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LAWRENCE, Kan. — Next to the large desk with the Diet Coke on it stands a giant poster with the faces and names of every Kansas football player. Some have an 'X' across them. This is how Charlie Weis makes his new team's acquaintance: Kid walks in, check the poster, cross him off.
"It really is a good idea, though," Weis said Tuesday morning. "I've done it everywhere I've been. Like yesterday, No. 99 walked in. He walks in, you kind of look over there and say, 'Hey, Julius.' "
Some things never change. In the first 10 minutes of his introductory news conference last Friday, the former Notre Dame coach invoked the Bills (Parcells and Belichick) and New Jersey. Ron Powlus and Rob Ianello, two former Irish aides under Weis, milled about the office Tuesday talking to Kansas' athletic director. Weis' hip still needs fixing.
But some things do change. Or at least Weis expects them to. He thinks he knows what he did wrong to precipitate his 2009 firing at Notre Dame. He thinks he can fix that here. He thinks he can be perceived as a good, tough football coach instead of a walking ego typhoon of failed promise.
He spent 30 minutes on Tuesday telling the Tribune how he's going to do that.
College head coaching job to college head coaching job — how are you different?
Well first of all, when I took the job at Notre Dame I'm coming from the NFL and didn't really know the college coaches. So I hired the coaching staff based off of a concept rather than people. And of all the mistakes I made at Notre Dame — which were several, some documented, some self-inflicted — probably the one thing I put the least amount of importance on, that probably was one of the bigger mistakes, was chemistry.
From the coaching staff to the players to administration to everyone, I thought the chemistry never was good. And coming from great teams like the Patriots, the one thing that always stood out was the chemistry was always good. The Giants, the chemistry was always good. That's probably one of the biggest things that I never got right at Notre Dame. I never created the chemistry where everyone was on the same page.
So part of my problem going in is a lack of knowledge of the people that you're surrounding yourself with. I probably have had 150 coaches wanting to get on board here. And some of them are better than guys that I'll hire as coaches. They have a lot greater track record and all this other stuff. But I'm really spending a lot more time this time dealing with chemistry than I ever have before. You might not hire a certain strength coach over another strength coach because you're worried about chemistry. That's where I'm starting. That's probably one of the things — I wouldn't say failures — one of the things that cost me the most when I was there. I didn't put enough importance on it. And the importance of it cannot be taken for granted.
What was specifically wrong about the chemistry at Notre Dame?
I never got it right, that's what was specifically wrong. It wasn't like one issue. Whether it be between me and the assistants, the assistants and the assistants, the assistants and players, the players and the players, players and administration — the big picture, I never felt like the Patriots. And I'm not saying Notre Dame had to be the Patriots, but it never felt that way.
And there's only one person I blame for that, and that's me. I don't blame the AD, I don't blame the president, I don't blame the alumni, I don't blame anyone. I only blame me for that. And not because years later I'm still a stand-up guy taking the shots. The only one who could have done anything about that is me. No one else could have done anything about it. That's I'd say one of my bigger regrets, that I never got that chemistry right. I think I was getting close. I really do. I think I was getting close, as I made some tweaks and did this and that.
You finally got to the point where you were not not going to be competitive in any game you played. You had finally got to that point. But they gave me five years. Five years was long enough in their eyes, and I can understand that. I would have liked to continue, but I hold no grudge. It's part of football. You weren't winning enough games at that time so they decided to move on. It's what it is.
You alluded in your press conference to things you wish you could have "presented" better when you first got to Notre Dame. Are you different, are you humbled by what you went through at Notre Dame?
You didn't change as a person, but the presentation of the person is different. I mean, I'm still the exact same person. It's just you came across to so many people as this arrogant, obnoxious loudmouth that doesn't give a crap about anything. And you want to know something? You don't overcome that. You never overcome that.
Probably one of the stupidest things I ever did was that "60 Minutes" piece. It was just stupid. I did it for the right reason. I figured I'm giving Notre Dame a high profile, do a "60 Minutes" piece. And then you're swearing at (assistant) Brian Polian and you're doing this and that, and you look like a horse's ass. And that's not who you are. Because there's no one who cares more than me. No one could care more than me.
Where the fans sometimes consider that a weakness, I strongly disagree. I think the best coaches are people who are tough as nails, OK, but yet still compassionate. That's a true contradiction. It's a true contradiction to be tough as nails but really care. When I describe myself, I feel that I'm tough as nails but I'm compassionate at the same time. Sometimes people consider that soft. That's not soft in my eyes. That's what good people are supposed to be.
At Kansas, how do you get people to think differently of you? To make sure that perception doesn't follow you?
See, they know the Charlie Weis from the Kansas City Chiefs. They don't know the one from Notre Dame. I'm very well-liked in this town. This is who they know. They don't know that guy. Everyone in Chicago, everyone in South Bend, the Notre Dame fans know the guy that was presented in the first year or two. God, you just came from the NFL, you worked for Parcells and Belichick your whole life, you only know one way. So that's what you do. You tell them the one way.
And when you reflect and look back (you) sit there and say, 'Well, that didn't go so well.' And you can laugh at yourself. There's true humility in that. You sit there and say, 'What a dumbass thing to do.' And there's a whole list of things, now, which I won't go over.
If you could have a conversation with yourself before you step to the podium at Notre Dame in 2005, what would you tell Charlie Weis in 2005?
Be careful. You know how people say, be careful what you wish for? Be careful what you say. Because everything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. Be careful.
"Be careful" why?
Because the things you're saying are what football coaches think. I talk the way football coaches think, the way good football coaches think. That's not what fans need to hear. What the fans need to hear and what you're thinking unfortunately are not one and the same. They need to hear a plan. Why did you come here? Why did I come to Kansas? What are the reasons?
Well, one of the main reasons you know is because I had this worked out with my family that this would work. Because I would never come here if (wife) Maura and (son) Charlie wouldn't have been totally on board with this plan. You already know me enough to know that's the case. So why do you come here?
Well, look at this facility, to start off with. Does it look like a piece of crap? The facility is good. Academically, they're a really solid school. (I'm) very well-known in this area right here from coaching with the Chiefs. And well-liked. So it's not like you're coming to this area where people don't know who you are. They don't know me from Notre Dame or the Patriots.
But the biggest issue is, you're 2-10. Kansas State is 10-2. Obviously you can win in this state. So I'm saying to myself, you're coming to a school that's 2-10. The other school is 10-2. Just think about it. If you, in one year, you get to .500, you went from 2-10 to 6-6 —v I don't know how many games we'll win next year. I'm not projecting. I'm not giving you a timetable. But just with hard work and strength and conditioning and better coaching and the guys buying in — you get to .500, all of a sudden, you've made the program relevant again. Because what you want to do is you want to be the school that's 10-2 in the state of Kansas. Around here, they won't even mention them. Why wouldn't you mention them? They're 10-2 and you're 2-10, that's who you have to beat! You gotta beat them in recruiting and you gotta beat them on the field.
Why is that? Do you have any idea why one school would be 2-10 and 10-2? Do you have any idea why that would happen? Neither do I. I have to sit there and say, if I'm 2-10, and they're 10-2, I should be able to get to that point. I don't know how long it will take to get to that point, but that's where we should be able to get. They're already doing it. And they win on a fairly regular basis there. So there's no reason we shouldn't be able to win on a fairly regular basis here.
You've had the most success in the pros. Success has been up and down at Notre Dame and Florida. Why would a guy with success in the pros feel like he wants to be in the college game?
Because it's so much more family friendly. In the pros, your family doesn't count. You never see them. College, you don't have the kids until 2:30 in the afternoon. So a lot of that preparation that takes place at night, you do during the day. Let's say you go home at night at 9:30 instead of midnight. You're still coming in at the same time, but let's say you go home at 9:30 instead of midnight.
You see your kids before they go to bed, you see your wife, maybe watch a show with her, talk to her a little bit before you go to sleep. You go to bed at 11:30. You're only home for two hours, but that two hours, that's two hours you're missing in the pros. When the games are over, there's your family running on to the field after the game to come and see you. In the pros, that never happens. If you truly are a family guy, OK, it's just a better existence.
You were let go at Notre Dame — how soon, or did it even cross your mind again to be a head coach again at the college level?
I've been offered multiple head coaching jobs since I left. Not one. Multiple. For really good money too. Didn't interview with any of them.
Why?
Just didn't want to do it. Just really wasn't interested. Obviously when (Kansas) presented this, I talked to them. I thought somebody else was getting the job that night, from what everyone had told me. When (Florida coach Will) Muschamp and I talked in the morning, he said, 'So-and-so is going to get the job tonight, but if you want to talk to them, go talk to them.' That guy was waiting for that phone call when I was on a plane flying to Lawrence, I guess. That's really how it all went down. When I sat down to talk to Kansas, you didn't know where this was headed. And five and a half hours later, it was a totally different ballgame.
You have a feel for what it's going to be like being a football coach at what's perceived to be a basketball school?
I'm playing into that one hard, now. What do you think my best recruiting tool is going to be? Saturday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse, are you kidding me? I had guys over there the other day for the Ohio State game, it was rocking and rolling. Why ignore that? Play into it. Play into that culture. This is what you want it to be like. To me, thank God for Bill Self and that basketball team. Other than the facilities and us, it's going to the best recruiting tool we've got.
Can you tell a difference yet in coaching at a program not so beholden to certain traditions?
I've only been here for a short time, so I really need to do some due diligence. Let me just say they're more flexible. How's that for a word? They're more flexible. But I'm still new to the game here, so I'm going to have to wait and see how it all plays out.
Looking back, do you wish there was more flexibility when you were at Notre Dame?
You know, I complained a little bit the week after I got let go, I complained about Residence Life. From what I understand, they've made some big changes in Residence Life, which is good. There were some things I complained about that, fortunately, for the next coach, they became a little more flexible.
What you can't do — just like I'm sure anyone who came before me at Notre Dame had their list of things that they wish were different — you can't look back at them and use them as excuses or use them as crutches. Like, 'I got let go because of this.' I felt we were close. I wasn't happy being let go. I wanted to be there. But I understood.
How do you feel about your alma mater at this point?
First of all with the players — anyone who I ever got involved in recruiting and went to the school because of our recruitment to the school being one of the reasons — you don't go to a school because of the coach, but it does factor in. You go to the school because of the school, hopefully. That being said, I'll always have a fondness and care and be there at the appropriate time (for the players).
Any time you walk away from a job that they let you go, it isn't like you're doing cartwheels to say, 'Oh, I love the place.' … It still doesn't feel great. It doesn't feel great. You feel like you're not welcome. You don't feel welcome. That's not a shot at them, but they moved on. It's almost like if I'm around, I'm a distraction.
Even though I have a house in town. I go into a restaurant (in South Bend): 'Why are you still here?' I happen to own a house right over there, if you don't mind. You remember this charity called Hannah & Friends, the one my wife and I built, the one that we raised millions of dollars for people with special needs — remember that one? That still exists, in case you're wondering. That didn't pick up and leave to go to Kansas City, that didn't go to Florida.
How tough is that for you to take, because you have a love for Notre Dame?
When my son asked me the first day I was there, he said, 'Daddy, what will you consider being successful?' I said, Charlie, all I know is that when I leave here, I'm hoping people say, 'I'm glad we hired that guy.' And I don't believe I accomplished that goal. It's almost like when they let you go, people were saying, 'I'm glad we got rid of that guy.' Just the opposite of what you really went there for. What your goal was, you didn't accomplish.
Everyone likes to think when they go in they can solve all the problems that exist and go win every game every year. I have fond memories from the place and the people and from Hannah & Friends. I think my wife and I did something very special in that town, and that will always be there. Although people might stare at us while we're there like, why are we here — well, I can understand that because you're no longer the head coach at the school. But I can't understand that if they drove by that property and see what we did for people with special needs. I have a tough time with that one.
Did Brian Kelly's comments about guys he recruited versus guys you recruited come across your radar, and what did you think?
I heard about that. I think sometimes you say things in the heat of the moment that are better said in private than in public, that's all. Regardless of what his message was, it's always better when you keep those things in-house. It's not mine to comment on. I heard about it, but I don't know why it was said and when it was said, I don't know all the circumstances around it.
In terms of college head coaching job No. 1 to college head coaching job No. 2, what else is in that top three or five list of things you need to do differently?
Well, at my previous job, I tried to do too much. Because the job itself requires you to wear multiple hats, as you know. What happens is, you spread yourself so thin — you know how they say, jack of all trades, master of none? I think that's almost what you become. I'll make sure this time I don't put myself in that position.
I'm going to start off as the head coach and also run the offense. I'm going to run the offense. And the coaches coming in know that I'm going to run the offense. And the people I'm recruiting know that at the beginning I'm going to run the offense. But when I feel it's right, I'm turning the offense over to the assistant coaches. But I want to make sure it's right before I go ahead and do that, so there's no ambiguities of who is doing what.
That, in turn, forces you to make sure you hire a defensive coordinator that's almost like a head coach. Sort of like what Will did with me in Florida. Here's a 39-year-old guy that didn't blink hiring me as the offensive coordinator, and we couldn't have gotten along any better. Because I never overstepped my bounds. When there was something I disagreed with, I would wait until everyone was gone, and say, 'Maybe you might want to re-think that one.' I never had that person for me.
I'm very cognizant of things I didn't exactly do the right way. I feel a lot better about making sure I put myself in a position where I minimize the distractions. Because that gets back to the jack of all trades. You're trying to do this, this, this and this, and you forget about what they hire you for. At that place, that's really easy for that to happen, because there are so many different things that you could be asked to do.
You happy so far?
I'm hustling. I'm hustling. But from seeing me, you can see I'm a much calmer person than I've ever been before. That doesn't change how I coach. But just like Belichick and I have talked about, his first go-around that didn't go so well in Cleveland versus him now going to the Hall of Fame and all the things you do the first time where you say, 'Why did I do that?' And usually there are a few other words in there other than 'Why did I do that?' I'm hoping I've learned several valuable lessons to put you in a better chance to be successful.
"It really is a good idea, though," Weis said Tuesday morning. "I've done it everywhere I've been. Like yesterday, No. 99 walked in. He walks in, you kind of look over there and say, 'Hey, Julius.' "
Some things never change. In the first 10 minutes of his introductory news conference last Friday, the former Notre Dame coach invoked the Bills (Parcells and Belichick) and New Jersey. Ron Powlus and Rob Ianello, two former Irish aides under Weis, milled about the office Tuesday talking to Kansas' athletic director. Weis' hip still needs fixing.
But some things do change. Or at least Weis expects them to. He thinks he knows what he did wrong to precipitate his 2009 firing at Notre Dame. He thinks he can fix that here. He thinks he can be perceived as a good, tough football coach instead of a walking ego typhoon of failed promise.
He spent 30 minutes on Tuesday telling the Tribune how he's going to do that.
College head coaching job to college head coaching job — how are you different?
Well first of all, when I took the job at Notre Dame I'm coming from the NFL and didn't really know the college coaches. So I hired the coaching staff based off of a concept rather than people. And of all the mistakes I made at Notre Dame — which were several, some documented, some self-inflicted — probably the one thing I put the least amount of importance on, that probably was one of the bigger mistakes, was chemistry.
From the coaching staff to the players to administration to everyone, I thought the chemistry never was good. And coming from great teams like the Patriots, the one thing that always stood out was the chemistry was always good. The Giants, the chemistry was always good. That's probably one of the biggest things that I never got right at Notre Dame. I never created the chemistry where everyone was on the same page.
So part of my problem going in is a lack of knowledge of the people that you're surrounding yourself with. I probably have had 150 coaches wanting to get on board here. And some of them are better than guys that I'll hire as coaches. They have a lot greater track record and all this other stuff. But I'm really spending a lot more time this time dealing with chemistry than I ever have before. You might not hire a certain strength coach over another strength coach because you're worried about chemistry. That's where I'm starting. That's probably one of the things — I wouldn't say failures — one of the things that cost me the most when I was there. I didn't put enough importance on it. And the importance of it cannot be taken for granted.
What was specifically wrong about the chemistry at Notre Dame?
I never got it right, that's what was specifically wrong. It wasn't like one issue. Whether it be between me and the assistants, the assistants and the assistants, the assistants and players, the players and the players, players and administration — the big picture, I never felt like the Patriots. And I'm not saying Notre Dame had to be the Patriots, but it never felt that way.
And there's only one person I blame for that, and that's me. I don't blame the AD, I don't blame the president, I don't blame the alumni, I don't blame anyone. I only blame me for that. And not because years later I'm still a stand-up guy taking the shots. The only one who could have done anything about that is me. No one else could have done anything about it. That's I'd say one of my bigger regrets, that I never got that chemistry right. I think I was getting close. I really do. I think I was getting close, as I made some tweaks and did this and that.
You finally got to the point where you were not not going to be competitive in any game you played. You had finally got to that point. But they gave me five years. Five years was long enough in their eyes, and I can understand that. I would have liked to continue, but I hold no grudge. It's part of football. You weren't winning enough games at that time so they decided to move on. It's what it is.
You alluded in your press conference to things you wish you could have "presented" better when you first got to Notre Dame. Are you different, are you humbled by what you went through at Notre Dame?
You didn't change as a person, but the presentation of the person is different. I mean, I'm still the exact same person. It's just you came across to so many people as this arrogant, obnoxious loudmouth that doesn't give a crap about anything. And you want to know something? You don't overcome that. You never overcome that.
Probably one of the stupidest things I ever did was that "60 Minutes" piece. It was just stupid. I did it for the right reason. I figured I'm giving Notre Dame a high profile, do a "60 Minutes" piece. And then you're swearing at (assistant) Brian Polian and you're doing this and that, and you look like a horse's ass. And that's not who you are. Because there's no one who cares more than me. No one could care more than me.
Where the fans sometimes consider that a weakness, I strongly disagree. I think the best coaches are people who are tough as nails, OK, but yet still compassionate. That's a true contradiction. It's a true contradiction to be tough as nails but really care. When I describe myself, I feel that I'm tough as nails but I'm compassionate at the same time. Sometimes people consider that soft. That's not soft in my eyes. That's what good people are supposed to be.
At Kansas, how do you get people to think differently of you? To make sure that perception doesn't follow you?
See, they know the Charlie Weis from the Kansas City Chiefs. They don't know the one from Notre Dame. I'm very well-liked in this town. This is who they know. They don't know that guy. Everyone in Chicago, everyone in South Bend, the Notre Dame fans know the guy that was presented in the first year or two. God, you just came from the NFL, you worked for Parcells and Belichick your whole life, you only know one way. So that's what you do. You tell them the one way.
And when you reflect and look back (you) sit there and say, 'Well, that didn't go so well.' And you can laugh at yourself. There's true humility in that. You sit there and say, 'What a dumbass thing to do.' And there's a whole list of things, now, which I won't go over.
If you could have a conversation with yourself before you step to the podium at Notre Dame in 2005, what would you tell Charlie Weis in 2005?
Be careful. You know how people say, be careful what you wish for? Be careful what you say. Because everything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. Be careful.
"Be careful" why?
Because the things you're saying are what football coaches think. I talk the way football coaches think, the way good football coaches think. That's not what fans need to hear. What the fans need to hear and what you're thinking unfortunately are not one and the same. They need to hear a plan. Why did you come here? Why did I come to Kansas? What are the reasons?
Well, one of the main reasons you know is because I had this worked out with my family that this would work. Because I would never come here if (wife) Maura and (son) Charlie wouldn't have been totally on board with this plan. You already know me enough to know that's the case. So why do you come here?
Well, look at this facility, to start off with. Does it look like a piece of crap? The facility is good. Academically, they're a really solid school. (I'm) very well-known in this area right here from coaching with the Chiefs. And well-liked. So it's not like you're coming to this area where people don't know who you are. They don't know me from Notre Dame or the Patriots.
But the biggest issue is, you're 2-10. Kansas State is 10-2. Obviously you can win in this state. So I'm saying to myself, you're coming to a school that's 2-10. The other school is 10-2. Just think about it. If you, in one year, you get to .500, you went from 2-10 to 6-6 —v I don't know how many games we'll win next year. I'm not projecting. I'm not giving you a timetable. But just with hard work and strength and conditioning and better coaching and the guys buying in — you get to .500, all of a sudden, you've made the program relevant again. Because what you want to do is you want to be the school that's 10-2 in the state of Kansas. Around here, they won't even mention them. Why wouldn't you mention them? They're 10-2 and you're 2-10, that's who you have to beat! You gotta beat them in recruiting and you gotta beat them on the field.
Why is that? Do you have any idea why one school would be 2-10 and 10-2? Do you have any idea why that would happen? Neither do I. I have to sit there and say, if I'm 2-10, and they're 10-2, I should be able to get to that point. I don't know how long it will take to get to that point, but that's where we should be able to get. They're already doing it. And they win on a fairly regular basis there. So there's no reason we shouldn't be able to win on a fairly regular basis here.
You've had the most success in the pros. Success has been up and down at Notre Dame and Florida. Why would a guy with success in the pros feel like he wants to be in the college game?
Because it's so much more family friendly. In the pros, your family doesn't count. You never see them. College, you don't have the kids until 2:30 in the afternoon. So a lot of that preparation that takes place at night, you do during the day. Let's say you go home at night at 9:30 instead of midnight. You're still coming in at the same time, but let's say you go home at 9:30 instead of midnight.
You see your kids before they go to bed, you see your wife, maybe watch a show with her, talk to her a little bit before you go to sleep. You go to bed at 11:30. You're only home for two hours, but that two hours, that's two hours you're missing in the pros. When the games are over, there's your family running on to the field after the game to come and see you. In the pros, that never happens. If you truly are a family guy, OK, it's just a better existence.
You were let go at Notre Dame — how soon, or did it even cross your mind again to be a head coach again at the college level?
I've been offered multiple head coaching jobs since I left. Not one. Multiple. For really good money too. Didn't interview with any of them.
Why?
Just didn't want to do it. Just really wasn't interested. Obviously when (Kansas) presented this, I talked to them. I thought somebody else was getting the job that night, from what everyone had told me. When (Florida coach Will) Muschamp and I talked in the morning, he said, 'So-and-so is going to get the job tonight, but if you want to talk to them, go talk to them.' That guy was waiting for that phone call when I was on a plane flying to Lawrence, I guess. That's really how it all went down. When I sat down to talk to Kansas, you didn't know where this was headed. And five and a half hours later, it was a totally different ballgame.
You have a feel for what it's going to be like being a football coach at what's perceived to be a basketball school?
I'm playing into that one hard, now. What do you think my best recruiting tool is going to be? Saturday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse, are you kidding me? I had guys over there the other day for the Ohio State game, it was rocking and rolling. Why ignore that? Play into it. Play into that culture. This is what you want it to be like. To me, thank God for Bill Self and that basketball team. Other than the facilities and us, it's going to the best recruiting tool we've got.
Can you tell a difference yet in coaching at a program not so beholden to certain traditions?
I've only been here for a short time, so I really need to do some due diligence. Let me just say they're more flexible. How's that for a word? They're more flexible. But I'm still new to the game here, so I'm going to have to wait and see how it all plays out.
Looking back, do you wish there was more flexibility when you were at Notre Dame?
You know, I complained a little bit the week after I got let go, I complained about Residence Life. From what I understand, they've made some big changes in Residence Life, which is good. There were some things I complained about that, fortunately, for the next coach, they became a little more flexible.
What you can't do — just like I'm sure anyone who came before me at Notre Dame had their list of things that they wish were different — you can't look back at them and use them as excuses or use them as crutches. Like, 'I got let go because of this.' I felt we were close. I wasn't happy being let go. I wanted to be there. But I understood.
How do you feel about your alma mater at this point?
First of all with the players — anyone who I ever got involved in recruiting and went to the school because of our recruitment to the school being one of the reasons — you don't go to a school because of the coach, but it does factor in. You go to the school because of the school, hopefully. That being said, I'll always have a fondness and care and be there at the appropriate time (for the players).
Any time you walk away from a job that they let you go, it isn't like you're doing cartwheels to say, 'Oh, I love the place.' … It still doesn't feel great. It doesn't feel great. You feel like you're not welcome. You don't feel welcome. That's not a shot at them, but they moved on. It's almost like if I'm around, I'm a distraction.
Even though I have a house in town. I go into a restaurant (in South Bend): 'Why are you still here?' I happen to own a house right over there, if you don't mind. You remember this charity called Hannah & Friends, the one my wife and I built, the one that we raised millions of dollars for people with special needs — remember that one? That still exists, in case you're wondering. That didn't pick up and leave to go to Kansas City, that didn't go to Florida.
How tough is that for you to take, because you have a love for Notre Dame?
When my son asked me the first day I was there, he said, 'Daddy, what will you consider being successful?' I said, Charlie, all I know is that when I leave here, I'm hoping people say, 'I'm glad we hired that guy.' And I don't believe I accomplished that goal. It's almost like when they let you go, people were saying, 'I'm glad we got rid of that guy.' Just the opposite of what you really went there for. What your goal was, you didn't accomplish.
Everyone likes to think when they go in they can solve all the problems that exist and go win every game every year. I have fond memories from the place and the people and from Hannah & Friends. I think my wife and I did something very special in that town, and that will always be there. Although people might stare at us while we're there like, why are we here — well, I can understand that because you're no longer the head coach at the school. But I can't understand that if they drove by that property and see what we did for people with special needs. I have a tough time with that one.
Did Brian Kelly's comments about guys he recruited versus guys you recruited come across your radar, and what did you think?
I heard about that. I think sometimes you say things in the heat of the moment that are better said in private than in public, that's all. Regardless of what his message was, it's always better when you keep those things in-house. It's not mine to comment on. I heard about it, but I don't know why it was said and when it was said, I don't know all the circumstances around it.
In terms of college head coaching job No. 1 to college head coaching job No. 2, what else is in that top three or five list of things you need to do differently?
Well, at my previous job, I tried to do too much. Because the job itself requires you to wear multiple hats, as you know. What happens is, you spread yourself so thin — you know how they say, jack of all trades, master of none? I think that's almost what you become. I'll make sure this time I don't put myself in that position.
I'm going to start off as the head coach and also run the offense. I'm going to run the offense. And the coaches coming in know that I'm going to run the offense. And the people I'm recruiting know that at the beginning I'm going to run the offense. But when I feel it's right, I'm turning the offense over to the assistant coaches. But I want to make sure it's right before I go ahead and do that, so there's no ambiguities of who is doing what.
That, in turn, forces you to make sure you hire a defensive coordinator that's almost like a head coach. Sort of like what Will did with me in Florida. Here's a 39-year-old guy that didn't blink hiring me as the offensive coordinator, and we couldn't have gotten along any better. Because I never overstepped my bounds. When there was something I disagreed with, I would wait until everyone was gone, and say, 'Maybe you might want to re-think that one.' I never had that person for me.
I'm very cognizant of things I didn't exactly do the right way. I feel a lot better about making sure I put myself in a position where I minimize the distractions. Because that gets back to the jack of all trades. You're trying to do this, this, this and this, and you forget about what they hire you for. At that place, that's really easy for that to happen, because there are so many different things that you could be asked to do.
You happy so far?
I'm hustling. I'm hustling. But from seeing me, you can see I'm a much calmer person than I've ever been before. That doesn't change how I coach. But just like Belichick and I have talked about, his first go-around that didn't go so well in Cleveland versus him now going to the Hall of Fame and all the things you do the first time where you say, 'Why did I do that?' And usually there are a few other words in there other than 'Why did I do that?' I'm hoping I've learned several valuable lessons to put you in a better chance to be successful.
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