GoBearkats.com presents the second in a series of question and answer interviews with Sam Houston's football coaching staff.
Today's interview features Bearkat defensive line coach Phil Petitte. In his first season at Sam Houston, Petitte's defensive line played a major role in the Bearkats' drive to an 11-5 season, the Southland Conference championship and the semifinals of the FCS playoffs.
Petitte previously worked on head coach K. C. Keeler's staffs at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey, and the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware.
Question: As a football player at Glassboro State, you were a four-year starter as an offensive guard. What brought you to the defensive line.
Answer: When I was a high school head coach, you had to be able to coach every position. When the opportunity to coach at the college level occurred, it was the defensive line. I am a fundamentals type coach and defensive line is fundamental football.
Question: What are your most important characteristics you look at while evaluating defensive lineman?
Answer: Good balance and ability to change direction. The ability to use your hands to separate after a power delivery, hip flexibility and the ability to turn, disengage and run. They must be tough people with a hunger to never give up, and out work the other guy. They have to be serious about academics and community service with a “Team, not I” attitude.
Question: What are your impressions of Texas high school football?
Answer: I have in the past recruited in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Florida. They all have excellent football. The difference to me in Texas is the overall commitment from state, community, administration and every day passion for football. New Jersey and Pennsylvania do not have spring practice and that is a huge advantage for Texas. It's a 12-month commitment. There is a state pride for the sport and its value for kids.
Question: What makes defensive end and last year's Southland “Freshman of the Year” P.J. Hall one of the best defensive lineman you have coached?
Answer: He is extremely athletic for a big man. He is also a student of the game and is always well prepared. He plays within the context of the defense and does not free-lance and is a very unselfish player. Coach Rodrique Wright works the defensive ends and has done an outstanding job utilizing PJ's talent and improving his technique.
Question: What about Coach Keeler has drawn you to work with him at three different stops?
Answer: Coach Keeler hires you to coach, not tell you how to coach. He is a family guy and works to instill that in the team. No one is a better recruiter. He hires people that will not get over worked. He also lets me throw my hat at him when I get upset. Just kidding, but I have done that.
Question: What can we expect from the 2015 Sam Houston defensive line?
Answer: Hard work with great technique. If we stay healthy we can be as good as anyone. I know the only stats we care about are wins and losses.
Question: What will the focus be heading into the 2015 season for the defensive line?
Answer: Limiting mental errors & continue to improve technique.
Question: What is it like going against the Sam Houston offensive line every day in practice?
Answer: It's great. The offensive line coaches do an outstanding job. The guys in the offensive line are great, enthusiastic, and talented. Great competition at practice between the o-line and the d-line will make each other better.
Question: How much has the game changed since you started coaching?
Answer: Over the years, the biggest difference in the game is speed. The pace of offenses and speed of the players is faster than ever. You need to have the ability to get off blocks faster and run to the ball and still be able to play against power football.
Coach Petitte and the Bearkat defensive line will start preseason camp in early August in preparation for the season opener Saturday, Sept. 5, at Texas Tech.
Season tickets for all five Sam Houston games in 2015 at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium plus the 90th “Battle of the Piney Woods” presented by H-E-B at NRG Stadium are on sale now online at www.gobearkats.com
