Loud and passionate, SMU special teams coach Dennis McKnight gets results
11:10 PM CDT on Thursday, September 2, 2010
By KATE HAIROPOULOS / The Dallas Morning News
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UNIVERSITY PARK – SMU coach June Jones' practices are for the most part efficient, early-morning sessions, where repetition is valued and he and his staff instruct, but rarely yell.
STEVE HAMM/Special Contributor
SMU special teams coach Dennis McKnight , a disciple of the late Frank Gansz, inspires his players with his enthus- iastic approach. Several of SMU's victories last season hinged on blocked kicks.
In no sense does the quiet hum continue during special teams drills.
Dennis McKnight is the reason. The burly assistant and former longtime NFL offensive lineman is SMU's enthusiasm guy. He oversees the drills in his sleeveless muscle-T's, cajoling, criticizing and encouraging at the top of his lungs.
"He maybe curses a lot," Jones said with a smile.
But special teams is treated with passionate reverence on the Hilltop. In SMU's 8-5 breakout last season, many of the school-record nine blocked kicks – seven by 6-8, 270-pound phenom Margus Hunt – translated into game-winning or momentum-swinging plays. When the season opens Sunday at Texas Tech, the Mustangs need their special teams to continue making magic.
"They have to," Jones said. "We did so many good things, but we have to do that again, and we have to improve in some of the other areas."
Said McKnight: "Special teams is not for the faint of heart. You have to be a cool, tough guy. There are no 12-play drives on special teams. We have one opportunity. It's critical we have to execute at a high level every time."
McKnight, 50, took over special teams before last season, switching from offensive line duties after the death of Frank Gansz, a longtime friend of Jones' and considered one of the best special teams coaches in the history of the NFL.
McKnight – who sports a new "Gung Ho" tattoo, the team's unofficial motto, on his calf – played under Gansz near the end of his pro career. He learned from Gansz's spring visits to Hawaii, where McKnight also coached special teams under Jones before coming to SMU.
"He's a motivator. He gets the guys to play at a high level on game day, and that's what you want in your special teams coach," said Jones of McKnight. "It's Frank's schemes, but he puts his own tinge on that by the energy he puts into it."
Kicker Matt Szymanski said McKnight is a detailed, critical thinker who incorporates Gansz into everything SMU does, but "with a twist."
Nobody came along at a better time for SMU special teams than Hunt, whose tale is still mind-boggling, if now familiar. He's an Estonian who came to SMU to work with track coach Dave Wollman on his world-class discus talents and ended up playing football for the first time. He finished the season with four blocked field goals and three PATs, one block shy of the NCAA record.
It was McKnight who found Hunt in SMU's weight room, showed Hunt how to get into a football stance and challenged Hunt to get by him. McKnight never stood a chance. The rest is history.
But Hunt was SMU's secret "sniper," as McKnight put it, last season. No more.
"You still got to block him," McKnight said. "Margus can see the ball coming off the ground, and his hand follows it. I just think that's the way he's wired ... I wouldn't want to block him every game."
Hunt said he still can have an impact.
"We built our identity last year with the field goal block unit, and we want to keep up the standard this year," said Hunt, who is expected to start at defensive end Sunday.
SMU's kick-blocking headlined last season. Blocked field goals by Hunt and cornerback Sterling Moore were returned for touchdowns and a blocked PAT by defensive end Taylor Thompson proved crucial in a two-point win at UAB.
But the Mustangs also struggled at times in punt and kick coverage, allowing a punt return for a touchdown in a loss at TCU.
"No one play wins or loses games, but as some people said, some things happened last year where we played a part," McKnight said. "Really, special teams is about the attitude of the team. If you look at a team, the special teams is your fingerprint, your DNA, that's what your team is."
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However, our girl Kate picked the Raiders, both straight up and against the spread. I think we need to work on dat girl's homer skills.
