.png&width=42&height=42&type=webp)
University of Minnesota Athletics
In The Headset With Bart Miller
1/4/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Jan. 4, 2016 
GopherSports: You are from Nebraska and coached at Wisconsin. How excited are you to return to the Big Ten?
Bart Miller: I'm very excited. This is a great opportunity for me and my family to be back in the Midwest and back in the Big Ten. I share Coach Claeys' vision for the program and it's something we've looked forward to for a long time, an opportunity like this. It's an opportunity to get back to the brand of football that I believe in and that I like to coach. I think we're going to do some great things.
GS: You have had success in the Big Ten before. How can the offensive line set the tone for a game?
BM: You have to be physical. You have to own the line of scrimmage. You have to come off the ball and get great vertical push. You have to double-team people and you have to have an edge about the way you play. That's really the only way the game is meant to be played. It's the only way I know how to do it and I think that's what we're really looking forward to at the University of Minnesota. We can do that with Midwest kids and have a lot of success building on some of the traditions there by being physical and establishing a dominant line of scrimmage.
GS: You are not that far removed from playing the collegiate game. Is that a recruiting and coaching advantage for you since you were in their shoes not too long ago?
BM: Absolutely. I'm not too far removed from really being in their shoes. I played the position and I played at a high level for some great coaches and had a lot of success on offensive line play. We will do some of the same things we did when I played, and obviously some things I've learned along the way. It enables you to relate to the players. There's a difference what's written on paper and what's realistic in the gameplan and I know those things. The guys can see that, and the success that we've had doing it our way is well-proven. I think that gives a huge advantage to us.
GS: What traits do you look for in an offensive lineman?
BM: We want big and strong kids, obviously. We want powerful guys that transfer explosion through their hips. We want guys who are finishing blocks, staying on people, putting them on the ground and being physical. We want them to play with aggression and a confidence about them that they know they're the best player on the field. They might not be the best talent-wise, but they're going to be the meanest, toughest and nastiest guys out there. Of course, we are looking for guys with the right physical attributes. We want a character trait that is all about being physical and being aggressive. We want the five guys that best represent those values.
GS: You have had great success in lowering sacks on the quarterback. How have you gone about that?
BM: The biggest thing is taking pride in what you're doing, taking pride in protection. We spend a lot of time on technique. We want the inside guys - the guards and the centers - to be responsible for the depth of the pocket and keep that fight at the line of scrimmage. We want the tackles to be responsible for the width of the pocket. The way they're setting and pass protecting are taught and executed and we take a lot of pride in that. Our protections themselves are simple enough that we have - with the running back involved - a way to pick up everything the defense will give us. We have answers for those things and we spend a lot of time in preparation for what the defense can give us. That's been the formula which has helped us have success everywhere we've gone. When you're providing time for the quarterback to make some throws or provide a strong running game, that's going to help your pass protection as well. I think that's the point of what we've done. If you establish a strong running game, that's going to open up the pass game a little bit. The defense is not going to be as quick to get up the field and pin their ears back to try and rush up the field to get to the quarterback because they have to play the run. If you come off the line and execute at a high level of technique and a high level of play, then you're going to have success in both the run and pass game.
GS: Your initial thoughts on Minnesota's offensive line?
BM: I've looked at the roster and watched some of the film that I've been able to get my hands on and I've talked to a number of the guys on the staff. I talked with Coach Claeys and just kind of followed from a distance and I'm very excited. I think there is a lot of talent in that room and I think there's a lot of incoming talent. There's no doubt that I think we can do some special things at Minnesota. When we were at Wisconsin, we recruited similar caliber players and we had a tremendous amount of success with those guys who are in the NFL now. There's no reason why Minnesota's offensive line can't be the most dominant in the Big Ten and that's what we're coming in to do. I think there's talent there. I think there's a group of guys that have the ability to be dominant, week in and week out. I'm really looking forward to working with those guys. I can't wait.
Photo courtesy Florida Atlantic University.
Bart Miller: I'm very excited. This is a great opportunity for me and my family to be back in the Midwest and back in the Big Ten. I share Coach Claeys' vision for the program and it's something we've looked forward to for a long time, an opportunity like this. It's an opportunity to get back to the brand of football that I believe in and that I like to coach. I think we're going to do some great things.
GS: You have had success in the Big Ten before. How can the offensive line set the tone for a game?
BM: You have to be physical. You have to own the line of scrimmage. You have to come off the ball and get great vertical push. You have to double-team people and you have to have an edge about the way you play. That's really the only way the game is meant to be played. It's the only way I know how to do it and I think that's what we're really looking forward to at the University of Minnesota. We can do that with Midwest kids and have a lot of success building on some of the traditions there by being physical and establishing a dominant line of scrimmage.
GS: You are not that far removed from playing the collegiate game. Is that a recruiting and coaching advantage for you since you were in their shoes not too long ago?
BM: Absolutely. I'm not too far removed from really being in their shoes. I played the position and I played at a high level for some great coaches and had a lot of success on offensive line play. We will do some of the same things we did when I played, and obviously some things I've learned along the way. It enables you to relate to the players. There's a difference what's written on paper and what's realistic in the gameplan and I know those things. The guys can see that, and the success that we've had doing it our way is well-proven. I think that gives a huge advantage to us.
GS: What traits do you look for in an offensive lineman?
BM: We want big and strong kids, obviously. We want powerful guys that transfer explosion through their hips. We want guys who are finishing blocks, staying on people, putting them on the ground and being physical. We want them to play with aggression and a confidence about them that they know they're the best player on the field. They might not be the best talent-wise, but they're going to be the meanest, toughest and nastiest guys out there. Of course, we are looking for guys with the right physical attributes. We want a character trait that is all about being physical and being aggressive. We want the five guys that best represent those values.
GS: You have had great success in lowering sacks on the quarterback. How have you gone about that?
BM: The biggest thing is taking pride in what you're doing, taking pride in protection. We spend a lot of time on technique. We want the inside guys - the guards and the centers - to be responsible for the depth of the pocket and keep that fight at the line of scrimmage. We want the tackles to be responsible for the width of the pocket. The way they're setting and pass protecting are taught and executed and we take a lot of pride in that. Our protections themselves are simple enough that we have - with the running back involved - a way to pick up everything the defense will give us. We have answers for those things and we spend a lot of time in preparation for what the defense can give us. That's been the formula which has helped us have success everywhere we've gone. When you're providing time for the quarterback to make some throws or provide a strong running game, that's going to help your pass protection as well. I think that's the point of what we've done. If you establish a strong running game, that's going to open up the pass game a little bit. The defense is not going to be as quick to get up the field and pin their ears back to try and rush up the field to get to the quarterback because they have to play the run. If you come off the line and execute at a high level of technique and a high level of play, then you're going to have success in both the run and pass game.
GS: Your initial thoughts on Minnesota's offensive line?
BM: I've looked at the roster and watched some of the film that I've been able to get my hands on and I've talked to a number of the guys on the staff. I talked with Coach Claeys and just kind of followed from a distance and I'm very excited. I think there is a lot of talent in that room and I think there's a lot of incoming talent. There's no doubt that I think we can do some special things at Minnesota. When we were at Wisconsin, we recruited similar caliber players and we had a tremendous amount of success with those guys who are in the NFL now. There's no reason why Minnesota's offensive line can't be the most dominant in the Big Ten and that's what we're coming in to do. I think there's talent there. I think there's a group of guys that have the ability to be dominant, week in and week out. I'm really looking forward to working with those guys. I can't wait.
Gopher Football at the Pav
Wednesday, March 11
Film Room: Anthony Smith
Tuesday, March 10
Winter Agility Testing
Wednesday, March 04
Gopher Football at the Barn
Wednesday, February 18