You haven’t been here that long but tell us: how’s it going?

“It’s going awesome. It’s been a great start to spring ball. First three days, really kind of installing the offense, getting the players caught up. Working with the coaching staff has been awesome. We’ve got great offensive coaches. They’ve done a really good job preparing the kids for all of our installs and the kids are going out and having a lot of success, so we’re just looking forward to kind of building on each day, just kind of adding to the installs as we kind of go through the offensive installs and just looking forward to taking the next step.”

Your hashtag: what does it mean to you?

“Well, you know, the hashtag can mean a number of different things. One, obviously the speed in space is obviously trying to put the defense in conflict, and when we talk about speed in space that’s just not only skill guys or getting our athletes out in space, that’s also getting our running backs out trying to create open holes and putting conflicts on defense from a run-pass conflict standpoint, being able to have the [?] last.

“One of the things we talk about on offense is having to dictate the aggressiveness of the defense and so we feel like if we can stay aggressive on offense we can limit how aggressive the defense is going to be. The whole speed in space deal is kind of something we preach with all of our skill guys and the concepts that we really emphasize, but ultimately it can be run-pass oriented and obviously moving guys around, getting our best skill players out there and getting them active and part of the offense.”

Harbaugh said that you’ve already got the players in place right now to run that, which isn’t necessarily usual when you’re changing some schematic things. Why is that possible here with the players you already have and who embodies that speed in space-type idea?

“Yeah, you know, it’s not necessarily a certain style of player. It’s really the schematic things that we’re able to do on offense. You know, being able to put the defense in conflict from a number of different ways: having first-level reads, second-level reads, third-level reads, so being active from that standpoint especially in the quarterback read-run game, RPO game, whatever we need to do to be aggressive, to create numbers and angle for our offensive linemen so they’re blocking clean blocks and creates open space and gets our athletes out in space.

“But we do. You know, when you look at the number of athletes we have on offense, I think we’re very versatile. We have a lot of depth at tight end. We need to get a little bit more depth at receiver. But we have to continue to get those skill guys better. We’re not just patting ourselves on the back. We’re not ready yet. We still have a long way to go in every area that we need to improve, but we’ve got the skill. We’ve got the guys all around.

“One of the things that we really have is an offensive line that can really drive our offense. I would say that’s the strength of our offense right now. And so those guys have been practicing over the first three days. We also have good, talented quarterbacks. Overall, we feel really good about the depth we have on offense.”

What brought you to Michigan?

“Just my familiarity in the Big Ten, you know, spending four years at Penn State battling against Michigan. Unfortunately I was on the losing end for a couple of those games, but my appreciation for this university, what it stands for academically, coach Harbaugh and what he’s built with this program and the success that they’ve had.

"Very few times are you able to go into a program and take over as an offensive coordinator of a winning program, and you’re going in not trying to figure out what went wrong but how you can make it better. So, that was something that was very intriguing for me when this opportunity came open. It was a no-brainer for me and I’ve been really, really happy here. I’ve been really excited. We’ve got a great staff and I couldn’t be more fortunate to be here.”

[After THE JUMP: seriously, they aren't huddling; no, really; different ways to attack a defense; how to build an offensive system; more on hashtag speed in space]

I’m sure you’ve watched a lot of tape from last year. What were your takeaways from what they were able to do last year?

“Yeah, that’s been one of the things for us. Coming in with this offense, a lot of people are asking about ‘What about your offense?’ This is not my offense, this is Michigan’s offense. And so there are things we’re doing a lot differently, but I would be foolish to come in as the offensive coordinator and not keep some of the things we’ve done great over the past, and so it’s really been a mix of things that I’ve done in my past with keeping some of the best things we’ve done here in the past. It’s been really good for me to come in and watch a lot of the tape, see what’s worked well in our run game because that’s something that’s worked extremely well for us, and so being able to add other elements onto our base foundation has been something that’s led to what we feel like [is] creating our system, which has been really successful, and being able to put our kids in the best position to be successful.”

Playing with tempo, what’s the biggest adjustment for the guys to make?

“We’re just—we’re a no-huddle team. When people ask who we are from an offensive standpoint, we’re a pro spread and that’s what I like to tell people. We run from spread mechanics. We’re a no-huddle. We don’t huddle, ever. But we still have a big pro-style emphasis, and one of the things with speed in space is we’re still gonna have a mindset that we’re an attacking offense, but also we’re a physical offense. We’re just not gonna dink and dunk the ball around throwing bubble screens and all that.

“We’re aggressive. We’re gonna be sound and fundamentally sound in our run game. We’re going to be aggressive in taking our shots. We’re gonna be aggressive in trying to put conflict on the defense, and so for us, that’s the biggest focal point for us is understanding that we’re still gonna dictate the style of play and we’re gonna finish with an aggressive mentality.”

What does your quarterbacks room give you, and how much does it help to have a guy like Shea [Patterson] leading that charge?

“It does. Shea’s been—he’s doing a really, really good job understanding the installs, and really when you look at the overall quarterback room, you look at the depth and the talent that we’ve got in that quarterback room, a lot of guys have played a lot of football. So that’s so valuable coming into a transition.

“Now it’s just about catching those guys up within the offense, and so all the terminology is different, those guys have had to learn it, and so they’re learning everything and Shea’s doing a really good job. There’s some things that are completely different that’s been done in the past that he’s done a really good job learning those concepts through the first three days, as well as Dylan [McCaffrey] as well as Joe [Milton]. I really like him. Cade’s [McNamara] been a quite pleasant surprise as a freshman. He’s come in, he’s very mature.

“And coach McDaniels does a really good job coaching the quarterbacks, preparing those guys for meetings. So I really feel good about our quarterback room and the depth that we have. We have a number of guys that can make plays for us and we have a number of guys who will make plays for us.”

What’s it been like working with Jim so far?

“It’s been awesome. He’s been so open. He’s given me the freedom to run the offense. He’s given me every input. It’s been really awesome.

“I’ll tell you, when I first got the job, the first two weeks out on the road recruiting, they gave me the rookie treatment. They put me on the road with him so we traveled across the country, and that was really valuable. That really developed our relationship. I mean, we were going out to eat every night. It was just two guys in a rental car flying across the country just going to see recruits. And so that time we were sitting back laughing in the car, joking, it really enabled us to really kind of develop a friendship and really kind of get a chance to know who we are from a personality standpoint. He’s been awesome as a head coach. It’s been truly amazing to be in this opportunity and have the support that he’s given me and he’s given our offense, so I couldn’t be more thankful for him.”

Who drove?

“I did. [laughs] I did, although he will. He will try to drive and I tried to fight it. Actually there was one time there was a snow storm and he wanted to drive and I felt awkward, but that’s who Coach is. He’s very humble. He’s down to earth. He doesn’t wear some kind of hat that says ‘I’m the head coach.’ He’s not in the position—he’s going to do whatever he’s going to ask you to do. He’s never too big for any small thing, and that was unique. We actually battled on the road of who would pay a lot of times for meals, and so we got a laugh over that for a couple days, you know, battling back and forth over meals.”

Well, he did say he gave you the keys.

“He did. Literally he gave me the keys to the car.” [laughs]

You’ve not called plays, right?

“Not actually for a whole game. Obviously in my past I’ve served in a number of different roles, from passing game coordinators to co-coordinators to assistant special teams coordinators. I’ve been fortunate enough to make a lot of suggestions and calls during games that have worked out and not necessarily a whole game, but I have no concern.

“You know, the games are won Monday through Friday in your preparation with your game plan and putting your kids in the best position to be successful. And so we feel within our system that’s our strength is putting our kids in position to be successful and that’s something—you look at the track record of offenses that I’ve been around, I have no concern at all. Like I said, it starts in your preparation There’s guys that have called plays for 30 years, but if you don’t do what it takes to put your kids in position to be successful Monday through Friday, they’re not going to be successful on Saturday.

“So, we’ve got a great offensive staff, a number of talented coaches with a lot of great backgrounds. We’ve been able to mesh together as an offensive staff, and I truly believe we have the best offensive staff in America. I don’t say that just being the offensive coordinator here and being biased, but I’ve sat in a lot of rooms and the detail and technique that we talk in our offensive staffing room has just been phenomenal. We’re all on the same page, and when we’re all on the same page, that chemistry runs down to the players, putting them in the best position to be successful.”

When he first called you about the job, what was the discussion like and what was the selling point to you?b

“Yeah, you know, I had got notified earlier that morning and when we had good discussion. Coach moved aggressively. It was kind of something that came out of left field. He previously tried to hire me a few years back; we had some smaller conversations. At the time I wasn’t looking to leave where I was previously at, but then he heard that I had possibilities and opportunities to leave this time, and so when he called it was just a no-brainer for me.

“I didn’t really inquire too much about what the situation was going to be or anything as far as returning players. This was an opportunity I truly believed in, and like I said, it goes back to my familiarity in this conference. When you go against Michigan for four years, you develop an appreciation. This was always the school that presented a threat to when I was at a previous institution and one that we struggled with. Even at my time at Western Michigan being in the state, so it was a no-brainer. There wasn’t a lot of conversation that needed to be had.

“Coach, he explained what he was looking for. He told me that I would be in full control of the offense, and it was something I was truly excited about and at the end of the conversation I told him ‘You’re going to get my all’ and that’s all I’m going to promise him and that’s all this offense is going to get is my all to put these guys in the best position to be successful.”

You have kind of a unique perspective when it comes to Don Brown. You’ve coached against him directly and now you’re going up against him in practice. What is he like or what is that entire experience like for you?

“It’s been awesome. I look at it as a positive. I’ve bee fortunate enough to go against coach Brown now for five years. The amount of install they have on defense and preparing our guys offensively to block those looks—if we can be successful in practice against our defense, we will be successful against any defense because our defense has shown that they produce at a very high level, and so to me it’s always an ultimate challenge. It’s relying on our foundation or rules and the foundation of our offense preparing our kids throughout practice to put them in the best position to be successful.

“And so now we’re able to impose a different threat on our defense from a number of different ways, so it’s been really good back and forth. I know Don has mentioned it, the things they’re able to present to us, the things we’re able to present to them—it really works well in meshing as an overall team because they’re preparing differently for us and we’re preparing differently for them.”

Have you been able to dictate?

“Yeah, there’s some things that we’re able to dictate. We haven’t gone against each other much in practice right now—it’s kind of split—but our defense presents a lot of challenges. One of the things through those challenges is staying true to our rules and foundations, and so it’s been really good. Iron sharpens iron, and so just the competition level, the returning players that they have on defense, the returning guys that we have on offense, obviously our guys are learning a new scheme right now so they’re focused on the plays but as we keep increasing the installs the plays are going to start to come, the foundation is going to come.

“One thing that I’m really impressed with is how fast they’ve picked up the tempo of things, just being from a huddle operation to a no-huddle operation. And so when you look at practice, our operation is phenomenal. It’s crisp, there’s not a ton of mistakes, and that’s the thing that we’re really excited about. Today was our first day really going at it and we really kind of competed with each other offensively and defensively and it was a really good practice.”

How much of the playbook do you hope to have installed by the end of the spring?

“We’ll have the majority of the playbook. We’ll have the whole playbook installed and then obviously once we create a big menu or once we have a big library of things then we sort of start focusing our menu down when we get to the fall as far as gameplanning  There’s different things that we’ll have in every week as far as in our gameplan, and that’s the thing I’m just really excited about is just the things, the element to the game of football that we’re able to bring differently now.

“I think a lot of things that we’re going to be able to present, they’re going to look differently as far as scheme-wise, but when you get down to the roots of the foundation, the blocking schemes are the blocking schemes, the pass schemes are the pass schemes, so you’ve got to keep emphasizing the fundamentals, the details, the techniques in order to be successful.”

You’ve obviously coached receivers. What do you think or DPJ and Tarik [Black] and Nico [Collins]? And you mentioned depth; you’ve got numbers, right, at the position? Are you looking for more experience?

“Yeah, unfortunately we’ve got a couple guys out, so we don’t have quite the depth that we have right now, but we’ve just got to keep working. We’re not where we need to be right now for our skill guys at that position, at receiver. It’s no negative, but we’ve just got to keep progressing. We’ve got to keep working, we’ve got to keep getting better.

“It will help once we get our depth back, but right now we’re down a few guys this spring. Nothing long-term that are going to be issues in the fall. Just some preventative stuff that we’re keeping a couple guys out right now.

“But ultimately, overall the message I’ve given to that group is just we’ve just got to keep progressing and if we can keep progressing I truly believe in what we’re teaching those guys and putting those guys in position to be successful. I have no worries that we’ll get where we need to get by the time fall comes and be the group that we need to be.”

Jim mentioned I think Peoples-Jones and Nico had some minor things—

“Yeah, we’re holding those guys out right now and so it’s fine. It’s giving some other guys some opportunity to step up. We don’t have a ton of scholarship guys right now in the spring, and so we’ve got about three of four guys that will be here in the fall from the freshman class, and so right now we’re just trying to fill out that two-deep that we’ve got but we’re using multiple personnel to do it, and that’s the unique thing about our offense is we can be in three wide receiver sets, we can be in four wide receiver sets, we can be in three wide receivers with two running backs, we can be in two tight end two wide receivers, and so we’re multiple personnel. We’re a multiple formation team. We’re personnel driven, and so we’re going to find the ways to get the best players that we have on the field, and that’s the goal and the key.”

Based on film, though, what do you think of Peoples-Jones and—

“Yeah, based on film, those guys, I think Nico is a guy that’s very underrated as far as people’s view of him. I think Nico had a really good year. Obviously there’s things those guys can get better from. Same with Donovan. Those guys, you know, they made a ton of plays last year. It’s our goal moving forward to consistently keep making those plays. So there’s areas that they’ve shown. Obviously their experience making plays in big-time games has led them to have some success, but we’re looking to build on that. We’re not looking to rest on last year. We’re not looking to have the same kind of production as last year; we’re always looking to increase that production, and so I coach those guys very hard.

“I’m all over those guys, but not to say it from a standpoint—my track record with that group, it’s something that when I came here Coach asked me what position group did I want to coach and most coordinators want to coach quarterbacks, and Coach gave me that opportunity but my background and my development with that position was something that was too important to me that I wanted to continue coaching receivers, and coach McDaniels, it just worked out fortunate here because coach McDaniels’ background not only in receivers but quarterbacks allowed us to make that transition.

“So it’s been phenomenal because he’s really a quarterbacks guy, he’s really a really good quarterbacks coach, very detailed and fundamentally sound, and so it allows us to all play to our strengths and not just be the coordinator and oversee a position because I want to but because I feel like that’s the biggest impact I’ll be able to make.”

Games are a long way off but do you have a preference being in the box or on the sideline?

“I’ll be in the booth. I’ll be in the booth. It’ll be different for me. I’ve never been in the booth. I got a lot of rage on the sideline trying to control; now you’re going to put me in a clear box and try to keep that rage, but we’ve got a ton of good coaches that are able to help from the sideline standpoint but ultimately I feel most comfortable calling plays from the booth and so that’s where I’ll be this year. I’m excited and we’ll have a number of coaches on the sideline being able to manage the operations from that standpoint.”

Your background as a player: you were a defensive back. Does that give you a different perspective when you’re creating an offense because you know what you can attack?

“It’s always led to an advantage in my mind just understanding defenses, knowing how to attack them, understanding the weaknesses of defenses, obviously putting your kids in position to be successful. One of the things that we emphasize is not just relying on our talent but when you give talent and [?] scheme that’s able to explode. When you look at the production of guys that we’ve been around, it hasn’t just been great players. I mean, every place that I’ve been to had great players before I was there or the impact—but it’s about putting those kids in position to be successful, so that’s been the biggest impact over the years of some of the offenses I’ve been around is putting those guys in position to be successful.

“So going back to my background, it’s helped me out at receivers and being able to teach those guys how to attack opposing defenses, understanding the techniques and alignments, how to get open and create separation, as well as offensively and schematically, coming up with how to attack certain defenses, whether that’s by run, by pass, whatever it means. So that’s been a huge impact, I believe, in my coaching career. My philosophy is understanding defenses and how to attack them.”

[Ed. A-- Thanks again to Isaiah Hole for posting the video I used to transcribe this. I was out with a GI bug Friday and felt as close to exploding as Homer looks during his ironic punishment from Treehouse of Horror IV.]