As the California football team completes its Wednesday practice at Kabam Field at California Memorial Stadium, the 4-2 Golden Bears are busy preparing for a showdown against UCLA on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PT on ABC/ESPN2. Following practice, run game coordinator/running backs coach/recruiting coordinator Pierre Ingram sat down with CalBears.com to discuss his group of running backs, coaching style and how he spends his free time.
CalBears.com: How much has Daniel Lasco improved this year and what does he bring to the offense?
Pierre Ingram: I think it’s been a crucial piece to this mad science we have going on offense right now. We have a bunch of guys that are playmakers, but his progress and ability has allowed us to be able to run the ball consistently and that’s key in this offense. A lot of people think it’s predicated on passing the ball, but you have to have a mixture of running the ball in what we do.
CB: Was there anything different you did this offseason with Lasco compared to last year?
PI: We trained a little bit in drill work and we went back and watched last year. We actually incorporated a little bit of his high school stuff to show him who he truly is as a running back. The thing about Daniel is he’s a complete back but I think some of the tools that he has weren’t being used in the past years. We just wanted to show him his ability and a sense of confidence that he needed to gain. That was the main thing, alerting him that he can be that back, be a feature back and I think he took to it.
CB: How much does the running game help in terms of opening up the passing game?
PI: In matchups, defensive coordinators have to understand that they have to be run-sound and also defend the passing game. Our receivers complement the running backs and our running backs complement the quarterbacks and it all works all together. We wouldn’t be anything without the offensive line. Glory needs to be given to those guys, and Lasco says it all the time. He knows he wouldn’t be anything without his five big linemen. They are the staple of this offense and why it all works.
CB: What’s it like as a coach to see Lasco on SportsCenter’s Top 10 a few weeks ago?
PI: I just want these kids to enjoy this experience and be great at playing the running back position at this university. There’s been a long legacy of great backs coming through here and I just want to keep that going for them. That’s the main thing, to hear their names honored in the future when they have the opportunity to come back and see what they’ve done at this school.
CB: How have your two freshmen running backs Tre Watson and Vic Enwere progressed this year?
PI: The simplicity of this offense allows freshmen to step in immediately. When we recruited those guys, we gave them the heads up that they would have the opportunity to come in and play just because we run a lot of plays within the offense and they understood that. The maturity level was gained early in summer camp. Khalfani Muhammad, Lasco and Jeffrey Coprich did a great job of mentoring them, knowing that those young guys were coming in to push them. Internally, in the room, it gave them the opportunity to understand that every guy is going to help push each other and it’s going to make this group better as a whole.
CB: What makes your specific coaching style unique?
PI: I care. I think it’s more than just coaching. I want to give these guys the opportunity later on to look back as a mentor and also create men of character. That’s why I got into this business. The opportunity to influence is key for coaches and I think it’s a trait that is lost in this business. Everyone is caught up on recruiting and being named in accolades, but my thing is if I can see when a young man walks across the stage in four years and he has a family in 10 years, they’re successful.
CB: Do you have a favorite drill you do with your running backs and how did it prepare them for game situations?
PI: I have a bunch of mentors in this business, old running back coaches and guys all over the country at the NFL and collegiate levels. They would call me and give me some words if I didn’t say I liked “The Gauntlet” as a running backs coach. Every day you can work and progress into a gauntlet and that’s something we’re always going to use just because of the physicality of the position we play. We have the ability to harm an offense when you put the ball on the ground, so we want to keep the guys up and we try to not have as much contact in practice. A gauntlet allows us to bang a little bit and get the guys running physically.
CB: How do you like to spend your free time?
PI: My daughter, Berkley, and I are heading down to some form of beach, lake or pool. She loves being around the water. She’s a beach bum and we’re usually going to be spending time hanging out around water feeding the birds and the ducks. She’s going to be a swimmer one day, so I’m usually spending my time with her around the water.
