As people, we all become who we are in part because of our experiences.
The same is true for coaches. Everything from how we coach to the schemes we often lean toward, are so often a part of our past experiences.
For Michigan tight ends coach Steve Casula, who was elevated to the co-offensive coordinator role this off season to work hand-in-hand with new offensive coordinator hire Chip Lindsey from North Carolina, those experiences include time as a high school coach, a student assistant and later assistant coaching job at the FCS level, a GA job in the MAC at Western Michigan that he turned into an on-field role, as well as D-II coordinator stops at two Michigan schools before he landed on Jim Harbaugh's staff in Ann Arbor as an analyst and then with Don Brown at UMass as an FBS coordinator.
Casula, who stepped in for the Wolverines as their interim offensive coordinator for their bowl game win over Alabama back in December, worked with tight ends at Western Michigan, Colgate, and Division II power Ferris State before leaving UMass to become the tight ends coach under Sherrone Moore with the Wolverines.
Last year, he was instrumental in the development of tight end Coleston Loveland, who would go on to be drafted 10th overall by the Chicago Bears in the NFL Draft. Moving forward, Casula has been vocal that the standard at the tight end position is that Wolverines tight ends are future NFL players.
That brings us to redshirt junior Marlin Klein, who spoke with the media last week and raved about Casula's approach and high standards at the position that have helped him elevate his game heading into the fall.
Klein shared that a big area of his growth has been in "the jungle," a term Casula has apparently used to refer to run blocking.
"He’s definitely the best thing that’s ever happened to me and my game, and he’s taken my game to the next level. I see it every single day. The things that he’s taught me...he’s been the best tight end coach in the country and he’ll continue to be that.”
Asked about the comments from Klein at his media availability recently, Casula directed the credit back to Marlin as well as the strength and nutrition staff before going on to share some lessons he learned while on Tony Annese's staff at Ferris State.
"I had the honor of coaching at Ferris State with Tony Annese, and the first thing I learned there was the root meaning of the word 'educate' was to lead, or pull out."
"The second thing that you learn when you coach at Ferris State is that you have to meet every single player at their individual, emotional, and educational level."
Casula used those lessons taken from his time working for Annese and the Bulldogs to explain that Marlin was at a place in his development where he needed to be pushed, coached hard, given constructive criticism, and coached enthusiastically and loudly at times.
"He deserves all the credit for where he's at. Not me," Casula ended his answer by sharing.
Hear his full thoughts in the clip.