D-coordinator older, wiser in return to state
BOULdeR» The new boss? Not the same as the old boss.
“I think it’s a lot different,” new Colorado Buffaloes defensive coordinator Tyson Summers told The Denver Post after the Buffs put a bow on national signing day. “I think from a personal standpoint, you know, I think there’s been a tremendous amount of growth. I’ve had a lot of ups and had a lot of downs from a perception standpoint, and what people think with (my) career.”
At 34, he was running the defense at Colorado State. At 35, he was an FBS head coach in his home state. At 37, he was handed a pink slip and a golden parachute. At 38, he’s running a defense in the Centennial State again, only this time at CU.
Older, by a little. Wiser, by a lot.
“I think it’s so much more comfortable,” said Summers, who came to Boulder on the comet tail of coach Mel Tucker, for whom he worked as a defensive analyst with the Georgia Bulldogs last fall. “Obviously the first time, living in Colorado, there are just things that you weren’t always ready for. And particularly for my family.
“My oldest son said it best when he said, ‘Dad, I don’t know what the name of my school is going to be, but I know what it looks like, I know what the picture of it is in my head. I don’t know what the name our neighborhood is, but I know what it looks like.’
“And so I think that’s what it does, is (bring) a comfort level to all us in my family. And I think obviously as we maneuver with relationships and through town, I think it’s been a really easy part for me, when it comes to recruiting, being able to say, ‘You know, this is what it is.’”
First time ‘round these parts, he knew what he knew. Now he knows what he doesn’t. Wisdom, again. Well, wisdom and a stint as the head coach of Georgia Southern that produced five wins and 13 losses over 673 days that spanned from December 2015 through October 2017.
“But I really believe that, ultimately, the best thing that’s happened for me, is being able to be back on track with my faith and how I feel about Jesus,” Summers said. “And I think that’s brought me a lot of perspective that I didn’t have. Failing has always brought me a lot of perspective on ways to approach things.”
And ways to approach kids. After weeks on the road assimilating raw materials, the next few months are about building frames, hammering in a culture during the run-up to the start of spring practices March 18.
“I think so much of what you (establish with) culture is, ‘How much do you care?’” Summers explained. “And I think obviously we’re developing these relationships and developing our standard. That standard, what you see each day, the standard doesn’t change.”
Tucker, understandably, has set the bar high, especially after having orchestrated a 3-4 Georgia front that allowed a stingy 1.23 points per drive to FBS foes in 2017 (No. 5 nationally) and 1.79 per drive this past autumn (No. 31). Summers pushed the buttons for a top-15 defense under George O’Leary at UCF in 2014, a unit that ranked No. 12 nationally in takeaways per game (2.3) and 11th in points allowed per drive (1.5) against FBS competition. His Rams in 2015 were more serviceable than salty, recording 1.1 takeaways per contest (112th) and giving up 2.3 points per drive versus FBS foes (82nd). The Buffs last fall took away the ball just 1.1 times per game while giving up 2.5 points per FBS opponent drive (65th).
“Obviously, there’s going to be a lot of similarities to what we’ve been able to do at Georgia and what Coach Tucker is comfortable with,” Summers said with a knowing grin. “But yeah, it wouldn’t be any fun to play defense if we couldn’t attack.”
Older, by a little. Wiser, by a lot. “You’re never not in a fight,” Summers said. “In our world, you can’t (relent), because you’re letting down 18-, 19-, 20-year-old players, or you’re not helping them in the way that you should. Can’t do that in our profession.”