BOULDER — More often than not, a new defensive coordinator means a new scheme, new terminology and a steep learning curve for defensive players.
But when Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre brought D.J. Eliot into the CU fold last spring, MacIntyre flipped that equation.
MacIntyre wanted as few changes as possible for his players. MacIntyre's aim was to not only keep the 3-4 scheme he installed in 2015, but also keep the terminology the same with the goal of maintaining as much continuity as possible.
Thus, it was up to Eliot, along with new defensive assistants ShaDon Brown and Ross Els, to learn CU's terminology and scheme — and so far, the transition appears to be seamless.