Austin Clark – August 15, 2020
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Saturday, August 15, 2020
Outside Linebackers Coach Austin Clark
(I wanted to ask how did you first get in touch with Head Coach Brian Flores? How did you guys first meet and coming down to South Florida and joining the Dolphins, how did that come about?) – “I got a call from Coach Flores. I didn’t know him previously. We talked a little bit and finished the call. Right after the season, I came down here, met with him and Coach (Josh) Boyer and those guys, and it went great. I’m fired up to be here.”
(A new position for us in terms of an outside linebackers coach. Who all is in your group and what specifically are the roles for that position?) – “I’d say it’s a collaborative effort. We’ve got ‘Coach Cam’ (Linebackers Coach Anthony Campanile), (Defensive Coordinator) Josh (Boyer), ‘Coach Hobbs’ (Defensive Line Coach Marion Hobby), myself. We all coach defense together so I wouldn’t say it’s specifically certain people or anything like that. I’m really excited about where the season is going.”
(I’m curious if it’s a challenge for you to find reps for all of the guys that have a lot of snaps and production on their resume? Does the multiple nature of the defense kind of help you carve out roles for everybody?) – “I think here with ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) and Josh (Boyer), they have a saying that your role is what you make it. I think that applies to all of the guys. We’ve only had a couple of days so far – we haven’t even had a padded practice – so that’s a little tough for me to say right now; but I think everybody is doing a hell of a job so far.”
(What kind of first impression does Head Coach Brian Flores make? And what were the things about him that made you say, ‘Hey, this guy can win?’) – “I would say first off, he’s a hardworking guy. When I came down here to meet with him, I looked him up and researched him and saw his path through coaching. That immediately to me was like, ‘Hey, this is someone I want to work under and learn from.’ Just how he came up and the grind and where he’s come from, his story, all of the obstacles he’s gone through. Then on a first impression basis, I would just say he’s a teacher. To me, coaching is teaching. There’s an element of how he interacts with players and coaches. He’s got a mission. He’s a tough guy and we want tough people that are smart and love to play and are physical. That’s what impressed me about him and I’m really, really excited to work for him.”
(On Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer, how would you describe kind of his personality and his approach?) – “I would say tactical. I think Josh has a philosophy of what he believes in that I think aligns directly with our head coach. Those guys have been working together for so long. I would say that he knows what he wants and he’s going to demand that out of his players and us, as coaches, to do it. That’s the environment that I want to live around. It’s been great so far and I’m really, really excited.”
(I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that the pass rush was lacking on the team last year. How do you intend to solve that with the guys in your room? Who are you looking to improve the pass rush on this team?) – “First off, I would say it’s a new season. As far as looking at last year, I really don’t think any of that matters. I think it’s about what we’re doing right now. I would say I think we have some great players across the board. I would say the pass rush is a collaborative deal in terms of the different guys and combinations and who they’re going against and what they do best. I think as a defensive staff, we’re doing a great job of finding out what those guys are and what they do well. Again, it’s only been three days, but it’s been great so far with (Shaq) Lawson, (Emmanuel) Ogbah, (Kyle) Van Noy. There are so many different guys that can do it. We’ll see where we’re at here in three or four weeks.”
(I asked Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander the same thing right before you came on here but throughout your career, who have been some coaches or mentors that you’ve been able to rely on and kind of look up to and idolize in a way?) – “I would say I’ve been extremely lucky with the people that I’ve been around. I would say Pete Jenkins is probably the most influential person in my career by far, in terms of technique, fundamentals, how to approach the game. Ironically, he coached – he’s worked with some of our guys before. Coach Jenkins, by far, has been the most influential in my career. I would say with that, I’ve been lucky to work for a man in Lovie Smith that is second to none. From a character standpoint, he taught me a lot as a young coach and things to do, not to do, how to approach the game. In terms of coming into this role in the NFL, he’s been great for me. He’s a guy that really cared about my career and has influenced me. Then I would say everybody really from my time at Cal under Tosh Lupoi and Jeff Tedford, Sonny Dykes, all of those guys. Then getting to USC with Clay Helton and Clancy Pendergast, who’s been in the league. Clancy has been to a Super Bowl before. All of those guys have been phenomenal to me. I keep in contact with them. It’s good for me to lean on and I’m really excited to work for a guy in ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) and Josh (Boyer) right now.”
(I wanted to come back to how you and Head Coach Brian Flores connected and everything happened for you to get this job. Was there anybody in common that maybe put you guys in touch together? Did you send a resume into the Dolphins? Is there like a Tinder for coaches where maybe you swipe right together and just match? How did this all really come together for him to just cold-call you up for it?) – “I would say there are a few mutual people that we both know, in terms of Pete Jenkins, Brendan Daly, all of those kind of guys that have worked with Josh (Boyer) and ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) throughout the years. I would say that we had some mutual people we knew like them and kind of put us in contact, and we met and I was able to come down to Miami and talk with them. I’m from Florida. Shoot, my mom’s house is three hours away from here so this was an easy deal for me.”
(I’d like to ask you about the coaching staff in general. It’s not every year that a team has a coaching staff where half the guys are new. How are you guys coming along in terms of getting to know one another? Is that still happening now? Was there something special that you were able to do over the summer where you guys were able to all get together and know that you were all on the same page?) – “I would say a few of us, like I knew Gerald Alexander prior to this. He was coaching at my alma mater. We were able, through the month of January when I got here to February, to kind of be around everybody. We did keep in very close contact. I think the camaraderie is great. I think we have some really, really good coaches and we’ve worked really well together so far. I’m excited to be here and I’m excited to work with them.”
