43
Heacock enjoys YSU’s first workout
Photo
By Pete Mollica
The veteran head coach had his first practice as the team’s defensive coordinator.
YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State football coach Jon Heacock was having a lot of fun Tuesday morning.
The first day of spring workouts is usually a fun day for the coaching staff, but this was extra special for Heacock, who has also assumed the duties of the team’s defensive coordinator.
“It was fun, it was exciting and just felt really good being out there,” Heacock said.
Now beginning his ninth season as head coach, Heacock hasn’t been a defensive coordinator since the 2000 season, the last year Jim Tressel was coach.
Heacock spent seven seasons as the team’s defensive coordinator, all under Tressel, and helped coach three of the four national championship teams in 1991, 1993 and 1994. He was the defensive coordinator at Indiana when the Penguins won the title in 1997 before returning here in 1999.
“I didn’t realize just how much I missed it,” Heacock said. “And today it was just great getting out there and being involved instead of just overseeing what was going on. I really enjoyed it and I really had a lot of fun.”
And that was just the first day.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do on that side of the ball,” Heacock added, “but it was pleased to see the attitude that these kids came out here with today and they appeared ready to work and work hard.”
The Penguins are working out at 7 a.m. this spring, something that Heacock feels will befit the team in the long run because everybody is available to practice at that time.
“I think today we had just two players with a 10 a.m. class and we finished practice at 9:30,” said the coach.
It’s not like this is new to the Penguins, who worked out at that hour all winter long with their training sessions and weight room work.
“We’ve been doing it all winter and it’s worked out great and the kids seem to have adjusted to it very well,” Heacock added.
The Penguins worked out in helmets on Tuesday and will do the same this morning before putting on pads for Thursday morning’s workout, all at Stambaugh Stadium.
“It was a beautiful sunny morning for our first workout, a little bit chilly at the start, but it was a lot better than Monday when we were supposed to have started,” said Heacock.
Heacock saw the forecast for Monday was snow and decided to switch the opening session to Tuesday.
“I thought our guys were really into it today,” He said. “We’re just looking for attitudes right now, but it was something different, because a we’re not looking at a board with names on it, we’re now out here working with people and in positions.
“We still have a lot of work to do, but now that we’re out here we can tackle those things,” he added.
The Penguins will also practice Friday at 7 a.m. and then will go at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday which will also be the Bob Dove Free Coaches Clinic, which will run all practice and then into the afternoon with a lunch and meetings.
mollica@vindy.com