Diron Reynolds is a football lifer who logged plenty of miles prior to his trip to Tempe. A linebacker at Wake Forest in his playing days, Reynolds took his first high school coaching job in 1995, eventually rising up the ranks into the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, and Minnesota Vikings from 2002-2013, winning a Super Bowl with the Colts. In the college ranks, he coached the defensive line at Stanford for seven years, followed by a lone year at Michigan State prior to his arrival in Tempe.
Furthermore, he's an instructor at the Von Miller Pass Rush Summit, which each year attracts numerous defensive linemen across the NFL looking to perfect their craft.
The reputation and credibility of Reynolds certainly speak for itself.
“He’s a phenomenal football coach,” head coach Kenny Dillingham said of Reynolds. “Absolutely phenomenal football coach. I think the respect level the guys have for him can be seen in the play. When he speaks, they listen. Whether you’re 55 or you’re 18, if you show that you can teach people something, and they can learn and get better, they’re going to listen. He’s showing those guys that they can learn and get better. “
Although he’s only been in town for less than five months, the change in philosophy among the defensive line is evident, with a keener eye being placed on fundamentals and overall technique. Injuries derailed much of the depth at this position last fall, hence affecting practice routines. Now, with a robust room that has 21 scholarship players, Reynolds has implemented different strategies in practice that work from the ground up.
A proponent of active limbs, defensive linemen start each session with quick feet drills, changing direction in accordance to the ball carrier. Next, they go up against each other on tackle bags, hand-fighting to gain leverage on the line. It’s an elementary yet existential approach that the players believe is already paying off despite the group losing key contributors such as BJ Green from last season.
“You have talent that separates D-line groups, but you also have coaching that separates D-line groups,” Jeff Clark said. “I’ve been at three different schools, but Coach Reynolds is amazing. He likes to focus and harp on the little things, make sure we do everything perfect. Even if we’re walking through not at full speed, he makes sure we have the technique down because if we have it down during walkthroughs, it will translate to full speed and live.”
“I’m better with my footwork, hands, and with my weight,” Clayton Smith added. “He doesn’t only teach you the moves, he teaches you the “why” behind it and what to look for.”
These fundamental adjustments help create advantages on the line, regardless of talent factor between the trenches. Having seen his insights, Clark believes Reynolds is giving the group the tools to succeed.
“Everybody thinks pass rush is about beating the mean or working fancy moves,” Clark explained. “He shows us that it’s about angles. If you line up a little bit wider and work the same move, you can beat him. If you get off the ball faster, scoot off the ball, things like that, that’s what matters most.”
Continuing with the basics, Reynolds also preaches the right mindset, in that letting a failed rep or play linger isn’t the key to success on the gridiron. Ironically, Reynolds learns that from the hardwood.
“He likes to refer to a lot of Kobe Bryant quotes,” Clark mentioned. “We have a next-play mentality. We’re going to go back, watch the film, see what we did wrong, and correct it. You’re not going to have a great day every day, but nothing good in life comes easy. What defines you is how you respond. Kobe always used to focus on the next shot and what he could do to get better. Not going to harp on the things that we did; just adjust and work on them to eventually be almost perfect in everything we do. Practice makes permanent.”
Part of the next-play perspective is having the motivation to do it. Playing on a defense overseen by a fiery, enthusiastic coach like Dillingham requires fire and desire at the absolute highest level, making Reynolds's philosophy a perfect fit in year two. For Dillingham, it’s Reynolds’s determination to encourage competition among a crowded group as the true pillar of standard for the defensive line.
“Without competition, how much better are you actually going to get,” Dillingham said. “Everybody is internally motivated to an extent, but it's the internal motivation combined with the external motivation. Everybody’s internally motivated to be the next version of them. That’s what everybody says. It’s on windows, it’s on posters, that’s what everybody wants. But the reality is it’s hard to get people to be that internally motivated. When you get the external motivation of having depth, and that pushing you, it’s just another avenue to make our guys better.”
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