Jorge Magana was in the shoes many of his athletes are in. He attended Freedom High School, and played football at LMC under head coach Chris Shipe. He later moved on to play football at Montana Northern University. He is now back home to pursue a new coaching endeavor.

Q First of all, I know that this is your first year at LMC, how has your first year here been?
A It’s been great so far. I’m glad to work for a school that’s had so much success in the past, and I hope that I can help be one of the building blocks to bring these guys more success in the future.
Q What are the traits that make a Defensive Lineman good?
A Explosiveness off the line, strength, good hands, arms and the ability to never quit. You know how analysts always talk about having a good motor? They’re talking about guys that never quit and can keep driving with their feet until the play ends.
Q Is there a difference in what makes a good DE and a good DT?
A It’s not that different in terms of technique, especially since I find it easier to coach everybody at once, so my goal is to be able to have these guys be able to play any spot on the line. The only difference would be is that the inside guys need to plug up the gaps and keep the blockers busy, while the outside guys need to try to use their hands and speed to get around the edge without allowing a potential hole to open.
Q Would you rather have a speed rusher or a power rusher on your team?
A I try to have my guys be both at once. You need that quickness to get around the Tackles, but there are times that you need to plant your foot and drive through them to get back inside. So you need both, but it’s about being able to convert that speed into power.
Q Which is easier to teach? A DT or a DE? A speed rusher or a power rusher?
A A Defensive Tackle is easier to teach, just because there’s less to do. There’s a lot more that goes into playing Defensive End and they have to react a bit more to the different situations.
Q What are the single easiest and hardest things to teach a DL?
A The easiest thing to teach is getting their stance right. As for the hardest, it’s either just getting them not to quit on a play, or knowing how to adjust their hands for a specific play.
Q Is there a particular NFL or college team (or individual players) that you try to model your DL after?
A I’m a big Raiders fan, and a big Khalil Mack fan, so I have our guys watch a lot of film of him and Von Miller.
Q This may be the same answer but who do you think has the best DL unit (NFL and/or college)?
A The Rams. Between who they have on the inside and their ability to rotate and stay fresh, that’s a scary DLine unit for sure.
Q What would be your dream DL? You can pick players from any era, 2DT & 2DE.
A I really like the Defensive Ends of today, so I think I’ll have to go with Khalil Mack and Von Miller for those spots. As for the inside, I’ll take Warren Sapp and um, let’s go with one of the greatest ever and choose Reggie White.
Q What got you into coaching DL in the first place? And did you play at all before you started coaching? If so, what position?
A I actually played under Coach Shipe as a Center here, and at then went on to play at the next level. However, eventually you run out of years that you’re eligible to play this game, and there’s really only two choices after that. You can get into coaching, or you can move on with your life and put this game behind you. As you can see, I ended up choosing the first one.