BY DAN MURPHY
B
rian VanGorder 's voice cut
through Notre Dame's prac-
tice like a tornado warning on
a warm Saturday morning in
April. It was loud, incessant and re-
petitive. In this particular case, sopho-
more linebacker Doug Randolph hap-
pened to be on the receiving end of the
new defensive coordinator's critique.
Randolph isn't alone, though. Being
the object of VanGorder's barking bro-
ken records has been a rite of passage
for Irish defenders as they adjust to
their new coach and new system.
"What do you expect? We're learn-
ing a new defense," said sopho-
more linebacker Jaylon Smith, who
acknowledged he might hear Van-
Gorder 's voice echoing inside his
head at night sometimes. "It's not
like we know the defense and we're
continuing to make the same errors.
You've got to learn from what he tells
you and not let it happen again."
VanGorder's NFL résumé — he has
coached for the Atlanta Falcons, Jack-
sonville Jaguars and most recently the
New York Jets — and his tendency to
follow up any harsh criticism with a
THE
NEW
GUYS
A pair of former
NFL assistants
brought pro
expertise to
Notre Dame
this spring
One of defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder's
strengths that stood out this spring was his ability
to identify specific skills in individual players and
find a way to put those to use in different roles.
PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND
