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Snyder defensive coordinator Mike Widenor (right) talked defensive strategy while junior Xander Richardson (left) and senior Nathan Beaver listened. Widenor came to the Tigers from Bandera high School.
Snyder defensive coordinator Mike Widenor is hard to miss at a Snyder Tiger football practice.
His high-energy coaching style stands out and he is typically the loudest man on the field, challenging even head coach Wes Wood.
That energy is exactly why Wood brought him to Snyder. Widenor is hoping his passion for the game rubs off on his players.
“We just talk about relentless all the time,” he said. “There is a mental aptitude that you have to have when you’re playing defense. It’s all about effort. You’re always at a disadvantage when you’re playing defense, so the reason defenses win championships is because you always have to outplay the offense (while) at a disadvantage. You have to play more physical, you have to play with more energy, you have to have more effort and if you have all those things and you’re relentless, you’ll have a chance to compete.”
Widenor came to the Tigers from Bandera High School, where he served as defensive coordinator, and has been a coach at the high school level for more than 20 years. Widenor runs a 3-4 defense and calls plays with what he calls a “blitzkrieg” mentality.
“I blitz a lot,” he said. “We are not going to sit back and wait for you, we are going to attack you. I think kids love that mentality. That we are going to be the aggressor and we are going to take the game out of your hands. The 3-4 is real balanced and while there are weaknesses to every defense, I believe we have the right personnel to compensate for those weaknesses. We have some really special players and the guys have done a wonderful job of trying to get it in their brain.”
Widenor will get a chance to see his defense in action when the Tigers face Littlefield in a scrimmage Thursday. He said he wants to see the Tigers play with a high level of physicality.
“I told them that they can have more kids, they can be bigger, faster or stronger. That doesn’t matter,” he said. “What equals everything in the game of football is how physical you are. This will be a great test for us. Littlefield is a physical football team. They are going to line up and they are going to play smash-mouth football.”