What would you like to tell fans about the Coach Kill Cancer Fund? Why is your work with the Coach Kill Cancer Fund so important?
It immediately helps young people and their families that have cancer, financially and anytime you can help someone else, to me, that's what you are supposed to do.
Do you require your football players to volunteer in the community? If yes, what are the requirements?
Yes. They represent our school and me and we are fortunate that we have kids that want to be involved with the community and do these events. Our football team won the athletic department community service award in my first year and we had one of our young men, Matt Simon, recognized nationally for his community service as a member of the AFCA Good Works Team.
How do you incorporate the philosophy of "winning the right way" with your team?
I always talk about that I don't believe you can win unless you do it the right way. I believe the team that plays hard and does the right things will get the breaks that help you win. I talk to our players about looking in the mirror, and the mirror doesn't lie. To me, if you don't do it the right way, winning does not mean anything. You have lost.
How do you encourage intensity and competition without creating animosity toward opponents?
Come to our practice. We have intense coaches, we have competition within our team every day. I tell our players there is a winner and a loser on every play, in every practice and in game situations.
What are the top three things you demand from your student-athletes?
Be on Time. Go to Class. Act Right.
What values and principles are your players learning through football?
We talk about more to our players than just football. We are always comparing things that happen in football to life experiences. There is not a better game to teach life experience than football. We spend more time teaching our kids to do all the things to be successful in life than we do teaching football.
What sports did you play in high school? What was your best?
I played football, basketball and baseball. Football was my best sport.
If you were evaluating game film of yourself as a high school senior, would that player be recruited to play for your program today?
No.
Fill in the blank. If I weren't coaching football, I'd be ________.
A volunteer to raise money for a cancer organization.
What is your favorite book of all-time?
Uncommon by Tony Dungy.