A first-year NFL assistant was referred to as a "little hyena" by his head coach this week
A handful of college assistants take the opportunity to take their skills to the NFL level when opportunity knocks in the off season.
While most coaches who make that jump are comfortable enough in their approach to step in without missing a beat, the jump from college to the NFL certainly takes some getting used to, even for the most experienced of coaches.
Well for Tennessee Titans secondary coach Kerry Coombs, who spent the last several years coaching the corners and special teams for Urban Meyer in Columbus, it appears he's already hitting his stride.
According to Titans Online, Coombs was in peak form for their eight day of OTAs, and first-year head coach Mike Vrabel's description of Coombs being back on the field for OTAs was pretty special.
"We let the little hyena out of his cage for practice and then we put him back in once he goes inside," Vrabel shared.
"I think everybody is starting to appreciate and realize that’s what he is. He loves waking up in the morning and being a football coach. That’s who he is. He’ll die coaching hard, I’m pretty sure of it.”
That stuff in italics is what a lot of us coaches strive for. The type of stuff we want on our tombstones.
For those that know anything about Coombs, that shouldn't suprise you, and good coaches don't change based on what level they're at. Vrabel knew by hiring Coombs he was getting a guy that will bring the energy consistently every single day. That's what players and coaches love about coach Coombs.
This video, dug up from 2013 where Coombs is addressing recruits and their parents during a recruiting visit, is a prime example that even when Coombs is "put back in his cage" inside, he's most definitely still hyena all the way.
https://youtu.be/YYSGFeoh_as
