Mike Nolan is known for having aggressive defenses that will get after the quarterback and stop the run. However, Nolan is also known for running the 3-4 , a defensive scheme the Falcons have not used as their base defense since 2003.
But because of his expertise in the 3-4 as well as the 4-3, Nolan said he has no plans of making the Falcons defense a 3-4 team.
“It’s my philosophy that you build your scheme around the players and not the other way around,” Nolan said in during a 20-minute conference call at the Falcons Training facility on Wednesday. “What has been built there is a very solid foundation on a 4-3 defense.”
Nolan has been a NFL coach for 25 years and a defensive coordinator 14 of those years. But what people don’t know is he has worked in the 4-3 system for seven of those years.
“I’m very familiar with both,” Nolan added. “When I’ve been in a 4-3 I’ve frequently used the 3-4 as part of it. It would appear to me that is what is best for that football team.”
Nolan got his first stint as defensive coordinator in 1993 with the New York Giants, during his four-year stint with the Giants, Nolan’s defense would be ranked in the top 10 in points allowed three times and were ranked No. 1 in his first year.
Nolan would then move on to be the defensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins from 1997-2000. The Skins were ranked No. 8 in points allowed in Nolan’s first year.
Nolan’s next job was the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets for one season before moving on to the Baltimore Ravens. During his three years as the Ravens DC, they were ranked in the top 10 in points and yards allowed twice and that would ultimately lead to a head coaching job with the San Francisco 49ers.
Nolan would be in San Francisco until 2008 and became the Denver Broncos DC in 2009 and would move on to the Miami Dolphins for the 2010 and 2011 season.
Everywhere Nolan has been, his defense has seen success. One of the reasons for the success is Nolan tries to get as many three down guys as possible on the roster.
“The more three-down guys you can get the better,” Nolan said. “These are when guys are talking about who to draft, it’s hard to draft a two-down player in my opinion. In the real high first round, you’ve got to try to get as many three-down guys as you can.”
Nolan and Falcons head coach Mike Smith have already looked at the film from this past season and talked about what to do with the unit moving forward.
“If I felt like it could easily be tweaked to go to something else because I felt it could be better, I would obviously suggest it.” Nolan said when he was talking to Smith about any changes to be made. “But I think the track they’ve been on is a good one. 4-3 or 3-4 is very relevant as long as you are doing what your players allow you to do.”
The one thing that should concern Nolan is the defensive free agents that the Falcons could lose. Players such as Brent Grimes, John Abraham, Thomas DeCoud and Curtis Lofton are looking for new contracts, so there is a little uncertainty when it comes to how the 2012 defense will look.
But Nolan believes there is a good nucleus with the Falcons and is looking forward to do some big things with the defensive unit.
“As a group, Mike [Smith] and Thomas [Dimitroff] have done an outstanding job of putting together a roster,” Nolan said. “I’m just excited to be a part of it and hopefully add something to the defensive side.”
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