We wrap up our four day coverage of SEC Football Media Days and our efforts to convince ourselves that the gathering is not really a circus, as categorized here last year, but more of a blending of the various social/dating web sites you see advertised on TV late at night. A diversity of styles, presentations and profiles, where there is something suited for everyone, if you will.
SEC Football Media Days; Day 4
Georgia head coach Mark Richt kicks off our final day. He answered more questions than any other coach all week. Let’s put that in perspective. Each coach is at the podium for 30 minutes for whatever opening statement they want to make, and to handle the questions from the assembled media. So how did Richt answer more questions than anyone else in the same allotted time? Because his opening statement lasted all of 90 seconds and he almost never gave an answer that was more than a minute long. Yes, we really did time them. Richt is known for not being particularly verbose at these events, so we set the timer. Average length of his answers = 47 seconds. His new profile/site is “HeyTheMeterIsRunning.com.”
Richt is one of the elder statesman of the SEC, going into his 15th season in Athens. He talked about the changes he has seen in the landscape during that time. “The style of play in the SEC has changed a lot. It used to be a very defensive oriented league, but now everyone runs the spread to some degree. But for the most part it is still about fans packing the greatest stadiums every week.” He also said social media has changed the way coaches have to recruit. “It is a big deal with the younger players.” The Bulldogs had a good season last year finishing 10-3 overall and 6-2 in the conference but again failed to make a run at the conference championship. Richt was asked if the criticism of always getting close but not closing the deal bothered him. “I didn’t know I got criticism,” he joked. “People are always going to have opinions of any leaders, but people have said good things too.” Richt has also been added to the NCAA Oversight Committee. When asked what particular nationwide college football issues would be of importance to him, he responded, “This is not the time and place to address those issues.” Hey, the meter was running and he had to go.
LSU’s Les Miles is never at a loss for words. Mr. “AfternoonAtTheImprov.com” brought a file folder to the podium with him because his opening statement took 14 minutes of his 30 minute time allocation. He wanted to make sure he got all his material in. “I am told I’m in the last day, and it appears to me some of the media have not shaved and some have left the car running in the back parking lot, kind of ready to get off to fishing.” He paid tribute to recently retired SEC Commissioner Mike Slive, “I personally could argue with the guy and then enjoyed losing every time.” He took time to address critical issues such as the tennis shoes other coaches wore to the event, Summer vacations, what his kids are doing, and he even saved a little time to cover some football.
Why is Summer a critical issue? “It’s important for the coach as well as for the player to have some separation because we see each other seven days a week here pretty quick.” LSU finished 2014 with an 8-5 overall record and 4-4 in conference. Miles knows that will not be good enough to contend in the challenging SEC West. LSU has the running game with Heisman candidate Leonard Fournette but his young quarterbacks were unreliable last year. The battle for the starting spot with Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris will go right up to the start of the season according to Miles. “The good news is we have a guy who started eight games and we have a guy that’s been around awhile and played through two Springs and been through a Fall with us.” “We’re not just slinging it around the yard. We’re doing those things that we’ve coached and that we’ve expected and should he (either QB), do that, he will have a greater opportunity to be the starting quarterback.” By the way, Miles says he likes shoes too much to get attached to the blinged out shoes other coaches wore this week.
The week wrapped up with Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze. Certainly he needed to discuss how the Rebels went from the college football mountain top in mid-October to losing four of their last seven. He talked about replacing departed QB Bo Wallace and said he may utilize two quarterbacks for the first week or two of the season. But young Coach Freeze ended the SEC coaches week with more of a societal homily than a discussion of X’s and O’s. He gets “SocialConscience.com.”
Mississippi is the one state remaining on the NCAA banned list because of the confederate flag symbol on the state flag. The NCAA will not allow the state to host pre-determined post season events. Freeze, who is a native Mississippian said that for whatever heritage people may place with the stars and bars, “The symbol has been hijacked by people who mean ill will towards others, so it’s time to move in a different direction.”
Under Freeze’s guidance, the Ole Miss football program also utilizes a financial management team from a local bank to help guide the players on how to manage money, keep checking accounts and how to plan for life after football. Freeze called his plan “Roadmap to Success.” He said he wants his players to identify what they envision for 10 years after football, “…and then it’s my job to keep them coloring within the lines…” by making sure they are in the appropriate classes and making the right plans. He also engaged in what he called “Chasing Greatness,” which he explained included conversations with his players about what means as a student, as an athlete and as a productive member of society.
Oh, and since shoes were such a big topic for coaches this week, here is Freeze’s take, “I will stick with my Johnston & Murphy’s from Williams Brothers General Store in Philadelphia, Mississippi. And if you go there you should try the bologna and bacon there too. It’s quite fine.” Seriously.
We tried to move away from last year’s idea that this event is a circus. But over four days we had coaches competing for the most blinged out tennis shoes, talk about how they are still around because they forgot to get fired, delight in how 100,000 people can make a cell call at the same time from their stadium, hint that NFL distractions were too much for a team to handle, discuss their kids’ college plans, and give a culinary tip on bologna and bacon. Oh, and to top it off, the SEC media voted Georgia to win the East and Alabama to win the West, but selected Auburn to win the conference title. Yeah, I have a year to rethink the whole circus theme. Soon enough it will be time to have some actual football camp chatter.
Main Photo: BATON ROUGE, LA – NOVEMBER 08: Head coach Les Miles of the LSU Tigers looks on from the sideline against the Alabama Crimson Tide during a game at Tiger Stadium on November 8, 2014 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
