COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KRHD) — Spring practice is right around the corner for Aggie football, and I am outside Kyle Field looking at the changes new coordinators have in store for the team.
Both Holmon Wiggins and Lyle Hemphill have plans to make their mark at important positions.
"The number one thing we're talking about is how hard we play. I know that's, you know, everyone gets up here and says that, I don't know if anyone's gonna coach it harder than I will," Hemphill said.
Execution has to be at a high level. We talk about being explosive as well, you know, being able to push the ball down the field, and I feel like everything starts with, you know, the effort that we put out there on the football field. That speed that we play with can kind of cover up some of the, you know, mishaps or mismatches that may be out there on the football field," Wiggins said.
Spring ball is the only time a team can make itself better without preparing for a specific opponent. Head coach Mike Elko is using this time to shape the team's identity.
"Your physicality is always the word to me that you're trying to establish because this is the best time of year to go out there and try to be really physical good on good against each other and try to elevate that part of your program," Elko said.
New defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill came to College Station in the 2025 season as a senior assistant. He was previously the defensive coordinator for James Madison, where he led a top 15 scoring defense that averaged over two takeaways a game. He is looking to bring that mentality to the Aggies.
"We need to get better at catching the ball. Like that's obvious and you can sit here and you can talk about it till you're blue in the face, but you gotta work at it you gotta practice it, and we will work at it and we will practice it tips and overthrows. It's all we talk about tips and overthrows. We've got to make those plays. You look at the NFL, the amount of tip balls from defensive linemen that get intercepted, it's unbelievable. You know, we've got to get those balls," Hemphill said.
On the other side of the ball, Wiggins is stepping up from his role as wide receivers coach to call the offense. Being a first-time playcaller, he will look to rely on the experience around him.
"Right when you talk about, you know, some of the guys that are already in there, Adam Cushing, you know, who's been a head coach, you know, who's our run game coordinator, Joey Lynch, who was a coordinator in the SEC, who's now coaching our quarterbacks, you know, I brought in Brad Crow Nelson, who's a guy that I go way back that was the offensive coordinator at Virginia Tech with myself, as well as Memphis, so, you know, there's a wealth of knowledge in there," Wiggins said.
Players and coaches will start spring ball this Friday. It will give everyone an opportunity to grow together in their new roles.
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