As Mike Woodward was assembling his coaching staff at Brentwood prior to the 2013 season, two options stood out.
Ken Amato and Dave Ball, who spent a combined 13 seasons with the Tennessee Titans, came on board as assistants last fall – Ball as defensive line coach, Amato as the freshman team defensive coordinator.
“They contacted the school before I got the job here, about being interested in coming over and helping out,” Woodward said. “When I was putting the staff together, I sat down with both of them and it worked out well.”
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Amato played his entire nine-year career (2003-11) in Nashville, as a longsnapper, special teams performer and reserve linebacker. Between concluding his college career at Montana State and embarking on his NFL tenure, Amato spent two years as a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater and worked in juvenile services in his native Miami.
Ball, who joined the Titans in 2008 after previously playing with the Chargers and Jets, posted 113 total tackles and 15.5 sacks in his four years.
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“The first thing is, it’s instant credibility,” Woodward said of having two former NFL players on staff. “When your defensive linemen are being coached by a guy that played in the league for several years, there’s no thought of ‘what does this guy know?’ He’s been there and done that, and brings a high amount of credibility to the things he’s telling the guys to do, and the same thing with Kenny and the entire (freshman) defensive unit.
“They’ve got those credentials that get the kids’ attention and maybe put them two steps ahead of where some other guys may start off.”
Their football knowledge has been just part of the package, though, according to Woodward.
“Their biggest thing was, they just wanted to come and work with the kids,” he said. “They’ve got a great deal of knowledge of different ways to handle things, and they’re teaching the kids the right things, how to conduct themselves on and off the field.
“They’re great assets.”
Reach Maurice Patton at 615-259-8018 and on Twitter @mopatton_sports.
