Defensive coordinator Wesley McGriff looks forward to his return to Ole Miss

Wesley McGriff, shown here at Auburn, assumes the position of defensive coordinator at Ole Miss. (Photo by Wade Rackley/Auburn Athletics)

On Friday morning Ole Miss Athletics announced the hiring of defensive coordinator Wesley McGriff and offensive coordinator Phil Longo. Following the announcement, both coordinators participated in teleconferences with members of the media.

Here’s the transcript of what Coach McGriff, who will remain with Auburn until the conclusion of the Tigers’ bowl game, had to say in his first press conference as defensive coordinator for the Rebels.

Coach McGriff on making the return to Ole Miss…

“It feels great. It’s definitely in line with my career path. One of the best things about it is I had the opportunity to work there before and had an opportunity to work under coach Hugh Freeze. What a phenomenal leader he is and a great person. I always said if I had an opportunity to go back and work for anybody, it’d be Coach Freeze. To have an opportunity to go back to Ole Miss and work for him as the defensive coordinator, that’s phenomenal. I’m very excited and can’t wait to get back to Oxford.”

On his defensive scheme…

“We’re going to run the defense that’s going to stop every offense that’s playing football in America. We’ll run a 4-3 attacking defense. Here’s the biggest thing, that I have a lot of ideas from my past experiences in terms of what we’ll do on defense, but I think it’s all about the guys who are in the room. You have to formulate a plan based on the talent that’s in the room. You have to do a good assessment of who is in the building at what position, then you have to develop a plan that your assistant coaches are comfortable with. We’re going to install a defense that will make us successful based on the guys who are in the building.”

On his time in the NFL…

“It was a phenomenal experience being in the National Football League, at the highest level, and being in that room game-planning against some world-class athletes. Guys like Julio Jones, Marshawn Lynch, Matt Ryan, it was phenomenal. I learned how you really break an offense down to prepare in terms of game-planning. What is their philosophy? Who are they trying to get the football to? The biggest thing I learned is you have to be really prepared for situational football. I thought Sean Payton, head coach of the New Orleans Saints, and Rob Ryan, who was the defensive coordinator, I thought those two guys were really top in the business. They really understand football. They know way more football than I’ve ever learned, and it was great to work with them and watch them operate. It was a tremendous learning experience for me, to be with an organization like the New Orleans Saints, to help me improve my learning library and to prepare me for the opportunity I have here at Ole Miss.”

On coaching against Ole Miss this past season…

“I’m on the defensive side of the ball, so I’m just now getting to look at a lot of the personnel and plays and things they did well. They did some good things on defense. I’ve known Dave (Wommack) for quite a while. I had an opportunity to work with him. We’re going to build off some of the positive things they did and improve in the areas where they need improvement. I’m still in the early stages of dissecting the personnel and looking at who can get where. It’s one thing to have the right guys on the bus, but you have to get them in the right seat. We’re going to be diligent in doing that. I know one thing for certain—we have a quarterback in the building, and I’m glad I’m going to be on his side.”

On filling out the rest of the defensive staff…

“I think that’s more of a head coach question. We’re going to work hand-in-hand in trying to formulate his staff. He’ll direct us in terms of who we’ll visit with and when.”

On what positions he’ll coach…

“I’ll be involved in the secondary. I’ll sit down with Jason Jones, and we’ll talk about and look at the guys on the roster. I think I’m comfortable going either safety or corner, so I think I’ll lean away from his comfort zone. Jason will be the primary secondary coach, and we’ll get in there together and get them on the same page and get them communicating together. I can go either corner or secondary, but I’m just excited to get in there and get working with them.”

On what he looks for in his linebackers…

“The No. 1 quality that you look for in a linebacker is a guy who has the character, the size, the placement and the fit to stop the run. When you talk about a middle linebacker, a mike linebacker, he has to have the physical attributes to quarterback the defense. That mike linebacker has to have enough football IQ that he can make checks on the field. He’s like your coach on the field. We don’t want to have too many checks. We want to get them lined up, get them set and get them moving forward.”

On what he looks for in a linebacker coach…

“You want to look for an experienced guy who clearly understands the run fits up front, a guy who understands that linebackers have to play the run and the pass. He has to do a tremendous job of not allowing us to develop a situation where guys are in a run-pass conflict. You want a guy who is experienced and tough. You have to have thick skin and fight inside the box, as well as dropping and playing in coverage. I’m sure that when we put our minds together, and the way Coach Freeze is going to lead us, that we’re going to find the right guy to help us win ball games.”

(Feature image credit: 247Sports)