Fast Over Perfect: How Wisconsin Whitewater’s Defense Wins with Mentality

Ryan Cortez’s Warhawk defense thrives on one core principle—effort over everything.

The numbers jump off the page: Wisconsin Whitewater shut out St. Xavier 37–0 and allowed just 107 yards of offense. But what drives those results isn’t a secret scheme or gadget coverage. Defensive coordinator Ryan Cortez has built a unit around a straightforward standard—play fast on every rep. Technique, details, and adjustments follow, but the foundation is always effort.

Grip It and Rip It

Cortez credits his former head coach, Kevin Bullis, with shaping his approach. Bullis used a pitcher’s analogy: before learning the curveball or changeup, you master the fastball. “Grip it and rip it.”

That’s how Whitewater introduces defense. From day one, every player is told the same thing: your fastball is speed. It doesn’t matter if you’re new to the system or learning a new coverage—go fast first. The finer points can be coached once the effort is automatic.

Fast Over Perfect

Cortez calls speed the minimum standard. Players don’t have to know everything on day one, but they have to attack drills and reps at full tempo. Perfection can wait—speed can’t.

That mindset shows up on Saturdays when piles are knocked back and multiple purple jerseys swarm the ball. But it starts during the week. If practice film shows hesitation, coaches circle the player and correct it. Every rep is an evaluation of effort.

Concrete Standards

Whitewater’s staff doesn’t leave effort up to interpretation. Every position group has clear expectations:

DBs must burst through three lines on every rep.
Defensive linemen sprint through the line of scrimmage.
Back-end players finish three hard steps past the whistle.

If a player jogs, stands, or coasts, it shows up on film and gets addressed immediately.

Hidden Heroes

Cortez is quick to credit the scout team and graduate assistants. They don’t get headlines, but they fuel the standard by giving game-speed looks all week. “They’re doing a lot of the work that really helps us tick,” Cortez says.

The Edge in Mentality

That effort-driven culture is why young players thrive. Against St. Xavier, two sophomore defenders stepped in and recorded interceptions. The details will come with time, but effort is non-negotiable from day one.

Whitewater’s defense proves a simple truth for coaches at every level: schemes matter, but mentality wins.

Building a Winning Culture: Preparing Your Team for Success

Perfect Effort, Physicality, and Cut the Face Tackling – Jess Loepp, Defensive Coordinator, UTSA