I Had 5 College DB Coaches... Here's What They Taught Me - All Eyes DB Camp

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My journey through college football took me from coast to coast and put me in front of a lot of people. In five years of college football, I had five different DB coaches. At the time, I thought it would have been nice to have the same coach the entire time, or at least have one of them for two years in a row. As it turns out, though, what I experienced was actually a blessing.

What I just laid out for you is probably a very common occurrence in this era of college football. When I was playing, transferring was rare, and even coach turnover was not nearly as common as it is now. Through my experience with coaching changes, I was able to become a diversified defensive back in terms of technique. It ended up serving me well as a player and has created a superpower for me as a coach and trainer.

Let me tell you what each coach provided for me and how it helped.

Willie Brown – Long Beach State

Oh yes, my college football career did not begin at the University of Miami.

After moving from South Florida to finish high school in California, my recruiting options at graduation had a heavy West Coast slant. After going through the process, I signed with Long Beach State, a great school that unfortunately no longer offers football.

One of the major reasons I attended Long Beach State was to be under the tutelage of Hall of Fame defensive back Willie Brown. Brown was part of the infamous Oakland Raiders defenses of the 1970s. In fact, he was the face of bump-and-run coverage during that era.

Brown was so excited to have me under his wing that he gave me the same number he wore with the Raiders — 24.

I would be lying if I said that Brown fed me a ton of technique. However, what he gave me was more important than anything else I would gain as a student of the position during my college years. Brown set the tone for my mindset as a defensive back. He impressed upon me the confident and aggressive nature a defensive back should possess. It matters what you think, and Brown got me to believe that I couldn’t be beaten — even when I did get beat.

Under Coach Brown, my competitive nature was fully awakened. He instilled in me the idea that the opponent “gets nothing.” It was truly a Raider mentality, and he downloaded it into my hard drive.

I made the mistake of letting a walk-on receiver catch a pass on me during one-on-ones, and Brown repeatedly yelled at me — in front of the receiver — that “he should never catch a pass on you.” I’m not sure what it did to the confidence level of the receiver, but it established a mindset in me that carried all the way through my playing days:

They get nothing.

Jimmy Warren – Long Beach State

After my freshman season at Long Beach State, Willie Brown moved on to become the head coach. That meant we needed a new coach to lead the defensive backs. Enter Jimmy Warren.

Warren was a friend of Coach Brown, and the two played together on the Oakland Raiders. They were both on the field for the famous “Immaculate Reception” by Franco Harris. Warren unfortunately became known as the last man with a chance to push Harris out of bounds before he scored on the historic play.

Despite that unfortunate moment, Warren played 12 years in the NFL, made a Pro Bowl, and collected 25 interceptions during his career.

Coach Warren brought a similar intensity to what Coach Brown had. I guess you weren’t going to play on those Oakland Raiders teams without it. What Warren brought in abundance, though, was press technique.

He was traded to the Raiders after his sixth NFL season, and he took a deep dive into bump-and-run coverage so he could make his mark with the team. All of that studying and analysis was now being poured into us, his students.

He really laid the groundwork for my press technique and preparation. Under his guidance, I found my stride. Now I had the mindset and the execution.

I went through my sophomore season feeling invincible. We were not a good team, and many times I lined up against receivers who, on paper, should have been better than me. This included a game against my future college football team — the University of Miami.

Despite Miami being the best team in the country, with a lineup of receivers terrorizing college football, I had zero fear lining up in front of them for an entire game.

Sonny Lubick – University of Miami

Most people know Sonny Lubick for his time as the head coach at Colorado State, where he brought that football program national recognition in the late 1990s. Prior to that, though, he was the defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator at the University of Miami.

I transferred to Miami after Long Beach State dropped football following my sophomore year. On top of entering a program with a major step up in athletes, I was tasked with learning a brand-new technique.

Miami’s base coverage was Cover 2. The defense had served them well and, by the time I arrived, had already helped produce national championships while shutting down seemingly unstoppable offenses.

I would be lying if I said it was a smooth transition. It definitely was not.

I went from playing one or two yards off the receiver to being five yards off while receivers charged at me full speed. It was a struggle, but Lubick got me through it.

He certainly didn’t do it with cuddling and kind words.

He was tough on me when he needed to be, but he had an intense attention to detail. Up to that point in my career, detail had not been a major focus. I had gotten by with athleticism and a couple of technical tools.

Lubick forced me to dial in on the details because, to him, “everything matters.” He stressed that there is a right way and a wrong way to do everything, so make it a point to do things right.

Eventually, I bought into that mindset and sharpened all the details of catch technique along with the other coverages we ran. It changed me from a guy who might finish his career as a backup into a player capable of climbing the mountain and finding his place in the lineup.

Greg McMackin – University of Miami

When Sonny Lubick left after my first year at Miami, head coach Dennis Erickson brought in Greg McMackin.

McMackin is probably best known for his time as the head coach at Hawaii from 2008 to 2011. Prior to Miami, though, he coached at Navy.

Truthfully, I wondered what a coach from Navy could teach me about playing defensive back. Furthermore, McMackin didn’t exactly look the part of a DB coach. He was heavyset, walked with a bent knee from an injury, and carried an Irish last name.

Boy, was I wrong.

Of all the coaches I had during my college career, McMackin taught me the most in terms of technique. He was a wealth of information and an outstanding teacher.

Much of my approach today as a coach and trainer is similar to his. Maybe it’s because of our personalities, or maybe because he made that much of an impression on me.

He had an uncanny way of explaining techniques, helping you visualize them, and smoothing out your execution.

My years at Long Beach State gave me a master’s degree in press coverage. My first year at Miami under Lubick got me certified in catch technique. Under McMackin, all the remaining techniques of defensive back play were sharpened and enhanced.

Backpedal, breaks, bailing, soft press, hip flips, turns — all of it improved under McMackin’s guidance.

My play under him really took off. Unfortunately, it only lasted one game into my fourth season. An injury sidelined me for the entire year and forced me into a redshirt season.

Despite that setback, what I learned from him through spring practice and fall camp catapulted me into a great senior season.

Willy Robinson – University of Miami

I started my college football career with one Willie and ended it with another. However, this Willy and I didn’t hit it off right away.

Coach Robinson came to the University of Miami with a stoic nature and something to prove. He arrived from Fresno State, whose defensive backs I had studied constantly while at Long Beach State. I was excited to learn from the coach behind the DBs I admired so much.

However, our personalities clashed early on.

Truthfully, if the transfer portal had existed at the time, I probably would have entered it.

I had climbed the mountain and been through quite a lot as a Miami Hurricane. In my mind, it was my time to shine, and I felt like he was trying to knock me down a peg.

Had I transferred, though, I would have missed a tremendous opportunity to complete my defensive back education.

In my eyes, I had already received all the lessons I needed. The previous four coaches had taught me everything I thought I needed to know. I just wanted to be left alone to do my thing.

Coach Robinson wasn’t going to allow that.

First, he had his own way of doing things. Second, he wasn’t going to let my ego run wild and potentially cost the team games — or cost him his job.

Coach Robinson poured the final ingredient into me that I didn’t know I needed: discipline.

I never thought of myself as undisciplined. I was a guy who got up early, went to class, completed all the running sessions, and lived in the weight room. I had worked my way up from arguably the worst team in Division I football to the defending national champions.

However, entering my senior season, I had developed a bit of a big head. What made it crazy was that I really hadn’t accomplished much on the field yet for Miami. I was a backup my first year, started one game my second year, and then got hurt.

I didn’t have a pot to piss in, but I was walking around like a Thorpe Award finalist.

Coach Robinson completely extinguished that mindset.

On top of moving me down the depth chart, he never let mistakes slide when I missed a coverage assignment. He impressed upon me how important it was not only to do my job, but to understand what everyone else around me was doing.

If we were going to excel, it would be because we moved as a unit.

Eventually, I got the message — and my starting job back.

That kick in the ass was exactly what I needed to go onto the field and play with passion, precision, and purpose. Under Robinson, I earned All-Big East honors and gave myself a chance to play at the next level.

Despite our rocky relationship, I chose to follow him and the coaching staff to the Seattle Seahawks the following season as an undrafted rookie. Somehow, I knew those mental sparring sessions with Coach Robinson were exactly what I needed.

What it All Means

My playing career ended sooner than I wanted it to, as is the case for the majority of football players. However, my purpose in this game was larger than simply being a player in it.

I had zero aspirations of coaching while I was a player, but many years later, this is where I am.

I would not have become the championship coach and highly respected DB trainer I am today without the contributions of all five men I named in this article.

You will not always like your coach, but what’s important is that you respect them.

That respect allows you to be molded into your true potential.

Over time, your understanding and perspective change. You begin to see people differently and appreciate the lessons they gave you.

If you lead with respect, you can take something from those relationships that benefits you long after the people themselves are gone.

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alleyesdbcamp

Owner at All Eyes DB Camp

Chad Wilson is the founder of All Eyes DB Camp and a former standout defensive back for the Miami Hurricanes. After an elite collegiate career, Wilson spent a season with the Seattle Seahawks before transitioning into coaching. A 3-time Florida state champion defensive coordinator, he has spent over 20 years developing the "All Eyes" blueprint that has produced NFL All-Pros and stars like Xavien Howard, Patrick Surtain II, Tyson Campbell, Minkah Fitzpatrick and more. His coaching system is proven at the highest levels—his own sons, Quincy and Marco Wilson, both excelled as starters in the SEC before being drafted into the NFL.

Chad is the author of "101 DB Tips"—The Ultimate DB Reference Guide. You can find more information on the manual and how to order your copy in the sidebar and footer of this page.