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Kentucky football DC Brad White talks about the upcoming 2025 season
Kentucky football Defensive Coordinator Brad White talks about his philosophy on who is issued the helmet with the headset on game days.
- Louisville football ranked 14th in the ACC in total defense last season in conference play.
- Kentucky football ranked 12th in the SEC in total defense last season in league play.
One small green dot on the helmet should have a bigger impact in helping defenses at Louisville and Kentucky football perform at a higher rate this season.
Last year was the first full season in the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision that allowed for coach-to-player helmet communications for one designated player on defense.
They wear the green dot helmet. Only it was more like a sore spot at times last season while working out the glitches that come with trying something new.
U of L ranked 14th in the ACC in total defense last season in conference play. UK was only slightly better in the SEC, ranking 12th in total defense in league play.
It wasn’t just a matter of talent that caused the dips in performance; it often came down to simple communication.
That was supposed to be the one thing that was streamlined with the new form of getting calls to the huddle, but the transition to using the new helmet was anything but seamless.
Coaches essentially get up to 25 seconds to talk before getting cut off at the 15-second mark of the play clock. It could even be a shorter time, and oftentimes is, if the offense goes with a quick count and the ball is snapped earlier.
Within that short span, the defensive coordinator is left trying to process what offensive personnel is on the field and what formation they’re aligned in to make the right call. That’s why so many offenses go no-huddle and run a fast tempo: to catch defenses still trying to get set up and take advantage of that disorganization.
Too many times last season, the Cardinals were the group that was not lined up properly or still getting into the play call when the ball was being snapped.
The 34-27 home loss to SMU typified their issues and led to changes. Defensive coordinator Ron English no longer called games from the coaches box; he came down to the sideline. They simplified the calls to help get lined up quicker.
As frustrating as that experience was last season, it helped shape what the Cards will do this year. Linebacker TJ Quinn, who wears the green dot for U of L, said they’ll be better off from it.
“I feel like you definitely have to bring what happened last year to this season, because if you don’t, then it’s like those same things are going to continue to happen,” Quinn said.
UK defensive coordinator Brad White told of a play in which the player wasn’t looking at the sideline for the accompanying hand signals to go along with what was being said verbally in his headset.
The crowd noise made the sound muffled as it came through the player’s helmet, and he interpreted something totally different than what was intended.
The result was 10 players playing the right call and one playing the wrong coverage.
Having one player off could be the difference between allowing an explosive play, a crucial third-down conversion or, at worst, giving up a touchdown.
“We’ve gotten through that through practice,” White said. “I put it (green dot) in multiple guys in practice so they can all get used to it, because if one of the guys gets hurt, I don’t want the first time they hear (helmet communication) they’re like, ‘I hear dead people,’ right? Like you hear voices in your head on game day.”
They’re used to the voices now. Used to the calls, too. So the only head games being played should now cause headaches for opposing offenses.
Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at clbrown1@gannett.com, follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his columns.
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