Transcript Of Bob Toledo Press Conference
Dec 11, 2006 | Football
What They Are Saying | The Toledo File
Dec. 11, 2006
RICK DICKSON
Director of Athletics
"I'd like to thank everyone for coming on short notice. It seems like a long 12 days ago that I was before you. I'm very excited to be here tonight for a lot of reasons. We've given new definition to an exhausting search, and I can add exhausted to that. One of the great things out that I've learned over the last 12 days is in this industry, there is a great perception and a great feeling about what's going on in New Orleans and at Tulane. Through many conversations, many interviews and many phone discussions, that was reaffirmed in a very emphatic way to us.
"Before I get into the introduction, I would like to thank a number of people. Once I got to campus and brought in the candidates we determined to bring in from the onset, from Scott Cowen who was by my side for the interview of each candidate to our advisory team. It was a representation first of our current student-athletes as well as a group of former football student-athletes, our faculty rep Gary Roberts, other members of the faculty and some of our staff members here at Tulane. The charge we gave them was not to evaluate and critique in terms of the football and professional side of things, but to look for the right people, the right characteristics and the right qualities, and the right fit for us in terms of what we need. Through about a four day stretch and six interviews, all of you, my heartfelt appreciation for your time during a very busy time on campus for you. Your work was very rewarding, so thank you for the service that you gave us. To the head coaches on my staff - some of you in seasons, some of you certainly busy with your schedules and recruiting - to carve time out to meet with all these folks as well, and members of the athletic staff, they all pulled together and helped us get through this process in an efficient and effective way. As I expected, you stepped up and pulled together as a team, and you are a big reason that we're here tonight.
"I guess a lot of folks right here on our on campus wondered what kind of interest and what kind of appeal this opportunity would have out there. After going through it for 12 days and sorting through over 200 applicants during that time, traveling to five cities and interviewing face-to-face 16 candidates, of which six we brought back here to our campus over the past four or five days, I think it renewed my faith and belief in what this opportunity is and what it can be. We had a quality pool of people. They certainly brought a lot of perspective and ideas, but the one shared, common belief was that this is a great opportunity. First of all for any young man whose home they visit in, the opportunity to offer a lifetime education from a university like Tulane is appealing. So many of us have heard and listened and sometimes begun to believe that it's not a good opportunity and that it's not a good option. But I've got to tell you folks, from the folks out there in this industry, it is. The thought that a great education and kids that are committed to getting a great education and playing championship football are not mutually exclusive. There is a belief in this industry that that is not the case.
"I stand before you tonight extremely proud of where we are, with the quality of people who showed interest in this opportunity, and through the last four or five days, the people who stepped up and helped represent Tulane and showcased this opportunity. As a result, I believe we have a tremendous announcement for you tonight.
"I've known this man for approximately the last 12 years. I've watched him professionally. During that time, I've had the opportunity to get to know him personally. As I told our football team just now upstairs, there has not been in our 112 year football history now, a more decorated coach that's walked through these halls. Those in front of you know the track record there and the level of success and achievement, and it is exemplorary. Not only from the 12 bowl games his teams have participated in or the seven New Year's Day bowl games his teams have participated in, but much like what we value here, the track record of academic achievement and the quality of young men that have been under his leadership stands for itself. I think the only thing that tops that for me is 12 years of knowing the person. That, to me, is the greatest testament of all.
"The question I asked him, knowing that track record of success and known the person, is does he still have the drive and the enthusiasm to lead this program. As you're about to find out, and was refreshed to me on Saturday, there is not a more enthusiastic, energetic, rested and driven person to come take full advantage of this opportunity and show that indeed, winning football, graduating young men, doing it in a way this University has an expectation to can be done, and he can't wait get started doing it.
"So thanks for being here. I'm extremely proud of this night and what's going to go forth. I thank the young men upstairs (the team). Two weeks ago, we challenged them to begin holding each other accountable during this time as they were entering into finals, during this time when they're entering into their offseason workouts, and during this time of uncertainty, to stick together. They've done that in a great way. They're ready to go down that path to success. And as I've told them, I think tonight is a very important step to that path of success.
"To all of you Tulanians out there, for whatever reasons, to all of you who have not stood behind this program and certainly all of you who have through some of the toughest times in our history, I'd say that this is the day that it's time for all of us to come together. The chicken-and-the-egg theory does not work. We've got a great group of young men, we've added a great coach who will add a great staff, and we need great support. If you want this athletic program and this football program to stand up and represent you in the way that all of you have been hungry for, then we have to have that part of the equation. So I say to each of you tonight, for those of you who have stood with us, continue to do so. For those of you who have been on the fence, the bus is leaving and it's going to be a great ride. So join me in welcoming our new football coach, Bob Toledo."
Bob Toledo
New Tulane head football coach
"Thank you very much. First of all, let me say that I want to thank Rick Dickson and Scott Cowen for giving me this opportunity. I am excited to be the head football coach at Tulane. I just had an opportunity to meet with the some of the players up there (in the squad room). As I told them, I can't wait to meet with each and every one of them all individually, and the same thing holds true here. I want to meet the media, the fans, the support people and the people of the city. I can't tell you how excited I am to be here and get started.
"I know in talking to the players a minute ago, I told them I'm going to take them to places that they want to go but they're not quite sure how to get there. That's my job. I also told them I'm going to make them do what they don't want to do to be what they want to be, and that means hard work, commitment and dedication. I don't know that much about Tulane. I know a little bit about them. I've been through here before. I've obviously been to New Orleans. But I do know from the professional standpoint and having coached for almost 40 years now, that Tulane has a great reputation, not only as an academic school but an athletic school. I've got to try to work to revive some of that enthusiasm and get the people back so that we can continue along and get back on that winning track. I was one of those people from far, far away watching when the disaster struck. I remember watching TV and seeing the players and the coaches having to travel to different places and do what they had to do. They had to overcome an awful lot of adversity. That's one of the things that attracted me here. I think that football draws the most competitive people. I'm a competitive person, and I love challenges. There's no question that this is going to be a challenge. But I look at this challenge as being an opportunity.
"People talk about what happened with Katrina, and people talk about the academics and how difficult it is to get players in. Now I haven't lived through a Katrina, thank goodness, but I have lived through the academic world. I've coached at some places, particularly the last place I was at prior to going to New Mexico at UCLA that was highly academic. We couldn't recruit some of the players we had to play against. But you know what? We did pretty good. We had great kids, they got an education, they graduated, they played good football, and they went to school for a reason - to get that degree. And I told them, `My job is to make sure you walk across that stage with your diploma. If you do that, then I've done my job. And the other thing is let's play the best possible football we can play.' Because you're smart doesn't mean you can't be a good football player. Because your academic standards are tough doesn't mean you can't recruit good football players. We're going to recruit good student-athletes to Tulane and we will win football games. We will win football games.
"I just had a chance to fly back in. Obviously, Rick had me here Saturday, flew me back home, and called me this morning at 7 this morning and asked me if I wanted to fly back. I feel like I've been in a stage coach all day. But all kidding aside, I just can't wait to get started. I want you to know that the first line of business is to try and put together as staff. Having been in the profession for a long, long time, I have people that I know and people that I will consider. But I also want you to know that there are coaches on this staff that I have the uptmost respect for also. I know some of them and I will proceed to talk to them first and hopefully retain some of them. But I will go out. I will get a quality staff. I'll get a staff that you will be extremely proud of. They'll be knowledgeable football coaches, and they'll be good people. That is important to me.
"Then when we go out, we'll have to start recruiting. That's the next line of business because it doesn't matter what kind of football coach you are, if you don't have good players, it's hard to succeed. So we're going to go out and recruit the best possible football players we can get. But I think one of my jobs is to recruit the players that are here right now. Again, I've had an opportunity to see some of them earlier. I can't wait to get back after their finals and after our bowl game at New Mexico, and get a chance to sit down with each and every one of them and tell them what I expect of them.
"I'm not going to expect anything less then great effort and great intensity on the football field, in the classroom and in the community. I want our guys to be visible. I'm going to be visible. I like people and I want to get a chance to meet as many people as I can. I'm going to talk to whoever wants to hear me talk. Hopefully, we can create some enthusiasm and get some people to come back out and support this program like it needs to be supported.
"Last night, I had a real thrill just watching that New Orleans Saints/Cowboys game. I didn't know if I was going to be here, but it just goes to prove that sometimes change is good. I feel for the coaches that were here and I feel for the players and the things that happened. But that's all part of this business. It's happened to me and it's happened to them. But the thing is, by watching that game and seeing those people. Actually, I was flying back Saturday with some of the people that were flying to Dallas. And they were enthusiastic and they were excited. Then you see the new coaching staff with the Saints and you see the players and you see how hard the people have worked to try and get this city back and support that team. My goal right now is to get people to come out and support us. I promise, we will be an exciting, and entertaining and a winning football team.
"I don't know how many of you know where I come from or what I've done, but I believe strongly that offensively, you have to be a multiple football team. You have to be balanced and run the ball well. Just about everywhere I've been, we've had a 1,000-yard rusher. This year at the University of New Mexico, we had a sophomore who rushed for almost 1,200 yards. We've had some outstanding passers. I had Cade McNown, who was a No. 1 draft choice at UCLA. I had Bucky Richardson, who played for me at Texas A&M and was the Most Valuable Player of the Holiday Bowl against BYU. I've had Chris Miller who was a No. 1 draft choice when I was at the University of Oregon, who signed with Atlanta. So I've had some outstanding quarterback and some outstanding receivers. I've had a couple of Outland Trophy winners in Jonathan Ogden and Chris Ferris. Everywhere we've been, we've moved the ball and scored some points. So I think you're going to be entertained. The one thing I will do, I'll run a couple trick plays every game because No. 1, we've got to win, but I think it's important to making it exciting and entertain as well.
"Defensively, we need to bring in people here who are again, good football coaches that can motivate these defensive players to play with great intensity and great effort from snap to whistle. Our goal right now is to win the fourth quarter. In looking at some of the stats, that's been a bit of a concern the last couple of years. You've got to win the fourth quarter. We will be an attacking, aggressive type of defense. I've talked to some of the players defensively, and they can't wait to get started. We will work hard to be make sure we are a sound, fundamental, aggressive defense.
"In special teams, we want to be efficient. We want to be effective in what we do. I think more games are lost in the kicking game then in any other phase, so we will be sound in the kicking game.
"All in all, I think the thing I want to emphasize to this football team is that regardless of what happens, I want you to play from the start of the game and the finish of the game with great effort and intensity. I don't care who you're playing. It doesn't matter who you're playing because if you play that hard, you've got a chance to win every game regardless of the opponent.
"Having said all that, again, I'm looking forward to getting started. I do have a bowl game with the University of New Mexico, so I'll be going back in a couple of days. We've got practice and I'll be back over the weekend, and I'll take the following week when our players are done with finals and going home for vacation, I'll be in our bowl game and hopefully you'll get a chance watch the game. I promise I'll run a couple of trick plays for you, and hopefully we can beat the San Jose State Spartans in the new New Mexico Bowl."
