Tucker known for getting most out of available talent

Dan Pompei On the NFL

5:44 p.m. AKST, January 22, 2013

Tucker likely believed he didn't have the players to take a lot of risks last season. He will have better players with the Bears.

"If he sees you are struggling with something, he will attack it," said Titans head coach Mike Munchak, who has been an AFC South rival of Tucker's for the last four years. "If he has a group he feels can get after you, he'll do that. He does a good job of keeping them in games. Why take a risk if you don't need to? Lot of times he didn't have all the talent he wanted, so he did a good job of using it wisely."

Just because Tucker does not call defensive plays with a daredevil mentality does not mean he is predictable. He is known as a coach who bends to accommodate circumstances.

"He's not a guy who you can peg as it's just this way all the time," Duffner said. "He will mix and ply the scheme to his players first, and then try to utilize their abilities to make plays against the opponent."

Tucker tries to bring out the best in his players by keeping a pulse on them as individuals. He can be demanding and holds them to high standards, but he also is sensitive and communicative.

"If he sees a player who is frustrated he will sit down and talk to that individual, spend time with him, make sure he understands what the issue is," Duffner said. "He is kind of rare in that regard. He is very aware of attitude of the team, and he will use a variety of ways to address it."

Tucker motivates with many techniques, as Marinelli does. As part of the way he stresses takeaways, Tucker even brings a hockey stick to practices to remind players to "take a shot on goal."

That stick might look pretty good in the hands of Charles Tillman.

dpompei@tribune.com

Twitter @danpompei

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