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Alexander catching on
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Also by Ben Voelkel:
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by Ben Voelkel
Friday, August 31, 2007
Normally, when an interim coach is brought into a team, it takes a while for him to establish credibility and earn the trust of his players.
When DelVaughn Alexander was brought in on a six-month contract to temporarily replace UW wide receivers coach Henry Mason — who will miss the season as he recovers from spinal chord injuries — he brought to the position a history of success that is hard to ignore and a deep understanding of the offense he now is a part of. Those two things instantly eased the transition process.
"I think it’s been handled very well, not only by Coach Alexander, Coach Chryst and all the offensive coaches, but our players," UW head coach Bret Bielema said. "I sit back and watch and see those kids go to him … on the same account, he coaches with a different personality and a different way of going about things than Henry, but the kids have been very, very good so far." Alexander earned two letters in football while playing at USC in the early ’90s, playing a reserve role behind standout receivers Johnnie Morton, Curtis Conway and NFL first-overall pick Keyshawn Johnson.
The experience of being around such talent gave Alexander an opportunity to see how top-tier athletes went about their business and found success.
"Keyshawn was the No. 1 overall pick, which is a difficult thing to do, and the work ethic that he had and the detail he put into preparing … it will last a lifetime," he said.
After his playing days were over at USC, he returned to begin his coaching career as a graduate assistant. He coached there for three years. Since leaving USC in ‘98, Alexander has made coaching stops with the San Diego Chargers, the University of San Diego, Oregon State and UNLV, using a hands-on approach to coach first-team all conference selections at each stop.
"I can talk until I’m blue in the face, but if they don’t get it, then I’m wasting my time," Alexander said. “So if I can move around or use my hands to show the detail of what it is we’re teaching, I feel great about what we’re learning.”
During fall camp, that approach was evident, as Alexander would help young receivers by making presnap adjustments and shifts with them and run routes alongside his players as well.
"I’m a perfectionist, and I nitpick," Alexander added. "It will be a little irritating to them maybe at first if it’s not what they’re used to, but it’s the little things that get you beat. It’s also the little things that can make you great."
One of the major differences between Mason and Alexander is those "little things," or more specifically, little strides.
According to senior wide receiver Paul Hubbard, a major focus for Mason was for his receivers to make the most of their body by taking long strides while running routes. Alexander, however, is a proponent of using smaller strides, allowing players to get in and out of their cuts quicker.
Aside from the technical changes introduced by Alexander, the transition has been quite easy. While at Oregon State, Alexander coached under UW offensive coordinator Paul Chryst, who at the time held the same position with the Beavers. Moreover, Alexander played in the same offensive system at USC. Though he has been away from the offense in recent years, it never really left him.
"I’ve been away from this offense two years, I’ve been in the offense probably five years before that … I played in this offense under (USC coach) Mike Riley, so I know this offense pretty good," Alexander said.
"Being a details coach, I can teach them some of the ins and outs from a player's point of view." So far, Alexander likes what he has seen from his receiving corps.
"[Their effort] has been great," he said. "They’ve done exactly what we’ve talked about as far as my philosophy; they’ve given everything they’ve got."
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