UTC coaches like Bean’s flexibility
“Michael’s been outstanding in terms of toughness and intelligence. That’s something that really stood out to us right away. He was playing inside ’backer when we got here, and we kept him there for a while, but we felt athletically he would be better served outside and he’s done a great job.” – TOM ARTH, UTC COACH
When Tom Arth arrived last December as the new University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football coach, he spoke of having defensive players versatile enough to contribute at multiple positions.
It’s evident sophomore Michael Bean has fit that bill in Arth’s first season.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound linebacker is the Mocs’ sixth-leading tackler this year, which is impressive because he has only started one game, the Mocs’ 23-21 win over Samford last week. He finished that game with four tackles — 1.5 for loss — and made his first career sack when he took down Devlin Hodges late in the first quarter. On the same play, Bean forced a fumble that was recovered by Taylor Reynolds and led to a UTC score.
Bean has played both inside and outside linebacker, with the latter an adjustment for him.
“Michael’s been outstanding in terms of toughness and intelligence. That’s something that really stood out to us right away,” Arth said. “He was playing inside ’backer when we got here, and we kept him there for a while, but we felt athletically he would be better served outside and he’s done a great job.
“He brings a physical presence to that group and he’s obviously very, very smart, but he also has the ability for us to move him back inside. It’s a real luxury to have a player like Michael who has that versatility and can be effective in both spots.”
Bean said he’s becoming more comfortable playing outside but is willing to fill whatever position needed to help the game plan. “Right now I’m really confident,” Bean said Tuesday. “Going into it, I was hesitant of how I’d play going to outside, but by the way the coaches are and the schemes they’re giving, it’s really easy to absorb what they’re teaching.
“I feel pretty good in that role.” That simple mentality of doing whatever it takes led defensive coordinator Tom Kaufman to call Bean “such a leader” for a youthful team. The Mocs — and specifically their defense — have made progress all season, and that improvement will have to continue for UTC (2-7, 2-4 Southern Conference) in Saturday’s game at Wofford (7-1, 5-1), which is ranked eighth in the STATS FCS poll and ninth in the coaches poll.
“Every game you see it — instances where we were right there,” Bean said. “We’re one play or another from our record being completely flipped.
“We still have a long ways to go, but we’re headed in the right direction.”