Benn travels to Auburn for clinic

AUBURN, Ala. — Ronan football coach Jim Benn got the opportunity of a lifetime over the weekend when he traveled to Auburn University for a coaches clinic with the NCAA Division I runners-up.

“We went and watched a spring practice and basically got into a film room to watch cut-ups,” Benn said.

The differences between this and clinics at most major colleges were stark, Benn said. Auburn really let the attendees into the action of their spring sessions.

“Usually, you go to a coach’s clinic and listen to somebody talk,” he said. “It’s vague and you don’t really get to the point of what they’re doing. This was the total opposite.”

With the departure of two all-state players in his backfield this season, Benn has been envisioning a revamped Ronan offense for next year, more of a run-and-gun style than the ground-and-pound Chiefs opponents are used to seeing. That was part of the reason for his trip to Auburn’s clinic.

“Now, I have a better picture of how to take what we were doing and apply it to that style,” he said. “It isn’t that huge of a leap, actually.”

Benn heard about the camp from former Montana State assistant Erik Link, who is now on the Auburn staff working with special teams.

It wasn’t an experience he’ll soon forget.

“The whole picture just helps,” Benn said. “It’s a lot to compress in three days. It’s going to help me tremendously. I have a lot of things to bring back that the kids are going to like.”