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Title: It's defense first for Dolphins assistant Pasqualoni Post by: DolFan619 on July 04, 2008, 11:04:48 pm http://www.palmbeachpost.com/dolphins/content/sports/epaper/2008/07/04/0704dolphins.html
It's defense first for Dolphins assistant Pasqualoni By CHARLES ELMORE Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Friday, July 04, 2008 DAVIE — Former Syracuse coach Dick MacPherson can guess what people in South Florida might be thinking about new Dolphins defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni, his onetime assistant who succeeded him as a college head coach. Pasqualoni's Syracuse teams attracted national attention largely for offensive stars like quarterback Donovan McNabb. Pasqualoni's teams struggled on defense toward the end of his tenure, getting blown out 51-14 by Georgia Tech in the Champs Sports Bowl in his final game in 2004. "When people think of Paul they think of Donovan McNabb and Rob Konrad - what the hell's he doing on defense?" MacPherson said. "But if they have Paul Pasqualoni on defense, they're going to have a good team." In fact, Pasqualoni's roots lie in defensive turf. He lettered as a linebacker for Joe Paterno at Penn State, produced future NFL defensive stars including Dwight Freeney at Syracuse, and coached linebackers in Dallas before joining Bill Parcells and company in Miami. "I think the experiences over the years have helped me a great deal," said Pasqualoni, who will begin his first full Dolphins camp July 26. "I've called offenses as a head coach. There's obviously always going to be a transition ... but I think I'm fairly accustomed to what the job description is." Konrad, a running back for Pasqualoni at Syracuse and later a Dolphin (1999-04), said Pasqualoni intervened all over the field in college. "He'd talk to me, then coach the safety, then talk to a guy about getting out of his lane on a kickoff," Konrad said. "He's an old Joe Paterno guy. In his heart, defense wins ballgames." Konrad said Pasqualoni didn't always get the credit he deserved for running a consistent top-25 program at a private university in upstate New York. If anything, Konrad added, Pasqualoni was too honest as a recruiter, rarely promising players they would play right away. "Paul doesn't have any used-car salesman in him - none," Konrad said. "Some guys like me appreciated that. He'd say, look, we're going to work you harder than any other university because we have to, and you'll get your degree." Syracuse wasn't the easiest place to sustain a high talent level on both sides of the ball, Konrad said. When it had the horses, Syracuse's defense ranked No. 14 nationally in fewest yards allowed in 1999, for example. But by 2002, the Orange was near the bottom at 113th, giving up 476 yards per game. Pasqualoni, 58, no longer has to recruit, of course, but neither will he start with a stable of stars. Last year's club was 1-15, and he can't even count on the return of his most decorated defender, end Jason Taylor, who has been at the center of a lengthy drama concerning his future. Pasqualoni will preside over the transition to a 3-4 defense while Parcells and head coach Tony Sparano work on stocking him with the right talent to run it. That process may take some time to complete, although the Dolphins used two of their top four draft picks on defensive ends. Sparano, a former college coach in Connecticut, got to know Pasqualoni at coaching clinics in the Northeast more than a decade ago. "When I assembled my staff here, he was the first person I thought about bringing on, without a doubt, to run our defense," Sparano said. "First of all (for) his passion, his conviction. He's a man of high character and a guy that truly demands and gets the most out of his players - and always has." Sparano put in a good word for Pasqualoni when Parcells needed a coach in Dallas. "Bill said, 'Do you know Paul Pasqualoni?' " Sparano said. "We talked about Paul for a while and next thing I was coaching with him. We had a little bit of a friendship there and it got stronger and stronger. I knew he was a guy I had to have." Linebacker Joey Porter was one of the first to meet with Pasqualoni in Miami this year. Unhappy with his role at times last year, Porter said he immediately liked what he heard from the new coordinator. Pasqualoni helped maximize the talents of 3-4 outside linebackers DeMarcus Ware and Greg Ellis for the Cowboys: They combined for 26.5 sacks in 2007. "I watched Ware and Ellis in Dallas," Porter said. "Before he gave me the playbook I knew the defense. I just have to play the technique they want me to play. That's no problem. From that day forward, I was back playing football. That right there was a good day for me." Pasqualoni said he wanted to define roles clearly, especially for a player like Porter. "Joey is a veteran 3-4 outside linebacker," Pasqualoni said. "He's been in Super Bowls in that role. That would be his role with us, a 3-4 outside linebacker." So don't worry too much about poring over old NCAA statistics, MacPherson advised. He said fans should see Pasqualoni's broad coaching experience on both sides of the ball as a plus. And, MacPherson said, they should put plenty of stock in the fact that Parcells and Sparano trust him for a turnaround job that requires intense teaching about technique. "They couldn't have gotten a better guy to coach on defense," MacPherson said. |