The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
10 questions with Mike Tolleson
07.08.2008 | Football
May 30, 2007
When did you know you wanted to become a football coach? I had a tremendous influence from my Dad and my favorite Uncle. One of my favorite Uncles growing up was a high school football coach and I use to shag balls for him and just kind of got it in my blood early on when I was a little guy. I started playing the game and really enjoyed it, but realized I wasn't good enough to go far as a player, but I enjoyed what I learned from being a player. The motivation from the coaches, their leadership, they're trying to help the young guys get better and teach them the game of football and I've always loved the game. I think its one of the best things and I'm just proud to be apart of it.
What is your favorite part about being a football coach? I think the relationship with the players, developing them to be the best they can be, and also the commradery with my fellow coaches. I've always been fortunate to be around a lot of good guys, I've met a lot of good people along the way and obviously the thrill of the game and to see if your work is going to be well executed. The pride in my kids is the big thing for me, watching them develop and go on and do well. They're kind of my personal trophies.
What is your favorite part about coaching at The University of Texas? The University of Texas it's self and just everything it stands for, the tradition of football, and the great alums that have come through here and are out there supporting us. Anytime you have an organization where the University itself and the administration all the way through the athletic department with the leadership, and of course Coach Brown, the best guy I've ever worked for, he cares about people, cares about the players, cares about the coaches, and we work hard, but we really try to make things fun for us and the kids. It's really all about the kids, but just everything the University stands for, traditionally with football, things that Coach Royal and his staff have done way back when I was growing up in Alabama in the Bear Bryant days and I just kind of started really being interested in the University of Texas way back then. I knew who the Longhorns were and when I was in the Southwest Conference at Arkansas, I really became aware trying to recruit against them, which was hard. Being the only school in the Southwest Conference not in the state of Texas and knowing that to get to the Cotton Bowl to be the champ you had to go through Austin and that was hard, so actually being here and being apart of this great University and this great state and all the people involved is just really a dream come true for me.
Who has been the biggest influence on your life? Probably my Mom and Dad, their values, doing things the rights way, putting in a hard days work sun up to sun down, but teaching me the proper values in life, right from wrong. I had three sisters growing up and a mom, then a wife and three daughters, so I have been taking care of women all my life. My Mom taught me real young to be respectful to the ladies and take care of them. My Dad taught me humility, hard work, be proud of what you do, but you don't have to be glaring about it, and those kinds of things.
Who has been the biggest influence on your coaching career? My Dad and Uncle really got me going, but my high school coach, Buddy Knicks Nix, he really helped me to learn more about the game as far as there are some things in being taught proper technique and fundamentals and how all of these things work. Of course he was a very successful coach himself and now he's with the San Diego Chargers organization. As far as a coach or player he is what I tried to mold myself after as a young coach. I wanted to emulate him, be like him, because I liked the way he was firm, but he was a great teacher, but he wasn't a guy that would grab you and cuss you. I never liked being treated that way and haven't been treated that way very often. Just his approach toward the game, I learned so much from him and wanted to play hard for him and do well for him. I have tried to be that way as a coach and a teacher to my players all through the years.
What has been your proudest moment in coaching? There have been a lot really and truly, but I think one of the proudest times I've ever witnessed was the National Championship team, the team that we had and the way they played together. Seeing my guys doing well in pro ball or in life in generally, all of those things are wonderful. Having guys like David Thomas getting recruited out of west Texas, Lubbock area, we talked to him and Coach Brown always says we want to recruit nice young men that want to get their degree and win championships, and we're standing on the floor after the National Championship game and David comes up and puts his arm around me and says, "Tolle, thank you for coming to west Texas to recruit me." And I said, "Son, thank you for coming and do you remember what we talked about? Getting your degree and winning the National Championship." And I'll be dog on if he had gone and done it, because he got his degree before we left for California to practice for the bowl. That is just one example, but there have been so many over the years, I've been doing this for a long time. I've always been proud of my children, proud of the game of football, and everything it stands for. It's all about the kids and I'm most proud of them.
What player(s) that you've coached do you believe got the most out of their ability? I have been fortunate to coach at basically every level and I've enjoyed the game at every level. There have been guys along the way that in high school wanted to play college ball, but weren't good enough they were really good high school players that gave you all they had. Same thing in college, maybe not quite good enough to go to the next level, but they gave you everything they had. Of course, being at a place like Texas you're fortunate to have guys that can go on to the next level as well as some other places I have been. The thing that I have always found with the kids, I've never compared a guy to another guy because they all bring something different to the table. The thing that we have always tried to stress with the defensive line is just taking pride that we are the defensive line; we're closer to the ball than anyone else on defense, so it starts with us. Taking pride in the fundamentals and technique and just being the best you can be regardless of the talent level. Some guys may be bigger, faster, or stronger, but everybody can play great technique great fundamental and play with a lot of heart and enthusiasm. Those are the types of things we try and stress regardless of what lever I have been on and who ever I have been coaching and those guys understand that.
Players are often asked about their pre-game routines. Do you have anything special you regularly do just before a game? I try not to think about superstitious things. Really and truly I've been just the other way, just try not to get uptight, thing about positive things, and just keep thinking about if I covered something in particular enough. I really just try and relax so the kids don't think I'm uptight or tense because it's a certain game or this that and the other, and try to keep it on the lighter side of things. I try just to be real professional business like, don't over react, and when I can I like listening, I'm an old rock'n roll guy, I go way back, so I like listening to Elvis and those kind of things when I can.
What do you think you would be doing if you had never gotten into coaching? I'd probably still be working on my Dad's farm. Trying to mess around with a few cows and work the land. I really don't know I mean that about all I've ever done. The reason I say about all is I was in a particular league that didn't last and I wound up working in the exercise equipment business for a couple years, and which was kind of fun for a while, but I began to miss the coaching part again. It gave me an opportunity for my oldest daughter to finish high school before we had to move again, but I would imagine I would just have stayed there and keep working my Dad's place.
Do you have any special talents outside of football or what is your favorite thing to do away from football? I enjoy riding horses, that's kind of my hobby, I like listening to rock'n roll. I also enjoy cooking when I have time, it relaxes me. When I was younger traveling and recruiting I would stop if a had never been in an area before I would always try to find what they featured, if it was the best steak house in the city and try to get some pointers from their chef about their favorite dish and try to start my own cookbook or recipe kind of deal. I'm fairly a basic kind of guy, I pretty much need to be working on something, I can't sit around and relax doing nothing. I have to show some productivity at the end of the day.
