1 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: So it's almost been four months since you took me job. 2 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:18,759 Speaker 1: You haven't coached a game yet, But I guess really 3 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: interesting from your perspective to hear like how those days 4 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 1: and weeks and months have gone by? How long does 5 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: it feel like you've been here? How full has the 6 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: plate already been? Then you've got all the other stuff 7 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:32,279 Speaker 1: that any first year head coach deals with, but you're 8 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:34,479 Speaker 1: coming to the SEC for the first time as a 9 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:34,920 Speaker 1: head coach. 10 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:37,919 Speaker 2: What has all that process been Like? Yeah, I think 11 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:42,960 Speaker 2: I think it's felt organized. I think if this was 12 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 2: the first time I was doing this, I don't know 13 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 2: if I would have felt that way. It's the second 14 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 2: time as a head coach. We went through a crazy 15 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 2: transition when we got to Tennessee, so I felt prepared. Organized. 16 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 2: Prepared would probably be the the best way to explain it. 17 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 2: I think every morning you walk in and if I 18 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:09,960 Speaker 2: learned something really quickly years ago, it was like something's 19 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 2: got to be really important, Like there's got to be 20 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:18,320 Speaker 2: a priority list, and we've truly made the players and 21 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 2: the staff the priority and that's where it starts every day, 22 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 2: and so come in and got it to do. You 23 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 2: got a calendar, schedule, but truly, the things that can 24 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 2: interrupt it are your players and your staff. Players and staff, 25 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 2: but came in with a plan and truly tried to 26 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 2: attack it every day. I think the fact that we 27 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 2: have so much help and so much support makes it 28 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 2: a little bit easier, gives you a little bit more 29 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 2: of a supervision type, big picture view of things. But 30 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 2: I don't know if it feels any longer or shorter 31 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 2: than four months. I know we hit the field yesterday 32 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 2: and it was awesome to be on the grass, no 33 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 2: cell phone, nobody can bother you. That you got two 34 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 2: and a half hours where you're you and the guys, 35 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 2: and that part felt really really cool. But organized, I 36 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 2: would say it would be like the one word I 37 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 2: would think. 38 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: Last November was probably one of the wildest Novembers I 39 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 1: ever remember, just watching college football, because November is always 40 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: wild in and of itself. And then number two, you 41 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:23,800 Speaker 1: have this inordinate wave of coaches that get fired, which 42 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 1: means you have an infinitely bigger group of coaches whose 43 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 1: names were being floated for jobs. You were certainly one 44 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 1: of them. So you couldn't turn on the internet, you 45 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: couldn't go on a social media platform or even host 46 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:38,639 Speaker 1: a show in my case without Alex Golish being mentioned 47 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: for X, Y and Z jobs and people say they 48 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:44,800 Speaker 1: block out the noise all the time, but it's impossible 49 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 1: not to be aware that it's out there. 50 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 2: So from your. 51 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:51,119 Speaker 1: Perspective as a coach, and then you're trying to lead 52 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 1: a team at South Florida last year, what was that 53 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:57,119 Speaker 1: whole month and a half like to try and deal 54 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,920 Speaker 1: with knowing what you're hearing, Knowing your players are probably 55 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 1: hearing it, your stat's hearing it, your fans are hearing it. 56 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 1: Like you got to kind of address it, but also 57 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: keep the main thing, the main thing. 58 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, I would tell you as as interesting of a 59 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 2: month and a half as I've been a part of, 60 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:19,359 Speaker 2: and nothing prepares you for it. And I told I 61 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 2: told my wife after it was all over, as crazy 62 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 2: of anything as you go through, simply because you've got 63 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 2: nobody you can talk to about it. There's nobody that 64 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 2: can actually relate in the sense that you're obviously coaching 65 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 2: your football team and all you work on and all 66 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 2: you preach day in day out is with your phones down, 67 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 2: block out the outside noise and this word being present 68 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 2: or focused that you keep harping on with your kids, 69 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 2: and I think the entire college football world is trying 70 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 2: to figure out how to keep guys focused week in 71 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 2: week out for a stretch of time with everything else 72 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 2: that's pulling at them. And then you're sitting there, there's 73 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 2: this feeling of guilt, like a crazy feeling of guilt, 74 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 2: because you're like, man, I am the distraction, and the 75 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 2: only reason I'm the distraction is because we're having success 76 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 2: and nobody really can relate. And so I think that's 77 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:20,159 Speaker 2: the part that for me was tough because it was 78 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 2: the last thing I wanted to do was cause any 79 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 2: sort of distraction. And as we want and had success, 80 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 2: you knew it was coming. You just didn't know in 81 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 2: what capacity it was all going to happen. And people care, 82 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 2: which is why when you're talking about jobs like this, 83 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:42,479 Speaker 2: people care, so your name. The conversation is happening a 84 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 2: lot more than I would have ever guessed. I think 85 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:50,599 Speaker 2: for me keeping a really really tight circle, which is 86 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 2: truly me and my wife, those conversations happened really sparingly 87 00:04:57,080 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 2: because the last thing you want to do is her 88 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 2: to all also be anxious or she's hearing it too 89 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 2: she's seeing it, she's getting the text. And my kids 90 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 2: are old enough now that they're getting it at school, 91 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:13,600 Speaker 2: they're getting it on their phones. And so I would 92 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 2: tell you a really unique experience. Obviously, really fortunate to 93 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:21,600 Speaker 2: be in the situation. So you're you're grateful, you're you're 94 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:23,360 Speaker 2: humbled by it. But at the end of the day, 95 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 2: I'm so process driven and so focused that literally when 96 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:33,279 Speaker 2: I tell you that, I couldn't care less about any 97 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 2: of it. Through the entire process. You have agents like 98 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 2: and I got a great one. He handles handles all 99 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:45,719 Speaker 2: of it. But again, I think every time I walked 100 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:48,919 Speaker 2: in there for that last month, there was like a 101 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:52,839 Speaker 2: sense of guilt of man, I am the distraction, even 102 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:56,159 Speaker 2: though I'm doing nothing to be the distraction. And it's 103 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 2: a weird feeling. And I'm being so transparent with you. 104 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 2: It's a really really weird, weird process, I guess in 105 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 2: a lot of ways. 106 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 1: And then the other part of it is, as soon 107 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 1: as you finish your season, it ends up being Auburn 108 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 1: and you've taken the Auburn job. You're the head coach 109 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 1: at Auburn, you're a head coach in the Southeastern Conference. 110 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:18,760 Speaker 1: You would maybe been through here, but like you've never 111 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 1: lived here, you've not been in the building. 112 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 2: You don't know the roster, and so. 113 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: You've got fifty million things, all of what you want 114 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 1: to do right now. So you got to stack a 115 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: priority list the first week when you take a job, 116 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:35,520 Speaker 1: what does that consist of? It's a hurricane, but what's 117 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 1: in the hurricane? What does it consist of? 118 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:43,279 Speaker 2: Yeah, again, you got to prioritize, and I had a 119 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 2: plan laid out in terms of this, this is the 120 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 2: order of events, this is going to go in. The 121 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 2: first thing is sit down with every player, truly sit 122 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 2: down with every player. In the middle of it, you 123 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 2: got your introductory press conference. There's a handful of phone 124 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 2: calls you got to make. But literally, I'm gonna meet 125 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 2: with every player. You go in the team meeting and 126 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:08,839 Speaker 2: you say, man, I'm gonna meet with everyone of you, 127 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 2: and you set it up to where you can truly 128 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 2: meet with every single guy unique here weren't gonna play 129 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 2: in a bowl game. You had literally the one week 130 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 2: to do it before the guys were done with school 131 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 2: and they were gonna be able to get out of here. 132 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 2: So it was meeting after meeting after meeting. In the 133 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 2: middle of those, I would leave half hour chunks to 134 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:35,200 Speaker 2: work on staff, half hour chunks to work on staff. 135 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 2: Most of the staff phone calls were at five am 136 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:41,360 Speaker 2: or at midnight, and you knew if a guy was 137 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 2: going to answer the phone, you were in the conversation. 138 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 2: But you try to be present through each of those 139 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 2: individual meetings. The players can tell you a lot. I 140 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 2: would tell you, the players will tell you a majority 141 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:57,080 Speaker 2: of the story, which is why I wanted to hear 142 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 2: through their eyes before I ever met with any support staff, 143 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:02,800 Speaker 2: before I ever met with any of the current coaches here, 144 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:06,160 Speaker 2: because you could paint a really really good picture through 145 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 2: their eyes, and you've got to take the outliers out 146 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 2: and you end up with a lot of really really 147 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 2: good information on meant because it's not all what was 148 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:21,440 Speaker 2: broken here, it's meant what is actually really cool about 149 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 2: this place? And I'd ask questions if you talk about 150 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 2: getting to know a place, like where do guys go eat? 151 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 2: Like where do you guys hang out? And in those meetings, 152 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 2: they're really really transparent because they're trying to get to 153 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:35,120 Speaker 2: know you, you're trying to get to know them. And 154 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 2: in the middle of it all you're working through between 155 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:43,000 Speaker 2: the players and the staff man, like who am I 156 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 2: fight the key? Who am I good? Cutting loose? While 157 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 2: all at the same time you've got all this outside 158 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:56,160 Speaker 2: noise coming at these kids. Again, every job is unique. 159 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 2: This one was open for over a month, so you 160 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:02,200 Speaker 2: could imagine the phone calls those kids had already had 161 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:05,240 Speaker 2: for the entire month of November. So you knew you 162 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 2: were climbing uphill with some guys. You knew there was 163 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:10,439 Speaker 2: some guys you didn't want to keep. But until you 164 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:14,480 Speaker 2: sit down and start watching film one guy at a time, 165 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:16,920 Speaker 2: you don't know the roster, like you want to know 166 00:09:16,960 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 2: the roster, and then it just from there, it's a 167 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:26,560 Speaker 2: series of decisions, like every single decision is made by you. 168 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:32,679 Speaker 2: So in terms of the roster, the staff budgets all 169 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:34,560 Speaker 2: the way up to the nil side of it, like 170 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:36,960 Speaker 2: every single decision is made by you, and you're trying 171 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 2: to prioritize which decisions are important right then and there, 172 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 2: I would tell you, going through it a second time, 173 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 2: I slowed down on making the decisions, was more thoughtful, 174 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:55,200 Speaker 2: was more calculated as the word, but probably cerebral understanding 175 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 2: that it doesn't all have to be a rush right 176 00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:01,000 Speaker 2: this second, let's get it right rather than in first. 177 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 1: You were laying out meeting with players. You were laying 178 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: out learning about and structuring budget. You've got a whole 179 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:13,800 Speaker 1: staff piece. You've got a lot of administrative people that 180 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:15,840 Speaker 1: are going to be in the building that are never 181 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 1: at a press conference or on camera on Saturday, but 182 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:19,080 Speaker 1: they're an integral. 183 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 2: Part of what you do. 184 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 1: You got a strength staff, you got nutrition, you got 185 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:24,480 Speaker 1: all that. How long is it until you actually feel 186 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:27,200 Speaker 1: like you have your hands wrapped around the situation? Or 187 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:29,080 Speaker 1: to put it in another way, like you go home 188 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:32,199 Speaker 1: at night and your wife asks, Hey, tell me a 189 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:35,840 Speaker 1: little bit about the corners room, or tell me a 190 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:38,360 Speaker 1: little bit about the folks that are going to be 191 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:40,679 Speaker 1: at the front desk. Could be top to bottom A 192 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 1: to Z. How long until you really kind of have 193 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 1: your hand around it? And no, all right, I got 194 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 1: a fairly good idea of what Auburn is right now. 195 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 1: Now we'll make it what it'll be moving forward. 196 00:10:52,679 --> 00:11:00,440 Speaker 2: Yeah. I think it drastically helped that I was coming 197 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:03,600 Speaker 2: from a place that I was at for three years 198 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:10,120 Speaker 2: that I every single year reevaluated everything, and there was 199 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:13,440 Speaker 2: a lot of conversations of man, if we had the budget, 200 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 2: we would do this. Man, if we had this, we 201 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:18,480 Speaker 2: would do this. And I preface that with the University 202 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 2: of South Florida did a lot to grow that program 203 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:23,679 Speaker 2: in the three years I was there. So we got 204 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:26,040 Speaker 2: a lot of what we needed, almost everything of what 205 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:30,320 Speaker 2: we needed. But there was still that, Man, you know, 206 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:34,080 Speaker 2: if we could have two assistant D line coaches, or man, 207 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:36,800 Speaker 2: if we could have three or four more people in 208 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:42,120 Speaker 2: scouting or on campus recruiting or nutrition or there was 209 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:45,959 Speaker 2: always that, man, what if we could have that? Well, 210 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 2: then you get here and you can, and so you 211 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:53,200 Speaker 2: just go and you execute what you I guess, quote 212 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 2: unquote always wanted to do. More people also doesn't mean better. 213 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 2: More quality people is better, And so I guess the 214 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 2: long winded answer to your question is because we were 215 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:11,600 Speaker 2: able to bring a large majority of the of the 216 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:15,760 Speaker 2: areas that are hard to build continuity with scouting, on 217 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:22,199 Speaker 2: campus recruiting, nutrition, strength, player development like these areas that 218 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:25,080 Speaker 2: take a long time to truly get moving in the 219 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 2: same exact direction, from communication channels to standards at each 220 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:32,840 Speaker 2: in each department, to how it all works up, who 221 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:37,400 Speaker 2: they report to, how I get the information, the fact 222 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:41,880 Speaker 2: that we were able to bring the core group of 223 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:45,840 Speaker 2: people here, we were able to hit the ground running. 224 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:49,559 Speaker 2: So to tell you that you've got a great feel 225 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:53,520 Speaker 2: for all of it, I would say probably quicker, certainly 226 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:57,000 Speaker 2: than any place I've ever been. Middle of January, end 227 00:12:57,000 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 2: of January. You're still see day to day, continue to 228 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:06,520 Speaker 2: evaluate and continuing to shure up the little things that 229 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 2: make the day flow way smoother. But because my GM 230 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:13,760 Speaker 2: came with me, my director scouting came with me, or 231 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 2: executive director of recruiting came with me, head strength coach 232 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 2: came with me, or Dietitian I worked with for years 233 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:26,800 Speaker 2: at Tennessee, and you go down the line, that transition 234 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 2: was waste smooth. That's why I said at the beginning, 235 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:31,080 Speaker 2: like if this was my first time, we would be 236 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 2: sitting here right now and I'd be sweating bullets because 237 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:34,800 Speaker 2: I got you know, I'm in a hurry to go 238 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:38,360 Speaker 2: get something done. It feels a lot more settled by 239 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:40,719 Speaker 2: the time we got to the middle of January. 240 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:46,200 Speaker 1: I would love for you to share a head coach's 241 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:49,559 Speaker 1: perspective on this. The outside world looks at college football 242 00:13:49,559 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 1: in terms of tiers and levels, So you got sec 243 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:56,200 Speaker 1: Big ten and then acc Big twelve. But that's like 244 00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:58,680 Speaker 1: the power four level. Then you go down a level. 245 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 1: Then you've got the G five level and the Lazier way. 246 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:05,520 Speaker 1: But probably more common way of thinking is, all right, 247 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 1: let's say something works or someone works at the G 248 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 1: five level, that's great. I'm not so sure it would 249 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:14,040 Speaker 1: work at the highest level. 250 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:14,640 Speaker 2: Okay. 251 00:14:14,679 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 1: So then from your perspective as a head coach, you 252 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:20,280 Speaker 1: just came from South Florida. You're the head coach at Auburn, 253 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:22,040 Speaker 1: so there may be people who say that about you. 254 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 1: But I'm asking when you're talking about who you're going 255 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:28,680 Speaker 1: to bring with you, is there anything in the back 256 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:31,920 Speaker 1: of your mind that says this person or this player 257 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:34,640 Speaker 1: was good enough to be with me at South Florida. 258 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 1: I'm on the fence about whether they would be good 259 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:40,600 Speaker 1: enough to be with me at Auburn or is it no, 260 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 1: If they're good enough to be with me in high school, 261 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 1: I would trust him if I took an NFL job tomorrow. 262 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 1: How does that work? 263 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 2: Yeah? I think it's twofold. One where I've seen this 264 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 2: not work is when you get to a place like 265 00:14:56,440 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 2: Auburn and you surround yourself with people that you think 266 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 2: are supposed to be at all and ultimately the places 267 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:10,480 Speaker 2: where it's worked, the staffs where it's worked, you have 268 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 2: a group of people that are working in the same direction, 269 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:15,600 Speaker 2: with the same goals and the same standards, and ultimately 270 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 2: their loyalty lies to the head football coach where And 271 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:24,080 Speaker 2: I should preface that loyalty doesn't mean you never leave. 272 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:26,600 Speaker 2: Loyalty just means you work as hard as you can 273 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:31,000 Speaker 2: as long as you can, with no ulterior motives. For 274 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:35,600 Speaker 2: one purpose, When you have a group of men and 275 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:37,960 Speaker 2: women in an organization like this, where you're talking about 276 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 2: essentially a staff of just over one hundred, where they're 277 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:44,320 Speaker 2: all moving in the same exact direction, you got a 278 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 2: chance to do it at any level. So the people 279 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 2: that are here with me, that came with me from 280 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:56,240 Speaker 2: South Florida were the people that I felt that were loyal. Again, 281 00:15:56,840 --> 00:15:59,360 Speaker 2: not that they didn't have ambitions to be coordinators and 282 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:03,000 Speaker 2: head coaches selves or to be directors of whatever department 283 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,280 Speaker 2: they're in. They were loyal because they came in and 284 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:08,120 Speaker 2: worked really really hard and had no ulterior motives, and 285 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:11,280 Speaker 2: generally they were loyal to me. But they're also loyal 286 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:13,880 Speaker 2: to the players like The part that doesn't ever get 287 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:17,680 Speaker 2: talked about is the actual players, Like they're still amongst 288 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 2: all of the quote unquote craziness, Like these are still 289 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:23,480 Speaker 2: seventeen to twenty three year olds that want to be 290 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 2: held accountable. I want to be told what to do, 291 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:30,280 Speaker 2: want to be loved. Like that part, you got to 292 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 2: be loyal, and that the process of helping these young 293 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:36,040 Speaker 2: guys grow as well. So I would tell you if 294 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:38,280 Speaker 2: they're good enough at South Florida, they're good enough here. 295 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 2: I don't know if if I would necessarily have thought 296 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:46,240 Speaker 2: that way until I've had the experiences I've had. I 297 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:50,200 Speaker 2: think the experience piece is the most undervalued part of it. 298 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:52,680 Speaker 2: Meaning just because you can call plays doesn't mean that 299 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:55,480 Speaker 2: you can be an offensive coordinator. Just because you're a 300 00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:57,560 Speaker 2: good offensive coordinator, then make you a great head coach. 301 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 2: Like I think the experiences all the way through, I 302 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:06,040 Speaker 2: think for me more than anything else. Like I've coached defense, 303 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:08,399 Speaker 2: I've coached offense, I've coached special teams. I've stood in 304 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:11,440 Speaker 2: front of the room as a special teams coordinator, stood 305 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 2: in front of it as an offensive coordinator. Like, all 306 00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:18,119 Speaker 2: of those experiences help. But I would tell you that 307 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:22,680 Speaker 2: coming in on the front end of jobs. This goes 308 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:25,760 Speaker 2: back to Toledo and then Illinois and then Iowa State 309 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:29,919 Speaker 2: and then Tennessee and obviously South Florida. Like coming in 310 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:34,000 Speaker 2: on the front end that first month, the experience of 311 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:39,520 Speaker 2: that is what prepares you for this because more than 312 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:44,200 Speaker 2: calling plays or scheme in something up, it's the dealing 313 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:47,800 Speaker 2: of people and getting people to buy into a vision 314 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:51,960 Speaker 2: and doing it with a purpose that if I didn't 315 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:55,280 Speaker 2: have those experiences, I could have been a coordinator in 316 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:57,320 Speaker 2: the NFL. I would have never prepared me for it. 317 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,840 Speaker 1: When you're putting together a staff, realistically, you're going to 318 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:03,640 Speaker 1: end up hiring some guys who you had never met 319 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 1: until the interview process, probably who have never worked for you. 320 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:11,840 Speaker 1: And man, your fate, your team's fate, your program's fate 321 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:14,119 Speaker 1: is ultimately going to be as good as the people 322 00:18:14,119 --> 00:18:16,919 Speaker 1: in the building. What kind of process is it if 323 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:19,960 Speaker 1: you're interviewing me for like your wide receiver's room, you're 324 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 1: tied in room, we've never met before. How do I 325 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:26,119 Speaker 1: get in the door with you? And then how thorough 326 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 1: is that process before you sign off on me? 327 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:35,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, it would have to truly be one recommended by 328 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:40,520 Speaker 2: one of very few people that you truly trust. I 329 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 2: think my mindset changed, right, maybe grew shoot, when I 330 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:50,840 Speaker 2: became a coordinator, and the thought of all right, at 331 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:52,280 Speaker 2: some point here, I'm going to get a chance to 332 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:56,240 Speaker 2: be a head coach. You spend time in the summers 333 00:18:56,640 --> 00:18:59,399 Speaker 2: like I've taken every July and taken a week to 334 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:05,680 Speaker 2: think through exactly that, man, if this opportunity was to come, 335 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:08,840 Speaker 2: like where would I go? Which direction would I go? 336 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:11,040 Speaker 2: And I'm talking about at every spot and then you 337 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:13,120 Speaker 2: kind of shut the book and then you worry about 338 00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:16,280 Speaker 2: it again the next July. Well, somewhere along the line 339 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:19,280 Speaker 2: when I started to think like that, I was also 340 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:21,119 Speaker 2: more cognizant when I was on the road recruiting and 341 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:24,440 Speaker 2: I'd run into a guy where less of man, it's 342 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:26,480 Speaker 2: me and you competing for a guy, and more so 343 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:29,359 Speaker 2: like hey, Josh, like where are you from? You know, 344 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:34,280 Speaker 2: like more trying to get to know more people. But 345 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:36,199 Speaker 2: it would have to be recommended from somebody that you 346 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 2: truly truly trust. And that could be a high school 347 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:40,960 Speaker 2: coach in the area, that could be somebody in the 348 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:44,359 Speaker 2: profession that you truly trust. A lot of who you hire, 349 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:48,160 Speaker 2: of guys that you've never worked with. Honestly, is guys 350 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:50,840 Speaker 2: that you have run into over the years, recruiting or 351 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 2: going head to head with and recruiting, I would tell 352 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:57,479 Speaker 2: you going head to head in the on the field 353 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:00,760 Speaker 2: is a whole nother animal too, you know, like DJ 354 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 2: Dirkins a great example that coaching against him in twenty one, 355 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:06,840 Speaker 2: getting ready for that defense and watching that defense and 356 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:10,200 Speaker 2: seeing how hard those kids play, Like like, that's your resume, 357 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:14,919 Speaker 2: how hard those kids play, how sound you are, that 358 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:19,480 Speaker 2: is truly your resume. And I've been even more cognizant 359 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:23,640 Speaker 2: of who's done more with less, Like who has been 360 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:27,399 Speaker 2: able to at the group of five level, at this level, 361 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:31,040 Speaker 2: who's been able to have success with less resources, success 362 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 2: with lesser players? And again, I think when I was 363 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 2: a young assistant, it was the last thing I thought about. 364 00:20:36,359 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 2: I'm just trying to make sure my guys knew what 365 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:40,520 Speaker 2: the heck was going on. As I got closer to 366 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:43,679 Speaker 2: this point, I was way more and more cognizant. But 367 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 2: if we were going to sit down, the biggest thing 368 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:51,159 Speaker 2: I would want to see is how do you teach? 369 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:56,960 Speaker 2: And so I'd make you sit down and teach tight 370 00:20:57,040 --> 00:20:59,440 Speaker 2: ends job. I'd make you teach power. I'd make you teach, 371 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:03,320 Speaker 2: teach the top of the route on something. We would 372 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:07,240 Speaker 2: talk releases, perimeter blocking, and I would literally tell you, 373 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:11,880 Speaker 2: I'm a freshman, it's day one. Install teach me and 374 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 2: see watch you teach and go through a progression and 375 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:19,399 Speaker 2: figure out, Man, is this the right way to teach me? 376 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:22,960 Speaker 2: Am I learning anything? Is their feedback? Am I getting recall? 377 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:27,399 Speaker 2: And then once you can teach, I'm good for you 378 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 2: to have gotten to the table in the first place. 379 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:34,479 Speaker 2: Every other box would have been checked. Recruiting box, organizational box, 380 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:38,440 Speaker 2: human being box. You wouldn't have gotten to the table 381 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:40,879 Speaker 2: without getting all of those checked. And I think at 382 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:43,960 Speaker 2: the end of the day, if you can teach and 383 00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:48,119 Speaker 2: you can engage, that's probably the one part that doesn't 384 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:49,080 Speaker 2: get talked about enough. 385 00:21:49,520 --> 00:21:52,040 Speaker 1: I mean, let me ask you this. So you mentioned 386 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:56,879 Speaker 1: like recommendation, someone you truly trust has recommended this person. 387 00:21:57,280 --> 00:22:00,480 Speaker 1: That person gets in your building, that person's now face 388 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:03,439 Speaker 1: to face with you. You love what you hear enough 389 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:06,880 Speaker 1: to hire that person. What kind of like personal ownership 390 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:09,720 Speaker 1: is there sometimes in the mind of the person who 391 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:14,560 Speaker 1: suggested that individual to where it's never spoken like this, 392 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:17,120 Speaker 1: but you almost understand if you're the person who made 393 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:21,280 Speaker 1: the suggestion, Hey, that's my endorsement there coaching for this guy. 394 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:23,679 Speaker 1: And if it fails and it's a reflection on me 395 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:25,240 Speaker 1: as much as it is that guy. 396 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:29,480 Speaker 2: Well, I'll put it like this, when when you get 397 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:34,560 Speaker 2: a job, you got nine hundred texts, like within twenty minutes, 398 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:38,080 Speaker 2: and so that recommendation would have had to have happened 399 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:41,119 Speaker 2: at some other time. It would have had to have 400 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:47,320 Speaker 2: happened honestly in passing, like like Josh paid pretty good. Huh, 401 00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 2: Josh pay pretty good. And a lot of times it's 402 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:53,639 Speaker 2: that you know, like it's it's in the back of 403 00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:56,880 Speaker 2: your mind, it's Josh, Pat's pretty good. Like that's your 404 00:22:56,880 --> 00:22:59,600 Speaker 2: impression that you've got because there was somebody that you 405 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:02,359 Speaker 2: truly trust. When you get a job like this, you're 406 00:23:02,359 --> 00:23:06,280 Speaker 2: getting every phone call in America. That isn't the time 407 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:09,240 Speaker 2: to start digging for man who's a good tight end coach. 408 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:11,600 Speaker 2: So I say it's in July. It's when you sit 409 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:16,040 Speaker 2: down you start thinking and putting truly pen to paper 410 00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:19,639 Speaker 2: on that part of it. Man, If I told you, 411 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:24,640 Speaker 2: we've all done it. But I've hired several people and 412 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:28,440 Speaker 2: mostly like in auxiliary roles where I've made that phone 413 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:32,359 Speaker 2: call like hey, dog, what in the hell were you 414 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:35,040 Speaker 2: talking about? So my process is changed too. If somebody ever, 415 00:23:35,119 --> 00:23:37,119 Speaker 2: like truly recommends him, like why didn't you hire them? 416 00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:40,320 Speaker 2: Like you're so high on this guy or this gal, 417 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 2: like why don't you hire him? And that's when you 418 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:47,160 Speaker 2: get the true answer. I've also changed. I think my question. 419 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:51,600 Speaker 2: Jason Candell years ago called me about a recommendation and 420 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:55,240 Speaker 2: asked me, said, why wouldn't you hire them? Give me 421 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 2: the reasons you wouldn't hire Give me three reasons you 422 00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:02,080 Speaker 2: wouldn't hire him. I thought that was powerful because naturally, 423 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:04,920 Speaker 2: when you're calling about somebody, you want to know everything, 424 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:08,119 Speaker 2: and generally it's gonna be positive. Yeah, give me the 425 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:08,760 Speaker 2: reason why not to? 426 00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:09,800 Speaker 1: You got to dig for the negative. 427 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:12,600 Speaker 2: You've got to dig for the negative. And that's why 428 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:14,639 Speaker 2: I say it's got to be somebody you really really trust, 429 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:17,680 Speaker 2: because most people will bad mouth somebody because they never 430 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:19,480 Speaker 2: wanted to get back to them that you badmouth them. 431 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:21,479 Speaker 1: And then the worst part is after it's over and 432 00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:23,600 Speaker 1: it's failed, you call the dude and say why didn't 433 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:24,119 Speaker 1: you tell me this? 434 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 2: And you're like, well, you didn't ask about that. 435 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:27,720 Speaker 1: You didn't asked me about the negative. 436 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:30,040 Speaker 2: That's right. That circle of who you would ever ask 437 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:30,760 Speaker 2: is really tight. 438 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:35,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, so, you, like anyone else, had observed Auburn as 439 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:38,679 Speaker 1: an outsider over the years, and so you have probably 440 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:41,280 Speaker 1: had a perspective or a perception of this place no 441 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:44,679 Speaker 1: different than any other outsider would. How much has the 442 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:49,080 Speaker 1: experience so far meshed with what your outside perception was, 443 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 1: Had there been any surprises overwhelming? You probably don't want 444 00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:55,520 Speaker 1: to point out anything that's underwhelming, but like what has 445 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:57,760 Speaker 1: matched what you expected and what has been different than 446 00:24:57,760 --> 00:24:58,400 Speaker 1: what you expected? 447 00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:01,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I was. I was telling Cody Burns 448 00:25:02,119 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 2: this a couple of weeks ago, and Cody played here, 449 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:09,760 Speaker 2: coached here, and I've been with Cody for a while, 450 00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:17,720 Speaker 2: and it's it's funny places unless you're like around all 451 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:20,200 Speaker 2: the time, meaning like in the conference, coaching against the 452 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:25,960 Speaker 2: recruiting against them, they get frozen in time and it's 453 00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:29,760 Speaker 2: it's hard to explain. Like, give you an example, Like 454 00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:33,879 Speaker 2: for me, before I took South Florida, my impression of 455 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:36,199 Speaker 2: South Florida, the thing that always stood out to me 456 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:39,720 Speaker 2: was the seven BCS rankings and South Florida was second, 457 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:44,200 Speaker 2: and and I remember like, who's Matt Growthy and who? Like, 458 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:49,000 Speaker 2: like it was that gets frozen in time at least 459 00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:51,240 Speaker 2: to me. And I was in the Midwest at the time. 460 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:53,879 Speaker 2: You're like, I played West Virginia there in the Big East, 461 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:57,040 Speaker 2: Like that stuff gets frozen, at least for me, it does. 462 00:25:57,080 --> 00:26:01,199 Speaker 2: It gets frozen in time. All we're in the same breath. 463 00:26:02,080 --> 00:26:05,119 Speaker 2: Like when I thought of Auburn, I thought of I 464 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:07,960 Speaker 2: thought of cam Newton, and then the next thing I 465 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:12,119 Speaker 2: remember is like is bone Nicks and and the kick six, 466 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:16,640 Speaker 2: Like those things get frozen in time for me, obviously 467 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:20,400 Speaker 2: think of the Iron Bowl, and then everything else is 468 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:24,680 Speaker 2: like things you hear. And I worked with at Tennessee. 469 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:27,000 Speaker 2: I worked with a handful of guys that were here, 470 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:31,240 Speaker 2: and so what you know about the town or what 471 00:26:31,280 --> 00:26:34,840 Speaker 2: you know about the place is what you hear. And 472 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:40,840 Speaker 2: those guys adored living here, They adored game day. I've 473 00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:44,119 Speaker 2: had Cody who for years has said me in Auburn's different, 474 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:48,280 Speaker 2: Auburn's different, Auburn's different, and forever I always thought, like, man, 475 00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:51,240 Speaker 2: that's your own matter, you're gonna say that. And Cody's 476 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:55,120 Speaker 2: got a unique story. So this place means really more 477 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:58,520 Speaker 2: to him than a lot of people. But you're like, yeah, 478 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 2: that's your own matter. It's different. For the first time 479 00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:06,040 Speaker 2: that night before I took the job as a k 480 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:10,320 Speaker 2: Be explained to me what you meant by Auburn's different, Like, really, 481 00:27:10,359 --> 00:27:12,000 Speaker 2: give it to me here, Like we got about twenty 482 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:17,640 Speaker 2: minutes here figuring this out. What do you mean different? Now? 483 00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:21,320 Speaker 2: Being in this league and recruiting against Auburn the last 484 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:28,080 Speaker 2: six years, you tend to figure out things like, man, 485 00:27:28,119 --> 00:27:30,280 Speaker 2: why are kids going there? Why aren't they going there? 486 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 2: What kind of kids do they attract? What kind of 487 00:27:32,119 --> 00:27:37,199 Speaker 2: kids that they stay away from? But you have a 488 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:40,720 Speaker 2: picture painted in your mind. A majority of it was 489 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:43,240 Speaker 2: frozen in time. How much of it is what I 490 00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:51,440 Speaker 2: thought I would tell you? The people the support is real. 491 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:57,040 Speaker 2: You see the sold out games through these losing records. 492 00:27:57,320 --> 00:28:03,040 Speaker 2: That says something. People care. People are really passionate. I 493 00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:06,320 Speaker 2: think the thing that I that I maybe never understood 494 00:28:06,520 --> 00:28:11,400 Speaker 2: and I'm starting to really see is this Auburn family 495 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:16,679 Speaker 2: that people that like. The the loyalty to this place, 496 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:22,080 Speaker 2: and the loyalty to the people is generational. There's there's 497 00:28:22,119 --> 00:28:25,760 Speaker 2: not many people that just are born as Auburn fans, 498 00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:30,320 Speaker 2: everybody has an I'm a mom, a dad, a cousin, 499 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:33,800 Speaker 2: a brother, a grandparent that went here, and then it 500 00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:38,920 Speaker 2: becomes generational. That's the part I think is unique. I 501 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:42,000 Speaker 2: think the other part that that's really hit me is 502 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:46,360 Speaker 2: is there is nothing else. There's no pro sports. It's 503 00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:50,160 Speaker 2: it's Auburn, it's Alabama, it's the Iron Bowl, and it's 504 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:54,360 Speaker 2: all really really important. I think, maybe more so even 505 00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:58,840 Speaker 2: than I ever thought. But I don't know if until 506 00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:01,160 Speaker 2: I stepped foot and j hair and really feel it 507 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:03,520 Speaker 2: and see it, that it's really going to hit me. 508 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:09,400 Speaker 2: But that's the part I think that I've learned how 509 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:12,240 Speaker 2: truly deep it is for these people here. 510 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:17,160 Speaker 1: Don't you find the best environment you've ever been in, 511 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:22,960 Speaker 1: including a job. The best places are not necessarily places 512 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:26,800 Speaker 1: where you can bullet point list why they're great. You 513 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:28,880 Speaker 1: just kind of got to feel it, and to a 514 00:29:28,920 --> 00:29:31,000 Speaker 1: certain extent, when you try and explain it to someone, 515 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:34,080 Speaker 1: you'll sound all discombobulated and you'll say, man, my words 516 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:36,440 Speaker 1: aren't really making sense. Like I know, I'm being long 517 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:38,800 Speaker 1: winded here. Why don't you just come down here and 518 00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:40,680 Speaker 1: spend a week. Why don't you just come spend two 519 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:42,120 Speaker 1: weeks or in your case, like we don't just come 520 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:44,240 Speaker 1: to a game, just spend a weekend down here, and 521 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:47,400 Speaker 1: then you'll leave. And you yourself may not be able 522 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:51,000 Speaker 1: to exactly put into words why it is you enjoyed 523 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:54,440 Speaker 1: what you experienced, but you know what you felt like 524 00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:57,479 Speaker 1: you're trying to kind of sell a feeling in other words. 525 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:04,800 Speaker 2: Yes, it's it's everybody that that ass that hasn't been here, 526 00:30:05,080 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 2: Like maybe you like it, right, that's the first one. 527 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:10,200 Speaker 2: You love it there? Like it there, and you've been 528 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:14,840 Speaker 2: between the office and the rental house and a handful 529 00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:18,360 Speaker 2: of restaurants for official visits, Like, man, it's great. You know, 530 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:23,920 Speaker 2: like it's really hard to quantify or or bullet point 531 00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:29,040 Speaker 2: the feeling or the emotion that you have. It's it's 532 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:32,840 Speaker 2: unique and uh, but I would totally agree with you. 533 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:35,000 Speaker 2: It's it's like, it's it's a feeling. It's something you 534 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:38,360 Speaker 2: gotta you gotta feel, and I think it it it's 535 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:44,080 Speaker 2: the experiences you have, right, Like it's it's like my 536 00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:46,920 Speaker 2: parents who still haven't been here, Like what kind of town? 537 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:50,200 Speaker 2: I'm like, it's what when I think of a SEC 538 00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:53,800 Speaker 2: college town and an SEC college campus when I picture 539 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:56,560 Speaker 2: it as somebody that grew up in the Midwest, when 540 00:30:56,600 --> 00:30:59,080 Speaker 2: I picture it, like, this is what I picture it 541 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:04,720 Speaker 2: to look like, brick churches on every corner, you know, 542 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:06,240 Speaker 2: privately owned restaurants, you. 543 00:31:06,320 --> 00:31:08,360 Speaker 1: Drive ten minutes and be in the wilderness. 544 00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:13,280 Speaker 2: Basically, yeah, that's what I picture. And it's school and 545 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:18,160 Speaker 2: it's football, and that's it. But then you try to explain, like, man, 546 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 2: it's really clean and it's really safe, and then you're like, man, 547 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:25,160 Speaker 2: it's really expensive to live here. I guess that's why 548 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:27,560 Speaker 2: it's really clean, why it's really safe. But you can't 549 00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:29,880 Speaker 2: quantify it. You can't bullet point it. It just is 550 00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:31,480 Speaker 2: what it is. But I think that's why people fall 551 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:32,040 Speaker 2: in love with it. 552 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:35,680 Speaker 1: You know, in major college football, people always have these 553 00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:41,880 Speaker 1: nightmare perceptions, maybe especially in the nil era, where you 554 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:46,160 Speaker 1: are so conditioned to know, man, I need financial support. 555 00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:49,280 Speaker 1: I gotta have my big money donors on board that 556 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:51,120 Speaker 1: when you take the job, those are some of the 557 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:54,160 Speaker 1: first conversations you're going to have. And then people think 558 00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:57,600 Speaker 1: to themselves, oh, man, I guarantee he's dealing with big 559 00:31:57,640 --> 00:32:00,440 Speaker 1: money donor after big money donor that are sae saying, hey, 560 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:02,880 Speaker 1: here's my check and in exchange, here's what I'm going 561 00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:05,760 Speaker 1: to need. So there's the help piece, but then there's 562 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:09,400 Speaker 1: also the perceived hindrance piece. So how much of that 563 00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:11,280 Speaker 1: is real? How much of it is not real? How 564 00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:14,800 Speaker 1: have you handled kind of basically explain it to people, 565 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:18,200 Speaker 1: You're welcome here, I want you, I need you. Here's 566 00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:18,880 Speaker 1: how it's going to be. 567 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:24,920 Speaker 2: Though, Yeah, well it's all real. You're in an era 568 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:30,360 Speaker 2: of college football where where people that have financial means 569 00:32:30,360 --> 00:32:33,680 Speaker 2: can make a huge difference in your program, and whether 570 00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:35,280 Speaker 2: it was done off the books for a long time 571 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:37,400 Speaker 2: or on the books now, like this is the one 572 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:41,840 Speaker 2: time you can do it legally and can make a 573 00:32:41,920 --> 00:32:47,400 Speaker 2: huge difference. So it's all real. I think again, my 574 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:54,040 Speaker 2: experience of basically going door to door for my first 575 00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:58,360 Speaker 2: two years at South Florida, nothing short of begging for 576 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:03,400 Speaker 2: money to get it started to get it going to 577 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:07,960 Speaker 2: you know, you need proof of concept to get people excited, 578 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:09,920 Speaker 2: and you're trying to sell what it's going to be. 579 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:11,600 Speaker 2: And then you have some proof of concept and you 580 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:15,120 Speaker 2: go back to the same people. And I think if 581 00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:19,120 Speaker 2: I didn't have that experience of like going one thousand, 582 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:23,200 Speaker 2: two thousand, five thousand, dollars at a time to raise 583 00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:25,800 Speaker 2: that money knowing that that's what it was going to 584 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:30,560 Speaker 2: take to retain guys. I don't know if I would 585 00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:34,240 Speaker 2: have been prepared for this in the same breath. And 586 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:37,760 Speaker 2: to me, I enjoy relationships like I enjoy people. I 587 00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:42,760 Speaker 2: enjoy getting to know people's stories. If somebody is got 588 00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:45,680 Speaker 2: the means to help in that capacity at this level, 589 00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:51,120 Speaker 2: they're obviously uber successful, like they had to have made 590 00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:54,640 Speaker 2: it to that point because they're incredibly smart in business, 591 00:33:55,440 --> 00:34:00,400 Speaker 2: or they've made incredible choices in terms of invest mental 592 00:34:00,800 --> 00:34:03,120 Speaker 2: like they got there. Like there's a very few people 593 00:34:03,160 --> 00:34:07,320 Speaker 2: that aren't with it, that have the money that we're 594 00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:09,399 Speaker 2: talking about to help us get to where we want 595 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:13,120 Speaker 2: to go. So to me, it's that relationship and the 596 00:34:13,160 --> 00:34:16,560 Speaker 2: transparency in that relationship, and to be honest with you, 597 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:19,399 Speaker 2: through the conversations of raising money at the last place 598 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:22,400 Speaker 2: to hear, I've learned more than you would ever imagine. 599 00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:26,840 Speaker 2: If nothing else, how do you raise money? And I 600 00:34:26,880 --> 00:34:33,560 Speaker 2: think ultimately the South Florida experience gave me I don't 601 00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:37,719 Speaker 2: have the confidence, maybe just stamp the fact that meant 602 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:41,160 Speaker 2: just be you, just be you, and if somebody doesn't 603 00:34:41,200 --> 00:34:43,480 Speaker 2: like you, they don't like you, and if somebody does 604 00:34:43,640 --> 00:34:48,360 Speaker 2: like you, they like you. Like it's the transparency, the 605 00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:53,719 Speaker 2: being yourself and being truthful too, like like why do 606 00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:56,000 Speaker 2: we need the money? Like what are we going to 607 00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:58,400 Speaker 2: do with it? I got zero problem telling you what 608 00:34:58,400 --> 00:34:59,879 Speaker 2: we're going to do with it. I got zero problem 609 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:04,560 Speaker 2: telling you that we need it. And I've enjoyed meeting 610 00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:06,439 Speaker 2: the people that this place is important to you, because 611 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:08,760 Speaker 2: in the same breath as the players when I first 612 00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:10,680 Speaker 2: got here and talking to those guys like like, why 613 00:35:10,719 --> 00:35:12,880 Speaker 2: is this place so important to you? Like why is 614 00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:14,640 Speaker 2: it mean? Like because at the end of the day, 615 00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:16,839 Speaker 2: you're asking somebody, I don't care how much money they got, 616 00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:20,400 Speaker 2: You're asking somebody to give their hard earned money to 617 00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:24,320 Speaker 2: something that they're uncertain about. So that's why to me, 618 00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:27,160 Speaker 2: like people say, man, it's crazy, Like is it though? 619 00:35:27,239 --> 00:35:30,160 Speaker 2: Like sitting down with somebody saying, give me your hard 620 00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:33,719 Speaker 2: earned money and we're gonna give it to a seventeen 621 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:37,239 Speaker 2: to twenty three year old and you don't know if 622 00:35:37,239 --> 00:35:39,640 Speaker 2: he's gonna be any good or not, and then, by 623 00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:42,600 Speaker 2: the way, I'm gonna come back again. And so I 624 00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:44,520 Speaker 2: do think there has to be a level of transparency 625 00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:46,360 Speaker 2: for them, and I do think there has to be honesty, 626 00:35:46,400 --> 00:35:49,799 Speaker 2: and that part I've enjoyed. I don't mind. The time 627 00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:53,719 Speaker 2: is obviously hard because you're finding tidbits of time to 628 00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:55,440 Speaker 2: do that part of it, but I think it's really 629 00:35:55,480 --> 00:35:58,680 Speaker 2: important that you do. And again, for the first time 630 00:35:58,719 --> 00:36:02,120 Speaker 2: in the history of college football, they actually can make 631 00:36:02,160 --> 00:36:02,719 Speaker 2: a difference. 632 00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:08,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, let me get you a couple more here. You 633 00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:11,680 Speaker 1: were talking about being true to yourself. I remember listening 634 00:36:11,719 --> 00:36:14,960 Speaker 1: to like a pro scout in baseball a long time ago, 635 00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:17,840 Speaker 1: and he was talking about guys in Double A or 636 00:36:17,880 --> 00:36:20,279 Speaker 1: Triple A when they get their first call up to 637 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:23,000 Speaker 1: the big league, and one of the biggest mistakes they 638 00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:25,799 Speaker 1: make is thinking they need to do more than they 639 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:28,040 Speaker 1: were doing. They need to be a one hundred and 640 00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:30,000 Speaker 1: twenty percent version of themselves because all of a sudden, 641 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:31,279 Speaker 1: now they're in the major leagues. So you got to 642 00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:33,759 Speaker 1: do more. And they have to sit guys down when 643 00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:36,160 Speaker 1: they get sent back down and say, now, look, they 644 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:38,960 Speaker 1: called you up because the player you were was good 645 00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:41,680 Speaker 1: enough in their eyes to make it on the biggest stage. 646 00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:45,080 Speaker 1: So then professionally, all right, and this is no disrespect 647 00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:46,839 Speaker 1: to any place you've worked before, but this is one 648 00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:50,960 Speaker 1: of the premier head coaching jobs in college football. Does 649 00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:54,200 Speaker 1: the maturation sort of lend you to be able to 650 00:36:54,320 --> 00:36:56,880 Speaker 1: think more like an adult on that sense, or is 651 00:36:56,920 --> 00:37:00,640 Speaker 1: there sometimes still a reminder you have to have? No, man' 652 00:37:00,880 --> 00:37:03,160 Speaker 1: I'm good enough. That's why I got this job. I 653 00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:05,400 Speaker 1: don't need to try and reinvent anything. I don't need 654 00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:08,719 Speaker 1: to try and be one point five versions of myself. 655 00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:11,319 Speaker 1: Myself is good enough. And then you know, you take 656 00:37:11,360 --> 00:37:13,919 Speaker 1: the message, give the stabs, give to players. But I mean, 657 00:37:14,280 --> 00:37:16,000 Speaker 1: is that ever something you have to deal with or 658 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:19,200 Speaker 1: do you just understand that as a byproduct of getting 659 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:19,560 Speaker 1: the job. 660 00:37:20,920 --> 00:37:28,040 Speaker 2: Yeah? Man, that's a thoughtful question. I think the truth 661 00:37:28,120 --> 00:37:34,840 Speaker 2: is you you gain confidence through checkpoints. You know, I 662 00:37:34,920 --> 00:37:38,440 Speaker 2: mentioned it earlier, like my confidence has always come from 663 00:37:38,480 --> 00:37:43,120 Speaker 2: not skipping a step, like like I think if I 664 00:37:43,160 --> 00:37:48,480 Speaker 2: would have been sitting here ten years ago, I'd be like, man, like, 665 00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:50,520 Speaker 2: what the hell am I supposed to be doing? Like, 666 00:37:50,560 --> 00:37:53,360 Speaker 2: what's the heck coach abare supposed to be doing? I 667 00:37:53,400 --> 00:37:57,840 Speaker 2: think the the not skipping steps that, like I mentioned earlier, 668 00:37:57,880 --> 00:38:02,880 Speaker 2: like being at these on the front end of these jobs, 669 00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:07,719 Speaker 2: whether perceptionally or not, at this level and not just 670 00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:09,680 Speaker 2: being there, not being a fly on the wall, but 671 00:38:09,719 --> 00:38:14,000 Speaker 2: like working for guys that that trusted me to be 672 00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:17,839 Speaker 2: I don't know, quote unquote inner circle, like being in 673 00:38:17,880 --> 00:38:21,360 Speaker 2: the process, being there in the process of hiring, making 674 00:38:21,360 --> 00:38:25,640 Speaker 2: player decisions, whether it was as a recruiting coordinator, whatever, 675 00:38:25,719 --> 00:38:30,680 Speaker 2: it was like never skipping a step to where when 676 00:38:31,640 --> 00:38:34,440 Speaker 2: when you sit in whatever chair it is, you can 677 00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:37,759 Speaker 2: be truly focused on that job. And I think that's 678 00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:40,160 Speaker 2: the part to me that I learned early, Like when 679 00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:43,319 Speaker 2: I was when I was young, it was like like, man, 680 00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:45,799 Speaker 2: how fast can I become a coordinator? And then when 681 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:47,600 Speaker 2: I become a coordinator, like how fast can I become 682 00:38:47,640 --> 00:38:50,279 Speaker 2: a head coach? I think early on in my time 683 00:38:50,280 --> 00:38:52,640 Speaker 2: and I had some really cool, cool people that I 684 00:38:52,680 --> 00:38:56,200 Speaker 2: worked with that essentially did a really good job of 685 00:38:56,200 --> 00:38:59,440 Speaker 2: telling me to shut my mouth and work. And I 686 00:38:59,480 --> 00:39:02,120 Speaker 2: think I learned really early like man, if I'm if 687 00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:06,279 Speaker 2: I'm like the best this, then people will notice and 688 00:39:06,320 --> 00:39:10,560 Speaker 2: I'll be fine. And I think when I when I 689 00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:14,319 Speaker 2: came to that mindset, like one, I became way better 690 00:39:14,360 --> 00:39:18,399 Speaker 2: at the job I was doing. But two, I never 691 00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:23,240 Speaker 2: took for granted the things that were on the outer 692 00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:25,640 Speaker 2: scope of whatever job it was that I was doing. Like, 693 00:39:26,280 --> 00:39:28,680 Speaker 2: as I got better at being a tight ends coach, 694 00:39:28,719 --> 00:39:31,319 Speaker 2: I was more observant of special team stuff. As I 695 00:39:31,400 --> 00:39:33,600 Speaker 2: became better at being a best teams coordinator, I became 696 00:39:33,960 --> 00:39:38,520 Speaker 2: more observant of defensive football. As as I became an 697 00:39:38,520 --> 00:39:41,680 Speaker 2: offensive coordinator, I was more observant of the head coaching piece. 698 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:45,239 Speaker 2: And and I never never skipped a step, And I 699 00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:49,799 Speaker 2: never like chased anything until I felt like all right, 700 00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:52,880 Speaker 2: like I've got a good grip on it. I've always 701 00:39:52,920 --> 00:39:55,560 Speaker 2: just wanted to be the best at what I do. 702 00:39:56,200 --> 00:39:58,800 Speaker 2: And so when when you sit in this chair, I 703 00:39:58,880 --> 00:40:02,640 Speaker 2: think the thing that maybe I'm more cognizant of than 704 00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:06,319 Speaker 2: I've ever been is like a I'm gonna go back 705 00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:09,200 Speaker 2: to Cody Burns said this like a dude like side note, 706 00:40:09,239 --> 00:40:15,319 Speaker 2: You're you are the second either the first or second 707 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:21,200 Speaker 2: most powerful person in the state. You're like, what like, yeah, 708 00:40:21,239 --> 00:40:22,879 Speaker 2: you know, like this is the last thing I've ever 709 00:40:22,920 --> 00:40:27,080 Speaker 2: thought about. But but that's where I think you just 710 00:40:27,120 --> 00:40:31,680 Speaker 2: become more cognizant of what you say when the people 711 00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:35,200 Speaker 2: you say it around, maybe more guarded. But I but 712 00:40:35,239 --> 00:40:36,759 Speaker 2: I also tell you, like if you ask my wife 713 00:40:36,800 --> 00:40:38,600 Speaker 2: she would tell you what makes me who I am 714 00:40:38,719 --> 00:40:43,279 Speaker 2: is I'm not guarded, like I enjoy relationships. I'll say 715 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:47,640 Speaker 2: what I think. It's rarely like out of control crazy, 716 00:40:47,680 --> 00:40:50,040 Speaker 2: but I'll say what I think, and I'll listen to 717 00:40:50,080 --> 00:40:54,840 Speaker 2: the response. And so I don't, like, I really don't. 718 00:40:54,880 --> 00:40:58,719 Speaker 2: I get excited for the challenge. I get excited to 719 00:40:58,880 --> 00:41:01,600 Speaker 2: know that your coach against the best players, against the 720 00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:04,200 Speaker 2: best coaches. But to say, man, like, we got to 721 00:41:04,239 --> 00:41:07,759 Speaker 2: go reinvent how we teach kids. Man, we got to 722 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:11,719 Speaker 2: go reinvent any part of it. Like, you better make 723 00:41:11,760 --> 00:41:14,080 Speaker 2: sure your scheme's right, because the dudes you're going against 724 00:41:14,120 --> 00:41:16,760 Speaker 2: are better weekend week out, but so are your dudes. 725 00:41:17,200 --> 00:41:22,400 Speaker 2: And so I think I think people see when you change, 726 00:41:22,520 --> 00:41:26,239 Speaker 2: people see when you're different than what you were. And 727 00:41:26,280 --> 00:41:29,000 Speaker 2: I think, like, I've got a core group of guys 728 00:41:29,160 --> 00:41:33,360 Speaker 2: and majority of our staff that I've worked with, been around, 729 00:41:34,480 --> 00:41:37,360 Speaker 2: shoot my high school coaches. Here, he's our director of 730 00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:40,839 Speaker 2: player development. Like if I started to like go off 731 00:41:40,840 --> 00:41:44,680 Speaker 2: the rail and start changing, he'd still grab me. He 732 00:41:44,719 --> 00:41:47,759 Speaker 2: still thinks he's my coach, you know, And I got 733 00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:50,640 Speaker 2: a wife that man is like zero and press by 734 00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:53,160 Speaker 2: any of this, Like and when I tell you like 735 00:41:53,239 --> 00:41:55,960 Speaker 2: zero press, I couldn't care less about where I'm the 736 00:41:56,000 --> 00:41:58,720 Speaker 2: head coach. Like the trash better be out on Tuesday 737 00:41:58,760 --> 00:42:01,520 Speaker 2: and night. Like the laundry. If it sits on the 738 00:42:01,640 --> 00:42:03,560 Speaker 2: on the floor one more day folded, it's going to 739 00:42:03,600 --> 00:42:07,560 Speaker 2: stop being folded and then stop being washed. Like there's 740 00:42:07,760 --> 00:42:11,120 Speaker 2: there's humble check points that I have built in that 741 00:42:11,280 --> 00:42:13,000 Speaker 2: the second I think I got to change because I'm 742 00:42:13,000 --> 00:42:17,080 Speaker 2: an Auburn or I'm at wherever, I'll get checked real quickly. 743 00:42:17,480 --> 00:42:19,440 Speaker 1: All right, now, as you and I are talking to 744 00:42:19,480 --> 00:42:21,440 Speaker 1: wrap up here, you have had a grand total of 745 00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:25,279 Speaker 1: one spring practice. So you went through probably what had 746 00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:28,640 Speaker 1: to be a crazy signing day cycle because it was 747 00:42:28,760 --> 00:42:30,960 Speaker 1: right after you got hired. Then you went through a 748 00:42:31,040 --> 00:42:34,719 Speaker 1: multi week portal cycle. Plus the guys that you brought 749 00:42:34,760 --> 00:42:36,799 Speaker 1: with you from South Florida, plus the guys that you 750 00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:40,000 Speaker 1: just inherited who are already on the roster here. I'm 751 00:42:40,040 --> 00:42:41,840 Speaker 1: not holding you to this five months from now, but 752 00:42:41,960 --> 00:42:44,560 Speaker 1: so far, like, what is your feel for the roster 753 00:42:44,680 --> 00:42:44,960 Speaker 1: you have? 754 00:42:46,280 --> 00:42:47,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, I thought you were going to ask for an 755 00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:53,680 Speaker 2: over under yourself, right, you know what it is? It's early. 756 00:42:54,960 --> 00:43:02,319 Speaker 2: I'll say this, really competitive and really willing, like this 757 00:43:02,360 --> 00:43:04,680 Speaker 2: group is done and this is not coach talk, Like 758 00:43:06,000 --> 00:43:08,600 Speaker 2: this group has done everything we've asked them to do. 759 00:43:09,040 --> 00:43:16,000 Speaker 2: They're very compliant. Maybe he's the word. Now. I want 760 00:43:16,000 --> 00:43:21,279 Speaker 2: to put pads on Saturday and find out if the 761 00:43:21,360 --> 00:43:24,839 Speaker 2: dudes that are compliant and have done everything right and 762 00:43:25,920 --> 00:43:28,840 Speaker 2: talk a pretty good game, if they'll go smack in 763 00:43:28,880 --> 00:43:31,880 Speaker 2: the face. And then the guys that get smacked in 764 00:43:31,920 --> 00:43:35,640 Speaker 2: the face, I want to see those guys respond. I 765 00:43:35,680 --> 00:43:38,840 Speaker 2: think it's too early to tell. I think we're we 766 00:43:38,960 --> 00:43:44,360 Speaker 2: are team speed wise better than I thought. I think 767 00:43:45,520 --> 00:43:51,960 Speaker 2: skill wise we are pretty good. I think how that 768 00:43:52,000 --> 00:43:54,399 Speaker 2: develops in the next six months will determine where we are. 769 00:43:55,760 --> 00:44:00,560 Speaker 2: I think defensively up front, where we've got depth and 770 00:44:00,640 --> 00:44:03,959 Speaker 2: we've got size. I think at linebacker we run really 771 00:44:03,960 --> 00:44:08,560 Speaker 2: well and we've got debt. Like to me, we've got 772 00:44:08,560 --> 00:44:12,080 Speaker 2: some veterannus in the back end. Again, pads come on, 773 00:44:12,600 --> 00:44:15,840 Speaker 2: bullets are flying. How guys respond will be interesting. I 774 00:44:15,880 --> 00:44:19,040 Speaker 2: think for us on the offensive line, it's a whole 775 00:44:19,080 --> 00:44:21,520 Speaker 2: new group, and I could tell you, like man through 776 00:44:21,520 --> 00:44:25,200 Speaker 2: OTA's it's looked like this. Like again, pads on high 777 00:44:25,280 --> 00:44:28,200 Speaker 2: end pass rushers on the edges, like, what the hell 778 00:44:28,239 --> 00:44:30,560 Speaker 2: does that look like? I'll give you a better answer 779 00:44:30,600 --> 00:44:34,480 Speaker 2: here in about probably two weeks. But I think the 780 00:44:35,520 --> 00:44:38,440 Speaker 2: gelling of the offensive line we've got, We've got a 781 00:44:38,480 --> 00:44:41,520 Speaker 2: ton of experience, We've got some really really cool skill 782 00:44:41,560 --> 00:44:44,440 Speaker 2: sets in there. How that comes together will be a 783 00:44:44,640 --> 00:44:47,680 Speaker 2: huge part of how we function offensively, and I think 784 00:44:47,719 --> 00:44:52,319 Speaker 2: defensively the back end, the corner position, like how we're 785 00:44:52,360 --> 00:44:55,040 Speaker 2: able to gel together there will determine a lot of 786 00:44:55,080 --> 00:44:59,719 Speaker 2: where we are. But I like the attitude. I like 787 00:44:59,840 --> 00:45:05,080 Speaker 2: the competitiveness. I like the intent. Until you put pads 788 00:45:05,080 --> 00:45:08,640 Speaker 2: on me and you don't know and I can give 789 00:45:08,680 --> 00:45:11,920 Speaker 2: you whatever coach answer here you want. But like until 790 00:45:12,239 --> 00:45:15,400 Speaker 2: like truly, bullets are flying and you see responses and 791 00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:20,279 Speaker 2: responses and responses. So we got to teach. But but 792 00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:23,040 Speaker 2: I'm excited about it, Like I really am. Like I'm 793 00:45:23,040 --> 00:45:25,040 Speaker 2: telling you two and a half hours on the field yesterday, 794 00:45:25,600 --> 00:45:30,120 Speaker 2: Like nobody can bother you, no cell phone, there's no distractions. Now, 795 00:45:30,120 --> 00:45:31,640 Speaker 2: as soon as you walk off the field, you're right 796 00:45:31,680 --> 00:45:36,480 Speaker 2: back out. But like a really cool group of guys 797 00:45:36,520 --> 00:45:39,440 Speaker 2: that again, you got to remember this, This group of 798 00:45:39,480 --> 00:45:43,360 Speaker 2: guys is guys that chose to stay that we also 799 00:45:43,480 --> 00:45:46,600 Speaker 2: chose for them to stay. And then guys that chose 800 00:45:46,640 --> 00:45:50,680 Speaker 2: to come so there they truly all want to be here. 801 00:45:51,360 --> 00:45:54,439 Speaker 2: And so when you get that, now it's how fast 802 00:45:54,480 --> 00:45:57,120 Speaker 2: can they come together? How fast can they truly grow 803 00:45:57,400 --> 00:45:59,839 Speaker 2: to want to play for each other? And then we'll 804 00:45:59,840 --> 00:46:00,640 Speaker 2: see it looks. 805 00:46:00,440 --> 00:46:01,360 Speaker 1: Likely alls goolers. 806 00:46:01,360 --> 00:46:02,440 Speaker 2: This is awesome man. We appreciate it. 807 00:46:02,480 --> 00:46:17,880 Speaker 3: Thank you, brother, appreciate it. 808 00:46:17,960 --> 00:46:20,240 Speaker 2: Must be twenty one plus and present in select states 809 00:46:20,360 --> 00:46:23,400 Speaker 2: for Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino, or eighteen 810 00:46:23,400 --> 00:46:26,360 Speaker 2: plus and present in DC. First online real money wager 811 00:46:26,440 --> 00:46:29,759 Speaker 2: only five dollars first deposit required. Bonus issued as non 812 00:46:29,760 --> 00:46:33,200 Speaker 2: withdrawable bonus bets, which expires seven days after receipt. Restrictions 813 00:46:33,239 --> 00:46:37,040 Speaker 2: apply see terms at sportsbook dot FanDuel dot com. Gambling 814 00:46:37,080 --> 00:46:40,160 Speaker 2: problem call one eight hundred gambler or visit FanDuel dot com, 815 00:46:40,160 --> 00:46:42,640 Speaker 2: slash RG call one eight eight eight seven eight nine 816 00:46:42,680 --> 00:46:45,840 Speaker 2: seventy seven seventy seven, or visit CCPG dot org slash 817 00:46:45,920 --> 00:46:49,800 Speaker 2: chat in Connecticut, or visit nd Gamblinghelp dot org. In Maryland, 818 00:46:49,960 --> 00:46:53,640 Speaker 2: Hope is here, visit Gambling Helplinema dot org or call 819 00:46:53,719 --> 00:46:56,200 Speaker 2: eight hundred three two seven fifty fifty for twenty four 820 00:46:56,280 --> 00:46:59,080 Speaker 2: seven support in Massachusetts or call one eight seven seven 821 00:46:59,160 --> 00:47:01,360 Speaker 2: eight Hope n Y or text Hope and Why in 822 00:47:01,400 --> 00:47:01,839 Speaker 2: New York