The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
01.15.2014 | Football
Coach Strong announces staff
Head coach Charlie Strong
Opening statement: I just completed my staff and it is a staff that I'm really excited about; it is a staff with a lot of energy, and a staff that I am very familiar with. I look at the staff and Joe Wickline and I go back to our Florida days, we actually started out as graduate assistants together. Shawn Watson was with me at Louisville, Vance Bedford was with me at Louisville, Brian Jean-Mary was with me at Louisville. Chris Rumph recruited some players out of his school when he was back at South Carolina, Tommie Robinson had recruiting battles against him when he was at the University of Miami, and I have always respected Chris Vaughn. Chris did an outstanding job when he was at Arkansas with Houston Nutt, at Ole Miss with Houston Nutt, and then at Memphis. So you are looking at that staff and then I had a chance to go hire last, which is really big, two Texas exes with Les (Koenning) and Vance (Bedford). It is always important when you come to a major university to get players that have played there and that have pride and a passion and it is great. I am so glad that Les came aboard on our staff.
This is a staff that we know what it is all about. We are teachers, we're role models, we're going to motivate, lead and just a staff that are family men and you want that with the players because you want the players to look at a coach and say how someday if they don't end up being an engineer or a doctor but could go and be a coach and emulate the man standing right there in front of me. I am just so happy that we are aboard and finally completed it.
What I have been doing here the last few days is having a chance to meet with the players one-on-one just for a chance to know who they are and what they are all about. I had a chance to talk about their parents and the background from where they come from and then what I expected from them. It has been great meetings and it is so fun just to hear their ideas and what they think and to just tell them how happy I was with where the program is right now. That falls upon all of us to go get it right. It has been a whirlwind these last three or four days but it has been fun because it is just good to be around the kids.
On the importance of Bruce Chambers and how helpful he is since he has been around this program for a long time already: Bruce is super. When you talk about someone who is just familiar with this state and the recruiting area of Dallas. We are actually going to go out recruiting this evening, Bruce and I, to Dallas and tomorrow. So he had us down for lunch and I said, 'we are not going to eat lunch, Bruce, so you need to get that lunch out of there.' I just said he better find another high school for us to go to. It is great with Bruce, and I had a chance to sit down and just talk with him. I met him a few years ago when he was at Dallas Carter and actually I had a player from Dallas Carter when I was coaching at Notre Dame and we talked about him and just went back with those years. I actually had a player named Hill that played for me at Florida, a defensive back, out of the school that he coached. So we were able to share the old times. It is great to have someone just as knowledgeable as he is and can get the job done.
On is Joe Wickline going to call plays on offense: Joe Wickline will call plays on offense. He is the offensive coordinator, he will call plays but Shawn has been the guy who also—and Les has called at Mississippi State. So all three will collaborate together but it will be a system when you look at it offensively you have three coordinators there but Joe will call the plays on offense.
On it is generally unusual for an offensive line coach to have that job: No if you look across college football there are a lot of offensive line coaches that are coordinators. Just if you look at the mix with the run game and then when you get into the throw game it is not as much of him not knowing but he can always ask what we think about this down or what we are looking.
On how he sold that to Shawn Watson: We talked and he is going to be involved so it is not like he's totally out of it but those guys are old enough now and there is no egos. I told them right from the start that this is going to be a coaching staff with no egos and we are here to work together and it is all about success. We are here to win and whatever we have to do to go win a football game that is what we have to do.
On describe the type of offense he expects to run: I like to run the spread but the run game has got to be involved. If you look at the teams across the country and it was so funny because I had a conversation, I forgot who I was speaking with, but if you look out west, Stanford wins the PAC and think about it they don't spread it out, and all those teams spread it out and they are a power team and they go run the football. You look at Alabama and Auburn in the Southeastern Conference, you look at Louisville and we weren't a spread team, we lined up and had a good mixture. It is all about balance. You look at Oklahoma and it is a balance and is what you want to see, a balance with your run and pass. You can talk about all those teams that throw the ball around but at the end of the day if you can't line up and run downhill and punch somebody in the mouth then you are going to have issues.
On what has been his perception of the players: Just being around them they are a really good group of kids and I know it is going to be a lot of fun and I have really enjoyed just getting one-on-one time with them. They want to win and they sense it that right now we need to raise the standards and they understand that because the program is not where they want it to be themselves. When they admit to that then you know you have a good way to changing it and you have a good way to go change it right now because they realize the problem.
On describe the rules and expectations he has for these players: Well it wasn't so much about rules the other night at meeting but my expectations. They are going to be rules but it was what I expect from them and that is what the meeting was about. It was just expectations, this is what it is all about, just core values like be honest, treat women with respect, no drugs, no stealing, no guns, and things they were brought up on. It is what you expect from the program and they are here to graduate. You are here to graduate, you are here to win championships, and then you are here to make yourself a better person. If we don't get that accomplished as a coach then we failed that young man and we are not going to fail these players. That will not happen.
On does he expect some players not to survive his expectations: I don't know why they would not survive. My aim is not to come in here and try to run players off. At the end of the day our job is to help young men and it is not about coming in and pounding down that hammer on someone. I always think that when young people fail whose fault is that? When you go run off someone else, what have you accomplished and where do they go? We are trying to get them off the streets and you just added one to the streets and we are not into that at all. I will do everything possible if one tries to leave to try and keep him here because I don't want to see them fail. If you came here to get an education, go get an education and then go do something with your life. Now we have a chance for that young man to better himself and become a productive citizen in society.
On does he want the players to live on campus the first three years: What I talked about with the players is when guys start spreading out, especially when they are young because when you talk about the first two years and then your third and fourth years now there is a separation because the younger guys don't get a chance to know who the older guys are. I just want the older guys, who established the foundation of this program, to teach them how to carry themselves the right way on campus, teach them how to conduct themselves in a dorm. If they are out and they know who you are, then you can help them. But it is all about maturing and growing up where the older players have to teach the younger players and you want to see that happen.
On is it about having the seniors and freshmen to care about each other rather than having their own groups with different wants: Well you always talk about cliques and everybody has got a clique. You got a group of guys that want to sit here and there is a group here and another group here and you have all these different cliques. When you become a family, you start off as a group then you become a team and then a family. When you become a family you are all one and they all know what to expect, they know your personality and can deal with it but when you don't know the person and we get into a football game then why would I ever play for you if I really don't know you. So if you are sitting there and something goes bad you are not going to say nothing to me and I know you are not going to say anything to me but when you become a family it becomes more important to you so you won't go make that mistake.
On what will Pat Moorer bring to this program: Pat is an outstanding strength guy and the staff before like Maddog (Jeff Madden), Bennie (Wylie) and those guys had done a great job with the strength program. So you like to see the players and are always looking for toughness, both mental and physical toughness, you are looking for guys to get stronger, you would like to redefine some of their bodies, some of the linemen need to get bigger and some of the skill guys. Pat will get the program going and the only thing we need to do is build upon the program.
On what was the perception his staff from other universities had about this program: This program has a lot of respect. Even from the outside you are going to get respect here because of who we are. What happens is everybody wants to be a part of it so you have to be selective of who you go and get.
On did anyone call him trying to get on the staff or did he know what direction he was going to go: Well not so much as calling me but I had assistant coaches that everybody knew but I kind of knew what I wanted to do.
On thoughts about the quarterback position: I look at that position and you have two good players there right now and now it is all about developing that position. I asked that question one time when I was at Louisville and I said, 'if there is one position on this football team that cannot have a mistake, what position is that?' Every guy in the room said the quarterback position and then I said why is it that the quarterback cannot make a mistake but you can? If a ball is thrown over a defensive back's head it is a touchdown. If a lineman misses a block he's going to pound the quarterback. It is a position that is critical though because it is the leader of the team and the guy who has to make a lot of decisions at a critical time, but if we develop those quarterbacks the right way and continue to make sure they're headed in the right direction and get them back and focused I think we have good players at that position.
On how does he and his new staff sell the team to the new offense: I always say most offenses copy one another. In college football it is a copycat system. It is not like someone is doing something extravagant that no one else is doing. You watch teams play every Saturday and they line up and if it is fast-paced they are up on the ball right now but there are only so many plays they're running. You can do anything you want to with your system, you can add or take away but it's just going to depend what type of players you have and what they can do to fit into your system.
On does he like how things stand right now with recruiting: Well I am going to go try and meet them all, actually I wasn't able to phone any until we got everything straightened out but I am going to get an opportunity to go meet them all and just make sure that we keep the guys we have in fold and then next year we will get the new coaching staff started and headed out in the right direction where we need to go.
On with the one-on-one time he had with the players, were they open to the new expectations or worried: I think they just don't know what to expect and that can always happen with a new coaching staff, but they are open and they are willing to work. So if they are willing to work then things will work out. I am not concerned about that because Coach (Mack Brown) has recruited some great players in place here and they have worked before so it is not anything they are afraid of.
On thoughts about this transition as opposed to his last becoming the head coach of Louisville: Oh, I am glad I got some experience especially with all of you here. This transition was a lot easier because I have head coaching experience and I have been around it. When you have been around it you know what to expect and you know how to build a staff. The first time around you take the job and you get to your office and you think what do you do or where do you go. Now you have a plan together and just follow the plan.
On what have the last nine days have been like to settle into Texas: Well I don't know if I have had a chance to settle yet with being pulled in different directions but it was just good that we had a dead period with recruiting so I didn't just have to go jump out and start recruiting. That gave me some time really to get to know the players because I think it is so key just to know your team right now and just get a chance to be around them as much as you can and they get the chance to see you. You are trying to match your personalities and as they are trying to feel me out I am trying to feel them out as to exactly who they are and what they are all about.
On how much more does he need to add to his off-field personnel department: What we are going to do is just sit down and see what we have and just reevaluate. What was key was just getting the coaching staff together and then we can go look in the other departments and see what our strengths and weaknesses are and just make sure that we build it up and the right people are in place.
On the benefits of having several coaches that were considered the recruiting coordinators at their last schools and especially with how big Texas is: What is really big is that when you talk about recruiting stops is that you have had guys that have coached that area and recruited in that area. Tommie Robinson had been in Houston before, Chris Vaughn has been in Houston so that was what was key is that you have to hire coaches that understand the state of Texas because there are so many great high schools. Coaches out there and they are familiar with those coaches so when they walk into that school the coaches have an idea of who they are because they have recruited from there before. That is what I was making sure when I got this staff together just like with Les and Vance who are exes here and a lot of high school coaches are exes. So when they walk into a school, they may have played with them or played before them or after them so they are going to be familiar with them.
On wanting the players to be role models with his expectation of having them sit in the first two rows of every class: Really at the end of the day, I don't want to walk into a classroom and see a guy sitting in the back row when you can be sitting in the front because you are a student. You are a student-athlete so you are a student first so I expect you to be up front and if you have a hat on to take you hat off in class because you don't have a hat on in my meeting, you don't have a cell phone out in my meeting so don't take your cell phone out in class. Give your professor the same respect you give me because they are trying to teach you and their job is a lot more important than mine, because at least they are trying to prepare you for your future. They are trying to teach you something so respect them and listen to what they have to say. If you respect a professor and it is time for a grade and you are between a B and a C, you are going to get that B just because you smiled, you were cordial and very respectful and that is all it takes. That goes a long way and that is all I am asking for in the classroom is to just be yourself and not be a phony.
On he and Joe Wickline coaching with Ron Zook at Florida, does he have a spot for him: I wish I did because he is actually an unbelievable coach. He gave Joe and I a job when he was at the University of Florida but I don't know if my man Zook wants to coach anymore because I think he's doing pretty good where he is and living a good life.
On why is Joe the right guy: Guys pay their dues and guys have been around great systems and if you look at the system he has been around at Oklahoma State for nine years they have moved the ball very well on offense and when the guys have put in their time, it's like me I have put in my time and want to be rewarded so he has put in his time and he is being rewarded.
On what does he remember about going up against Wickline's offense in practice in 2002: With Joe it is just hard-nose and he talks about toughness and building toughness in the program and that is what he does. Just look at Oklahoma State and what they have done. They're a very physical football team that can run and pass and have done a great job of balancing it but also you look at the offensive line and they don't mind coming off a downhill football team.
On significance of him getting the Texas job and a week later James Franklin gets the Penn State job: I am so happy for Frank. You are looking at the hiring process now and it is no longer that you have to sit back and say when is our turn going to come but it is happening for us. We have been given the opportunity and we have to take advantage of it.
On thoughts about Vance Bedford: Well Vance is an outstanding coach and not only with what he did at Louisville even at the University of Florida together, he coached defensive backs there so you talk about Joe Hayden, Major Wright, Will Hill at the Giants, Janoris Jenkins at St. Louis and he developed players. What he also does a great job is making sure he puts them in a position to make them successful. That is what you look for on defense a guy that can disrupt an offense, which he does with pressure. But Vance is not only a good coach but a good person and I tell players all the time, I have told these players, that never once will we put you in a position where you are not successful, never once will we downgrade you when we coach you. We are not about that. If we turn you down, before we leave that field we will lift you up and build you back up so don't ever think anything is personal. Yeah I didn't like the way you played that play but it has nothing to do with who you are as a person.
On when will he start spring practice and how will he address the depth chart: Well what we are going to do with spring ball is start after spring break because that will give us enough time to install offense and defense and we want to give our coaches enough time, the players enough time so that we can teach it. When you look at the depth chart, only thing we can do is go back and look at the tape. Today I watched us play BYU but just looking at the tape and looking the players you have in place but they will get better because now they have a chance to get into the weight room so Coach Moorer will be able to work with them all the way up to spring break. Then we will come back after spring break and start spring practice.
On what does Chris Rumph bring to this program: Well you look at where he was at Alabama so he is a guy with a lot of experience being around championship teams so you are looking at the highest level and he has competed at the highest level. That is what you want to get into this program because we have been there so it is not hard for us to get back there since we have been there. It is all about work and hard work and that is what he is bringing to the table.
On why was it important for him to say this program is going to be about championships: Because that is what you want. When you're a top program in the country you have to be about championships.
