Those who have coached him and coached beside him said they have no doubt that Anthony Midget will succeed as Georgia State’s defensive coordinator.
Saturday’s spring scrimmage will have many storylines, including the quarterback battle and the rebuilt offensive line, but many eyes will be on Midget, who will call plays for the first time.
He had no previous experience as a college defensive coordinator when coach Bill Curry promoted him last month. Saturday will be his first “live” opportunity to prove Curry, Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster and former GSU defensive coordinator John Thompson correct in their assessments that Midget has the skills to be a “future star in this business.”
However, he will have to do so without 14 players who won’t play because of injuries or suspensions. Six of them were listed as starters on the pre-spring depth chart. None of the injuries are considered serious, but they hindered Midget’s ability to teach the new system this spring.
“It’s hurting us from a consistency standpoint,” Midget said. “We’ve lost someone almost every day, key players in key positions. It’s a deal that we have to keep those guys mentally engaged. The guys that are getting reps need to take advantage of the opportunities they are getting.”
Though the injuries may have hurt the learning curve, they haven’t diminished Midget’s enthusiasm.
“I’m ready for the challenge and the opportunity,” he said. “Getting the guys to go out there and play on Saturday, it’s not about coming up with a great scheme. It’s about going out there and having fun.”
Curry promoted Midget after Thompson resigned to become the defensive coordinator at Arkansas State. Thompson had begun to install a 4-2-5 system to take advantage of the team’s speed and try to improve a defense that gave up an average of 31.2 points and 403.3 yards per game last season, when GSU tried a variety of systems.
Midget had the chance to go with something else, but elected to stick with the 4-2-5 because it’s similar to what he played in under Foster at Virginia Tech.
“It will fit our personnel,” Midget said when he the hire was announced. “We are looking for guys to make plays and be fast.
“We want to develop an identity, play for 60-plus minutes. Demand it from the players and the coaching staff.”
That focus is one of the things Foster coached when Midget played for him.
“Anthony is a future star in this business,” Foster said. “He’s very intelligent, very articulate, and was a great player and even better person when he played for me. He’s very knowledgeable about the game. Great football IQ.”
Not having some of those injured players may allow Midget to show his skills as a strategist, a skill Thompson complimented.
“He’s really smart and understands the big picture,” Thompson said.
Midget joked that he likely won’t call a “jail break” blitz on Saturday’s first play, but he knows that offensive coordinator John Bond is working on a trick play. Midget said he has thought about his counter-move.
“We may have a wrinkle or two for them also,” he said.
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