Cal Defensive Line Coach Darrion Daniels on Building Havoc, Learning From Tosh Lupoi

The energetic first-year position coach came through Oregon as an analyst and is bringing everything he learned into his first full coaching role.

Defensive line coach Darrion Daniels opened with genuine appreciation for the group he’s working with, on and off the field.

“Got a really good group of guys, not necessarily just on the field but also off the field. These dudes are extremely accountable. A lot of the guys that transfer in, academics is a shock because it’s the number one public institution. These dudes come here, they understand how serious the academics is and they’re always communicating with me. ‘Hey coach, I may be a little late to this meeting because I got office hours.’ Hey, cool. It’s understandable.”

The new guys coming in have been welcomed by the veterans in a way that stood out to him.

“The new guys we got coming in, they fit right in. That shows a lot of big ups to the guys that were already here, because the way they accepted them in is really beautiful. New coaching staff and new players coming in, them being extremely open to everybody and even helping them out with academics and getting used to the area. The guys who came in, they came in hitting the ground running. I talked to a few of them like, ‘Hey coach, I don’t want to come in and step on toes.’ I’m like, no, step on toes. I embrace it because that’s how we get better.”

On what he wants from his defensive linemen, Daniels was direct.

“Relentless effort, stack monsters. That’s the number one thing. And then I want to see havoc. Technique-wise, those dudes are already dialed in. Coach Andrew Browning did a great job with the D-line that was already here. The next step for us is just how much havoc can we cause.”

With a lighter group up front, hanging double teams has become a point of emphasis.

“We’re a little bit lighter up front, so being able to hang these combination blocks is big. Coach Bob Gregory’s got these linebackers hidden like they’re coming downhill, so when those guys come through, I always tell our boys, if you’re taking two, those linebackers are coming through.”

Interior pass rush is central to how Daniels sees the defense functioning.

“The middle of the defense is extremely important, we need to continue to collapse the pocket. I always tell our boys to force the quarterback to throw out of the well. We have some great DBs and sacks are amazing, but what’s the next best thing if we can’t get to the quarterback? Getting our hands up at pass rush lanes and forcing that float. When our dudes are getting the quarterback off the spot, it makes great things happen for our linebackers and DBs.”

Working under Lupoi at Oregon as an analyst gave Daniels a foundation he’s now applying as a coach.

“The biggest thing is attention to detail. He always challenges us to break things down into groups of three or less because it’s easier for the boys to remember. In my meetings, I try to take a big concept and break it down into groups of threes so the boys can learn it faster. We do a lot of call and response, something he’s extremely big on. Outside of that, just his approach to coaching. That dude doesn’t sleep. Relentless effort on the field and off the field. When you see your leader doing that, it breeds that into the whole staff.”

For coaches who weren’t already familiar with Lupoi, the adjustment has been something to watch.

“The funniest question I get is, ‘Is he like this all the time?’ And then the next day they’re like, ‘Man, he’s like this every single day. There’s not a day he’s not going to bring the juice.’ Once you see your leader doing that, it breeds everybody else to do it. You got the headman running and yelling, everybody runs to the ball, and these young coaches have the energy to do it too. Next thing you know, practice is almost over and everybody’s like, ‘Coach, where did the time go?’ It’s making it not a have-to but a want-to. I really do enjoy being out here.”

On Oregon transfer Jericho Johnson, Daniels had an extended scouting report.

“Jericho’s superpower is knowledge of the game. He’s arguably one of the smartest defensive linemen I’ve been around playing and coaching. This is his third year in this defense, and he’s really starting to understand how our coverage matches with our fronts. With him understanding that, it’s like having another coach on the field. He’s making sure all four guys up front are playing the right snap on every play. And outside of the mental aspect, how big he is, how twitchy he is at the point of attack, it’s kind of not fair. He also spends a lot of time with Lucky [Schirmer], our freshman, trying to give him the game. Him and Nate [Burrell] would get guys in early going through pre-practice walks back in January and February. Because he has confidence in the playbook, he’s sharing that confidence with everybody else.”

Coming from the Midwest, Daniels has taken to the Bay Area without hesitation.

“I love it out here. Got to wear a lot more sunscreen, but the weather always feels great. I can’t overemphasize the amount of good people we have here on staff, support staff, the players, and even the people around the organization. We have two people that sit outside the tunnel before practice every single day. That amount of support makes me happy to be here. Been here for years, man, and I love it. Every time I see them I always got to give a fist bump. That’s the type of energy we want to continue to breathe and add on to.”