Exclusive Live Interview with FAMU Head Football Coach James Colzie | HBCU Coaches Corner

[Music] let's give him a couple minutes [Music] coach oh yeah they jumping in now hey everybody if you on Scotty's Channel make sure you go down in the in the uh description go down there and select go over to Rocky's Channel make sure you join us on HBCU Coaches Corner on my page as well man you can watch on Scot you can chat over there but uh make sure you you uh like And subscribe on both [Music] channels welcome to another exciting Ed edition of HBCU Coaches Corner I'm the one and only Rocky Miller and I'm joined by the former TSU head coaches swag legend Johnny Cole and along with the 19 fresh the FAMU freshman class of 1988 class president Stephen go let's go hey before we get started we got our guest we we we he's already on fire so I but but before we do that let me ask you guys after a marathon we did on Tuesday how you guys doing coach I'm doing great I'm excited I can't wait I and you know I got to do the introduction for my coach but I man I'm excited because a lot of people want to hear him and what a lot of people want to hear because he gonna be on with Johnny Cole yeah swag Legend and we gonna be able to really talk some ex old so I'm super excited that's what people are here for well hey this night is dedicated to you coach uh it's your night it's Florida andm Ratt everything that you've been saying is coming true they the only team black team in the in they're sitting 2 and 0 taking care of business uh you're a big big major supporter of Coach Coy and and keeping that Florida ATM team coach you call this one you 100 baby uh you know I apologize for a little lateness I had a a call by HBC you go I'll be now handling the Virginia State wins the Salem game with Coach Frasier there Virginia state and Coach mat here Winston Salem I'll be looking I'll be coming after you guys to make sure that uh make sure you have your exes and O together because I'm going be calling it tight the Rattlers are in the building man the Rattlers are in the building they everywhere the Rattlers are everywhere coach so with no further Ado I turn it over to the Rattler himself Stephen C introducing James Co III be clear on that James Co the thir the 19th head football coach of Florida NM University trying to get comfortable and coing let's bring the coach up what's going on guys Co we get excited on this this channel Co excited we we this ain't no we don't be laid back we we ready to come out Coach man you don't have two two big ones I I gotta take my hat off to you coach y'all make great changes y'all make great adjustments coach Florida andm here Coach man your first opportunity how do you feel well great you know I think uh you know a lot of the you know I guess experts didn't think we'd U do as well as we did the first couple games you know you're going you're going against two really really good coach two really good head coaches you know coming out with uh you know obvious with North Folk State and South Carolina State but uh you know happy obviously you're playing two teams that you don't necessarily have all the feel that you would want on them and coordinator did a really really good job making the adjustments that we needed to make and uh you know you know you you're sitting here with two close two close games and and you're sitting two and 0 you I mean as a football team and as a staff we're extremely happy yeah coach uh I'm gonna get in this side and I know coach Campbell and uh Rocky gonna come coach you you're a head coach of HBCU your background has no ACU uh I mean HBCU in it uh and you've been around you know your business you know the game you've already displayed that you a a a great head coach uh and I know coaching on the onea level as you have and of course you know you craw before in the junior college path did you think it would be the HBCU give you the opportunity or in your career did you want to be a head coach at a pwi well I'll say this you know both my parents went to albony state so they you know I I spent a lot of time at the golden Rams over there over there in albony Georgia from from age one to to 18 years old so uh you know you're always just you're going to be happy with with every opportunity that you may have so you know this this this is the journey that I that I've taken or that I'm a part of right now um you know you're always gonna want to be a part of something and I'm I'm extremely happy you know this is my second opportunity being as a head coach but obviously my first one you know at the NCAA level and and you know hey when I came in here in 2022 and and learn from what what learn what I learned while being with Coach Simmons you know why not be the 19th head football coach Florida ANM once this opportunity became available yeah now you know you coached pwi like we talk now you coach that the HBCU and everybody try to make a distinc difference between pwi players and HBCU players in the field of course you know it's 53 yards wide and 100 yards long is there a difference and what are the similarities of the kids that you've coach on a bigger level as opposed to HBCU level well you know first thing people try to mention is is is the resources or whatever the case may be but I I I see athletes I see athletes regardless of the level you know we we got guys that you know my my our starting Corner had the opportunity to go to the pwi level this past you know this past year but ultimately decided to stay at Florida A&M you know we got guys that have come that have transferred from the pwi level and you know if you ask them they're going to they're going to more than likely say some of the resource might not necessarily be like at the pwi level but they will also refute by saying that you know the love that the student body the love that the administration that you truly truly get the respect you know from the from the alumni the respect and the love from the student body right so you know there there's there's some goods and some bads you know what I mean but but the players that I have they're extremely happy to be here at Florida A&M and wouldn't choose to be at any other institution whether it was an HBCU or a pwi yeah I was just gonna say that one more question I'm G turn it over you guys I was gonna ask you that uh of course you know coach at the pwi after them games and them 70,000 80,000 fans and when the game's over you right back in your car drive but now you know when you got your own people 18 25 30,000 watching you you get to go back and see them all in the parking lot see them after the game they patting you on the back how how how much does that mean to you you know to see your mom them HBC you guys I'm pretty sure some of your friends how is that that that uh you you feel about that once those games over I use those both weekends that we just you know that we just had right you know obviously you get 1.5 million watching you know our football game in Atlanta but then you can't you can't overstate the fans that we had while we were in Atlanta you know the love that we had the the crowd noise etc etc then you come back and then we have our home opener packed house brag Stadium a lot on the line you know South Carolina State's coming in with you know with with with their great head coach and and and their football team you know obviously with the intention to to of not of beating us but also ruining our streak right well you know we're behind you know we get behind 187 and then once you see that touchdown to make us go up 22 to 18 and we kick the extra point and you just see that entire crowd just you know just just go crazy right I mean it was it it was a surreal moment for our team and you know our vet tried to I guess I want to say warn some of our newer players about about how what the Mystique or or whatever that thing is is when whenever we play at BR Stadium how how our crowd is how our band is you know how how everything happens in between quarters in between plays I mean it's it's a magical place um you know Championship DNA all across all across that not just on that field but the fans that are surrounding it then then after the game then you know then you know you have to wait because there's nowhere to go EI either you go to Perry Street or you sit in the locker room and wait until all until all This Crowd Goes Down so you know you know the last two weeks have truly truly shown our newer players you know um that what it's like to be a family rally I got strike strike and strike again coach Coach Co I want to step in here I and and I know that uh Steve camell can't wait to get his questions in whatever I I want to I want to ask you few questions here coach yes sir coach going going back uh shortly after after Willie Simmons took an opportunity at Duke um there was talk I'll just say talk about who would be the next head coach of FAMU you were immediately named the intro um and then uh there's some I'll say some I don't know if you want to call it confusion or misrepresentation misinformation happened during that time frame but it was no doubt who the who the fan base of f you wanted a head coach who the alumni wanted at head coach and even Who The Faculty wanted a head coach with with a literally people standing up on the table in insisting that you become the next head coach of FAMU does that add added pressure coming into this season where you have to be successful to make sure that those people stood up for the right reason well I I'll say this the more the more you know I want say as long as it took but you know going through that month while everything was going on you know gave me the opportunity to truly show that I could be the head coach you know when I was named the interim you know I I got I had to go through making a schedule right for for spring practice I had to I had to make our wait room schedule so you know I I grabbed the people that our string condition in coach pointy you know the two people that I was going to hopefully added our as as my coordinators you know we we got our schedule together we talked about our January plan we talked about recruiting we we we put together a schedule for uh for February for our offseason program and for spring you know for spring for spring camp so you know our ad right got a chance to see everything that I would be doing during that time frame right so you know y going through interviews you know going through all the things that we had to go through you know when I was given that opportunity to be the interim head coach you know in our conversation she's said hey coach you're the head coach I need you to be the head coach I need you to keep this thing going so every single day that went by every every minute that went by those are the things the decisions that I made was as the head football coach at Florida A&M not just for the month of January but for the near future so you know does it add pressure I just think being I just think being the head football coach at Florida A&M is is the pressure to begin with right you know you you're you're the head coach of a team the reigning HBCU national champions right and as we continue to go through this thing daily they want to go back you know and not a day goes by and that talks hey coach you know we we we started in Atlanta with we want to end in Atlanta the 20 you know the the the nation's longest winning streak you know the nation the home the home longest winning streak all you know all those things that goes in that goes in to be you know having part of the job that's part of the job I understand that but I also understand the responsibility of being the head football coach at Florida man it's a big time opportunity to me is it is the best job in the country and I approach that like I approach it like that every single day hey coach you you you weren't in when you got called back to Tallahasse I think probably in 2022 if I'm not mistaken you're no stranger to Tallahasse many you people may not know that you were a two sport athlete not only in high school but also for the University of Flor for Florida State uh University with that being with having such a rich history even I even watched a clip earlier today where you where you made the clenching interception in a Florida State Miami game coach so you you not you not only on the team you actually played on what was a what I consider one of the best college football teams to ever play with that being said how much did that familiarity with Tallahassee and your history as a player and Tallahassee allowed a city to get behind you as being a head coach do you think that played into a factor of of you had Buy in from people that normally wouldn't be interested uh in who was the F head coach at FAMU you had other other people who wanted you to represent Florida State University as the head coach of fam well I don't think it hurt um you know obviously you know playing at for state and and and you know and having coach Bowen you know on my resume or or as a guy that I learned from um you know but I but I will say this I think I think coach Simmon's definitely hiring me giving me the opportunity to be here letting the alumni and the fans you know see the work that that not just myself but everyone had put into the program you know and and that's that was big you know you know obviously being here and and meeting the alumni meeting the fans just you know and Coach Simmons is backing you know definitely helped as well you know I you know him and I had conversations you know in the past and you know and he knew my intentions of wanting to be a head coach again so you know the likelihood of it happening you know I I didn't know you know what I mean you know obviously you know you never nobody nobody knew what coach simos was going to be doing at at the end of the season but I will say this when he did make the decision and then he recommended to you know to our athletic director hey the person that should be doing this should be coach Coy I definitely know that helped as well you know yep the Florida state stuff you know playing and you know and then being a gr assistant in Tallahasse but you know we we got a different fan base right you know we got a different fan base I I you know I had I had to make sure that Florida and M Rattlers were were excited to have me as well so you know yep being in the city was great great yep you know the newspapers and people that were kind of on both sides definitely help but the most important thing to me was the love of the alumni our players our boosters and our student body with that being said coach I'll turn it over to one of the esteemed alumni of fam you at this time the freshman class president of 1988 Stephen camp now look Coach Co coach Cole go ahead coach I I just said playing in Florida State uh and it's being now the head coach Florida andm well you know where the W was at you you know where the street you know where the sen your assist like look man they down on crch y go get kids well you know I I had to go speak at the at the floor State touchdown club today and uh you know we had we had all the nolles in there and and Von Wilson got me in there you know but there was about 15 to 20 Rattlers that were also in the building and uh and you know obviously Florida State's going through their own you know deal as as far as opening the season but you know they wanted me to talk about Florida andm but wanted to make reference to all the things that we did at Florida State well I they listen hey guys I'm here wearing the green you know I'm here wearing the orange you know all all I'm not I'm not wearing anything garden and gold today you know in my my heart and everything else that's going on right now is with is with FAMU and uh you know they gave me the opportunity um they they they blessed with the opportunity and uh and and again I I I can't I can't have to say that you know I'm I'm honored you know to be the 19th head football coach because this is a respons responsibility that take very very seriously last thing coach and I'm G let let my man turn it over all right you know coach with your background were you going through that how did you get to Florida I mean again with your background I know coaching you know you're up you're down you're up you're down were you floating and and and you know people don't understand there's two types of coaches one to get hard and one to get far whether they tear you whether the head coach is far you're fir you're looking for a job right so that's why I was saying was were you looking for a job and then if so look at you now and that's how it is you well you know I've been doing it since 99 and and my and my journey got me into Canada for seven years you know I was the defensive coordinator at the University in Vancouver British Columbia we won a national championship that year and then and then and and you know there's only 27 division one schools Canada right so you know I got a chance then to go to another university called St Mary's and put me in Halifax Nova Scotia I was the head coach there for six years and you know I wanted I wanted to try to get back you know but I I had two opportunities during that six years that six-year term where I could have come back and I didn't right and then it just worked out one of the DB guys here uh left and I felt to me I was said hey man like you know I if I don't come now you know they're gonna stop asking so you know get get a chance to come here and again I I had to put my head down you know I I I had to you know figure out what coach Simmons wanted it what he wanted how he wanted things to be you know you you you run your own show for six years right and then you come to somebody else's show you know and and and and you have I had to make sure I asked him exactly what he needed from me how he wanted me to do it so you know he made me the you know he made me the uh Corners coach and defensive pass game coordinator and you know again I was I was on I was on his ship so then we go to the next year I guess I guess he thought I did well enough for him then he named me the assistant head coach and obviously gave me some administrative duties because believe it or not guys as his head coach there's more administrative duties than anything else you know I mean I'm know I got I got I'm on my desk right now I got a lot of paperwork and none of it's a Playbook you know so so but you know understand the administrative duties being making sure I wanted to make sure that everything coach asked me to do I wanted to do it at at at the maximum level I wanted to make sure I I wanted to make sure I did everything for him so it he he never looked bad in anything that he asked me to do so you know doing that obviously you know and I guess I I I made enough of a good impression for him that when he decided to move on that you know he felt the alumni to you know the supporters here that I would be that I would be the next best option and I'll tell you this I can't let him down yeah B basically coach you don't drove this boat before and I'm glad that you let you know a lot of people don't know that you know they think you just popped up you know and oh he's the next guy in and always shouldn't coach you drove this boat before I'mma turn it over to my man the Rattler himself uhh Coach Campbell go ahead well well coach first of all I want to thank you so much for being on but I I want to kind of give some of the what the fans have been asking and talk about first of all I want to give you a compliment when like you said when you were thrown in the fire you didn't know this was going to happen one of the biggest things I heard that was a compliment was that the players respected you and I think that went a very long way of why you're our head coach because coach you know and Coach you you've been a player you can like a coach but it's better if your players respect you and I think by your our players respected you is why we didn't have 50 60 guys in the P portal so I think that hey guys we got a lot of feedback I think somebody might need to go on mute I hear somebody in the background but um with that being said coach I want to talk about your decisions of how you put together your coaching staff how you decided Coach Henry being an offensive coordinator Coach Patterson how you brought in um Henry burs as your quarterback coach because last they said even though you have been a head coach now you're at Florida ANM there were a lot of people that wanted a job I'm pretty sure there were a lot of people that reached out to you that wanted to be part of the Florida ANM staff talk about your philosophy because what I do want to say is a lot of people say we had a different coach and we're going a different direction what I like to say is that you built off of and again coach Sim is the legendary now and now it's your time and you built off of that talk about your philosophy of putting the coaching staff together well you know we we we talked about continuity but you know in all reality when you when you lose a guy like coach Simmons who who just wasn't our head coach right he was our offensive coordinator he was our quarterback coach so in all reality you know you're you're you're trying to replace three different people you know so you but I but I felt that it was important that whatever we were doing defensively and whatever we were doing offensively I thought if we if if we were going to keep the best way to keep our players was to keep them doing the same exact thing that they seen that that they had seen successful right so you know me I could come in here and just start running the option not saying it's a bad offense but couldn't come in there doing that because the guys that we recruited right we recruited to play a certain defense in a certain offense right so I thought it was extremely important I know coach I know coach Henry was our coordinator on paper but we all know coach Simmons was the one that pulled the trigger as far as the calls go but in all reality I thought coach eny really really deserved this opportunity right he was he done a lot of good things here and he continued to do a lot of good things here and hey and and I'm a person when you do well similar to myself when you do well and you get promoted that's that was that was an easy transition for me in regards to coach hamy making him the offensive coordinator Coach Patterson you know believe it or not right he he was our defensive line coach and the best Coach position that we've had at FAMU since I've been here has been our defensive line you know what I mean so again a guy who done a great job as an assistant he was also our co-defensive coordinator you know you know you know last year again I just thought it was a likely fit we want to run the 425 we want to run our quarters we want to do everything that we've done defensively over the last two or three years as I've been here I thought was again a likely move espe you know especially after coach SMY had left the likely move was ultimately moving Coach Patterson to be our defensive coordinator but the only thing we did change was I wanted him to coach the linebackers because I wanted him to be you know I wanted him to make sure he had input with the Run game but also make sure he had input with the pass game so those were the two guys that we that we named as our coordinators right so now we got you know I obviously trying to replace coach Simmons as a quarterback coach a very very tall task Henry bur being one of the greatest quarterbacks in history in Canada the relationship that I knew of him but in all reality I would like to say Coach Henry right was the was the one who started the conversation he's the one that got together with Coach burs he understood the importance of that position so they when they had the interview I was always a part of it but once I knew coach burs was on the interview it was almost a no-brainer for me as far as him you know coming in knowing the game knowing the success that he had at at at the not not just at the Collegiate level but at the professional level right so he came in as our quarterback coach great fit understands the game understands exactly what we need from that position well Coach Patterson after being named the coordinator right we needed to find a DB coach and then we needed to find a defensive line coach the DB coach that we ended up Hing was coach Pope he was a guy that played for me at West Georgia between 2008 and 2012 he knows what I want from the those defensive backs because I had to coach him so he understood what I needed you know the the the details the techniques so it was a like it was a good it was a great fit for me because he was a guy that I could trust to do to coach them exactly the way I wanted to coach them and obviously we get K coach Walker an NFL guy guys come from Oklahoma great experience a guy that's going to do exactly what coach Pat Coach Patterson wanted from the front so you know we we did a really really good job with our hires you know but they were guys that had to learn the system I didn't really care how much they knew I needed them to know what we were doing offensively for Florida andm and what we were doing defensively for Florida andm and that was part of the interview process I needed them to understand what we were doing because they were going to be the ones that had to learn it while we already had guys that already understood and knew what we wanted to do on both sides of the football so great fit they've done a great job for the you know up to this point um and I and and obviously I need them to be great men and and all and all those people that we hired are also great men as well that's awesome now coach I want to ask you a question when and you were talking about one of the things and you talked about Co Simmons offensive Guru one of the things that I've seen the first two games is the continuity we still and from scheme and play call we still got guys running wide open that means you guys are setting up plays that means you guys are stuning opponent so is that continuity that you're talking about Coach Henry knowing the play calls knowing the offense is that what really help to keep us again keeping that offense in gear Along with Dan Richardson well I I'll say this I think with with Coach Henry understanding the the you know the offense completely allows him to throw in whatever he does so you know we we we script our first half right and then what we do after that we script our second half based on what we like and what we you know what we don't like which again to me is great I mean we we he understands offense obviously being around coach Simmons but he for me obviously with him being the offensive line coach he plays multiple offensive line he plays nine to 10 offensive lineman in the game you know I mean we got we got offensive lineman coming in as tight ends right he he understands the need of making sure everyone gets involved but as you mentioned he does a heck of a job of staying that place heck of a job of staying that place coach I want to ask you something as we as we getting getting into your coaches whatever when we were down at the swag makak challenge coach Cole and I you we met you right there on the field before you got on the field and you were doing something the way we had to I'm sorry coach that's the only way we can catch you co we call Obama he answer the phone Oprah answer the phone we I hey look I told the guys because that's a man when I get down there I care where he at I'm going to talk to him I mean to interrupt it was hard get in touch with you I trust me trust me these D Bill people find me hey if they can find me everybody can find me I I I don't I don't Dodge phone calls trust me and I apologize for for any issue that you may have had hey hey coach and you and you and you gave us your number right there on the field you couldn't talk to us very long there because you were doing something very in I thought that was very interesting as a as a head coach you were down there drilling the DBS right there on the field um is that like a is that a responsibility of yours is that something you just you know are you working off some nerves what are you doing hey and you really slanging that ball coach to you it was looking real good coming out your arm it didn't surprise me that you were a baseball player you know uh once I did my research on you right well you know I I don't want to I don't want to lose the job that got me the job you know what I mean I I've been I've been a defensive back guy my whole life you know and that's what I played and you know and I and I and I and I still coach the corners you know a lot of a lot of the past game stuff you know I'm I'm obviously in tune what we're doing and and I'm in the meetings and things like that I I and I meet the corners you know I meet with them when we talk about game plan we talk about film so you know that's that's I've always done that um you know you know Coach Andrew who was my defensive coordinator you know a lot of people thought he was the guy that they still on the sidelines but now he you know he he did the drills and and I you know and our guys you know and I think for them I think that's important to them that I I don't shy away from it you know that's just that's what I do you know I I do the ball drills when we were doing our team stuff you know when we were doing like our our our routes on air so you know that's just I don't think if it's the nerves I just I've been doing it until I can't throw it anymore I I won't do it so but love doing it love love still that's part of my game prep uh that goes along with our players game prep go ahead Florida and okay Coach so again a lot of people we played two games we're two and 0 so talk to us about again and I think this is why I'm most proud of you a lot of people hey in in their mind coach again like you said you've been the head coach before but for a lot of people they don't know your career so they believe you're a rookie head coach right in their mind a lot of people the perception but talk to me about when we in those two games we're behind and the defense because and another thing too I think a lot of people know we lost a lot of stars off of Defense you came in brought a lot of new guys in talk about because I know you talked about our linebackers not so much we were getting blown off the ball or anything more about assignment football talk about how you coach the guys up in halftime in both games and also very clear that because of your demeanor that there was no Panic so kind of talk to us you know the mindset of keeping the team under control and also coaching the players up in a actually in a game because that's what a lot of people were Amazed by because when they saw us go down there was no Panic you could just see the team there was no Panic from the coaches nobody was going crazy it looked like you still was under control can you talk to us about that and is that your demeanor also well not I mean there was some internal panic I can tell you that when we we got in in in brag Memorial Stadium that that night but I I'll say this I mean we we work situational football all the time throughout the weeks in practice you know and so you when we got down early against Northfolk you know it was early for us it was still early you know nor you know we didn't we we when we gain prep for Northfolk we weren't expecting a lot of the unbalance we weren't expecting a lot of the X off so when you know when you go unbalance you got to knock front you got to move you know you got to make that what we call a new center so we weren't doing that right but with the new technology with the iPads we were able to see it right and then make the and then make the appropriate changes you know with South Carolina state similar right we they weren't they weren't giving us you know unbalanced but they were giving us some X off stuff so you know it was the change that we had to make we had to wait to get get them to the sideline you know and so once we once we get you to the sideline we can find out what you're doing I got TR I got trust in all might whether it's offense or defense I got I got amazing trust for those guys we were able to do that make you know make the appropriate changes right you know so that that was again having the ability to to to coach him up take him to the sidelines you know we even we even work sideline management right so again things that you work on throughout the week so once you get to the game it it it doesn't surprise you so you know yes right you know the the we had a deep ball against against South Carolina state we had a deep ball against North Folk state had to change some coverage as again obviously with me being a part of the you know defensive staff and helping on on some of the past games so we went to a couple different coverages that South Carolina state didn't necessar think we were going to run so you know again it's a collective effort you know but our coordinators our coordinators lead it right I talk to them we talk about it how we want to do it how we want to fix it you know and and then we and then we execute on the field so you know again our coordinators are doing a great job I mean these is they're they're all so new to this you know Coach Patterson coach Coach Henry coach gamble who handles our special teams we talk a lot right we have our coordinator meeting we talk about how we want things to happen and if it doesn't happen that way we know how we want to make adjustments so you know again it's not just me trust me it's not just me it's a collective effort and and I got to make sure I get props from my coordinators and the rest of our staff coach I wanna I want to ask you this because I've I've noticed something watching your first two games offensively right I believe that Willie Simmons was an Innovative play call however he was what I would consider a a risk he took risk very early in the game he he was a he was more of a risky play caller I see uh Coach Henry being more methodical more deliberate taking his time setting up his opponent am I correct in that assessment or or is it just been the game plan that's dictated how the how the Florida games went well I mean coach Simmons was the former quarterback and uh Coach Henry is is an offensive line coach right so you know the mindset might must be a little different U but I'll say this you know we we had Jord Musa right you know we had we had we had a big time quarterback uh excuse me Musa uh we had him as a quarterback a guy two years you know Player of the Year you know we could sling it up and down the field we wanted to be methodical with a new guy right no matter no matter regardless of what the you know success Daniel richon had at the at the FBS level you know we we we our our main strength for us is our offensive line you know and we and we felt that we needed to make sure we try to establish a run game in these first two games not try to put a lot of pressure on Daniel richon because being the quarterback fmu does come with pressure so but you know I the best the best position on our football team in my opinion this year is our offensive line so we want to make sure we establish certain things up front where maybe we can set some things up you know later on down the line so you know we're a different team you know we're winning differently over over then over the last couple years and uh you know Coach Henry again yeah maybe a little bit more methodical you know but I think a lot of it has to do with who our quarterback is and what we feel is the best part of our offense at this time coach you got you have to be honest coach you guys don't have a game manager coach you guys have a Bonafide solidified playmaker we knew that we knew that and and I'll say this and I be Miss without saying this though you know Junior who you know who who Who's seconding team for us did a hell of a job this summer guys I I need people don't really realize how close of this decision was for us you know and again obviously Daniel Daniel is the one who's you know who's reaping the benefits of being a starting quarterback but you know junior did a very very good job challenging him you know and you know every day we went one a and one B you know and but Daniel richon obviously right now the first two games the biggest thing for me is no interceptions and he's getting the ball to our Playmakers whether it's running back the tight ends or the wide receivers so you know we we're hitting different people now you know we don't have that you know last year we had that Bonafide guy the year before that we had that Bonafide guy now now now you know we have we have a bunch of other people that we could throw the football to and and and I love the way our Titans are being used right now well let me say this coach because the biggest thing in HBCU football this past weekend was the transition of Andrew B and O'Brien you took you kind of jump I was going to ask you a question about all right you brought Richardson in you had a guy that's been in the program how did you guys go about choosing or why you guys didn't go out like as you did and put one at quarterback and one at tail back and motion him the wide receiver you guys sit down as a staff and made the decision and actually you you you made a and I and I told these guys CU you know you got some fans here I'm the coach and I told them you know sometime they say well coaches want to win don't you I said no I said this is the most egotistical business that you can have you got guys will don't like a cat don't play him and put another cat because he like well anyway let me get back to my question what made you guys say this is our guy and I know you're loyal to that kid that was there but at the end of the day you got to put the best 11 on the on the on the football field winning supersedes everybody's emotions everybody's feelings what's your take on that coach well you know obviously Junior was a guy that had been here for the last couple years and then you know when Musa did leave right you you you know there wasn't a void because we already knew we had Junior a guy that could play for us but you know we also had a guy that was that was that was trying to fight his own Niche right Danel Rich had had had success at Central Michigan had had success at Florida Atlantic you know but he but he wanted to come to Florida A&M he wanted to earn his masters from Florida A&M and so he decided to come in the spring where you know obviously as coach Simmons left and I mentioned earlier coach Simmons was three different phases of our of our football team so you know we we we didn't necessarily have our quarterback coach in time to start spring practice so you know he came in the middle right we we do spring practice a little bit earlier but he came in the middle of of spring practice so we didn't want to make a decision yet because our our quarterback coach and those other two quarterbacks didn't necessarily get an entire spring together so you know we we we set up our OTAs during the summer you know we had we had 75 to 80 kids here the entire summer training OTAs on the field you know Skelly on their own and so they they they they were put they were put through the grind we we we installed every week we put our offense in we put our defense in so we were doing what we were allowed to do but we were putting them through the gamut just so we can see what they were going to do then we get to training camp right you know I I I didn't I wanted to make sure we gave them both an opportunity but I already knew that we were never gonna run a two quarterback system that was not my I was not gonna do that not gonna do that right so what what what put us over the little know put us put him over maybe was Junior was we there was two things that we were looking for from that position we wanted him to get get the ball out and we wanted him to take theot we wanted him to take care of the football so you know that was a little bit of a gauge for that went up for Daniel you know and and and now you know now you're seeing you know the fut of his labor right now and again when I say it was it wasn't by a lot you know but but you know Daniel Daniel was just taking care of the football just a little bit better did did you have any idea that Daniel Richardson would be the gamer that he is for FAMU in clutch moments and clutch times in the game well you know you got a guy who threw for 7,000 yards you know at at at the fs level so you know and and you could just tell some of the tri and Triple H that he had gone through at the two previous institutions right you know he had success you know whatever the reasons were he might not he was replaced or taken out or whatever the case may be um you know the the experience level that he has you know you just see it how he carries himself but you see it a lot more when you see him on the football field so you know he's he's he's your guy that you know he's in the he's in the huddle the guy in the locker room obviously since she since she took the position um and like I told the announcer you know a couple weeks ago I'm extremely happy that he's on our football team I'm sure this kid uh that he compet against is a great kid as well how much did Richardson's attitude and the team gradu gravitated to him and his leadership ability I haven't met the kid but I can I know if a kid is making a choice to come to a university to get a master he really got his his mind together not nothing against the other kid either but how much that of him uh take to help make you guys make the decision to say this is the guy well you know winning games the way we've won you know that that can only help his his his his locker room at you know attitude or how our guys feel about him you know but but I mean when you when you when you get to know him you know he's a yes sir no sir young man you know and he he just goes about his business you know what I mean you know he he he took 12 hours this summer in the master program you know he he took he took nine hours in the spring he did all of that just so he can play football and still be in the master's program to graduate in the fall you know so again he's got he's got he's got his he's got his mind made up you know he's got his priorities in order uh and he and every day he comes to work you know and those are the things obviously that you know for us right that's what we needed especially because we had a we had a guy that did the exact same thing for the last two years so the guys are seeing it you know they they gravitate to him uh and it's hard not to again like it's hard not to especially with the performances that he's had over the last couple weeks you know wi winning winning cures a lot of things you know you three weeks ago we barely knew him now everybody knows them as well as they can so you know but I'll say this the way he goes about his business every single day only can help you know the attitude the team has for him you know they they'll do anything for that young man as he would do as well goad I'm sorry coach well let's talk turkey for a minute Co let's talk some football because I know them Florida and them rers out there and they ready to they ready to buy their tickets to Atlanta and everything else you're a defensive guy and you still got that hole that they rushing somewhere and and you gota you gota I know you know you got to stop the bleeding you know uh you got out of two games because they had two great running programs uh if you meet a team that can mix it up a little bit have some cess running which you know yourself makes throwing the ball easier does that concern you is that still a concern that you had guys got because you gave up over 150 yards and rushing both games and I know it's a defensive coach that got to eat at you the stand the standard for us is under 100 yards you know that's that's what we want to be if we get get you under 100 yards we feel that we're in a good spot you know people ask me when people ask me earlier about what my what I thought my biggest loss was you know I didn't say Isaiah major I didn't say I didn't say Musa I didn't say k dot I thought our biggest loss was you know the way the way he commanded the middle you know and and we got a couple guys that we can hopefully get to that point you know but but but General hunt obviously him leaving and going to you know we we we when we were trying to recruit and try to duplicate the things that he did for us right it was you know it was hard it was hard to go by you know so you know now now now you get now you get the uh you know you get you get camaron Donald from kth State you get you know you get Clyde Pender you know who was at North Carolina you know those are things for us for us where you know we we're steadily trying to get it right now again major and Cheney two linebackers that one was all conference and the other one should have been all conference we're replacing them as well so you know we we we gota we there's some things that we got to tidy up you know I I think in that first game we might have been a little bit doing a little bit too much but we weren't aligned properly like that's the biggest thing for that first game you know we when they ran that counter back on to that other side we didn't have enough over there so you know that wasn't that wasn't a schematic issue that was an alignment issue that was a communication issue so you know those are some things for us where hey you know we got we have to continue to work on it University of Miami what do you think they're gonna try to do to us what do you think they're G to try to do to us they're gonna run the football right so until you stop it right and put it on film right what you put on film or what teams are going to try to do to you so for us we know we we know we got to work on we're continue to try to find out who our best 11 are regardless of the situation and and and that's you know those are the things that that we're harping on as we get ready for this football game this upcoming Saturday yeah let let let me sof the Florida ADM fan base you know hey don't take it so hard on Coach coach just now don't took it over he's got to fix that issue of running the football before y'all can hold a trophy up I'm sure that that that I know I know you guys are working on that go ahead coach C now coach I is I'm want to ask you about the Miami game because I know a lot of people want to know about that but one of the things too that I've noticed again we have each team is a different personality but it looks like have you focused on the disciplin on team Forest not getting personal files not being offsides not getting penalties that's something that you really your coaching staff has really worked on because I was kind of an issue for a lot of our F we were very explosive so it was we were able to make up those mistakes but it seems like this year in these first two games the penalties have gone down from a personal standpoint and just from a schematic standpoint of being off sides or holding and things like that well you know we had five the first game and we had six the second um you know we want we we have these things that we do every during training camp that we did every day talking about FBI we called it football IQ and as a coach we would talk to this we would talk to the team about it well my I gave the first one of training camp and and my and my football IQ talk was about penalties you know I I showed them the numbers as far as where we were ranked and the amount of penalties that we've had over the last couple years and when I was talking to the team they couldn't believe that that that we had many yards that we had given up and then and then we talked about you know we talked about well what if we had not given up those penalties during that time frame what would our scores have been you know what what what would what would our season have looked like last year you know even though we went 12-1 we probably would have dominated a little bit more so you know we had that we kind of had that Round Table discussion about what we're supposed to do how we're supposed to do it you know there's been a couple times throughout the season I you know I've called timeout and we've talked about what teams are going to be trying to do to us you know and why they be trying to do with it so you know the guy the guys the guys understand it they you know situations right how we need to handle them we've handled them much better even though we've had you know we've had one or two right we've handled them much much better than maybe we've done in the past but in this in these games right now as close as they've been right you know one penalty here one penalty there can can change a drive can change an opportunity to score so you know our veterans are doing a really really good job taking a lead with that they understand how important it is to me so you know it you know from I guess from the stands or from the from TV it looks like that but believe it or not we've had a lot of discussions and we penalize you at after practice for some of those Foods penalties that we may have hady Co now coach we getting ready well hold on Kaki now coach we are playing the University of Miami yes sir you're from Miami yep what are you looking for as the team again we are anytime the r step on the field our goal is to win the game but I know also as a coach there's some things that you're trying to grow the team in so this is going to be a step up in Talent this is going to be an opportunity for allow our players to get exposed to a power four team to get some tape for you know for Scouts and things like that what are you looking to accomplish in the game versus Miami Season you know we know we're going against a really really good opponent you know I'm not gonna sugarcoat it you know they good they're a good football team and then we got one game of film on them you know them suers went down in the swamp and and and beat Florida 4117 I mean you know we we ain't G I ain't gonna sit up here and lie to them you know they watch film with us the entire week they know they know what we're up against so for me I I I want us to play better than we played week two you know I want that's what I want you know I mean I I don't I told my coach today I don't want us to stop coaching I I told my players today I don't want us to stop playing right so you know it gives us an opportunity to another opportunity to play but to see what it's like right to get when you get that opportunity or or or or see was like playing a big time football game you came to Florida A&M to play in these type of games right and you know you mentioned if you want if you have aspirations to play at the next level guess what film they're going to be looking at no disrespect to Mississippi Valley State or Alabama andm when he's when he's Kendall bowler you want to show you could play in The Next Level we're GNA see how you played against Miami Alan Smith aspiration wants to play in the NFL we're going to see how you played against Miami that entire got three or four offensive linemen they want to go to the next level well guess guess guess what guess what film the scouts are going to watch you against University of Miami so you know there there's some things that you know I know guys are playing for but I don't want them to do it in an unselfish way we have a philosophy that we want an offensive defense we have Technique we have fundamentals do what you're supposed to do if your butt's supposed to be in the B Gap keep your butt in the B Gap if you're supposed to run if you're supposed to run your out route at nine yards run your out route at nine yards so you know we're I want us to play better what we played last week those are the things that I would like to see and that's what we're going to try to get you when we play Saturday is this the type of game where I'm sorry I'm give you one more I'm sorry just one more because I just want to follow up on it coach is this is the type of game where you see where you the other players the second string will get opportunity to also play to see what they can do you know give them some time because we've had two close game where maybe you didn't get a lot of players in as you wanted is this the type of game where hey maybe we can put a couple of guys in to see what they can do also is that possible in this game well I think we do that anyway you know we we always want our best 11 to be out there so when it's when it's third and long we got a different 11 out there on the field when when it's first and 10 when we're in nickel we got a we got a different 11 out there on the field right you know offensively you noticed we've we've we' played multiple tight ends in different situations we've played multiple running backs right so you know in in our game even though we start with 11 defensively we played almost 23 to 24 people and offensively we've almost played 24 to 25 people so we do that anyway all right and and I continue to tell our coaches hey we got to continue to develop I want to get next year's team ready this year right so we we got guys that are playing that aren't necessarily starters right but when they hit the field we want them to play like starters so we're traveling 70 right you know you probably gonna dress 105 so so you know but but you're you're exactly right we we we need to continue to develop our players right we'll continue to do that we'll give them opportunities to beat to to play but I think for the most part we've done a good job of that already right and you know and and I think that getting a chance to play against this type of crowd and this type of environment can only get us ready when we got to go play Alabama State we gotta go play Jackson State they've already been in that they've already played in the big crowd they did it they they're going to be able to do that Saturday they did it in Atlanta but it gives us a contined give us an opportunity to get ourselves ready to play Big Time college football in a big time environment coach I I I don't know if you know about HB CEO history and head football coaches I've been around it for 40 years man and and and it's a pleasure uh you belong here you you are a uh a guy that loves these kids love this opportunity to coach in HBCU uh the way you coach them is at a higher level I I can look in the future that long as they have you there there will be some kids they go to the next level you know we've been low these last probably last 15 years of kids actually leaving and going to the next level I think you and your staff man you're professional uh you know those two games I seen I can't say enough about chennis bar and his football team enough about old them uh just it just love to watch uh the professionalism uh the schemes and stuff for me you know I back with Eddie Robinson and and all those cats man so so I I want to make sure I tell you that and give you your flowers man and hopefully you stay around forever but if not you know you know I wish you wish you well and I just wanted to make sure that I say that man because you know a whole lot of stuff was going on during the time of of hiring you and hiring somebody else and and man I I I had to say that uh man they they quit smiling uh uh coach cell no go ahead go ahead Rocky go ahead go ahead Rocky Rock no guys I I I just wanted to say that coach you you know in your first two games you perform uh your team has held it together in the face of adversity and to me that's what that's the Hallmark of a of a really good team going in you know this is kind of the same kind of question but I'm GNA get more specific do you see uh a time where you can play Junior uh this upcoming week uh in the game against Miami so every morning well I W say every morning this the morning before we play we have what we call play the player meetings and and and then when that happens you know we sit about we have it's right after breakfast we sit around for about an hour and we we talk about certain things that you know we we want to happen in the game uh how many you know I I want those I want my coordinators and position coaches to come in and tell tell me who they're thinking of playing right and and how much and when so you know when that grade sheat comes out and you told me that this guy was going to play this amount of plays right then then you know then I I want to see that I want to be able to see that right so um and I'll say this in our first two play play the player meetings it was it was um you know the opportunity was to we wanted to get Junior in the football game you know we want we wanted to get we wanted to get we wanted to play him right well then now you know we we get to the first game and and um talk about when we want to do it well hell we're down 14-0 now you know what I mean and and and then then you know you get to the you get to the game against um you know South Carina State you know we wanted to get him in then but you know Jam Richard was playing well right and even though we even though it wasn't showing on the scoreboard you know Richard was doing a great job with his reads and so you know we we go into the game every game wanting to play him you know we want we want to play him right so I think I think there's going to be a good chance to you know to do that uh you know but we don't want to necessarily ruin what maybe Daniel richon has going on especially during those games so if you look at those two games you know there there wasn't necessary an opportunity to do so but you know going into Saturday there's always there was all there's always been a plan especially for the first two weeks to try to find a way to get Junior in the football game say coach I want to ask you a question you coming in being a new coach for Florida A&M University of course we're the defending HBC national champions fam you won the first onea Champion you come in and Coach immediately they want to see you like you say go back to Atlanta what have you done with the new coaching staff with the ex the oversized expectations what have you done as a coach to make sure that you keep the team focus and understand that as they say one game at a time but also knowing that the end goal for fam was always being a national champion well I mean our veterans do a great job of of of leading it leading that parade where they know hey to get there right we got to make sure we take care of this day you know obviously that's that's the end goal but but we we we we're very very conscientious about being where our feet are you know right now you know we're making sure that we got to make sure we're on time tomorrow so we can hit that flight right we have to make sure that we have to make sure that we get take care of ourselves and and being ready to go for Saturday so know and we and and I will say this we did a great job of that last year because we know we when we beat Jackson State the first game of the year everyone thought it was over with we're going to go here we're going to go there but in all reality right we had to make sure we want to we have to make sure that we took care of every week so know the guy the guys have gone through it they understand it right and and again I mean you know we we gota for in my opinion we got a very very tough schedule so why why look into the future when we got to make sure we take care of this stuff that we got this week right got get you got to get healthy then then take on another division you know another FBS program so I can't worry about October until we take care of damn September now coach I want to go I want to shift gears one thing and we'll get back to the football but I'm a huge football fan I was actually in Tallahassee when you came to Florida State now you came to Florida State in one of the most legendary recruiting classes of all time War dun was in your class um Scott Bentley remember they needed you guys needed a kicker Daryl Bush rard Wilson Peter bu when you playing at Florida State and playing at a high level and Coach micke Andre who Deion Sanders talks about legendary defensive back coach what did that type of playing in those big games that you played in playing for a national championship Rocky talked about you making up do you talk to the players about hey I've been in these big games I know what this means let me give you a little bit of my experience you kind of talk about that also talk about the great players that you play with and what you're expecting far as from the recruits that we brought in you know from the portal and things like that do you use that utilize the experience of you being a great college player yourself well I be honest with you my players do it for me you know I mean they you know they they they joke around about the big shoulder pads and you know that the the different Nike Swoosh that we had you know in the 90s compared to how the Nike Swoosh is now you know I I obviously that that that gives that gives you it gives you some credibility you know and I I always have to joke about it because he y coach the interception hold on guys I actually had nine in my career I had more than just this one interception that everyone wants to talk about you know but I mean obviously they know how far they know how close we are to Florida State you know and understanding that you know at one time you know you know we we were very very good uh and obviously you playing for Coach Bowden believe me it pains me every year every year that goes by when I when I tell people about Coach D and they ask me who you know what I mean so obviously obviously uh you know they get a chance to see and and again that gives me instant credibility and you know obviously the guys that that I've coached you know I've had Antonio Kari come in and talk to my team Brian mcfat and guys that I've coached that have g wow okay so you know it's The credibility that that doesn't hurt you know what I mean and obviously you get Kar saying hey Coach Co he knows what he's doing he's a great coach but he's gonna love you he's gonna love you hard and he's gonna love you he's gonna love you love you so you know those those things help uh but you know it it was a blessing to be over there I was blessed around you mentioned Scott Bentley that big time recruiting class that we had Scott Bentley was the one that was on was on the cover for Illustrated because they felt that we would finally make a kick and then he did you know but you know so you know we had we had some really really good players um and those guys now are successful businessmen they're successful men after football which to me is the best thing to talk about because even though they played and had the success that they did them coming in and talking about the quality of people that they became is equally important to me so coach your former teammate do they come in and and how happy are they for seeing you getting this opportunity be first of all like to say they know about Florida in coach again right in t how happy are you for that you get this opportunity and now they supporting you or they say hey coach what do you need what can we do to you know make it even better well they I mean you know they've asked me questions right they want to definitely get involved like believe it or not like I don't know if you remember Forest connley he was a big left tackle that we had left tackle 79 I believe yep y exactly and well he he is now he's going to be the announcer of the game this upcoming Saturday so we I I was doing my I was doing my ESPN ACC talk you know and and and force Conley and I we just took over the interview because we just talked for 20 minutes before we can actually even talk about the football game so you know obviously they're excited you know they you know we got a really really close Bunch um you know we we've been close for years we've been at weddings you know we've you we've been at funerals so you know we as our as our group we've we've all we we came in close we're still close and uh you know they're obviously definitely excited you know they asked me they've already asked me hey coach what what's going to happen this weekend you know I and I haven't I haven't responded back so uh you know but but but obviously you know we we've been close since we were 18 years old and and we're even closer now as we get into our late 40s hey coach awesome hey coach now I'm about I'm G ask you to address something that a lot of people in the HBCU space has had a lot of fun with May made a lot of jokes about but they were hoping that it would somewhat affect the performance on the team and it's that $237 million donation that that led to the firing of the of the president the ad and some other administrators coach has the team been completely insulated from that has it have y'all even thought about it I know there are a lot of HBCU schools out there hoping that would somehow affect the continuity and consistency of the defending national champions so can you tell us how that played on campus and and specifically among your your football team was it really talked about you know I mean you know we obviously know that we had no control over that entire situation you know what I mean you know the the guys the guys kind of joked about you know how much that maybe was gonna come to football you know what I mean but to be honest with you you know we even myself right even myself we never never even discussed it never never even came across it uh and you know we we we would have loved to have had it but you know it was um you know it was tough it was tough for the people that are affected you know what I mean and obviously these are people that you know that came across on a on a daily basis but for us it didn't it didn't it was it didn't phase us right but we do know we do know that it affected some of the people that we did talk to you know talk talk to on a daily basis right so you know the president was the one who gave the final sign off for me so that you know that was tough that was tough to hear you know but I'll be honest like we and our guys they they just wanted to play you know and you know and that's all they really cared about Coach let me make a comment on that as somebody who went to Florida ANM and was the actual student when you're a student at Florida ANM I'm telling you I didn't know what happened at the administration all I wanted to make sure that the calf was open and the girls were pretty and I could get the class so I'm pretty sure your football players will like most 18 to now 20 almost 23 24 year olds that they had to focus on football make sure they were going class and playing that next game because that's more of an adult to me more of an adult thing that was in the atmosphere but far as as a student level and just me personally I it was things going to Florida and I found out as like oh that happened because you know kids don't you know like you said don't really care about that but I do want to ask you with that being said how close is this team based off of transition from a new coach and I keep going back to this because I think this is what's so critical for you having a championship success that I believe that you're going to have tell me about some of the leaders on your team some of even the guys that transferred in and some of the guys that stayed on the team like Kender bow and stuff talk about some of the leaders on the team well you know the biggest thing that that when we talked to the coaching staff was you know all the talent that we were gonna have the people coming from the different you know different you know we got we got an offensive lineman from Huntington Beach California you know and then then we then we got a an offensive guard you know one of our guards is from Nigeria you know we got guys that are from different walks of life you know but we knew they were going to be talented so the biggest thing that we wanted to make sure we we we did was just find a way to get our team close you know so obviously we done a couple we done a couple team bonding events just having the guys understand that you know we can laugh with each other you know even even though there's some guys that might be coming in and take positions because that was one of the things that people thought that was GNA happen so you know we we had we had two team Bing events you know and then we also had U you know we had a talent show and I got I gotta rephrase that we had an untalent untalented talent show because I was one of the worst things yeah we saw them videos coach yeah we saw some of the videos coach yeah we that sing got football time but not no sing Talent yeah yeah we bad you know but you know what what but the one thing that we saw Daniel Richardson was the DJ right we had we had we had some guys get out of their shell and really really enjoy themselves you know what I mean and and and that and that was that was for me I when I saw these guys you know that were maybe battling on the field and were tired of hitting each other but then I saw them laughing together and hanging out with each other afterwards you know that's when I was say you know what you know we're getting there we're not we're not there completely but but we're getting there and uh and so you know that that's when you get guys from all over you know from Washington State and Tennessee and you know uh UMass and FIU and you know these these all guys they're all Alphas they were all Alphas trying to come in and take everybody's position but they understand you know and I you know when I when I when I mentioned earlier that we have to play a lot of guys right because I'm you know we have to play these guys we have we have all these guys has our team we have all this Talent so we play them because we know that they have the ability to play but you know that was that was the biggest thing for me just making sure we got them guys together got them tight to care about each other and we're continuing to do that every single day yeah coach um you know we got some people watching all over the country and this is your opportunity of course to sell your program uh and I let's just say I got a son what would you tell them or what would you want to say to them about you and your program and why should they choose Floyd A&M to go play football well I'll say this obviously the success that fam has had in the past right you know we I feel whenever I go out and I'm wearing my family stuff for Florida andm stuff we got a national brand I mean I anywhere I go in the country I I've spoken this throughout this summer I've spoken in Las Vegas I've spoken in Atlanta I've spoken in Miami I've spoken in DC I'm smoking in Chicago no matter where I've gone FAMU is everywhere you know and obviously you're getting the opportunity to get the to get the education at the number one HBCU in the country you're GNA get the exposure of playing on a national week every single game that we play on is on National Television of some sort right and I think that I'll say this you know when you come here and you watch a home game and you're not sold then then that means you didn't want to come here to begin with you know the whole the whole gamut of playing at Florida A&M and being a rattler and the support that we receive off campus outside alumni former players the love is there the love is there you know and and I I'm excited right I'm excited about what we have I'm humbled about what we have I'm blessed with the opportunity to get up here and park right in front of that Stadium every single morning you know the love is there you know and and I know I know there's a lot of people on the outside that don't want fam me to be successful which is why I love which is why I love being the head football coach at Florida and him coach now look here now I'm about to start something coach I'm about to start now don't you you ask a question let me let me finish my answer give me one second I got I gotta get you something hold on uh oh I bet get you about to coach about to brag different coach you know coach about to brag tell get you one of these tell you guaranteed to get you at least one of these oh my second School in the swag they got it coach tell them that [ __ ] in the swag day they talk about it we be about it coach we got we got our national coach move it a little bit to your right to my right there we go yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah we got we got our national championship ring on Sunday they they waited they they wanted me to have a meaningful Victory before they gave it to me but we got we got it on Sunday so soy coach coach I I want to tell you one coach I want to tell you one thing and I want see and coach this is what I'm talking about brag there do you realize that Florida andm is the only program since 2019 that has beenen every school in the MC and every school in the swag other than alorn only Florida andm University I did not know that exactly so that's why you holding that ring Coach because we brag different there you go so you you're you're guaranteed to get one of these and you're guaranteed to get a great degree from the number one HBC Rock don't you that don't you in prime time you know Florida down there struggling don't y'all run away from us SP you you got us all cheeked up and smile we got one of the best HBCU football teams in the country you know we ride behind you hey I'm starting some M I'm starting me let me say this guys one of the favorite other than other than the band other than football there's another great tradition that I have come to understand in HBCU Sports it's called pocket watching coach they like the pocket watch in HBCU Sports and we all know coach that you are not one of the highest paid coaches in the Sweat Right coach with the success that you've had that you've had thus far do you see a raise in your future I I need to hire you as my agent uh you know you know hey I I I come to work every day you know that you know and I believe it or not when when everything was approved I I did that I did what I did because I wanted to take care of some of my my assistants you know and that that's why I did what I did and um you know hey it is what it is it's part of the gig uh you know you win you get rewarded uh and you know I don't know what the other coaches were making uh but you keep winning then then you get rewarded and and that that's how I go about it every single day well coach let me let me say address that yeah well coach let me let me say this and you know this from the rattle of faithful when we didn't know what the decision that coach Simons was going to do you know we raised a 25 $125,000 so coach what I'm GNA tell you this you keep doing what you're doing and you come back on this show I'm going to open my big mouth so we can do the same thing for you because you on that trajectory coach the good thing about is you know that we do have it and we're going to support our coaches so the one thing about is and and listen to what coach said he's working hard so to all the rers again this means support the booster club support the nil support what coach needs coach I know you tell you going in various places talking about nutrition talking about the things that the team needs because the one thing for you to be a champion is we got to support you to be a champion so I want to make sure to say that out loud also because I know like you said it's not even about you because about you coach you could go coach many other places power four and all that stuff like that you're at Florida andm and we appreciate you being here I trust TR me when I tell you guys I love being here I'm I'm I'm I'm talking to you I'm talking to you guys in my office right I I I love being here man I mean understandable yep you know you you like to have a couple different things and all that but man I got I got great kids I got a great staff I'm in Tallahassee Florida one of the Marquee cities as far as College as far as University goes I get a chance to go speak to amazing people every wed day and and and believe it believe it or not being the family head coach has a lot of perks you know and and it's great it's great to come up here every every day man it really it really really is now coach let me do one thing this is for you are well known for your ey glass wear coach your your glasses always fly now do you have a collection of different glasses and things like that because one thing I have heard if we know that Coach Co and you could be 100 yards away but them glasses going to be coach so is that something that is your thing with the glasses and stuff like that my vision was great for a while and then what happen and uh you know so now I gotta wear glasses sometimes to see but if I'm gonna wear glasses I'm gonna try to make them look fly and uh so I I got I got to to answer your question I got I got a few uh and and then sometimes they match and sometimes they don't but uh if I'm if I'm GNA wear glasses I'm if I'm gon to wear glasses I'm gonna wear what I want to wear well this is what I'm gonna say coach coach need an nil Optometry glass deal so all those family optometrist I need you to get with Coach Coy and sponsor him for his I where make you a lot of money because coach be looking fly now say coach listen let me tell you one thing when coaches come I'm gonna try to get you some money coach that's one thing I'm gonna do I and anybody will tell you so I'm gonna try to get you that eyeglass nil deal I show I show got a got a a way of getting guys jobs and N Deals and you know it's one thing about the HBC Coaches Corner these two guys do a great job their business I need Ag and AER yeah we got the job and we got the job in Gremlin State we got the job in Al corn State we got the job over Southern and we don't want to lose you coach so so so camell let's not wait till the last minute like we did Simons let's get give him the money now well this this this is what coach knows and coach and I'm gonna say this for a lot of alumni is that again when that storm hit and those dark cloud rolled in you kept the team together and I think that is going to Bow well for the success of you being in tallah has being our head coach I know a lot of alumni excited and again coach you're doing and what I will say this coach be loud when you need something let us know what you need because a lot of times coach as you well know there are things that we don't know as alumni so some sometimes I mean you can you it won't hurt our feelings just say hey we won a championship program we need to get this and challenge challenge the alumni coach challenge the alumni because I trust me they'll they'll have your back because I believe like I said we got the right man no doubt about it they have when I say that they have they have I don't man coach get to know this man I I was out with him we we G down to y'all game and uh and man everybody know this guy here everybody the Lum National president she we we had drinks and everything and food and and and you know later on we had all that going on you know how it is co this guy here he he I'm see coach let don't get it coach I'm part of the street committee so I'm unofficial I ain't official nothing but see you gotta have a street no no no coach you and Coach understand this sometimes you need unofficial people because sometimes when you're official it's a lot of red tape see I'm part of the street committee so I like being a part of that so my thing is is that when a coach like you I can like I say I can say things that official people can't say you see what I'm saying because I don't have to worry about I'm official in the alumni soci the booster club I could just say it but it still be true so that's one thing coach so if you ever need a secret that need to get out there let me know I'll get it out there without yes sir yes sir one question coach you go ahead Rocky no I just wanted to say we have uh Dr Straton has a question he says ask coach what happened to those drones I donated uh to the team last year uh and so coach if you if you know where they are or you know I I don't know I I I don't know I I don't know about the drones I know there's no drones allowed to be flown on top of the stadium they made they made a huge announcement about that but um you know not even for practice coach not even to record practice no man we have we have the lifts and we have all I mean I had I had to buy extra cameras for this summer okay okay wow wow wow wow well he gotta give you a name he gotta give you name somebody signed off on him don't wor we'll find out coach we'll find out that well coach I know we've had you for a long time but I do want I do want to ask you a couple of more questions about like I say the schedule and playing in the swag there you know again we s you've seen other teams play you I'm sure you always watching Alabama State play you again we know there's an injury happening there but one of the things about it is do you look at teams again like Jackson State that's going to be a big game Alabama State at home of course Bon cookman sou coming in there when you looking at now being in the swag are you starting to learn the the the teams and kind of how they operate and things like that to help you prepare when we we play them have you starting to get that swack feel about yourself since you've been around now well you know I got the film of all the games right so you know you try to look at the TV copy first just to see uh you know just see what they look like and and and you know i' I've I'm I've already moved on to Troy you know what I mean because we play them we play them in the next couple weeks but you know what what you what I've seen in the teams that have played thus far you know you got you got you got some very very athletic teams you know you're going to have to be very very good in space so for as we get ourselves ready and continue to make the moves that we feel we need to move make moves on offensively and defensively that's that's what we got to be great with you know and that's something that we've taken advantage of over the last couple years right our our our guys in space have been a lot better than the other teams that are in space right so you know we got we got to continue to to do that and and that's that's going to help us right that those things that we'll prepare for as we get ready obviously getting ready for this game on Saturday and then getting ready for Troy because we open up with Alabama A&M you know a a good football team right so you know that those are the things that we look at um but without with but we need to make sure we take care of our our current opponents right before we do look ahead so you know when I do it you know it's just watching them on the game and like I said you know like I said let's you know we we you know I take we want to make sure I take care of our opponents but you know I ventured off and looked at the games the TV copies things like that got you coach one last thing and and again I'm just thinking about this being Fu you brought in 28 players from the transfer portal was it because of the name of Florida and them was it because a lot of these kids are from the state of Florida What drew a lot of these kids like you say from the power for to Florida inm University well yeah a lot of people saw a lot of of our guys you know that came in the first thing they talk about is the celebration Bowl they talk about the win on the celebration Bowl the opportunity to you know to play at the next level um you know and and and because of the exposure they're going to receive you know that you know the whole reload and repeat actually came from one of the recruits came in like that's what he talked about here coach I want to make sure I want to help you reload and repeat you know what I mean he set it around a couple people and then and then and then they they just they ran with it you know they you know obviously the shirts that we had in in the stadium this past Saturday was all about reload and repeat so you know I mean I you know um you know you know you know very very few people don't know about FAMU you know I mean whe they want to call it FAMU or they want to call it Florida in rers I mean you know you know you if you're if you're looking to transfer from an institution and and continue to play at a high level and continue to have the exposure right you know you know FAMU is FAMU is more than likely G to be the number one spot now obviously being in the State of Florida right that helps being being close to the state of Georgia that helps so you know but but you know when we brought those guys on campus we had our conversations and when you walk into our office and my office and you see all the trophies that we that we won last year and you know you see that you know it's it's gonna it's going to note success and then we talk we know it was an easy sell to talk about our schedule who we're playing and the amount of times we were going to be on National Television so you know you know going 12- one exposure four guys right now at at the next level playing in the NFL know those are all pluses those are you know those are easy cells and uh and again I won't say I did a hell of a job recruiting our recruiting coordinator organized a lot of these things my job was to finish the deal and and and and you get a chance to walk with them through bra stadium and show everything that we've that they've accomplished right over the last two three four five six years with Coach Simmons it's a very very easy s hey coach I want to first thank you gu thank you for coming on the show Coach but I want to ask you this because I wantan to I want to get my timelines right what a uh I'm a huge Dallas Cowboy fan and I just want to know did you coach get a chance to coach Maris Bell no so Mars Bell left in 22 well he left he was no he went in the I guess the spring of 22 so he you know I got there in the fall of 22 okay okay yeah so I mean I my my my guys obviously you know we had jvon Morgan and Kendall bowler who's still with us BJ bowler you know Chico Cox you know those those you know ER Eric Smith those guys are both those guys were all conference Corners last year but uh you know I would have loved to coach Mars Bell you got some DBS that you got some DBS that look like defensive ends coach I don't know where you get those big big strong fast guys from but but they look pretty good coach look like they can line up anywhere on the defense and and get it done I we you know I I I want to challenge him a little bit more you know you got some guys that you know learning our defense you know kenin bowler he'll get in your face you know and he's used to doing that you know you know but you get some new guys in there that are trying to learn the system trying to understand that I'm what I'm asking them to do but I I'd like for them to be I I love for them to be in their face a little bit more but uh you know it's it's it's new you know we're early right you know most most Corners right now they they know I'm on them but they they don't want to get beat deep so that's the one thing they don't want to do right now especially early in the season but you know defensively man we want to be in your face whether it's DB linebackers defensive line but especially our Corners I I want them to be in their face right now and I think as we get as we get close to the end of the season we'll do a better job with that I was coach I'm glad you addressed that because a lot of people wanted to know because fam you almost is like a getting to be a DBU are you I know that I heard in your press conference that you want to see to get more the defense overall over get turnovers is that something that you guys have now say Hey you know we went the first two games we're not generating the turnover that we want to do and really trying to make that emphasis you know going forward for the rest of the season well we we we don't want anybody get out of character though you know we look we look last we looked last year about how many we had last year around this time and I think we only had one you know and and it was a titball interception well you know then you know then we but last year we finished with 17 you know so we just we really want our guys to just concentrate and working on their techniques and their fundamentals doing their assignments you know we we we built our defense and we play our defense with with creating turnovers you know on our mind right so you know so but you know people people got to understand you got to put pressure on the quarterback right you know most most places if you got if you got an allconference DB that means you got an all conference D lineman somewhere around there as well so you know being able to being able to put pressure on the quarterback being able to capitalize on some of the turnovers that we may may not have had uh so you know we just concentrate on your assignments do the things that you're supposed to do and those turnovers will come good good well Coach man one of the things that uh just to let you know because we're coming to an end because we know you got big games got a whole bunch of things and we just glad that you took time out as I I am a HBCU graduate and I I've been most of my career been in HBCU and sometimes it's been unfair for us to get jobs already as us blacks and you've been in the business long enough to know uh that it's tough you know the the the range from you know pwi white coaches to black coaches is but I'm I'm glad you were able to BU and take time out to come on this show what we try to do is display a guy like Coach Co and other coaches and head coaches that we we are smart we are intelligent we can run programs uh you know so so I'm I'm I'm just I'm plattered man I'm you know I'm gidy that you took time out you know and you're not even I'm not gonna say HBCU guy because you grew up across the street I know you hung out with those guys but you took time out and and know that it's important you know for for you not only just as the head coach of Florida just as a black coach to to display what you know and how you can do it and the talent that we have man uh and and I got some of my co guys that that don't understand that this is important this is important so I I thank you I thank you guys and you guys want to close it down y'all can go ahead well coach I just want to say from the RO I'll just say this and I'll let you close out coach from the r Nation we appreciate you we appreciate you taking the time I think we asked some questions that you didn't get asked we appreciate you know supporting us and again we look forward to you know having you back on I'm you know put it out there well you know I'm not gonna do you like that coach I'm from coach I'm from Jackson Mississippi I've already told everybody that the the swag Championship is 10924 I know that's not your concern coach but I'm telling you something I'm I'm expecting you to do big things and we really appreciate you being on here I I I appreciate you guys having me and you know I I told you when we talked that day hey I'm I'm you let me know when you want me to do it I'mma do it regard regardless of the time and uh but you play the biggest game of your life and you took them two minutes out to turn around and talk to me and Rocky gave us your wish would have had 10 I wish I would have had 10 you know and you know again obviously understand man this is uh anytime you get a chance to promote the program you know I'm always I'm always going to try to take advantage of that and and I again I I appreciate you for just asking me to do it you know and and I and I feel like I took an hour and a half of your time more than anything else I just want to say thank you for allowing me to be on and it and it was an honor thank you thank you hey coach I I I want to thank you coach for coming on as well I'm a huge football fan I'm a a uh a longtime you know pwi Watcher of football I'm kind of new to the HBCU space and I'm it's it's refreshing for me to see men like you leading programs who are capable and competent and respectful and dignified and uh I you know I know you're not looking to looking for another job or anything like that coach but it's but it's a great you you know you being presented the way that you are just represent black men in such a positive light I'm I'm just proud being on this interview with you and I want to thank you for all that you do not only for fam you but for the image of black men as well well thank thank you very much and you I have to commend Simmons Co Simmons for for putting me in putting me in a position you know sometimes other people's blessings can be your own and obviously coach bless the blessings that coach Simmons received catapulted me to my blessing and uh I I don't worry about the journey you know this is uh this is where it's been you know if you would have told me 25 years ago that I would have been the head football in 1999 when I got my first job at Florida International if you would have told me that I was gonna be the head football coach at Florida A&M I wouldn't have necessarily believed you but but I wouldn't have believed you as well if you would have told me I would have spent seven years in Canada as well so you know I can't and I'm born I'm born and raised in Miami Florida and I'm I'm in temperatures where it's negative 8 hey let me let me tell you something me that negative eight is nothing compared right that's that's the worst I've ever felt but that was where I was I I had to respect the journey and uh you know I wanted to come back and and ultimately I I feel I came back to the best to the best university in the country and then and now I have the best job in the country not looking to go anywhere else I love I'm at I love the people that I go that I'm around every single day I mean believe me you get a chance to spend 24 hours around here they they love the Rattlers and and and they love they love the head coach of the football team from what I see all hey coach we made we we met War's phone out coach War's phone out man listen listen there you go is he is he back no no he Ain back yeah coach had to plug that thing in yeah yeah yeah yeah but that was good he ended right on a great note man yeah he he ended on he ended on a great note coach and like I say it's just Florida ADM in my opinion let me get him back here Co you had to plug that thing in huh coach ran your battery down huh can you hear us coach can y'all hear me yeah yeah can hear me yeah yeah can you hear me yeah yeah y you can't hear us coach can you see me yeah can y hear me yeah yep you ain't got a you you ain't got a headset lay around do you coach hello Coach hey coach we just want to thank you for I can't he yeah yeah coach we just want to thank you for joining us man we appreciate you uh being on with us I know with and uh is it last words you can't hear but coach we we got you we gonna see you later coach maybe get back on I'll see you guys I'll see you guys thanks coach thank you guys huh that was good coach that was good I mean you know it just gives me great pleasure man to see Brothers man that's articulate smart can get it done he can coach anywhere in the Country Coach any school in the country he might not ever get that opportunity but he he can coach anywhere you know he's he's got the experience he's been there he's set in the seat before you know uh you can't look for nothing but support you know uh none but success in fluid a h hey Rock are we going to take any calls I'm getting people text get out here okay listen wait I ask I have y'all I'm the one that's in the late time it's only 9:30 where like s where yall just you go go home eat dinner what it is no no coach Lamar Jackson and okay no problem no problem you we'll take on Tuesday but make sure y'all if y'all just now coming on make sure y'all watch the entire uh video uh the interview was Sensational coach Coy was very informative very transparent with everything that he shared with us I even asked him the $237 million question you know and uh and so uh Coach Campbell what he what he heard me mention that number he just we cut real checks around here real checks real checks and so but he he he was so gracious and uh transparent about what was going on with the program during that time and I I suggest everybody go back and listen to his answer because I think he did a great job answering that question yeah yeah Rocky you know you know I got like 50 million text and I said well you know y'all he's a pwi guy he had to do it you know what I mean so I so to the r of nation you know guys I tried to keep the thing the Train on the track but you knew that guy was going we know this guy so you know you had to let him get his 237 joke in you know what I'm saying but us R like face coist he had listen he had to go ahead and get his 237 joke but that's the reason why we brag different it don't matter what is 237 180 don't matter one thing we know we HBCU National Champion so we don't that check still be Champions how about that that I know he look we got to call our friends and put that on swack in the fol when he ask that question you did like this like what coach let me tell you something my phone went and soon it it it didn't even get out his mouth I got 80 texts I got 80 checks from people saying get your boy and I said you know what y'all know how this guy is we we just you know like I say we just got to love and love on them you know what I'm saying coach you know you Tex the son love I'm A F of you guy you know but his daughter go to prayer riew so you know he's learning but he had to get it in there coach he he had to get in there but that was that question was really for all of the other shows that have uh you know made the inference that somehow this money this mysterious money was going to affect the performance of the football team I Mr Campell always told me that was wishful thinking that's nothing that I that the team is concerned about or the coaches staff and uh you know it's just unfortunate that OBG lost her job because of well unfortunate for who for who her not for us so listen like it's unfortunate for her fam you folks is listen we just fine trust me we gonna be our new ad when that gets announced we gonna be just fine and we and I'm not gonna say who it is when they do get announced they will be on this show I've already felt comfortable saying that but but Mr cam I will say this you were going all the way back to uh I want to say uh shortly after the new year you were in the Cozy Camp right away I know you have a very close friend that is part of the staff and so uh and in saying that uh you may have had some inside knowledge that some of us didn't about the man who is James Coy I thiri I think family football is in great hands in my opinion well I I think I told Coach this I think the most important thing I heard was when all this was swirling is that again we didn't have 67 guys jumping in the portal and all the guys respected coach Coy and Coach again you're a head coach you know how important it is for your players when you tell them something that they do it that means they respect you that means they're going to play hard that mean they're going to execute and all I heard was the players respect Coach Co the players not I never heard the players like coach Coy I heard the players respect coach Coy and once I heard that and I knew that portal was basically and the players that left they were going to leave anyway if coach Simmons were there they still were going to leave these guys had the talent to go to Power five they went to power five God bless them and everything but the core of those guys that was going to stay in Florida andm they're still there and they still on the mission they're still on the mission what can you say coach he two and 0 and hey hey cam I'm G let you get a chance to to respond it this what is that you know I don't know what school this guy's from but he's probably from a school that doesn't have a win man listen that listen that is my nephew Adrian crook who got went to Southern he's a southern Alum is somebody that we are eight and to against and he talks more about FAMU than he talks about the Southern Jaguars so that's just what happens when you have to brag different people want to be you instead of worry about their school so my my real Southern folks don't ever talk about he talks more about fam than anybody so he wants fam you to lose they gonna lose to Jackson State they gonna lose us and then that'll be the end of their season also but my real Southern folks y'all know y'all were Southern folks were about he worried about fam you all right coach you ready to take us out oh yeah oh yeah oh yeah I thought she was going to answer a call or two but we good no no no no no he got to go to the we gotta go watch football coach he said he won't get a call on it all right coach good man look we try to bring great greatness to you I think uh everybody is picking up and uh other uh podcasters are kind of taking um taking our route uh that we are getting these head coaches on uh you know most of them are good friends or or I know somebody who knows somebody so that's a good thing and you know we gota we got to make sure that we support these black men and taking on our our youth our young men and making them men and making them great men in in their Community uh you know again uh you know I can't I gotta continue to talk about the election coming up uh next week you got hairs versus Trump uh make sure you put that on your calendar even though we'll be on the show for a little bit uh but that's important you know I hear a lot of things about people don't know who camela Harris is I think this is give you opportunity uh to find out who she is and also give you another idea of who Trump is so make sure you tune in guys we had a shooting in Georgia uh I am a school teacher stuff like this shouldn't happen but it constantly does and hopefully man hug on your kids tonight give them a kiss but we got to keep our trust in the Lord that that that when it's time and he thinks it's time it's time you could be in a steel box six feet under uh but when it's time it's time uh pray for those those families uh that uh lost their their loved ones uh and and that's more important than any sports game any uh talk show that we have um again uh the world is a beautiful place uh uh enjoy it enjoy every many of it Living in America I know one would argue I think it's the greatest place in the world to live uh because it has so many opportunities uh and not necessary to live free uh but if things ain't going right your way look for tomorrow as I always say if you're having problems hang on to your rope and tie knot and the whole on tight because ain't nobody bad like you