University of Hawai'i football defensive coordinator Greg McMackin has coached several linebackers who were singular sensations — Ray Lewis, Julian Peterson, Jeff Ulbrich and Derrick Smith.

But after the sixth day of spring practice, McMackin praised the UH linebackers as the best "I've ever been around."

McMackin, who was hired last week, is implementing a 4-3 scheme this spring. Under Jerry Glanville, the Warriors defended out of a 3-4 the past two seasons.

McMackin said he has never had a better unit of linebackers "anywhere I've been. Ray (Lewis) was outstanding. But these guys could have played there as a group. As a group, playing together, they're really talented."

McMackin praised Cal Lee, who is coaching all of the linebackers this season. George Lumpkin, who coached the outside linebackers last season, is in charge of the defensive ends.

"Coach McMackin is an excellent coach," strongside linebacker Blaze Soares said. "He explains everything into great detail. Then you have coach Lee, who explains it even better. We've been picking it up pretty good."

The defense is taking the accelerated course. McMackin was the defensive coordinator here in 1999, Jones' first season as UH head coach. McMackin said he brought back all of the terminology used by the defense that year.

"I've thrown a bunch at them, more than I did with the '99 group," McMackin said. "They're picking it up and competing. I couldn't be happier."

Under Glanville, the Warriors did not have a defensive playbook. Instead, Glanville instructed the players during practices and video sessions.

"Now we have a playbook," McMackin said. "It's thick, like a dictionary. It shows us all of the details we need to know."

McMackin said this year's team has been open to his philosophies. During his first UH stint, McMackin and Jones inherited a team that was 0-12 in 1998. The Warriors suffered a 62-7 loss to Southern California in the 1999 opener, but went on to finish 9-4, the biggest one-season improvement in NCAA history.

"I have nothing but great things to say about that '99 team," McMackin said. "We came so far and they played with such heart. At the end, they were a really good football team. But when we started (the 1999 season), they had to learn how to win. These guys (on the 2007 team) are winners now. We don't have to deal with that."

McMackin has installed about a third of the defensive plays, including the base scheme and regular blitz packages. Next week he will introduce the basic nickel package. In McMackin's schemes, a third cornerback is used as the nickelback.

"We want speed on the field," McMackin said.

The past four practices, Amani Purcell and David Veikune were used as defensive ends. In the nickel defense, those two will be used as defensive tackles while Karl Noa and Francis Maka will be the rush ends.

McMackin will wait until training camp to install the "45" scheme, in which a third safety will be used as the fifth defensive back. That defense is used in situations when it is uncertain whether a team will run or pass.

The Warriors have used the same first-string defenders all week. But McMackin said "that was just a starting point for guys who sort of played last year."

The coaches will evaluate the defenders through the weekend, and post the first depth chart early next week.

"We're grading our players every day because we want to get the best guys on the field," McMackin said. "We're really being precise in evaluating them, and they know that. We're straight up with them. We're going to evaluate up to the first game."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.