Austin Hollins
GH: When you first heard Tubby Smith was fired, what were some of the things you were hoping the coach would bring to the program?
AH: “When Tubby was fired it was kind of shocking and at the same time there was a bit of suspense waiting to see who the new coach would be. I think this [Rich Pitino] is what we wanted in a new coach, he’s young, he can relate to us, he works hard and he wants us to work hard. I think everyone will respect that.”
GH: What were your first thoughts when you heard Rich Pitino was taking over the program?
AH: “Excitement, excitement to get a new coach and excitement for the vision he has for us. I’m ready for it to get started.”
GH: What was the most difficult thing about not knowing who the next Gophers coach was going to be?
AH: “It was tough not knowing what was going to happen and not knowing any of the options. I think we just tried to take a back seat and let it happen, we tried not to think about it too much knowing that a good coach was coming. Norwood has done a good job hiring coaches in the past and we knew he’d do a good job here, we trusted him.”
GH: Did you and your teammates ever discuss what types of characteristics you wanted in your new head coach during the search process?
AH: “There wasn’t a whole lot of talking about that, we just stuck together. We knew that we wanted a coach who could relate to us and that their style of play would fit everybody. It was more just waiting and trying not to think about it, then the suspense just went away.”
GH: Is there anything specific about having a young coach who’s 30-years-old that you’re excited about?
AH: “I think he’ll really be able to relate to us. He’s a lot younger, he’s got the up-and-down style of play, likes to apply pressure and play hard-nose defense and I think everyone is excited about that.”
GH: What do you think will be the toughest adjustment to a new coach with a new system?
AH: “I think that is the biggest challenge, learning the new system and adapting to what he brings to the table. I think everyone is excited and ready to work hard to adapt to that. It shouldn’t be a problem, everyone is ready to work hard everyday.”
Spencer Tollackson
GH: You had a chance to talk with both Norwood Teague and Rich Pitino following the press conference, what did they have to say?
ST: “They both talked a lot about recruiting and how important it is. Norwood addressed the fact that it’s refreshing to have someone like Coach Pitino that’s going to focus on the positives in what this university has to offer, referencing the practice facility and that coach Pitino will have to be creative in terms of recruiting here. Norwood also talked about how close they are to getting a practice facility, saying that he hopes to have an entire practice facility plan issued within the next month or so, so there were a lot of positive things to talk about right now.”
GH: Do you think that a practice facility is necessary more so to keep up with the facilities other Big Ten schools can offer or is Williams Arena simply not somewhere this team should be practicing?
ST: “We do need a facility and everybody knows that and would be willing to admit that, but at the same time I think it was about finding the right guy. I think you can still win here if you find the right coach and my first impressions of Rich Pitino is that he is that guy. His positivity, he’s so sharp in terms of what he’s going to try to do on the court and recruiting wise, I’m just very excited and extremely pleased with the hire.”
GH: Throughout the very ‘hush-hush’ coaching search process, what were your thoughts on the rumored candidates and the direction it seemed to be heading in?
ST: “I hadn’t heard Pitino’s name until the day it broke, so I thought they did a very good job keeping a tight lid on everything. In my opinion, they hired the guy that I thought they should hire. He’s a young, energetic coach that’s going to be a relentless recruiter who’s going to put in 80, 90, 100 hour weeks watching film, working guys out and on the recruiting trail. I’m all in favor of this hire and completely on board with it.”
ST: “What was going through my mind in the grand scheme of things, everyone was asking why it was taking so long. 10 Days to find a head coach at this level is not a long time, it really isn’t. It seems long because everything in this market is under a tight microscope but it wasn’t a long time. My thoughts were to give them [Teague and Ellis] as much time as they need as long as they found the right fit and in my opinion they definitely did that.”
GH: How challenging do you think it will be for a 30-year-old coach to recruit high school kids given his one year of head coaching coaching experience?
ST: “I view his age as a positive thing. If you’re an 18 or 19-year-old kid, who are you going to relate to, the 30-year-old guy who probably listens to the same type of music you do and who is young and energetic, or a 40, 50, 60-year-old guy who you can’t really relate to on a personal level? It shouldn’t be Pitino’s benchmark or perception that he needs to sign one or more of the three local top recruits. He’s coming in here on such late notice in terms of trying to build a relationship with these kids, if he’s able to get one or all three of them it would be fantastic but if that doesn’t happen, people shouldn’t be as upset as I’m sure they will be. You have to let him have time and do things his way and still allow him time to build relationships with not only the three local recruits but recruits nationally as well.”
Rodney Williams
GH: What were your initial thoughts when you learned Tubby Smith had been fired? While your playing days for the Gophers are done, what were you hoping for in a new coach in terms of building this program?
RW: “When I first heard he was fired I didn’t believe it. We had a meeting with him shortly after and I was just confused as to why it happened when it did, given that his last two seasons here were two of his better ones, but I know it’s a business and that’s how it goes sometimes. All the guys were really shocked and confused but we felt that the coach who was going to come in here to replace Coach Smith would have to like to run and get up and down, that’s what Pitino said he’s looking to do so I think he’ll be very food fit for these guys.”
GH: How do you think this team will respond to playing for a coach as young as Pitino (30-years-old)?
RW: “The biggest thing will be the trust factor with him, having just one year as a head coach under his belt. I’m sure these guys will trust him and buy into the system he has in store. Having coached under Rick Pitino and Billy Donovan, two of the best coaches in America, I’m sure the guys will buy in and trust that he’ll have their best interest in mind.”
GH: When you were recruited in high school, where would you say the team’s facilities ranked when you were making your decision?
RW: “When I was coming out I didn’t really do to much looking into the practice facilities and that type of stuff, I was looking at the coach and his background. When I came on my visits I looked at how the people were at the university and how the players were. For me, my deciding factor was being close to home, playing for Coach Smith and having teammates who made it feel like home.”
GH: What’s your relationship like with Rashad Vaughn, having both played at Robbinsdale Cooper High School? Does he ask you for advice or how things were when you played for the Gophers?
RW: “I’ve known Rashad since he was real little, my dad and his dad have worked together since before Rashad was born so we’ve been around each other for a long time. When I talk to him we don’t usually talk about basketball, we talk about life and just joke around with each other. He asks me how it was playing for Coach Smith but a lot of his questions won’t matter anymore because of how things played out. He’s going to have to come back and talk to some of the other guys to get feedback from them on the new situation with Pitino.”
GH: If you were being recruited by a coach who later gets fired [i.e. Tubby Smith], how would you handle the situation of having a newly hired coach recruiting you from the same school?
RW: “I think if it was a school I was seriously considering, I’d definitely want to spend time to see what the new coach had to say and talk to other people to find out what kind of coach he is. If it was a school I had little interest in I’d probably just move on and keep looking at other schools. If it was a school I had a lot of interest in I would spend time to learn more about the new coach.”
GH: Rodney Williams fans on Twitter were a bit upset you withdrew from Thursday’s Dunk Contest, why did you decide to withdraw? Did you watch it on TV?
RW: “I didn’t watch it, I had some stuff I had to take care of at home first and before I start going out to train I want to spend some time with my daughter, so I had some more important stuff to take care of.”
GH: What are you doing now to prepare for the next stage in your basketball career?
RW: “I’m trying to get connected to the right people and hopefully soon I’ll have a place to go out and train.”
GH: What’s the process like to find an agent and take the next steps?
RW: “Now that the season is over I can start talking to agents and stuff like that so me and my parents are just trying to surround ourselves with the right people so we can get this thing started.”