Close-knit Saluki offensive staff feels empowered by Coach Hill
- Tom Weber
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
CARBONDALE, Ill. — SIU offensive line coach Dan Clark scripted the running game in Saturday’s practice, and scripting is a responsibility that all of the assistant coaches will have a chance to do this spring under head coach Nick Hill.
Although Hill remains the offensive coordinator and play-caller, he has a close-knit, veteran staff that also includes tight ends coach Nate Griffin, running backs coach Larry Warner, wide receivers coach Zach Grant and quarterbacks coach Michael Lindauer. All of them have been in Hill’s system for years.
“It’s my job to let them grow, so I’ll give an assistant an opportunity to call plays off the script on a Wednesday or in a spring game, and I'm just going to go be the head coach,” Hill said. “The spring is a great time to empower different coaches, let them script practices, let them call some plays to get some experience doing that.”
Clark is entering his fifth year at SIU and appreciates the confidence Hill shows in his staff.
“He allows us to put our fingerprint on the offense,” Clark said. “Coach Hill has to wear the head coaching hat and the offensive coordinator hat, and so he has to rely on us to do our jobs.”
Hill sets the direction for Southern’s offense, but he doesn’t micromanage the assistants.
“When Coach Hill says we're gonna put in a certain concept, he doesn't have to sit and detail-out every blocking scheme or wide receiver-rule or running back-rule,” Clark explained. “It’s his vision of the offense, but we understand what he wants and we’re comfortable working with each other to get it done the way he wants it to look.”
Spreading the responsibility among the staff has multiple benefits, according to Hill.
“It empowers them, and it doesn't allow me to get stuck on, ‘this is what I would do,’” he said. “It makes them feel more connected, too, when they know they’ve earned that trust. Here's the plays we have in, call them however you see fit.”
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Practice 6 Notebook
Today was the last morning practice of spring ball and the temps were a bit chilly at around 40 degrees when the team took the field at 9 a.m. It warmed up into a beautiful spring day. Next week, they'll practice in the late afternoon/early evening, including the 6 p.m. scrimmage at Du Quoin High School on Friday.
No live work today, but there were three segments of what Coach Hill calls “Winning Time.” At any point in practice, everyone stops what they’re doing and it’s 11-on-11 in a given situation. The offense goes until they score or get stopped by the defense.
The defense won all three Winning Times today, forcing three-and-outs on all three. In the first Winning Time, the offense was given the ball at the 50 with a 1st-and-15 situation. After two incomplete passes, QB Jake Curry was “sacked” on third down by DE Lukus McDaniels.