Lavan's defensive guru puts emphasis on stopping run
DOVER -- One of the most proactive offseason coaching additions among NCAA Division I-AA teams could also be the most risky.
Risky if you're Delaware State, at least.
But whether DSU head coach Al Lavan's craftiness in luring former Howard University head coach and defensive guru Ray Petty as his defensive coordinator pays off depends less on X's and O's and more with their ability to put aside their egos.
And both coaches say that's not going to be a problem.
Hiring Petty, who was fired by Howard athletic director Dwight Datcher in January after his fifth losing season with the Bison, appears to be a slam dunk. Even as his teams struggled to compete for championships in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Petty's 4-3 defensive scheme and run-stopping stats won over his peers.
"Maybe I should have called him, too," joked South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough when asked about the hiring.
But it was Lavan who made the call, despite the steadiness on defense the last two seasons under former coordinator Andre Creamer.
Petty said he is fully aware he's no longer the head coach. He's actually looking forward to coaching without the strains of pressure from alumni and administration.
"The one thing you know is that coach Lavan is in charge," said Petty, who was 25-30 in five seasons at Howard and last served as a defensive coordinator at Norfolk State from 2000-01. "I have the opportunity here. But there's never a question of who's in charge."
Coach Ray Petty (blue T-shirt)Petty, who debuts as the Hornets' coordinator on Sept. 1 against Coastal Carolina at Alumni Stadium at 6 p.m., has had a full offseason to implement his 4-3 defense, a change from the 3-4 scheme the Hornets successfully played under Creamer.
The 4-3 means DSU will have four down linemen, fashioned to primarily stop the run. Howard became synonymous with run defense under Petty.
Lavan said he wants similar results for his team.
"We don't feel extra pressure because of coach Petty," sophomore linebacker Josh Pope said. "But there are expectations. He was No. 1 in the nation, right? That has to bring some sort of expectation."
In 2005, Petty's Howard defense led the nation, allowing 99.4 yards rushing per game. It also allowed an average of 255 yards of total defense, best in the MEAC. That season, DSU was second in the MEAC in rushing defense and total defense.
But those numbers slipped in 2006. Howard fell to fifth overall with 138 yards allowed in the run and 282 yards of total defense.
And Lavan didn't like his team's numbers under Creamer, who ironically landed a job as coordinator at Howard after Petty's dismissal. Last season, DSU ranked fifth in total defense (301 yards) and sixth against the run (140 yards).
"It's a gap-oriented defense, we have to be in the right [areas]," Pope said. "The 3-4 defense relied on us coming from the outside and being in different places. This has been new for a lot of us."
Lavan said he believes Petty's advantage is his head coaching background. Unlike young coaches, Lavan said he doesn't have to be concerned with how Petty is managing his players.
"When I see him out there, I don't have to worry about him," Lavan said. "He's a very good coach. You don't see a lot of guys teaching the 4-3. But when it's done right, it's hard to stop."
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