A buddy of mine just returned home from his mission and works with the team to help with drills and equipment. He had the same job as a freshman for the '14 season, and he told me that the program has undergone a huge change. He mentioned what most of us know, that the staff and players are more relaxed, the coaches go to bat for their players and get them what they need, there is more depth, etc.

The most interesting thing that he mentioned was that practices were a night and day difference between the Mendenhall era and Sitake's regime. Bronco relied on pure discipline and maniacal effort to get his players to perform at the highest levels. You had to know your assignment or pay the consequences. Flying to the football and having a high motor were the MO. Most players could handle it. But everyone was wound up real tight. If you made a mistake, you were yelled at and maybe even berated. It was trial-by-fire. The fast-paced, high-strung nature of practices produced many players who really knew their assignments, but at the same time, many teaching moments were missed and the confidence of many players was negatively affected.

Sitake and company still run their practices with plenty of yelling and accountability. Dudes are flying to the ball and you're expected to know your role perfectly; yet, all of the coaches make sure that mistakes are turned into opportunities to learn, not merely opportunities to punish the players for making a mistake. Players can stop a drill and ask questions so that they really understand what is going on. Players can ask to run a play over again so that they feel comfortable with it. This results in players who are really getting to know their assignments instead of just hurriedly going through the motions and hoping that they are right.

For example, look at my man Riley Burt. Raw. Fast. He excels by running off tackle, but was never utilized by Bronco because he couldn't seem to run in between the tackles very well. It turns out that he literally could not see the holes open up on the interior of the line because he had a legitimate visual impairment. Once he confided this to the coaches, they went to a specialist and got him a prescription visor for his helmet and what do you know? He's climbing up the depth chart. He can actually see the incoming linebackers and the holes that open up in the interior of the line. Without the trust and rapport that was developed between Burt and Reno, Empey, and Ty, Burt might of just kept his mouth shut and been underutilized.

My buddy told me this same type of thing is happening all over the field, on both sides of the ball. That's why the players seem so confident. The coaches have slowed the game down to really focus on technique and to make sure that each player masters their assignment. This is one of the ways that Sitake is taking this program to the next level. By loving his players upfront and unequivocally, by being patient with their mistakes and by focusing on the details, the product on the field will be significantly improved from top to bottom.