When you hire an NFL assistant to be a coordinator, you expect that coach will bring some different and unique perspectives to your program that could create an edge compared to your competition. That's definitely what Virginia Tech is hoping Sam Siefkes can deliver as the Hokies' new defensive coordinator.
Those unique lessons and methods learned in the NFL with Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon were part of the appeal for Brent Pry in hiring Siefkes. Part of that involves a different method of how to coach players and implement a defense, something that Siefkes feels has gone well so far.
"When I first got here, I put a lot of strain on them to be able to teach in a different manner, teach conceptually, teach in buckets, so that you have the ability to branch off of things and concepts that the players already know. And so I think that has helped us grow tremendously because we kind of went against the grain a little bit, so to speak, in how we did things, which I think has really helped our players get to the place that they are currently," Siefkes said.
