Everything From Defensive Line Coach Marco Coleman After Monday's Practice

Coleman is in his first season back after coaching at Michigan State last season

Jackson Caudell | Apr 11, 2023

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Georgia Tech only has a few practices left before they take the field for the spring game on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets are getting ready to show the progress they have made over the past month and go into the summer with some momentum before fall practice begins.

Yesterday, defensive line coach and Georgia Tech legend Marco Coleman spoke to the media after practice and spoke on a number of subjects. Coleman is back at Georgia Tech after spending the past year at Michigan State.

1. On why he wanted to come back to Georgia Tech...

"It became really difficult to sing someone else's fight song man. Football for me is... I don't want it to be a job. Not to say it was a bad place at Michigan State, the passion and how I care about Georgia Tech is different and I really don't want it to be a job and I felt like it became one and if I wanted it to be a job, I would just go to the NFL. I would give, do as much I can to help this program if I was not coaching so just knowing that he was here and he wanted me back and one part of it to was being able to come back in the same position that I was in at Michigan State, which was one of the reasons that I left, it was the opportunity to have the entire defensive line and as long as that was the case and coach made that happen. That was pretty much the rationale."

2. On the guys that were at Georgia Tech when he was coaching...

They have gotten stronger. They have gotten more playing time, which I noticed, but we still have a lot of work to do fundamentally in that regard. We are teaching some techniques that in the previous season that we were actually doing before I left so now I am getting them back to doing the techniques that we were doing prior to my departure.

3. On learning how to coach defensive tackles...

"That was a big part of me being here. When I got to Michigan State, one of the guys that helped me on the line was Kevin Vickerson, who played defensive tackle in the NFL so having someone that actually played the position... I did play a little tackle, but having someone who played and understood the position to be able to interpret some different things really helped me grow and I definitely feel like it was not a waste of time being at Michigan State, I actually learned quite a few things, knowing how to go about my work. He was a big help to me when I was there."

4. On having Brian Baker as an analyst helping the defense...

"I'm getting him back for all of those times for telling me what to do. Coach Baker is a phenomenal man and his experience and what he brings and in a sense he is still coaching me. He has a lot of experience, being a defensive coordinator, being in the huddle aspect of what a defense brings and I lean upon him to still grow myself. But at the same time, he also allows me to do my thing, he is not overstepping his bounds but he is a phenomenal support system and gives me great advice and great suggestions and is a huge attribute to what we have going on."

5. On Zeek Biggers...

"I can't move him inside, I can move him outside, he can play nose and he can play tackle. Its more so for the pass rush, we have a couple of guys like E.T, he is one, we can try a little bit of Sylvain (Yondjouen) in there, Josh, just for the pass rush more than anything, just develop some depth and get quicker out there from time to time. The spring is kind of experimental, just trying to see what we look like and the summer we will narrow it down to who we feel can help us in that way."

6. On guys at either position that have made a lot of progress...

"We have a lot of work to do. They have all progressed but we are still working hard to be better. I have a different attitude as far as what we are doing, different techniques and things of that nature and they have all started to get better at but I am looking forward to continue to work on it. This is the spring, it is about getting work and getting better so we have to continue on that track and I think they are all good, solid football players that have to continue to work and get better."

7. On Horace Lockett and K.J. Miles...

"They are freshmen and still have a lot to learn, not a lot of experience for them, the speed of it and the techniques and all of those things and again, just adapting to being a college student and this is another part of their maturation that they have not seen yet, they have not done spring ball so they are still growing and getting better each and every day. We are still working on them and getting them out of the puppy phase."

8. On the expectations for Sylvain and Etinosa Reuben...

"For them to play within their capabilities. They are different than Keion and possess some different things but just give me 100% of what they have. Keion was a special individual and a special player but I think that these two and also Josh Robinson, they are all making their own kind of ways, much like Keion was and it is one thing to be the best version of themselves and not try to be Keion, just be the best at what you do and execute within the defense and the techniques and fundamentals we teach you. Between these three guys, there is some really solid competition and they all bring something different to the table."

9. On what he notices that is different between Georgia Tech and Michigan State..

"There is a different type of player, which I already knew here at Georgia Tech and I am not saying there is anything wrong with the young men there but because of the nature of things here, you have to be different and as it pertains to the priorities and I am not saying those guys did not care about school, but here it is more of an emphasis, you legitimately have to go to school. It is a different type of young man, even in recruiting you have to approach it that way, it is not just football, you are looking to be developed holistically, not just as a football player. Again, there are phenomenal young men at Michigan State and more than a few that thought that way but here it has to be that way, there is no this guy is and this guy is not, everybody has to be and I would say that is the biggest difference."

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