In the Trenches: Gattis on Spring Practice, Eliminating Assumptions
4/8/2021 9:40:00 AM | Football, Features
In this week's edition of the "In the Trenches" podcast, offensive coordinator Josh Gattis stops by to discuss his impressions of the team in spring practice and size up each offensive unit at this point of the offseason.
By Brian Boesch
Two years ago, Sanford Robertson Offensive Coordinator Josh Gattis arrived in Ann Arbor as an up-and-coming coach readying for his first opportunity to call plays. Entering his third season with the Wolverines, Gattis is the veteran of University of Michigan football program's offensive staff. In fact, each offensive position coach is either new to the staff (running backs coach Mike Hart and quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss) or switching to a new position group for 2021 (tight ends coach Jay Harbaugh and offensive line coach Sherrone Moore).
With this turnover on offense, Gattis is leaning into a lesson he learned during his first two seasons with the Wolverines: eliminate assumptions.
"In order for our players to go out and execute the details that we want on every play, we have to be great teachers on the offensive side of the ball," Gattis said to Jon Jansen on this week's edition of the "In the Trenches" podcast. "If there's a disconnect in how you want it to look and what they're doing, there's something that you have to challenge yourself to figure out -- 'How can I better teach them?'
"The more consistent we can be with executing those details at a high level on every play," Gattis continued, "the better we'll be as a unit."
Gattis has faith that the right players are in place to execute those details. He has praised the depth on this team, one that does not feature a truly inexperienced unit like the running back room in 2019 or the offensive line room in 2020.
The closest unit to that would be Michigan's quarterbacks, but Gattis has liked what he has seen from Cade McNamara, Dan Villari and J.J. McCarthy, among others. In particular, the goal of spring practice has been to thrust each hopeful starter into as many game-like situations as possible.
"The biggest thing is making sure we're not putting too much on their plate, making sure we're allowing those guys to be confident, but then also trying to put them in as many game-like scenarios where they have to make quick decisions, and most importantly protect the football and move the offense forward."
Spring practice may be coming to an end this weekend, but there is much to do before fall camp and the season opener against Western Michigan on Sept. 4. Gattis believes that the identity that this team forges between now and then must originate with the players.
"I would love to see our leaders just take over the team," Gattis said. "Let's have great leadership, and great belief, and not just great leadership when things are good."
"You've seen our players taking over this spring, with the energy they've created in practice," Gattis continued. "That's got to be driven by the players, because at the end of the day those are the guys that are playing within the lines."
