The Coaching Staff, Supporting Coach Ensminger

[LSUDad]

How football and the LSU coaching staff is supporting Steve Ensminger through grief

• BY BROOKS KUBENA | STAFF WRITER
• PUBLISHED JAN 11, 2020 AT 7:56 PM | UPDATED JAN 12, 2020 AT 8:26 AM

 

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LSU offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger speaks with members of the media during LSU's National Championship Media Day, Saturday, January 11, 2020, at Xavier's Convocation Center in New Orleans, La.

STAFF PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK

 

 

Brooks Kubena

Steve Ensminger sat at the podium and solemnly surveyed the reporters he hadn't seen for some time.

The LSU offensive coordinator explained he was here to talk football. He understood the timing. Many within the group that gathered inside the Xavier University Convocation Center were there for Ensminger's first public appearance since tragedy struck his family, when his daughter-in-law, Carley McCord, died in a plane crash the morning of LSU's previous game.

 

Two weeks have passed since the private plane struggled to take off from a Lafayette airport. The flight was bound for Atlanta for the Peach Bowl semifinal, but it crashed less than two miles from the runway. McCord and four other people were killed.

"I appreciate all the support the Tigers fans and everybody in this country, trust me, has given to my family," Ensminger said. "But we're here for football, and any questions you might have to ask, I'd like to talk about football."

 

Among the many things the sport represents for Ensminger, it has often quite literally served as a home.

Ensminger has a bed in his office. The 61-year-old coach sleeps there Sunday through Wednesday nights during the season. Thursdays, he goes home for what he calls "family night." All his kids and grandkids come over. Then the weekend arrives, LSU football is played, and the week starts over.

It's a routine.

"Football's been everything, obviously, for Steve and his family," LSU passing-game coordinator Joe Brady said. "Without getting into a lot of the characteristics, I'm sure it's helped being able to work with these games coming up."

 

The coaching staff feels like they can provide comfort in their own way.

Sometimes you "hug their neck and be there for him," defensive line coach Bill Johnson said. Sometimes you don't talk about it at all, offensive line coach James Cregg said, and even just doing your job well can be "the best thing we can give to him."

LSU had a historic offensive performance in that Peach Bowl, a 63-28 beatdown of Oklahoma in which Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Joe Burrow threw for seven touchdowns in the first half.

LSU coach Ed Orgeron said Ensminger "didn't hesitate" when deciding whether he would coach in the game, and the rest of the staff responded the same way.

"Like Coach (Orgeron) said, 'One team, one heartbeat,'" wide receivers coach Mickey Joseph said. "One of us hurt, we're all hurt. But we had to stay focused on what we were there to do. We accomplished it."

 

Why does football mean so much to Ensminger?

That he would answer.

"I'm not a very smart person," he joked. "But I do understand football, and I love football, and I study football."

The only times he's ever left the game were by force. And when the game was gone, there was always family.

Ensminger was the offensive coordinator at Clemson in 1998; he returned to Baton Rouge after former coach Tommy West was fired. He told his wife, "I'm done." He wanted to see his then-seventh grade son, Steve Ensminger Jr., grow up. He wanted to see him play football.

So Ensminger became the head coach at Central High in 2000, and he only returned to college coaching when longtime friend Tommy Tuberville hired him to be his quarterbacks coach at Auburn in 2003.

"I've had great coaches," Ensminger said, "and I saw the passion in the game and everything else, and that's what I wanted to be."

 

When the former LSU quarterback nicknamed "Slinger" was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1981, he said he talked with then-coach Dick Vermeil and said, "Coach, I know what I want to do. I want to coach."

Vermeil allowed Ensminger to stay for an extra month, and he filled up notebooks by listening to coaches like Vermeil,  former Saints offensive coordinator Ed Hughes and longtime head coach Sid Gillman.

Ensminger said he left Philadelphia with a stack of notebooks — "I'm talking about books," he said — that he referenced until they were destroyed in his south Louisiana home in the 2016 flood.

Football is his second family.

Ensminger and Johnson first met in college, when Johnson traveled down from Northwestern State in the late 1970s to visit one of his best friends from Neville High, Cliff Lane, who was Ensminger's roommate.

 

Ensminger walked into his dorm room, and there was Johnson, taking up his bed.

"We've been friends ever since," Johnson said.

 

They'd continued crossing paths as coaches. In the early 1980s, when Ensminger was the offensive coordinator at McNeese State and Johnson was a defensive assistant at Northwestern, they'd get together in New Orleans for Louisiana state high school playoff games.

They'd swap stories over suds at a since-closed watering hole called Georgie Porgie's, building a friendship that crossed paths several times throughout their careers.

When Johnson coached defensive line Louisiana Tech in 1988, he recommended Ensminger to former Bulldogs coach Joe Raymond Peace, who was in need of an offensive coordinator.

When former Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum needed an offensive coordinator in 1994, it was Johnson who recommended Ensminger again.

So when Johnson's friend needed another lift, he was there to help Ensminger along.

"It's going to take time," Johnson said. "It takes time for a heart to heal. All those tears will come into laughter one day, I hope."

[LSUDad]

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Q. Where are those notebooks now?
STEVE ENSMINGER: To be honest with you, I lost them in the 2016 flood. I did. I had four or five notebooks. '16 flood, I lost them.

Q. Do you think quarterback is the key to having a great team like this?
STEVE ENSMINGER: Yes, I do. We have great receivers. We're fortunate this year because we have talent around him. We have great receivers. We had great running backs. Clemson has great receivers, great running backs.

But the difference in the game is the quarterback. They make the plays. You go watch the Oklahoma game. Joe Burrow made some throws, some back shoulder throws, that people don't make. You have to have that. I mean, that doesn't happen every year.

Like I said before, two weeks ago, that game, the best four quarterbacks in my opinion was in the Playoff. The best two quarterbacks are in the national championship game. I believe that.

Q. What makes a guy like Joe Burrow dangerous in this offense?
STEVE ENSMINGER: Because you spread the field. You put great athletes in space, and the quarterback has to understand he has to get the ball to them, then you get your one-on-one matchups.

To do that, they have to understand the whole scheme. Defenses are so much more complicated, so much more sophisticated that they're going to pressure you from both sides. The quarterback has to understand where the pressure is coming from and where to get the ball out.

Q. How good is he at understanding pressure?
STEVE ENSMINGER: I'll say this. Joe Burrow is a hell of a lot smarter than I am, okay? That's a fact. He does stuff that I'm like, Why in the heck did you do that?

Well, I saw this guy doing this.

He's better than I am, okay? It's just fun to have Joe Burrow on our side.


Q. Did you grow up going to LSU games?
STEVE ENSMINGER: I came from a great family. But wasn't a -- we didn't have a lot of money. When I got into high school, we would go out and we couldn't buy tickets. I remember me and my buddies, we'd go out to the game and we'd hold up 'need two tickets.' You could get tickets like $20. My dad give me $20, we could get in the ballgame. That's it.

But I just was amazed. Look, just walking around that stadium, seeing the people there and everything else, actually get a ticket and walk in the ballgame, it was exciting for me.

Q. Was LSU a big part of your life growing up?
STEVE ENSMINGER: I grew up in the '60s. I remember the '69 team, which I think it was '69, '70 team was a great team. Listened to it on radio. Our whole family would be in the living room with the radio on listening to LSU football. That's just the way it was.

Q. What do you remember about coaching (current Clemson QB coach) Brandon Streeter at Clemson?
STEVE ENSMINGER: Brandon Streeter up until today was a very intelligent quarterback. I mean, knew what to do with the football when the time came. Very talented kid. Could throw the football and everything else.

We left before Brandon had a chance to play. Like I said, just a great kid. Loved that kid. I do, still today. Was a great leader. He was a very confident kid, very good quarterback, everything else. I didn't have a chance to coach him when he was playing.

Q. Are you surprised you are now facing him for a National Championship?
STEVE ENSMINGER: No, not at all. His success, what he's done, doesn't surprise me at all. I mean, he's a lot like me. He just wanted to learn football. He just wanted to be in the meeting room and evening else, learn football.

Hell, he's texted me and we've talked back and forth, everything else. It doesn't shock me where he's at, that's a fact. He's a guy that develops quarterbacks. He's a guy that believes in fundamentals. He's a guy that works on footwork, works on the reads, everything else. He's a great coach.

Q. (Question about Coach Venables.)
STEVE ENSMINGER: I think he's the best. That's my opinion. We go into every game and wondering what they're going to do every week. Wondering how they're going to approach it. Are they going to be nickel, dime, penny. They have a blitz package out of every package.

It's our job to adjust to what he's doing. We got to figure out what he's going to do, what's his flavor of the day, figure out how to attack it.

No, he's good. Best I've seen, I'm telling you.

Q. How does this team compare to LSU's 2011 team that went to the National Championship?
STEVE ENSMINGER: This team is special, it is. This team don't blink. Whether it's the quarterback, the running back, the wide receivers, the tackles, they don't blink. We talk every night before the game, and I tell them, Fellas, there's going to be some adjustments. We got to figure out how they do in this, but we'll make the adjustments.

It doesn't faze them. I mean, these guys, whether it's Ja'Marr, whether it's Justin, whether it's Terrace, Clyde, Thad, the offensive line. I say, Look, trust me, we will make this adjustment, we will get this fixed. They believe in it and they don't blink.

Q. How much of Coach Orgeron do you see in your team?
STEVE ENSMINGER: This team, it's his personality. This team is everything about Coach O, it really is. This team is a tough team. We practice hard. We don't do scout team stuff. We do one-on-one, best against best. Our offense and defense, they face best against best every day.

They understand what physicality is. They understand what it takes to win this game. They respect on him because they don't blink.

Q. How important is the first series of a game when you are seeing what a team is doing on defense for the first time?
STEVE ENSMINGER: That's the biggest series there is. Like I said, Georgia, Kirby, heck, I was at Georgia when Kirby was there, good friend of mine, for them to show us a total different defense, they're the No. 2 defense in the country at the time. He'll never change. I said, Look, I know Kirby, he'll never change, that's who they are.

For them to come out and play a different defense, obviously we're doing something right. But it all comes back to we got No. 9 at quarterback. That's the whole deal.

Q. How much easier does it make having Joe being able to adjust?
STEVE ENSMINGER: The first thing when he gets off the field, he talks to Joe Brady. I love Joe Brady. He's sitting there explaining to him what he saw the last series. I'm sitting there trying to get ready for the next series.

But he's so smart. What did you see on this play? Coach Brady is telling him, Hey, this is what we got. Joe Burrow is telling him, I saw this, everything else.

There's very few times in your career you get a chance to coach a quarterback like that, that he comes off the field, he saw it all. I'll be honest, when you're calling a play, you feel comfortable with it, you see the coverage, you see the blitz, what's going on, and I don't blink either because I know he sees it and is going to make the right decision.

He will find it. Coach O puts a picture up in our team room of an eagle that's focused, and it says: If you chase two rabbits, you get none. I told my best friend, Bill Johnson, at his house the other night, When I see that eagle's eyes, I see Joe Burrow. That's how focused he is.

Q. Is this the first time you've felt that way with quarterback?
STEVE ENSMINGER: No. When I was at Georgia, I had Eric Zeier, and Eric Zeier broke a bunch of SEC records. He was the same way. You could call a play and feel comfortable that he'll make the right read and go with it. Don't get me wrong, I think Joe Burrow is better than Eric. Hell, I'll tell Eric that (laughter).

But when you're calling plays and evening else, you're so comfortable with your quarterback, you just feel like you can call anything you want, he'll make it right.

Q. Is Terrace Marshall someone who takes the offense over the top with how teams have to defend you?
STEVE ENSMINGER: He is. You go into every game, you see before he had the injury, missed a couple games, they were trying to double Ja'Marr, trying to double Clyde, trying to double Justin. All of a sudden he pops up.

The beauty of our receivers and our team, to be honest with you, is they're unselfish. They understand, Hey, okay, this is how they do it. He's going to get it. I'm not going to get it.

I remember earlier in the year, I don't remember what game it was, but we were in two-minute mode, everything else. We threw Terrace a touchdown pass. Well, because we were in two minutes, Terrace (indiscernible) Ja'Marr was to the field, and it should have been Ja'Marr's touchdown. You could see it on film. When he caught that pass, Ja'Marr was like, It should have been mine (smiling).

They're so excited about it and they're excited for everybody else.

Q. What was this team's mindset back when they were undefeated and going into Tuscaloosa without a win since 2011?
STEVE ENSMINGER: Well, I don't know. I'll be honest with you. Get over the hump, beat Alabama. All Louisiana knows, hey, you got to beat Alabama. They set the standard. This team did it.

I don't know. We walked in that game as we walked into every game, with a lot of confidence, knowing who we are, just knowing who we are. You know what, like I said, on Friday nights before the game, whatever, it's like, Hey, fellas, they're going to do something different, we'll make the adjustments, they'll adjust. Again, they don't blink.

Q. What do your starting receivers really excel with that makes this passing attack so good?
STEVE ENSMINGER: Everything. Look, the last game against Oklahoma, they were doubling Ja'Marr. Terrace caught four touchdown passes. Ja'Marr was excited for him. I think he caught one pass in the first half.

It didn't bother him a bit, you know, because our team was winning. But each one of them, Ja'Marr is a physical, physical receiver that teams who press him don't have a lot of success because he's that good.

Justin is a shake and bake guy. You get one an one, you shake and bake, he gets open.

Terrace brings speed to the field. Terrace brings length to the red zone.

However they want to play it, they all bring their own stuff. When we call a play, it's like, okay, I know this is going to Terrace, inside the red zone, whatever. It just depends on how the teams want to play it.

Q. How important is a player like Clyde Edwards-Helaire?
STEVE ENSMINGER: Clyde is special. I mean, defenses play us differently because of Clyde. Defenses have tried to put linebackers on him, they can't cover him. There are games where defenses have walked a free safety down and say, We're going to cover you, they can't cover him. He's a weapon that they have to pay attention to. When we figure out up top they're doubling Ja'Marr, they're doubling Clyde, we got to get the ball over here.

He's a difference maker. I'm curious to see how they're going to play us to cover Clyde.

Q. How many times have you faced a team that went with a defense that they had never shown on film. 
STEVE ENSMINGER: The last six games, for sure. Auburn was the first one to do it. Kevin Steele is a good friend of mine. They're a four-man front team. They went to a dime package, three down linemen, seven defensive backs. It was difficult, yeah. It was the closest game we had.

There were four times in the red zone we didn't score. It could have been different. That's my fault. But as we're going through the first couple of series, we're seeing how they're playing. Who are they going to double? They're going to double Ja'Marr, Clyde.

One game this year, I won't mention who it is, one of their best players was a linebacker, wasn't on the field because they didn't think they could cover Clyde. It changed our game plan.

Q. Have you seen the offense really adjust quickly each time?
STEVE ENSMINGER: Yes, yes. The beauty of it, like I said, is we have No. 9 at quarterback. It was the Georgia game where they line up in a drop eight deal and evening else. I told Coach Brady, I said, Look, figure out what the hell they doing because I'm going to keep throwing it until we figure it out.

Because you have 9 at quarterback, you can do that.

Q. Does it always seem really seamless?
STEVE ENSMINGER: It is, because, I'll be honest with you, we have smart players. We have Clyde and Ja'Marr and Justin. We have smart players. We make adjustments during the course of the game. It happens like that (snapping fingers).

Q. What's happening on the headsets when you guys are in between series?
STEVE ENSMINGER: As I say, Coach Brady is on his set with Joe Burrow. They're discussing what they saw. Coach Craig is on the offensive line. We're asking, Hey, what did Lloyd see. Lloyd Cushenberry is my MVP, I'm going to tell you. He makes probably 99% of the calls, and Joe has his chance to check it. As far as being around those guys and everything else, they're very seldom wrong.

Q. How good does it feel to bring LSU to a National Championship Game in New Orleans?
STEVE ENSMINGER: LSU is special. I'm going to tell you, because the whole state is passionate about LSU. I know the Saints are here. The whole state loves the Saints. If you give them a choice between the Saints and LSU, LSU Tigers. I believe that. I don't know that. I don't watch sports channels, ESPN, none of that. But this whole state loves LSU.

On the bus ride down here yesterday, they're on the side of the road. The cops will pull them aside, they're getting out of their cars cheering. Just special.

Q. How often do you work on your red-zone packages each week?
STEVE ENSMINGER: We work on it every Monday and every Thursday. My days are screwed up (laughter). But today is a red zone day, yes.

Q. How important is red-zone offense against a team like Clemson?
STEVE ENSMINGER: Well, we remind our team, our offense, every night before the game, touchdowns and red zone. I really believe this. I think it will be the difference in the game. When we get to the red zone, you can't kick field goals. You got to score seven. They're probably saying the same thing.

Yes, they are very good in the red zone.

Q. Do you feel like you'll be able to continue the red-zone success from the year in this game?
STEVE ENSMINGER: I don't know. I can't answer that. I don't know that, I'll be honest with you. I feel good about our red zone package. They've been so good in it, they mix up their coverage, they mix up their blitzes. They're a drop eight team down there a lot.

I don't know that. I'll be honest with you. But I do know what our goal is, and the goal is down there to get seven.

Q. How do you decide on what you want to do in the red zone each time?
STEVE ENSMINGER: Look, I have a game plan that's sitting right here. I'll be honest with you here. When we get in the red zone, 12 in, that's Joe Brady. Unless I want to run a play-action, go fast, we'll go. When we get inside the 12, I tell Joe, It's yours and he calls it.

Q. How talented is someone like Joe Brady at his age?
STEVE ENSMINGER: Sky's the limit. Sky's the limit, no doubt about it. I've told him. He's a hell of a lot smarter than I am, okay? But I told him, Hey, you remind me of me. When I was 30 years old, I was passing game coordinator at Georgia calling the plays. He walked in, he has brought so much to this offense. I'm proud of him because he's a humble guy just like I am.

Every credential and every award he has achieved he deserves. But he's so humble about it, I appreciate him.


Q. What's it been like coaching with Ed Orgeron, who is a friend of yours?
STEVE ENSMINGER: The only thing I do know about Coach O, I've known him for a long time, is he's a tough son of a femaledog. I'm not allowed to say that, am I (laughter)? I knew it when he got the job. I knew it driving back from A&M. I called him and I said, This is your job. He said, I don't think I'm going to get it. I said, Well, go fight for it. I said, You deserve it.


Q. Can you remember a quarterback playing as well as Joe Burrow is for you this season?
STEVE ENSMINGER: I can't. I can't. I'll be honest. Some of the stuff he does is amazing to me, I'll be honest. There's some plays that we called in the last game that he trusted the receives, he made the throw, back shoulder throw, whatever. Some of them were double coverage. He just trusted it. He put it in the right spot.

I haven't been around a quarterback like that. He puts it in the right spot.

Q. How much of this year's success is about how well he's played?
STEVE ENSMINGER: It's him. It really is. It's him. It's his understanding of the game. I've said this before. I don't know if we could have run this offense last year. If you look at us last year, we wasn't as good up front. We wasn't a five-man protection. We had to leave the tight end to chip, had to lead the running backs into chip. I just didn't think we could have run this offense last year.

Went into the spring and fall saying, Hey, get 'em out. He's comfortable with it. He's that darn smart. So it's all him, it is.

Q. What makes this team so good with those 50/50 throws?
STEVE ENSMINGER: It's 80/20. It is. Everybody talks about 50/50. With his accuracy and back shoulders and everything else, heck, it's 80/20. In the last game, you look at Terrace Marshall, What made you think you could make this throw? There's a safety coming here, a safety here, and he put it on the back shoulder of Terrace on a route, and he went up and got it. He has confidence in those guys to do it. He throws the ball in the right spot.

Q. What was it like seeing the offense play as well as they did and win in Tuscaloosa?
STEVE ENSMINGER: It was fun, don't get me wrong. What we did in the first half, especially towards the end of the first half, but that's a great coaching staff. I'm going to tell you, they made an adjustment in the third quarter trying to put us on our heels in the third quarter.

At the end of the game, our kids, Clyde Edwards especially, kind of put it on his shoulders to win the damn game. We didn't do a whole lot different. We did have to change in the third quarter, but we put the ball in the hands of the right people, and they made plays.

Q. How much has facing Dave Aranda's defense each day helped the LSU offense?
STEVE ENSMINGER: The first day of August practice, something that I can't say. They put in a zero blitz package. Don't tape this. I said, You got to be shitting me. The first day of practice, you put in a zero package. We're just trying to get our runs in and evening else.

There's nothing we haven't seen this year that he hadn't showed us during two-a-days. As mad as I was about it, it's made us better, no doubt.

Q. (On the credit for changing the offense)
STEVE ENSMINGER: I don't give myself any. Well, I knew we had to change. Coach O said, Hey, let's do this. I said, let's go.

It's not about me. It really is not. It's about LSU. I played there, I went to school there, I love that school. Whatever we could do to make LSU great, I'm in. I appreciate Joe Brady, I promise you. He's brought a lot to the table. I couldn't be more happy for him.

Q. How do you two decide how the calls will be made during the flow of a game?
STEVE ENSMINGER: We talked about it before the game. I tell him, I know what my strengths are and I know what my weaknesses are. Joe is better with our compact packages. Joe is better at our empty package than I am. So I tell him, we talk about it before the game, Look, when I want to go empty, be ready. If it's third and whatever, and I have a call, I make it. If not, I tell him. He has it all highlighted. I'm like, Take it.

We can go to empty right now. I said, Joe, I'm going empty. Take it, he's ready for it.

Compact meaning our bunch packages, a condensed formation, stuff like that. He's better at that than I am. I know it. I tell him, Hey, I want to go whatever it is, bunch, pack 'em all in here. I said, Call it. He's ready for it.

Q. Do you think Joe Brady is going to remain at LSU next year?
STEVE ENSMINGER: I think he's going to be at LSU. That's my opinion (laughter).

Q. Have you thought about what weight this game holds for the future of the program and the chance at another title?
STEVE ENSMINGER: I haven't. It's kind of like this morning, all I've done is watch film. It's the next game. I think Coach O has done a great job explaining to our team, Don't make this moment too big, okay? It's just the next game.

You go do what we do, we'll be fine.

Q. What's it like for all your players on offense - especially at receiver - to share touches instead of just a go-to guy for Burrow?
STEVE ENSMINGER: Like I said, they support each other. They cheer each other. They're excited.

Look, Ja'Marr won whatever award that is. Justin catches four touchdown passes last week. Ja'Marr is just excited for him. I'm telling you, it's a special unit, it really is.

Q. What's it like being at a school where so often guys have that shot to turn pro early?
STEVE ENSMINGER: I remember back in 2011, I think we lost eight juniors on defense after the national championship game. You know what, kids come to LSU for that reason, in my opinion. We're going to develop them, we're going to make them better, develop them to that level. I think kids come there for that.

So you know what, we got to make an adjustment every year. Don't know who is leaving, why they're leaving. Support every one of them that does leave. When they do, replace them.

Q. Is it enjoyable working with a guy like Joe Brady who is able to be a right-hand man during the game?
STEVE ENSMINGER: It is. Like I said, Joe Brady talks to Joe Burrow as much as I do. Putting in this passing system and everything else, like I said, when Joe comes off the field, he's on the phone with Brady because I'm preparing for the next series. They're going through the last series.

Q. Did Joe Burrow have to change up his game from last year to this year to find this success?
STEVE ENSMINGER: No, no. The only thing that changed was our offense. No doubt in my mind he could run it. There's no way in my mind last year I felt like, because of our personnel and everything else, that we could do what we're doing this year. We came in spring, we did it.