Tennessee LEO coach Andrew Jackson was brought on to new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ staff on Jan. 2.
Jackson worked closely with Knowles at Penn State, but he is having to mold himself with the staff members who were retained from Tim Banks’ tenure.
“(Garner has) earned respect in this game,” Jackson said. “He’s been coaching longer than I’ve been alive. So, it’s been great. I’m learning from him. He’s great with the relationship part about him not being the only person in the room speaking. So he’s definitely tried to empower me in front of the guys.”
Garner has spent 37 years in the SEC and has built his reputation around developing some of the best defensive lines in the nation. The veteran coached NFL stars including James Pearce Jr., Derrick Brown and Byron Young.
While Jackson has less than half the years coaching that Garner has, he still brings a fresh perspective to the defensive line.
“Sometimes he says, ‘AJ, I need more like you.’ Sometimes it’s, ‘AJ, more like me.’ So, that’s been good,” Jackson said. “We can hit guys in different ways. Some guys need a talk to. Some guys need to be yelled at. Some guys need one guy to pick them up. So it’s been good cop, bad cop.”
Jackson even joked that Garner is like a grandpa and that he’s easy to work with. While it might seem like Garner brings more to the table as a coach with nearly four decades of experience, Jackson provides his own value.
The Long Island University alumnus is entering his second season coaching under Knowles. He can translate the way the defensive coordinator communicates.
“I think for us as coaches and staff, it’s using the same language and verbiage for all our guys,” Jackson said. “So this is that, this is that. And then again, we’ve got a lot of talent, and we’ll put the best of them on the field.”
Now, the LEO coach has to find a way to help hammer out the inconsistencies in his position group. Both Jackson and Garner agreed that’s been the biggest struggle.
That is to be expected with an abundance of new faces, especially at the LEO position. Tulane transfer Jordan Norman leads the way, with sophomore Christian Gass and freshmen Hezekiah Harris and Kedric Golston battling for playing time.
“Experience is not an excuse,” Jackson said. “You’ve got to be the same guy. You’ve got to raise the bar every day. You’ve got to move that needle. Not like the one step back, one step forward thing. So every rep that we’re getting out there at LEO has been gold for Kedric Golston, Christian Gass, Hezekiah Harris.”
Fall camp is important to get those young athletes reps, ensuring they understand the way the system works, but it’s also essential to perform because it’s the first chance for the roster to prove they deserve to be on the field for the opener on Sept. 5.
