Syracuse University Athletics

“I said before when I accepted this job that we were going to go through a process of hiring coaches. One of the things I want to make sure of is that we were all on the same page, so my thought process is that I want to go ahead and hire the two best coordinators I could find that could help our program win. That was the only thing I was looking at in the coordinator position before I started looking at assistant coaches and what they could do for us from a standpoint of coaching and recruiting and that's really how I am following it right now. The gentleman I am going to introduce I've known since 1992. We've really shared a lot of thoughts over the years, visiting each other at our programs. I think that when you look at people and when you hire people, one of the things you want to look at is make sure that someone is a good teacher and you want to look at his accomplishments. A lot of times, people get tied up, including myself and a lot of other coaches, in really just one specific instance. What you have to do, when you look at coaches and you're looking people that we're hiring, is look at the overall career. I think when you look at his overall career and the statistics and the amount of things that he's accomplished in that position, you're going to see a lot of great things. The one thing I was looking for at the coordinator position, offense or defense, which we’re working on the other (defense), is someone who has experience in play-calling. Having been with Coach (Sean) Payton and having called plays in the preseason with the New Orleans Saints, I've found that there's a lot that goes into that. There's a great appreciation that I think that some people might not even acknowledge. To be able to, in an instant, game plan during the week and then within 40 seconds, be able to make the right call. We're always looking for that perfect call or the call that's going to change the game. I really think that he's going to do that for our football team. At this time, I'd like to introduce Rob Spence."

 

"One of the things you want to make sure you do when you go out is, and obviously I've gotten a lot of phone calls, is you always want to know how you're being received. One of the big things for me and one of the top priorities is to hire an established recruiter in the areas that we've spoken about, in New York City and Long Island. John Anslemo came on board and as fast as we brought him in, we pushed him out. So, he went out on the road and what makes me feel good or what should all make us feel good right now is the way we are being received. Having been a product of that area, New York City, and having been around those coaches for a long time, the number one thing they had told me is that they wanted to make sure we brought one of their own in. That someone could come into that school and not really have to introduce themselves. That's what we have going on right now and that's what we're looking to do in the other areas. There's an excitement right now and it might not show and we might not get that instant result, with maybe turning a kid or getting a three-star or four-star, and I'm not big on the ratings now, I'm more concerned what the ratings are once we get them on our football team. I'm excited from a standpoint from bringing Rob Spence in. I can't tell you how many people have called asking, 'Coach, when can we get you to come down here to speak at this clinic?' 'Could we get Rob down there to speak? He spoke at our clinics in the past.' I think it's important when you hire a staff and hire a staff of good football coaches, who have had great accomplishments, that the high school coach is going to want to bring you into that area, they're going to want you to speak to their fellow coaches, and when we can get out and speak to 200 football coaches, we can't get that type of exposure anywhere else. I'm excited about what's going on right now."

 

" The other coordinators who we're talking to, as of right now, we're talking to four or five and what I have to do is, again, I said that there's going to be a process. I want to make sure that we're talking on the phone every single day with four or five potential candidates for that position. I have to make sure who has the closest philosophy in what I have, what they're going to bring to this program, what they can do to better Syracuse University. I think that takes a little bit of time and that's what we are going through right now. Once I get a good feel for exactly their beliefs and their thoughts and their process of how they're going to get this program back to where we all want it to be, we'll then go to the interview process of face-to-face, on the board, the things that we do in our profession. I'm looking forward to that. As far as a time table, I really don't want to get stuck to a time table. Like I said before, I've been into enough situations where there have been changes. I've been on staffs where people have been let go individually. I've seen decisions made out of haste, decisions that were made quickly, and I'm not going to do that to this program. I have too much responsibility right now and too much responsibility for the people in the community, the alumni, the University, to make a poor decision. These things will be well thought out and there's always going to be a plan for who we're hiring and there's always going to be a why. I just want everyone to understand and if anyone ever has any questions on the why, please, I'm here to answer them and I'm looking forward to this process."

 

"At the end of the day, I'll make the final decision. That's one thing that Rob and I have talked about and obviously Rob's input is going to be important. We're both looking for the same type of individual. The reason why Rob's here and the other coaches will be here is that they are going to have the same principles that I have. Obviously, Syracuse University deserves the best and that's what I'm trying to get accomplished."

 

"No. The Syracuse ties will always be the focus and it's going to continue to be the focus as long as I'm the head coach at Syracuse University. Now, with saying that, if we do have someone outside of the program or outside of those parameters that have been set who is an extraordinary coach and extraordinary recruiter, for me to sit here and say we weren't going to look at that person would be ridiculous. Those options will be given to everyone. The day that happens and when that person is hired, then everyone won't say, then why did you hire this coach."

 

"I'm extremely happy. A lot of times, you're always saying, hey, when you get this job, who are the people you are going to hire and right now, it's going to the top people. Jon Anselmo was the number one guy I wanted to bring in for that area and for his recruiting, for his expertise and for his knowledge of evaluations. There's a lot more that goes into it with being a good football coach. You need to evaluate talent, you need to be able to teach, you need to be able to have shown that you've won, you need to have progression in your teaching and obviously, John has all of that. When we talked about the offensive side of the ball, I've known Rob for a long time and I've known a lot of coaches who have coached under Rob. I know what he demands out of his assistant coaches. Obviously, we've been back and forth and we have studied each other quite a bit. That's a complement for everyone. The first person I wanted to go after was Rob. Right now, I still need to go out and play the lottery every week, because right now, we're doing well for the people that we want here at our University."