Steve Clinkscale Gives Incredible Insight On Preparing For Unfamiliar Foes

Michigan defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale might be the best question answerer on the staff when it comes to fielding questions at the podium.

Michigan defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale has been around the block when it comes to coaching. He's been doing his job at a high level for a long time and he's well respected around the country. He's also one of the coolest dudes in the room. He has a way about him and when he talks, you want to listen. That's why it was so interesting hearing him talk about preparing for UNLV's offense, which is brand new under offensive coordinator Brennon Marion, after coaching changes.

"I think anywhere — like I think people look at stuff I've done at Kentucky, stuff Jesse [Minter] has done in the league or at Vandy. I think you always try to figure out what the coach is kind of like," Clinkscale said of preparing for a coaching staff at a new school. 

He's even seen it with his own Michigan players, like during the spring game with Clink was one of the head coaches. Some of his players knew what to expect because of how he is as a coach.

"When you watch me call a game, we're not calling things that I did at Cincinnati, but you know I'm coming after you," he explained. "They already knew I in the spring. They said like, 'I knew you were blitzing on that play.' Well, that's me, that's my personality."

That's how Clink and the other defensive coaches are approaching this week's game against UNLV, where Marion is in his first year at the FBS level after spending time at Howard and William & Mary.

"You try to figure out when he's going to throw shots, or when he's going to run the ball or when something crazy may show up," Clinkscale explained. "His vibe is what, you know? It may not be the exact players, right? And maybe some of the players might be a little different, but how is he? You kind of try to watch film on opponents on the coaches from previous stops, if you can."

Clinkscale warns against that, however, because doing too much can produce negative results. 

"The one thing about that, just like going into the first game, is you don't want to chase ghosts," he said. "You start doing a lot of covering a lot of things, and you don't cover anything. So we want to be focused on what our fundamentals are, and really want to stop the run. We want to have good eye discipline when the ball is in the air, take the ball away, destroy all the blocks, have great effort and angles and communicate. So long as we focus on those four things for us, we think we'll be okay."