Cards Officially Introduce Three New Coaches to the Media
January 30, 2017 | Football
Peter Sirmon, Lorenzo Ward and Mike Summers met the media for the first time on Wednesday.
It was a busy offseason for the University of Louisville football program with the addition of three coaches to the staff.
Defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon, secondary coach Lorenzo Ward, and co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Mike Summers met the media for the first time Monday afternoon in the Howard Schnellenberger Football Complex.
Sirmon, who joined the program after serving as the defensive coordinator at Mississippi State last season, is a high-energy coach who has an enthusiasm that he hopes his players will feed off of heading into the start of spring football on March 21.
"We met as a staff this morning and we talked about creating an environment that kids really want to be around," Sirmon said. "Our energy, either guys are going to feed on it, or they won't. It's about getting guys to be excited to come to practice and get guys to perform on Saturdays."
Taking over the defense, Sirmon and his staff have begun the evaluation process of looking at the personnel and building toward next season. With seven starters returning on defense, Sirmon is excited about being associated with one of the nation's most explosive offenses.
"It's awesome to be the defensive coordinator here with a great offense in place," Sirmon said. "We are trying to out-score people and minimize scoring on defense. To be lucky to be on a staff with Coach Petrino and all the skill players, we love points on defense.
Another addition on the defense staff is Ward, who spent some time with Petrino on the staff at Arkansas. He will take over a secondary that returns three starters, including all-conference cornerback Jaire Alexander.
"I think the talent is very comparable to teams I've coached in the SEC," Ward said. "There is a lot of talented young men coming back, and we are close to adding more talent in the next coming days. The guys on the perimeter have to be ready to play hard at all times because they are going to be thrown into the fire."
Summers returns to Louisville after serving on Petrino's staff from 2003-06. Some of the most successful offensive lines and offenses came when he was on the offensive staff.
A native Lexington, Ky., Summers and his wife Kathy are extremely happy to return to the Bluegrass State, where a lot of their family still resides, including their daughter Amy.
"It's been a great feeling that has come over me and my family to return to the state," Summers said. "There are so many people in the state that I've had connections with through the years, so it's a perfect fit for us."
During his four-year stint with the Cards, he helped his teams to a 41-9 mark and a pair of conference titles.
"In that time we spent together, we were very successful," said Summers. "That is something we both value in our careers so hopefully we can get back to those things and re-shape this offense that has been very good."
The Cardinals will unveil a new crop of players when Petrino and the coach staff discuss the 2017 Signing Day Class on Wednesday. Follow @UofLFootball beginning at 7 a.m. for all the updates the new additions to the roster.
Defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon, secondary coach Lorenzo Ward, and co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Mike Summers met the media for the first time Monday afternoon in the Howard Schnellenberger Football Complex.
Sirmon, who joined the program after serving as the defensive coordinator at Mississippi State last season, is a high-energy coach who has an enthusiasm that he hopes his players will feed off of heading into the start of spring football on March 21.
"We met as a staff this morning and we talked about creating an environment that kids really want to be around," Sirmon said. "Our energy, either guys are going to feed on it, or they won't. It's about getting guys to be excited to come to practice and get guys to perform on Saturdays."
Taking over the defense, Sirmon and his staff have begun the evaluation process of looking at the personnel and building toward next season. With seven starters returning on defense, Sirmon is excited about being associated with one of the nation's most explosive offenses.
"It's awesome to be the defensive coordinator here with a great offense in place," Sirmon said. "We are trying to out-score people and minimize scoring on defense. To be lucky to be on a staff with Coach Petrino and all the skill players, we love points on defense.
Another addition on the defense staff is Ward, who spent some time with Petrino on the staff at Arkansas. He will take over a secondary that returns three starters, including all-conference cornerback Jaire Alexander.
"I think the talent is very comparable to teams I've coached in the SEC," Ward said. "There is a lot of talented young men coming back, and we are close to adding more talent in the next coming days. The guys on the perimeter have to be ready to play hard at all times because they are going to be thrown into the fire."
Summers returns to Louisville after serving on Petrino's staff from 2003-06. Some of the most successful offensive lines and offenses came when he was on the offensive staff.
A native Lexington, Ky., Summers and his wife Kathy are extremely happy to return to the Bluegrass State, where a lot of their family still resides, including their daughter Amy.
"It's been a great feeling that has come over me and my family to return to the state," Summers said. "There are so many people in the state that I've had connections with through the years, so it's a perfect fit for us."
During his four-year stint with the Cards, he helped his teams to a 41-9 mark and a pair of conference titles.
"In that time we spent together, we were very successful," said Summers. "That is something we both value in our careers so hopefully we can get back to those things and re-shape this offense that has been very good."
The Cardinals will unveil a new crop of players when Petrino and the coach staff discuss the 2017 Signing Day Class on Wednesday. Follow @UofLFootball beginning at 7 a.m. for all the updates the new additions to the roster.
Players Mentioned
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