Dec. 10, 2004
LOGAN, Utah -
Opening Comments From Utah State University President Kermit L. Hall...
"I am genuinely delighted, in this holiday season, to be able to bring a gift to Utah State University, and that gift is someone who will make a real difference. When I sent our athletics director (Randy Spetman) out to find a (football coach) for us I gave him the following instructions. First, I asked him to fly low and slow and to make sure that we did this in a way that it would bring great repute to the University. That it would produce a coach that would possess strength of character, an ability to bring discipline, and a talent for exercising leadership. An understanding that the football program is, in the end, an integral part of the life of Cache Valley. And I will tell you without reservation an integral part of its future. The valley is growing and the interests of the valley are growing beyond Logan, across the Wellsville's, and into the Salt Lake Valley. We needed an ambassador. We needed someone who could convey the enthusiasm and interest of Utah State through its football program. I also told Colonel Spetman to make sure that he found someone with whom the players could identify. We wanted somebody who could do parallel processing, and what that means is somebody that has a talent for continuing a solid record when it comes to the academic accomplishments and the community behavior of our athletes. But we also need someone who can take that very sound foundation and build on it. Build on it in terms of winning on the playing field. I also told Colonel Spetman that I was very interested that we come back to you with someone who had a history of success in Division I football and that especially had a history of success in taking programs that had perhaps not seen their best days, putting them back on the track, and moving them to where they need to go. There is no greater challenge for us then to believe in ourselves, and at this moment, rally around the person that we have brought so that this program has the chance to compete with every other program in the state of Utah. We have to have the courage to be patient. We have to have the determination to act promptly, and I believe that we have found the person that will do that."
Comments From Utah State Athletics Director Randy Spetman...
"This is a great day for the Aggie family. It was a great challenge, and I feel very honored that (President Hall) entrust me to go out nationwide to find somebody that could lead this program to success. We have done that. We talked to a lot of very, very qualified individuals, people who wanted to be here. One of my main focuses was somebody who had built programs, and that also understood Cache Valley and what we all stand for every day. This is a unique place, we have unique people, and we have a unique program that can be very successful. Next year, as we go into the Western Athletic Conference we are on the very edge of great success at this University. It is something we have wanted to be a part of for many, many years and I couldn't be more excited. I found a gentleman that believes in academics, and he believes in the student-athlete experience. He's been here, he's won conference championships here, he's won our only bowl game. He's been at Boise State, Arizona State, Oklahoma State, and been on three different coaching staffs that has had first time coaches. He knows how to build a program from the bottom up and he's excited to be here."
Comments From New Utah State Head Football Coach Brent Guy...
"First of all I want to thank President Hall, the selection committee, the Board of Trustees and Randy for allowing me this honor and privilege of becoming the 25th head football coach of Utah State University. When I first started this process with Randy he said, 'Why would you want this job?' And I said, first and foremost, because I want to live and raise my family in Cache Valley. I love Cache Valley. I love sense of community and we have a great sense of community in Cache Valley. Those were the things initially that attracted me to it. I also love that we have a great university that has a traditional setting for student-athletes on this campus, which is easy for me to recruit. It's what I know and what I am used to."
About Entering The Western Athletic Conference Next Year...
"Timing is everything in our business. Entering the Western Athletic Conference, obviously for me, was something I was very excited about. I know from having lived in this valley three years, that is something this valley has wanted to do for a long time, which is exciting for me to be able to come in at the beginning of that process. The last time I was here we won this ring, which is a conference championship, as well as the only bowl victory in the history of the school. That is why I came back, that's what I want to do, so you know that from the beginning. I believe today what you are seeing is the rebirth if you will, the infancy of a program, entering the WAC and I believe that this community is going to jump in and help us raise this program to where we all want it to be in the WAC. It's going to have to be a team effort and I think there are people not only in this community, but in the Salt Lake Valley, and Aggies all over the United States who will jump in and help us build this and make it a team effort. "
On The North End Zone Complex And The Current Facilities At Utah State...
"The north end zone complex is a very attractive project that I am excited about being a part of Our mission statement for our athletes is, `To provide a process through which you can achieve excellence'. That's the mission statement that we have. I would say that in a simpler way, I say, `BTB', better than before. The north end zone complex will make the statement of commitment and excellence to athletics and that's why I think it's so important that we begin trying to get that in place as fast as we can and I will be a large part in trying to make that happen, I promise you. Achieving excellence has to be done though first with academics. These kids are here for an education, an education that involves playing Division I football at the highest level. An education that can be taken from Cache Valley, if they choose to leave here after they are done, and go out and be a productive citizen and a great alumni for this university. It starts with academics and excellence. It's excellence in athletics, it's excellence socially, and community involvement. We will be involved in the community, I promise you. Our players will be involved in the community, we will reach out to you, we're going to find you, we're going to show you ways that you can help us put this all together and make this a great team effort."
"I have followed Utah State football since I left, closely. I have always followed it because I have a love for this valley and Utah State. Randy didn't have to spell out what the locker room looks like, I built it, I know what it looks like. I know our issues with facilities. I know those are problems we have to overcome, but those are things you can build from. Those are not stop signs that you can not go through, those are just yield signs that you have to slow down and go by. I totally understand where we are (with) facilities. Those weren't issues for me. I also know how hard Randy is going to work, along with me, to move forward with the north endzone complex. It's not just for football, although it's going to be in the endzone of a football stadium. It's a complex that will be a huge advantage for all of our student-athletes to use. To have a weight training facility and an athletic training room that all of those student-athletes will be enhanced by, not just football. It's not just about football, this is a team effort."
On The Hiring Of His Coaching Staff...
"I promise you I will hire a dynamic and energetic staff. There are a lot of Aggie players that are out there at the Division I level that want to come back and build this thing from the ground up with all of us. I promise you that I will personally, and I will put together a staff of individuals, who will give you relentless effort in our pursuit to push this football team and this program into the WAC to be competitive as fast as we can. We're going to do it right every day, every play."
On What He Plans To Do, Both Offensively And Defensively...
"(Defensively we are) very similar in structure, but a lot more complex in the things we do. Since having been at Utah State the zone blitz has become a big part of football, so I'm using a lot more of that, we didn't have any of that 10 years ago. Defensive football has evolved a lot in the last 10 years and what we are doing with our defensive kids. Offensively, I have ideas of what I want to do. I say that because I've been in this business 19 years with different offenses and I know what is hard to stop. It will be built around a quarterback. Every championship team I have been on has had a productive quarterback. We have to have a quarterback who can make plays not only throwing the football but running the football. You have to have a balanced attack. You have to be able to run the football to win consistently on any level in any conference, and I say that for two reasons. You have to be able to run the football to keep teams off balance. You have to be able to run the football to be tough. Tough teams win football games. When you run the football you're tough, not only from an offensive prospective but from a defensive prospective because you practice against it."
Comments From Quarterback Leon Jackson III...
"My overall impression is that he is a very well-mannered man and he's going to bring a lot of discipline and intensity to this university which is a big part of what we need. I'm just excited and anxious to get involved and see where he is going to take us. I'm excited to have him as my head coach."
Comments From Wide Receiver Kevin Robinson...
"I like him. It looks like he will bring a lot of energy to this program which is what we really need, because everybody is down right now losing our coaches. This will be good for us to have a new coach with energy that we can feed off."
