Published: June 25, 2008 10:59 pm            

Coach Miles talks recruits, ISU football’s future

TERRE HAUTE — Football and barbecue were on the agenda for the June session of the Indiana State Chalk Talk series.

Coach Trent Miles and his coordinators gave fans and coaches of other ISU sports an idea of what to expect in the campaign. “We want our former players and other alumni to be proud of what we do on the field,” he said.

He said there are 38 returning scholarship players and 36 of them are on campus preparing for the season.

“That gives you an idea of the commitment and belief they have in what we hope to do,” said Miles, a former player for the Sycamores.

Several new players will be on the roster and several of them could be in the lineup when the Sycamores open the season.

He said recruiting has been an ongoing process.

One of the top high school quarterbacks in the country, Calvin Schmidtke, has signed with the Sycamores and some offensive linemen have set visits to campus.

Miles said he is looking forward to the end of July. Practice commences at that time and his wife should give birth to the couple’s third child about the same time.

Shannon Jackson, who earned All-America and all-conference honors when playing on the defensive line for the Sycamores, is the defensive coordinator.

“You will see a lot of energy, a lot of motion and a lot of character on defense. Our focus will be to stop the run,” he said.

He commented on the leadership and work ethic of former Terre Haute North standout Dan Millington on the line and said the secondary should be a strong suit with its experience.

“We want to have takeaways and stop the run, play smart and not give up many big plays. We want to bring pride back to the defense,” said Jackson.

Bill Diedrick is the offensive coordinator. He says progress was made in the spring workouts and that some of the new players could play right away.

“We could have five or six new starters,” he said. “We want to shorten the game and not beat ourselves,” he said.

He said the offensive scheme should give the players a chance to be successful. “We’ll work on taking care of the football,” he stressed.

Troy Johnson, another former player who has been coaching at Marshall (Ill.) High School, is the special teams coordinator. He said punting and long snapping should be strong points.

Miles noted the presence of realtor Larry Helman in the audience. “The day after he sold me my house, the basement was flooded,” the coach said with a smile.

Miles noted the big improvement made in grade-point averages in the second semester and work done by football players and other athletes following the recent floods in the area.

“They came to us and wanted to know where they could help,” he said.

He said he and his staff have identified recruiting areas for 2009 and that juniors in high school have called about making visits. “We have many alumni and others who care about ISU football who want to help,” said Miles.

He said the tight end and fullback will be utilized on offense and that the blitz could be used on defense.

Members of the Wabash Valley Coaches All-Star Game have been working out at Memorial Stadium this week.

“We have nine players on the roster. I have said earlier, we want to stay home first and get the best players and then branch out in our recruiting,” said the coach.

• • •

• Final days — Athletic director Ron Prettyman recognized Brett Burchette, associate athletics director who has accepted a new position at a different school and will complete his time at ISU this month.

“He has helped me and our program to be successful. We will miss him and wish him well,” he said.

        

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