Ten Questions: 8. Are Braun and the coaching staff ready for the season?

Northwestern's coaching staff needs a crash course in chemistry before the season starts just as much as its players.

There were already going to be five fresh faces on long-time head coach Pat Fitzgerald's staff this season. But since his firing on July 10 and the recent hiring of two more assistants, there are now seven new coaches on Northwestern's twelve-person staff.

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TEN QUESTIONS SERIES:

1. Can the Cats flip their turnover ratio? l 2. Will the Cats be able to stop the run? l 3. Will Ben Bryant be the answer at quarterback? l 4. Can NU capitalize on its non-conference schedule | 5. Can Cam Porter return to form? l 6. Does Northwestern have the depth to compete? l 7. Will Northwestern be able to pressure the passer?

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The first five hires had spring practice to connect with players, but they've added Skip Holtz and DJ Vokolek to the mix in the past few weeks. In the aftermath of Fitzgerald's firing and Braun's promotion, there's a renewed urgency to get everyone on the same page.

Braun said at a press conference on Wednesday that the time for a staff excursion or two to build camaraderie off the field is gone, but they are making do with the chances they have.

"You can't force anything right now, the time doesn't allow it," Braun said. "An opportunity to go play golf or have everyone over at the house, there's just not time for that right now.

"But you can sit down and share food and get to know each other... I've seen our staff taking strides to get to know each other, which has been neat. The circumstances aren't easy, but I'm really impressed with the way that this group of men have handled it."

Part of that chemistry will come as Braun becomes more comfortable at the helm, something he said is improving day-by-day thanks to conversations with his staff and his mentor.

"[It's] very different as each day has gone by, and I become more and more comfortable, though I still have a lot to learn," Braun said. "Coach Holtz has been a great resource, [special teams coordinator and tight ends coach] Jeff Genyk is a former head coach, and I've been talking with Matt Entz, the head coach at North Dakota State who I'm really close with.

"[Going over with them] how would you handle this situation. I still have a lot to learn in this role but I'm becoming more comfortable each day."

Braun and his staff have a steep learning curve and have to hit the ground running if they want to salvage this season. Northwestern is nearly unanimously picked to finish at the bottom of the Big Ten West, and some may even go as far as picking them to repeat as a one-win team or, worse, finish winless.

Two of their best opportunities for wins come in their first two weeks, at Rutgers and at home against UTEP. They cannot let those chances slip through their fingers because of coaching inexperience or miscommunication.

Braun is going through the paces to be as ready as he can for the start of the season, and give his players the best chance to win.

Of course, there will almost assuredly be growing pains. Early in the season, especially, there's bound to be a situation that comes up that causes uncertainty or indecision on the Northwestern sideline. But Braun is doing just about everything he can to be ready.

Seasoned operators like Holtz and Vokolek, who have been coaches for more than 60 years combined, will add more experience and depth to his staff. Braun was fortunate to land them in the dog days of summer, where it's nearly impossible to hire productive candidates. He is also working to become more comfortable with the coaches who went from colleagues to subordinates in a matter of weeks.

Adding to the intrigue is that Holtz's and Vokolek's exact roles are still unknown. How involved will Holtz be on game day? Will Vokolek work with any specific position groups on defense, and how much input will he have in defensive game-planning?

Braun will still be responsible for calling the defense as the defensive coordinator, adding more to his already full plate. As a result, he may give offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian more freedom than most other offensive coordinators. What types of offensive decisions will fall into Braun's domain remains to be seen.

It will also be interesting to see what kind of coach Braun becomes. Chances are, just like the way he's running his practices, that will be something that evolves as the season goes on and he receives counsel from his assistants and mentors.

Fitzgerald was notoriously conservative in his play style, but will Braun, an interim coach on a team with very low expectations, be more eager to take chances? Will he be as willing to go for it on fourth down as his predecessor? Will he be an energetic presence on the sideline, or more of a calm and collected game manager?

We'll start to find out once Week 1 kicks off in Piscataway, though the full picture of Braun as a head coach will develop across several weeks.