A new era: How Sam Siefkes plans to utilize the Lunch Pail Defense this fall

BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Sam Siefkes lives and breathes defense. 

The Wisconsin native, who has experience both coaching and playing in an array of defensive schemes, enters Blacksburg with a track record that is sure to get Hokie football fans excited for the upcoming season. Entering his 14th year as a coach, it’s evident that Siefkes has only one thing on his mind: carving the newest iteration of the Lunch Pail Defense into something truly special. 

As the season continues to creep ever closer towards an exciting kickoff in Atlanta, Siefkes and the Virginia Tech coaching staff have been meticulously executing their summer workouts under the cover of the Beamer-Lawson Indoor Practice Facility. Even though Siefkes’s time in Blacksburg has been short, it has been plenty productive. 

“The main mentality we’ve had right now is to push the guys within the strength stuff that they are doing,” stated Siefkes. “We’re really pushing them to the brink...[asking] ‘How far can I push these guys?’” 
 
“Guys are excited,” said redshirt senior linebacker, Jaden Keller. “Guys are taking the information he has and soaking it up like a sponge…to not only be better at football but to increase your football IQ. He’s big on making smart football players…. that’s what guys are leaning into, learning the game of football into a deeper understanding.” 

Siefkes emphasized that having an identical mentality across the team is imperative to the overall success of the group. Seeing where the limits are is especially important as the season progresses. 

“When we come back and training camp starts back up, we can strip it back down and take things slowly,” asserted Siefkes. “I’ve been impressed with what they’ve done so far.” 

What makes Siefkes such an exciting asset to the Tech football team is his experience in professional settings. Prior to joining the staff in Blacksburg, the former Wisconsin-La Crosse defensive back was the linebackers coach for the Arizona Cardinals for the past two seasons, leading players like Kyzir White alongside a top-ranked defense. White’s 137 tackles led Arizona linebackers last season and were the second-most in his seven-year career. 

Prior to his time in Arizona, Siefkes spent a pair of seasons as the defensive quality control coach (2021) and assistant linebackers coach (2022) with the Minnesota Vikings. Linebackers Eric Kendricks and Jordan Hicks combined for a staggering 265 tackles under Siefkes in 2022, both landing in the top-20 in individual tackles at the season’s end. 

While statistics are impressive on paper, it’s what Siefkes does behind the scenes that has an impact. He views coaching like a classroom, placing teaching at the heart of his defensive approach. 

Former defensive coordinator, Bud Foster, the legendary architect of the Lunch Pail Defense, has already given Siefkes his seal of approval, following several meetings with him this past spring. 

“He has a great knowledge of his scheme and how to fix things or how to make adjustments when an offense is attacking you a certain way,” said Foster. “He really understands situational football and is really on top of that.” 

Even with a resume that’s taken Siefkes across the country, the defensive expectations that surround Virginia Tech football are not lost upon the Wisconsin native. With standout linebackers like Jaden Keller and Caleb Woodson back in the fray this fall, who led the team with 83 and 72 tackles respectively last season, Siefkes is excited to put his own touch on a storied legacy in Blacksburg. 

“Obviously, I have a very good understanding of what the history and the tradition has been here on defense,” said Siefkes. “I want to stay true to what that has been and also add my own stamp of what we could potentially be.” 

“He comes across as quiet and reserved,” continued Foster. “But he’s extremely competitive and driven, and motivated, and passionate. He’s going to bring an aggressive brand of defense to Virginia Tech.” 

It goes without saying that Tech’s defensive history exists from a foundation of intensity and hard work from every member of the front. It’s been the status quo for decades – and one that Siefkes already sees with his new team. 

“How much they care and want to work hard...it speaks volumes for the program,” reflected Siefkes. “It’s been shocking [to see] how hard they work...it’s a cool thing to walk into.” 

As Rome was not built in a day, Siefkes knows that reaching the peak of the Hokies defense will be a season-long journey. His approach to success, said the former defensive back, is built on a foundation of being in the moment. 

“I look at it as day by day,” said Siefkes. “If you’re stacking really good days on top of each other, you’re going to put a productive team on the field. Your process has to be elite from a day-to-day standpoint.” 

Siefkes credits family members and mentors for helping shape him into the person he is today. The defensive coordinator is truly a mosaic of the people, both in his family and his profession, that have lifted him to continued success.  

Outside of the coaching sphere, Siefkes has two equally important roles: husband to his wife, Carrissa, and father to his daughter, Brynlee. Football and family, said Siefkes, are the two pillars of his life.  

“I’m a big believer that when I’m in the office, I’m working hard, because when I get out of the office, it’s about my family,” said Siefkes.  

Professionally, Siefkes mentioned how his professional connections, specifically with current Baylor University football head coach Dave Aranda, have molded who he is today. The feeling, evidently, is reciprocal – when Siefkes was hired in late January, Aranda called the acquisition “a great hire for Virginia Tech” and cited Siefkes’s mind, work ethic and passion for the game of football.  

It’s clear Siefkes is pressing the gas pedal for this year’s Tech defense. Behind a wave of support from Hokie fans and athletes alike, Siefkes is building something special in Blacksburg.