Q and A with Assistant Head Coach Russ Grimm
Kate Brandt
azcardinals.com
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Assistant head coach/offensive line coach Russ Grimm joins the Cards after spending the last six seasons as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Steelers, first as offensive line coach from 2001-03 and as then Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line from 2004-06. Prior to that, he spent 19 years with the Washington Redskins as an all-pro guard for 11 seasons (1981-91) and then as an assistant coach for eight (1992-2000). Recently azcardinals.com had the opportunity to sit down with Grimm to find out what his expectations and goals are for the upcoming season. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]What intrigued you most about becoming a part of the Arizona Cardinals organization? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]“The thing that I think really interested me was that I was familiar with the ownership and I know they are making a big effort to turn things around. They’ve got a new facility. I think the community has a great backing of the Cardinals and it is just a matter of turning around this football program. That is what interested me in the head job. Then when things didn’t work out in Pittsburgh, it gave me a chance to get back with Whis (Whisenhunt) in a familiar situation and it was probably the easiest thing to do.” [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]How would you describe your relationship with head coach Ken Whisenhunt? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]“We are good friends. I played with Whisey at Washington for a couple years when he was there. We stayed in touch a little bit, but we got back in touch six years ago at Pittsburgh and three years ago he got promoted to offensive coordinator so we have been working together for awhile.” [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]How would you characterize your coaching philosophies? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]“I can go both ways. I have been around some great coaches that I’ve played for and the biggest thing to me is to try to put the player in the right position to be successful. It doesn’t really come down to, well this play is a great play but we may not have the personnel to run this play. I try to treat the players the same way I wanted to be treated when I was playing. The biggest thing is to just make sure that all five guys are on the same page.” [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Do you feel your experience as a player has helped mold you into the type of coach that you are today? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]“I think it helps, I mean you kind of know what those guys are going through, the grind everyday, the training camp, the length of the season. You know that they want to win and then you got to find out which guys are going to put in the extra time and the extra effort. Each year is different; we will start with the mini-camps and the O.T.A's. Not only are you installing an offense, your installing a different mindset. It’s going to be building chemistry.” [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Have you had much time to look at tape of the personnel that you will be working with and have you had an opportunity to speak with any of the players? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]“I’ve talked to a couple guys that have just stopped by. I think that the guys I did talk to are excited. Nobody wants to lose and it’s a matter of showing them and letting them see and hopefully they buy in, and if you get enough guys on the same page, they will turn it around.” [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Do you feel you approach the game the same as a coach as you did as a player? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]“I’m a firm believer in the only way you get things done is through hard work. There are certain times to relax, I mean you have to break it up a little bit. I know that the teams I was fortunate to be on that were successful; everyone loved to come to work. They would come to work early and hang around after. If they had to spend extra time to learn something or to make adjustments. It has a lot to with the players you have, but also it kind involves a staff, an organization, everything from the top down.” [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]People often use the word continuity when referring to the offensive line. How long do you think it takes to establish continuity on the line, or is it something you can’t really put a time table on? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]“Sometimes it’s different; it has been different every year. Even if I am at a place where I have experienced guys that have been there for awhile, it takes time. I don’t think we are going to ask them to do anything that they haven’t been asked to do at this point. It’s not going to be that difficult. Things don’t change that much and we don’t try to make it complicated. I always tell them that when the ball is snapped you are either covered by a lineman or you’re covered by a linebacker. It sounds simple, but that’s the way we try to make it. We will gradually put stuff in and see how much they can handle and go from there.” [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]I know you are still settling in but what are your general impressions of Arizona so far? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]“The weather has been great so obviously that is a big plus. It’s a nice area and it’s a growing city. I think the fans here are hungry for a winner and I think the players are too. It should be exciting.” [/FONT]
Kate Brandt
azcardinals.com
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[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Assistant head coach/offensive line coach Russ Grimm joins the Cards after spending the last six seasons as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Steelers, first as offensive line coach from 2001-03 and as then Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line from 2004-06. Prior to that, he spent 19 years with the Washington Redskins as an all-pro guard for 11 seasons (1981-91) and then as an assistant coach for eight (1992-2000). Recently azcardinals.com had the opportunity to sit down with Grimm to find out what his expectations and goals are for the upcoming season. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]What intrigued you most about becoming a part of the Arizona Cardinals organization? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]“The thing that I think really interested me was that I was familiar with the ownership and I know they are making a big effort to turn things around. They’ve got a new facility. I think the community has a great backing of the Cardinals and it is just a matter of turning around this football program. That is what interested me in the head job. Then when things didn’t work out in Pittsburgh, it gave me a chance to get back with Whis (Whisenhunt) in a familiar situation and it was probably the easiest thing to do.” [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]How would you describe your relationship with head coach Ken Whisenhunt? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]“We are good friends. I played with Whisey at Washington for a couple years when he was there. We stayed in touch a little bit, but we got back in touch six years ago at Pittsburgh and three years ago he got promoted to offensive coordinator so we have been working together for awhile.” [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]How would you characterize your coaching philosophies? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]“I can go both ways. I have been around some great coaches that I’ve played for and the biggest thing to me is to try to put the player in the right position to be successful. It doesn’t really come down to, well this play is a great play but we may not have the personnel to run this play. I try to treat the players the same way I wanted to be treated when I was playing. The biggest thing is to just make sure that all five guys are on the same page.” [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Do you feel your experience as a player has helped mold you into the type of coach that you are today? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]“I think it helps, I mean you kind of know what those guys are going through, the grind everyday, the training camp, the length of the season. You know that they want to win and then you got to find out which guys are going to put in the extra time and the extra effort. Each year is different; we will start with the mini-camps and the O.T.A's. Not only are you installing an offense, your installing a different mindset. It’s going to be building chemistry.” [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Have you had much time to look at tape of the personnel that you will be working with and have you had an opportunity to speak with any of the players? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]“I’ve talked to a couple guys that have just stopped by. I think that the guys I did talk to are excited. Nobody wants to lose and it’s a matter of showing them and letting them see and hopefully they buy in, and if you get enough guys on the same page, they will turn it around.” [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Do you feel you approach the game the same as a coach as you did as a player? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]“I’m a firm believer in the only way you get things done is through hard work. There are certain times to relax, I mean you have to break it up a little bit. I know that the teams I was fortunate to be on that were successful; everyone loved to come to work. They would come to work early and hang around after. If they had to spend extra time to learn something or to make adjustments. It has a lot to with the players you have, but also it kind involves a staff, an organization, everything from the top down.” [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]People often use the word continuity when referring to the offensive line. How long do you think it takes to establish continuity on the line, or is it something you can’t really put a time table on? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]“Sometimes it’s different; it has been different every year. Even if I am at a place where I have experienced guys that have been there for awhile, it takes time. I don’t think we are going to ask them to do anything that they haven’t been asked to do at this point. It’s not going to be that difficult. Things don’t change that much and we don’t try to make it complicated. I always tell them that when the ball is snapped you are either covered by a lineman or you’re covered by a linebacker. It sounds simple, but that’s the way we try to make it. We will gradually put stuff in and see how much they can handle and go from there.” [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]I know you are still settling in but what are your general impressions of Arizona so far? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]“The weather has been great so obviously that is a big plus. It’s a nice area and it’s a growing city. I think the fans here are hungry for a winner and I think the players are too. It should be exciting.” [/FONT]
