McGlinchey Seeing the Benefits of the Process

Change isn't always welcome, but it was for Mike McGlinchey and the Notre Dame football team after last season. He had decided to come back for his fifth year even though he had was projected to be a high NFL Draft pick and knew change was coming. That was fine by him as he clearly had not intention of coming back to the same situation that the team had to deal with last season.

It's a lot of new for McGlinchey in his fifth year in South Bend. A new coordinator, a new strength coach, and a new plan of attack that was implemented by the coaching staff and has the Fighting Irish ready to erase all the talk about 4-8.

That plan has been communicated well to everyone according to McGlinchey from the top to the bottom of the roster.

"We all know exactly what is expected of us now and I think that has been the biggest thing," McGlinchey said about the difference this year. "Obviously you go throughout your career and know how football is supposed to be played, but when there is not a clear outline and people are on a different page than what you think you are on, that’s when you start failing.”

Failing is the last thing you'd expect from this group after the work they've put in since January. Even before they stepped on to the field this spring, they were getting after it under new strength coach Matt Balis. He's the major reason that the Irish are able to come out the first day of camp this August and play faster without it wearing down the team.

“We wouldn’t have been able to do it if things stayed the way they were, that’s for sure," admitted McGlinchey when asked about playing uptempo. "Coach Balis, he kicked our ass all of the off-season and we’re going to benefit from that from here moving forward. You go out here and last year you feel lethargic on your first day. You feel not as strong as you want to be and it takes a little while to get that back. I was more tired in any of Balis’ workouts than I was out here today, so that’s definitely huge.”

That initiative to play faster comes from new coordinator Chip Long. It's not just an increased pace he is bringing to the group, but an attitude of intensity as well.

“I think we’re moving a lot faster. I think we have more of an intensity of the way we are going out to compete each play. I really can’t speak to the ins and outs of our offense right now, but just the attitude and the energy that Coach Long has inserted into our offense has been the biggest thing, whether it’s X’s and O’s or not.

“We’re going fast. We’re dedicated to fundamentals. Dedicated to our scheme. And there is a different intensity and a different standard here now than we’ve had in years past that is going to pay off huge come the games in the fall.”

Notre Dame came out the first day with a purpose that was a continuation of what they were trying to do in the spring. The big difference now is that they are a few months further along with the process that has been implemented by the coaching staff. They came out wearing shirts that had "Attention to Detail" on the back and those aren't just words for the players. They put those words into action this off-season to get them better prepared than they have been before.

“I mean, you just look at the guys," the senior captain said with pride about his teammates. "You come out and look at the way we start practice. Look at the way we finish practice, really. Obviously the first day of practice guys are not necessarily used to the heat and we had some guys who needed some IVs and cramps a little bit, but I mean, that’s part of the game.

“I mean, you see guys that have changed drastically over the last seven months with their attitude, their body make-up, and the way that they play. It’s one of those things that across the board you saw changes from youngest guys to the oldest guys and it’s definitely been huge because of the outline and the process that we’ve put into place.”