Year one would have been challenge even if everything went according to plan for Bobby Petrino and the Bears.
“It is a good setback not being able to go out there as a new staff,” Petrino said.
Now, the new head man and his staff will need to implement their systems without the benefit of the spring season.
“We’re going to have drills in the fall, hopefully we’re going in the fall, that they’ve never done,” Petrino said. You’d like to get them familiarized with everything that you do.”
While that’s now impossible, Petrino says the best approach is to simplify.
“Offense, defense, special teams, we’ll have to try and cut back what we do. Have a smaller package and get good at something,” Petrino said.
With that goal in mind, another challenge presents itself. Coach Petrino doesn’t even know what exactly the Bears depth chart could look like.
“A lot of unknown at the quarterback position. I haven’t even seen them throw the ball,” Petrino said. “It’s up to the players to show their teammates that ‘I’m the starter.’ That’s what we were looking forward to in spring ball, was to have the depth chart mean something. So we’re still at that point where it doesn’t really mean a whole lot.”
So as the challenge of shaping the team still looms in the future, Petrino says the staff is focused on relaying as much information as possible to the players.
“You kind of go back to the old days before the rules changed, where we’ll have video set up in here and we’ll have our coaches up on the board, teaching on the board because we can send the players that information and they can watch it,” Petrino said.
Until the Bears can practice, they’re in the same boat as the rest of us, just hoping for the best.
“I’m a positive person so I always keep thinking positively, everybody’s going to be fine, everybody’s going to be healthy,” Petrino said. “So I’m sure hoping it works out that way.”
