack a season full of reps under their belt so that they will look more like second-year players with limited game experience come spring," said Johansen. "After a spring season and going into fall of 2021, these guys will be experienced players so I feel like we've been able to bring them along fast."
 
Johansen's defense started slow, but followed with a three-game stretch in which the team allowed just 16 points and also played well in wins later in the year against Youngstown State and SDSU. Tackling, or lack thereof against the better offenses, stood out to Johansen and his staff after year one. That's the focus this fall, but perhaps not in the way you might think.
 
"People think of tackling as bringing a player down to the ground, but that's about the last thing and the easiest thing to do," said Johansen. "How do you get yourself in position to make tackles with the proper footwork in the proper body position and leverage, so that you're in a position to finish the play? That starts with coaching at every rep.
 
"We have a tackle circuit every single day. All of our guys are taught the same way. It's an emphasis in every meeting and film session, it's an emphasis team wide, and we're taking our offensive players through a tackle circuit for special teams reasons. It's a full team emphasis."
 
After building fundamentals, Johansen wants to build confidence. That's what these last few fall practices have been about – allowing his safeties to play a little more free rather than so rigid and rules based. Essentially less direct coaching and more of a conversation about what the players saw and how to handle it.
 
"This is a hungry, competitive and coachable group," said Johansen. "They're certainly much more physical than we were a year ago and more sound fundamentally. I've had a ton of fun coaching them this fall."