by Matt Cooke
Until now, all aspects of new University of West Georgia head football coach Will Hall's job have been largely related to being in an office. That changes early next Thursday morning, March 6, when Hall and the Wolves hit the practice field at the UWG Athletic Complex to begin spring practice.
Will was named the 12th head coach at the University of West Georgia in November, replacing Daryl Dickey, who moved into full-time administration as the UWG Athletic Director at the close of the 2013 season. Since taking the helm of the UWG program, Will has been on the recruiting trail for both players and a coaching staff as well as evaluating the progress of his new team in the off-season weight program.
The 2014 spring practice schedule will feature 13 full practice sessions and two scrimmages, beginning on March 6 and finishing up on Friday, April 11, at 7 p.m. with the Spring Game on Ra-Lin Field at University Stadium. The total of 15 dates will span more than a month, with a one week hiatus between the sixth and seventh practice for Spring Break.
"We've got six practices before spring break, and with a new offensive and defensive system, we are going to use that time to see who can play in the new systems," Hall said. "It will be very basic on both sides of the ball, but we need to see who can work within the system and who can block, break a tackle, make a tackle and make a play for us."
Spring practice will begin with six two-hour practices in an eight-day span, beginning with a 6:00 a.m. session on Thursday, March 6 and ending with a scrimmage on Thursday, March 13 at 6:00 a.m.
"Once we get to the end of that first eight days, we will have a scrimmage and see where we are as a team," Will said. "While we are one spring break, the coaching staff will evaluate our progress and then for those last nine practices, we will begin to put people where we feel they can help us the most and get them into those roles."
Will inherits a team that features four returning All-Gulf South Conference performers from the 2013 squad in three different areas of the squad. Senior offensive lineman Garrison Ushery and senior linebacker Tyrell Adams were both First Team All-GSC honorees last season. Also among the conference elite in 2013 was sophomore punter Jamie Dugan and senior running back Derick Seward, who was named All-Conference as a kick returner.
Jamie was also named All-Region by two different voting services and was the Don Hansen Super Region Two Special Teams Player of the Year.
All practices are open to the public and fans are encouraged to come out to University Stadium on Friday, April 11, for the Spring Game on Ra-Lin field. Kickoff for the spring game is set for 7 p.m.
