GopherLady
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2008
- Messages
- 9,404
- Reaction score
- 996
- Points
- 113
RUN - that was the theme of the press conference, running the ball.
As always, these are not exact, just typing as they talk:
Tracy Claeys:
• The main purpose of this is to talk about the new additions to our staff. Jay Johnson joins as OC, Bart Miller is OL coach. You always have 2 or 3 people in mind when you start a process, and expand it out from there if you need to. Both of these guys are on our original list, they had a chance to meet with everyone on the staff during the process, we all felt good about it and them being good fits. We ended up getting the search done faster than we initially thought. We got the right fit for what we want to do. I thought it was best to go with a younger offensive line candidate and coach. With that, also game with an experienced coordinator. I don't want to be highly involved in the offensive side of the ball. Bart - I got to know him and of him from his time at WI, for the one year he took over coaching the offensive line when they made the midseason change and how well they played from that point forward. Extremely happy to have them be a part of it. Today is the official beginning.
• I told Jay and Bart that the key through spring ball is to see what we're good at, and that's what we'll emphasize and what we're going to do.
• You have 100's of applications. That's why you start with 3-4 guys that you really have personnel l ties to. It was important to me not only football wise, but personality wise, and for our kids also. The hardest thing nowadays is the no huddle. In the Midwest, you deal with the weather issues, you have to make sure you have someone that's committed to the running game. You've gotta be able to run the football in the Midwest.
• About 200-250 applications for the positions. I called, texted back, or sent an email to all of them while I was on the road. I'm excited, and I think it's a good fit for us all the way around.
• Adam Weber has another year back here as a graduate assistant. That allows Jay to roam a little more, because Adam does a great job. He did a great job with Mitch towards the end of the season.
• On new D-coordinator - It will be Coach Sawvel, we're getting things worked out now.
•
Jay Johnson:
• It's certainly a good opportunity to come back home, very exciting. Followed their success.
• I think for us, it's going to start with running the football, we need to run the football in this league. We're going to start there. In this day and age you have to do both to be successful.
• I have had a chance to watch the bowl game, that was some good opportunities there, and visit with coaches. There is a good nucleus of guys here, and that starts at the QB position. To have a guy with his spirit coming back, is a really good thing. I think the personal is there to be productive and do some positive things.
• We were considered a no huddle team at times. We were more concerned about being right, than playing fast. We aired a little more on the side of being right than fast, fast, fast.
• Told Mitch - we're going to do this together. I can change what I want, but if that doesn't work for him, that's not good for the team.
• On Kurt Warner - he was very talented, I was blessed to play with a bunch of good players, but he was exceptional.
• On showing up with a full playbook for his interview - When you look at offensive philosophies and what you're trying to do…who is your 11th best player? That molds where you're going to go. I'm not at that point yet. It's always started with the run game, because that's good for your football team, it creates a persona. I'm always going to start there, but we still have to pass the ball down the field. How we do that is going to be molded to our people.
• I don't know if I know what the spread offense is anymore…I don't know if I see it that way, we want to run the football. I'm looking to mold and bring this all together, and with Bart's experience to really come together.
• On recruiting - 1. it's about relationships and honesty. When you get to this day with social media, it makes it challenging. At the end of the day, we want guys coming to the U of MN because they wanna come here. We want guys that want to be part of this institution and great state.
• Hopes to not have a great learning curve. We all run very similar things at this level of football. After recruiting, will be working on terminology moving forward.
Bart Miller:
• I think we have some talented guys that have done some good things. We've got a couple of guys that have played a lot of football here. Good things are going to happen with our style of play.
• When your guys are playing for you, and for playing something greater than themselves, they're going to play hard. Establish that you are the meanest, toughest and nastiest guy on the field.
I'm very excited to work with Jay and the rest of the staff, we knew the direction they wanted to take the offense, it's been very collaborative.
As always, these are not exact, just typing as they talk:
Tracy Claeys:
• The main purpose of this is to talk about the new additions to our staff. Jay Johnson joins as OC, Bart Miller is OL coach. You always have 2 or 3 people in mind when you start a process, and expand it out from there if you need to. Both of these guys are on our original list, they had a chance to meet with everyone on the staff during the process, we all felt good about it and them being good fits. We ended up getting the search done faster than we initially thought. We got the right fit for what we want to do. I thought it was best to go with a younger offensive line candidate and coach. With that, also game with an experienced coordinator. I don't want to be highly involved in the offensive side of the ball. Bart - I got to know him and of him from his time at WI, for the one year he took over coaching the offensive line when they made the midseason change and how well they played from that point forward. Extremely happy to have them be a part of it. Today is the official beginning.
• I told Jay and Bart that the key through spring ball is to see what we're good at, and that's what we'll emphasize and what we're going to do.
• You have 100's of applications. That's why you start with 3-4 guys that you really have personnel l ties to. It was important to me not only football wise, but personality wise, and for our kids also. The hardest thing nowadays is the no huddle. In the Midwest, you deal with the weather issues, you have to make sure you have someone that's committed to the running game. You've gotta be able to run the football in the Midwest.
• About 200-250 applications for the positions. I called, texted back, or sent an email to all of them while I was on the road. I'm excited, and I think it's a good fit for us all the way around.
• Adam Weber has another year back here as a graduate assistant. That allows Jay to roam a little more, because Adam does a great job. He did a great job with Mitch towards the end of the season.
• On new D-coordinator - It will be Coach Sawvel, we're getting things worked out now.
•
Jay Johnson:
• It's certainly a good opportunity to come back home, very exciting. Followed their success.
• I think for us, it's going to start with running the football, we need to run the football in this league. We're going to start there. In this day and age you have to do both to be successful.
• I have had a chance to watch the bowl game, that was some good opportunities there, and visit with coaches. There is a good nucleus of guys here, and that starts at the QB position. To have a guy with his spirit coming back, is a really good thing. I think the personal is there to be productive and do some positive things.
• We were considered a no huddle team at times. We were more concerned about being right, than playing fast. We aired a little more on the side of being right than fast, fast, fast.
• Told Mitch - we're going to do this together. I can change what I want, but if that doesn't work for him, that's not good for the team.
• On Kurt Warner - he was very talented, I was blessed to play with a bunch of good players, but he was exceptional.
• On showing up with a full playbook for his interview - When you look at offensive philosophies and what you're trying to do…who is your 11th best player? That molds where you're going to go. I'm not at that point yet. It's always started with the run game, because that's good for your football team, it creates a persona. I'm always going to start there, but we still have to pass the ball down the field. How we do that is going to be molded to our people.
• I don't know if I know what the spread offense is anymore…I don't know if I see it that way, we want to run the football. I'm looking to mold and bring this all together, and with Bart's experience to really come together.
• On recruiting - 1. it's about relationships and honesty. When you get to this day with social media, it makes it challenging. At the end of the day, we want guys coming to the U of MN because they wanna come here. We want guys that want to be part of this institution and great state.
• Hopes to not have a great learning curve. We all run very similar things at this level of football. After recruiting, will be working on terminology moving forward.
Bart Miller:
• I think we have some talented guys that have done some good things. We've got a couple of guys that have played a lot of football here. Good things are going to happen with our style of play.
• When your guys are playing for you, and for playing something greater than themselves, they're going to play hard. Establish that you are the meanest, toughest and nastiest guy on the field.
I'm very excited to work with Jay and the rest of the staff, we knew the direction they wanted to take the offense, it's been very collaborative.
