Kansas State's football coaches take a less-is-more approach to new helmet communication

MANHATTAN — When it comes to technological advances in college athletics, sometimes less is more.

At least that is the approach that Kansas State's football coaches are taking to integrating helmet communications with players on the field.

Allowing them to speak directly into the headgear of one player on offense and one on defense during games is the latest twist, and while the Wildcats plan to take advantage. At the same time, they are determined not to get carried away.

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"I guess my philosophy on it is you're not going to be able to use it all the time, and I don't know how different coaches are thinking about using it," said K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman , who will handle the in-game communication, most likely with a linebacker on the field. "One of the things I did in the offseason was I talked to some NFL guys and how they use it. And even at that level, guys use it different ways.

"At that level, everybody's huddling, so that's one way that they get their calls in."

The NFL has used the helmet communication for several years. But as Klanderman pointed out, the college game has more teams that play up tempo and don't huddle between plays.

"We're still going to have our signal system ready," Klanderman said. "We're going to have to for just tempo and those situations. But one of the pieces of advice that the NFL people said is, 'Don't say too much out there.

"You don't want to be on there saying, 'Hey, it's second-and-7,' and 'Hey, they're 70% run,' or 'They like split zone out of that.' I don't know if that's the right way to put into our guys' heads. I just want to get him a call. I want to get their cleats in the ground, and I want them to go."

Associate head coach and co-offensive coordinator Matt Wells is the one who will communicate with the quarterback from the sideline. He expects to stick to basics and not clutter Avery Johnson's mind with excessive information.

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"I think focusing a lot on just kind of before the play and maybe really quick after the play, but not getting in his ear, so to speak, to where it paralyzes him," said Wells, who also coaches the quarterbacks. "That's now what I want to do."

In conversations with NFL teams, he too has found that the best approach is to keep things simple.

"We've worked it during camp quite a bit," Wells said. "I think just (down and distance) reminders. Four downs, you're in the red zone, clues to the play that we're calling or that's coming up.

"Tips (and) reminders, if you will."

Klanderman acknowledged that defensive coordinators bring different philosophies when it comes to relaying calls to their players, whether by sideline signals or directly into the linebacker's helmet. Some prefer to wait until they see a formation first, while others leave it to the players to react appropriately based on their practice preparation.

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"The theory that I ascribe to is, if I'm doing my homework on down and distance and tendency and those kinds of things and the stuff we do is sound, I just want to get them a call, get their cleats in the ground, get their eyes pointed forward and let's go play," Klanderman said. "And so, I don't try to ever be too cute with that stuff. I want to get these guys a call.

"Let them go through their pre-snap process, let them play fast instead of making a bunch of checks and trying to be perfect. Let's just get 11 guys running in the same direction and we'll be OK. So, I don't know if it's going to affect the defensive side of the ball at K-State all that much."

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State's football coaches take a less-is-more approach to new helmet communication