Football hosts coaching clinic at spring practice

PROVO, Utah – The BYU football team hosted approximately 300 high school and intermediate school coaches from at least nine different states at spring practice as part of its annual coaching clinic on Wednesday.

The clinic, sponsored by Gameday Promos, featured breakout sessions with seven coaches from around the country as well as meetings with the BYU coaching staff.

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BYU football will conduct its annual public spring practice and scrimmage at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, March 25. Free to the public, gates open at noon before the start at 1 p.m. MDT at LaVell Edwards Stadium. It will also be televised live on BYUtv. More information on the practice/scrimmage.

The following quotes are from Wednesday’s post-practice media availability with assistant head coach Ed Lamb, linebacker Fred Warner and running back Squally Canada. 

Assistant head coach Ed Lamb
“This is great. There are a lot of coaches that we know or I know. It’s fun to see those guys and also meeting some of the new ones. Several of the coaches are giving presentations. We will all have a chance to learn from that. As the BYU staff, we have some of our own work to get done but we try to fly through that and get in there and sit in with the coaches.”

“There is an opportunity later for us to visit with them. I think it is overstated that the high school coaches are coming to learn from us but it is symbiotic and it is back and forth. We learn from them and they learn from us; it is an exchange of ideas.”

On how these clinics help in recruiting
“On occasion, there are two schools with similar facilities, similar winning tradition, similar geographic proximity and similar resources. In those situations, there is a trust level with the high school coaches that they can reach out to us and say ‘How is my guy doing?’ and they know we will do everything we can to help them graduate and be the best they can be on and off the field. In those cases, we do get some benefit from opportunities like this to get to know guys better.”

On BYU Pro Day coming up Friday
“It’s an important time in their lives. I think one of the things that is special at BYU is what they do for these guys on Pro Day. From the gear that we issue them to the way we set it up in here for them with fans, family and scouts. It is always well attended because the scouts know this is a place they will be treated right. In every way, this is a first-class pro day.”

On getting guys to the NFL
“It’s an emphasis. If we are getting guys to the NFL it means that we are doing the best that we can in recruiting, developing and motivating guys. There are countless players that I can remember in my time playing here and in my time coaching everywhere that I have been, countless players who could have made it but didn’t have the right motivation or coaches weren’t able to get through to them. It is a real challenge for us to inspire those guys to be the best that they can be and provide them all the resources.”

Linebacker Fred Warner
On the spring practice/scrimmage
“Any time you get to be in LaVell Edwards Stadium it is a passionate place to play and guys will be fired up for sure. Guys are fired up in practice right now. I will be excited and we will have our uniforms on and everything; it will be fun.”

“It creates more of a game atmosphere, having an audience to watch you. You want to step your game up to that next level. I know that’s how it is for me and I am sure it is like that for a lot of guys and I hope that’s how it is. It makes it more fun.”

“I’ll be watching the younger guys. I’ll be watching the linebackers and making sure the young guys are going to handle the atmosphere and the pressure of being in that game. I like to watch the offense and see who stands out. I am looking forward to it.”

Running back Squally Canada
“Spring camp has been going great. We are just taking it day by day. We’ve been rotating a lot of backs in and making sure everyone gets a fair amount of reps. It has been really good and hasn’t been taxing on us."

“I’ve put on some weight. I know the plays and have been putting in extra time after practice. I’ve been working on getting my steps down with the quarterbacks. I have been working on my hands and I think they have gotten a lot better since last year. I am trying to route run and work on my routes.”