01-27-2009, 07:46 PM
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Head Coach
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Join Date: Nov 2003
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Quote:
Plank credits his mentors for his coaching passion
By Bob LeGere | Daily Herald StaffContact writer
Published: 1/27/2009
It doesn't take much imagination to guess what kind of coach Doug Plank will be, considering the kamikaze way he played the game and who his mentors were.
Plank, the newly hired Jets assistant defensive backs coach, played five of his eight years for the Bears under defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan and, before that, for Woody Hayes at Ohio State.
"I have to say, I've never played for a finesse coach," Plank said with a chuckle. "Woody Hayes would rock your world, and he'd rock the worlds of the other team's players. He was tough and demanding. Guys like Mike Ditka and Buddy Ryan, those were tough guys, too."
Not that Plank ever needed "tough" lessons from anyone. Leading with the crown of his helmet, the 6-foot, 200-pound safety was an intimidating deterrent to any opposing receiver venturing into the Bears' secondary from 1975-81. His own reckless style and the resulting concussions limited him to one game in his final campaign, the strike-shortened season of 1982, Ditka's first as head coach.
He was a major player in Ryan's trademark 46 defense, which took its name from Plank's jersey number. Plank was one of Ryan's favorites, and his destructive style of play exemplified the scheme that powered the Bears to the Super Bowl XX championship. The alignment featured two linebackers stationed next to each other near the line of scrimmage in addition to the four down linemen and sometimes a safety (usually Plank) and another linebacker in the box.
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Daily Herald | Plank credits his mentors for his coaching passion
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