NCAA Leaders: John Steger, Minnesota-Duluth defensive coordinator




Coach and Coordinator Podcast show

Summary: Today’s guest on this NCAA Leaders edition of the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is John Steger, Defensive Coordinator at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Steger helped lead Minnesota-Duluth to finish No. 1 in NCAA Division II in fumble recoveries and No. 2 in turnover margin and third-down and red zone defense. On today’s podcast, Steger talks about developing yourself as a coach and his defensive strategies. Show Notes 1:20 Steger talks about his coaching background 2:30 Important things to remember when developing yourself as a coach 4:55 How the evolution of the game has affected coaching 6:45 Culture of the coaching staff 8:45 Know your system better than your opponent 10:45 Developing a culture within your unit 13:30 Understanding how kids learn best 18:30 Steger talks about his defense 20:40 Key strategy for stopping today’s dynamic offenses 24:35 Number of calls Steger brings into a game 28:10 Emphasizing turnovers in practice 34:25 The winning edge