2024 PAC Football Media Day: Carnegie Mellon University

coach first few questions are for you how are you and your staff approaching the start of the 2024 season after putting together one of the most successful two-year stretches in program history with a combined Mark of 21- two during that time frame what areas do you believe will be the strength of your team heading into the 2024 season yeah I think it's similar to what you've heard a lot of these coaches up here already say it's um always finding ways to get better I think the most important thing and we talked about it a lot in the offseason honestly even before last season is just not being complacent not resting on our Laurels um Nostalgia is is a big enemy um so just any way for us to get better uh we talked a lot as a staff about you know Player Development uh whether that be you know in the weight room Spring ball individual development schematic development um how do we practice how can we get better uh always looking at just those small ways um obviously we're we're proud of a great Foundation but at the same time if we sit back and just look back at what we have done in the past we'll get caught just like some of these other coaches up here have said so um I do think one of the strengths that we're really fortunate and Coach serani hit on it I mean everybody's bringing everybody back um so an easy thing to say is you know we could talk about you know all the fifth year seniors we have coming back and Senior leadership and starters and all that um and I do think that those things are important uh one thing that you know I really took uh from our offseason before we started Spring ball was just the attention to detail how our guys were leading in the weight room uh and taking ownership that's actually one of my favorite times the year where we do kind of separate a little bit and let them create that later leadership within the program um because if they can't do it at some point you hold their hand all year long it gets it gets hard for them in those those tough moments to take over so uh I was really proud of where we were at from a physical standpoint going into Spring ball and then thought we had a really nice spring but uh definitely the leadership was a big reason for that and this guy next to me is one of those guys besides success on the grid iron the tartans continue to excel off the field as well in 2023 with a GPA of 3.51 and three players being selected by the college sports communicators as academic all-americans running the program total to 69 the most in division three and second among all of college football across all divisions in the NCA as well as the Nia what does this mean to the program uh it means everything I mean it's it's truly why we're here we're here their student athletes we want them to be successful in everything that they do um you know if you are an academic All-American you get your plaque on the wall in our Hall of Fame for the rest of Eternity um that's not the case with a football playing All-American we do honor them in a different way but uh that is our Pinnacle um I'm extremely proud of the success that we've had um you know CMU is obviously a challenging Place academically it's challenging to get in it's challenging when you're there um but our guys are up for that challenge uh they love being great and both and we're really proud of that um and I think that it's something that you know we say in our program a lot is we don't use academics as an excuse It's why I'm there it's why Logan came it's why every recruit comes it's it's that ability to study at CMU um so we'll never use it as an excuse um but really proud that we compete in that way as well um not just on the grid iron but also you know in the classroom to be what to be the best we can be talk a little bit about your player representative to Lady Logan Young And The Importance he has on your defense as well as the other six returning starting fifth year players with four of them on the defensive side yeah uh I think it's an amazing Testament to you know the culture of the guys within the pro program that they want to come back um you know Logan graduated last year with a you know his bachelor's in mechanical engineering a minor in biomedical engineering um you know he's already got a job offer very easy for him to just say hey I'm going to go make money but to come back and get his Masters in mechanical engineering uh is a huge deal and you know really proud of all the the guys that are coming back all seven of them they're they're great players they're great students um you know I think it shows yet again just buyin that we have in the program and that's that's the guys that's them bringing that together they want to come back and take another run at this thing uh and not you know see football go away and similar to what we've heard some from some of the student athletes at are fifth years here as well um this is a unique thing there's nothing like it coach Benzel said it there's nothing like this when this is over you cannot replicate this and so really proud of having those guys and you know Logan in particular um walking Splash play we joke about it all the time he's got 10 interceptions in the last three years he's had pick sixes um you know he's either tied or LED our team interceptions the last two years um he's everywhere he gets sacks he plays safety he plays outside linebacker he moves an inside linebacker in sub packaging there isn't anything we can't put on this guy's plate that he can't execute at a high level uh and a big reason why we've had the success we've had on defense so we've touched on success on the field success in the classroom and success with your student athletes at the conclusion of last season Carnegie your defensive coordinator Ben Gibney was named the NCA division three American football coach association assistant coach of the year what does that honor mean to your program yeah I think if if if you could be in that room and see just the way the players reacted when we made that announcement that would tell you everything you need to know uh coach serani mentioned it they they play 100% all the time every play practice games mentally in the classroom uh for him he is one of the best motivators I've ever met in college football um it is it is just extraordinary what he is able to put on our guys plate and and what they execute um and I think it's a it's a testament to the work he's done but that award isn't just the X's and O's it's not just the defensive accolades he leads getting the game be the match for us we have over 200 people who have gotten into that registry we have a player who's already matched to help save someone's life in two years and he took that all on himself I firmly believe he he will be a head coach and a great head coach at that and uh I was very proud proud uh that he was able to win that award and uh when I called coach lachner who had hired him to tell him that news before we made that announcement public he echoed all those exact same Sentiments of what an unbelievable person and Coach he is thank you coach and now Logan a few questions for you can you touch on the decision that made you decide to return for a fifth year as well as the importance of having six others join you returning for another year with the tartans yeah I mean for myself I thought it was a pretty easy decision um being able to come back to school for one more year to get my ma Masters in engineering and getting the opportunity to play football one last time it's a pretty hard opportunity to pass up on and then with having all those other guys coming back with me you know it just really means a lot um we've been through together so much these past four years and I'm just really grateful to get another opportunity to take the field with them and get after the season together what is the level of focus and attitude heading heading into the 2024 season following spring practice and offseason workouts yeah I think the focus is laser sharp heading into this season uh I feel like we had a very strong spring with the lifts and practices and we just want to make sure we carry that momentum over into camp and don't become complacent um I think the focus is just taking it one day at a time and working on getting better each day and not overlooking and seeing what's in the future uh it's easy to look far down the line uh but we just want to make sure that we stay in the moment take it one day one practice one game at a time and everything else will take care of itself coach referenced how you're known for making Splash plays and last season you were second on the team in tackles behind six-time All-American Robert Cory while tied for the team lead in interceptions over the last two seasons while being one of the tops in the PAC in picks how how are you planning individually to build off the success that you've had in the last two seasons yeah I think one of the things that I wanted to work on for this upcoming season was my leadership skills um we're so grateful to have so many great leaders throughout our program whether that's players or coaches um and each of them has their own different style which has been something very beneficial for me to see how you know there's not just one right way to be a leader there's so many different ways that you can go about it and be effective um so that's something I'm looking forward to getting into the season is developing my leadership skills and refining those skills throughout the season final question what does being a Carnegie melon University football player mean to you yeah I mean it means the world to me uh I say all the time uh coming to car melon to play football was one of the best decisions I've ever made um there's a strong sense of Brotherhood and family and you know we all do really get along with each other and want to see each other succeed and then on top of that we're all super competitive whether that's on the field or in the classroom we we always give everything we have to whatever it is and never really settle for second best and you know I think that's something that's really helped me become a better man is being at a school like Cary and being surrounded by great individuals and you know it's been you know I'm very grateful for the opportunity I've had here okay thank you Logan and thanks again to coach Larsson Carnegie melon will begin the 2024 season on September 7th at teal College once again Carnegie melon University head coach Ryan Larsson and graduate student linebacker Logan Young