Coach David Elson has been the defensive coordinator in addition to the head coach for three and a half seasons, and he said a day doesn’t go by that he doesn’t analyze that decision.

“Every day of my life, I evaluate and ask myself what the best way to go about doing this is,” Elson said. “I believe that it all starts with me and our staff. We’re the ones that are leading these guys. I will evaluate that and the end of the season about our staff makeup and what my best role on the team will be.”

Despite a five-game losing streak and an overall 2-7 record, several members of Western’s coaching staff said that there were no big disagreements between the various coaches.

Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kevin Wright said that the coaches have been in synch this season in regards to play-calling.

“We’re in constant communication with the head coach,” Wright said. “I don’t know if everyone is always in total agreement with what they want. We all have our ideas, and you have to make a decision.”

After the Topper’s 51-40 loss to North Texas, Elson said he called Western’s last play that ended in an interception on the one-yard line by senior quarterback David Wolke that was returned for a touchdown.

Wright said they pulled that play out of a script of plays meant for such situations, given the amount of time left on the clock, the field position and number of timeouts.

“We practice situations and what we want to do in the red-zone,” Wright said. “I have run calls from the 20-yard line to the 11-yard line, the 10 to the five, and then the five to the goal line. We ran that play out of our yard and a half offense.”

Elson said that he injects himself into the offense on occasion, but doesn’t contribute more than one or two plays a game.

Elson also makes decisions in fourth down situations in regard to going for the first down or punting or kicking a field goal, and in extra point situations deciding whether to kick the point-after-touchdown or try to convert for two points.

Wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator T.J. Weist said that the pressure the coaching staff has been under hasn’t changed regardless of the Toppers’ current record.

Weist said coaches don’t pay much attention to outside influences.

“You stay away from the paper and the fans and the talk because we’re in our office all day long,” he said. “We put enough pressure on ourselves to win. We want to win just as much as they do.”

The Toppers will try to put it all together at 2:30 p.m. Saturday against Troy in Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium in Troy, Ala.

Reach Chris Acree at sports@chherald.com.