.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Football Press Conference
6/21/1999 | Football
December 2, 1998
OXFORD, Miss. - Opening Remarks:
Chancellor Robert Khayat:
Let me welcome everybody to this historic day in the life of the University of Mississippi. For 105 years, football has been an integral part of life at Ole Miss. Our head football coach is expected to provide leadership not only on the football field but in the community at large. The coach must understand the role of athletics at the university as a port to the academic mission at the university.
When we began our search for our coach, we developed a profile. We agreed that the person would have at least these nine qualities. We want a person of honesty and integrity with a strong work ethic; a person with plenty of I-A experience as a head coach or coordinator; a person who has a demonstrated record of putting the interests of players and the school ahead of his personal interests; a person who would make a long-term commitment to Ole Miss; a person with exceptional organizational and communication skills; a person who has earned and enjoys the respect of his peers and with those with whom he has worked; a person with a demonstrated record of effective recruitment and retention of student-athletes; a person whose values are prescriptive to our values; a person who could lead us to success, build a truly competitive program with integrity and strengthen the University of Mississippi.
The athletics committee asked John Shafer and me to conduct a search to find our next coach. I then asked John to develop a group of candidates for us to review. We looked at a number of files and talked to many, many people--students, faculty, staff, alumni. We reduced our list to three candidates. John and I went to visit each of those three--two head coaches and a coordinator. This is a day of celebration at Ole Miss. We made the right decision. Our Director of Athletics John Shafer will make the introductions and presentation.
Athletics Director John Shafer:
Well, this is an exciting time. It wasn't this crowded when I was hired. I have a prepared statement but, I would like to say something first. I would like to thank the chancellor for his unwavering support throughout this. He was my counselor, a pillar through all this, because it was an ordeal. I want to thank my staff. I haven't been around and they have been great. They have covered for me, filled in while I was gone for four days. I want to thank Diane for putting up with me. I have been a bear when I am home. I thank everybody for their help.
Six months ago, I sat in a similar situation as the happiest man in the world being named the athletic director at Ole Miss. This is the second happiest moment in my professional life. We conducted a thorough search for a new head coach to lead the Ole Miss Rebels. We talked with coaches, we talked with administrators, and we even talked to agents about the potential candidates. One name kept coming up...an offensive genius coaching at the No. 1 ranked school in America. We were looking for a man with impeccable character, integrity and value. A proven coach, recruiter, and leader of young men. A man who cared about the student-athlete, with a commitment to excellence in the classroom and in the field. We also wanted a person who would be committed to not just take this job, but finish it. A man who wanted to be at Ole Miss as much as I do. When we sat down and interviewed the individual candidates, there was no doubt what our decision would be or should be. We are pleased today to have with us, coach David Cutcliffe, his wife Karen, his son Chris and daughter Katie here in beautiful Oxford. He will be named the 34th head football coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. Ladies and gentlemen, let's have a hotty-toddy welcome for a proven winner......David Cutcliffe.
Head Coach David Cutcliffe:
Fellas, let's go play. That got me fired up, I'm ready. First, I certainly want to thank Dr. Khayat and John Shafer. I had a wonderful opportunity to meet with them and spend some time with them. I want to tell you that you can say this about Dr. Khayat: his enthusiasm and passion for this University is so contagious that when he walks into the room and he says anything about Ole Miss the hair on the back of your neck stands up. He has had me so fired up, I haven't slept since I met the man. All of us who have been around the Southeastern Conference for a long time have realized what John Shafer has meant, not just to Ole Miss, but to the entire conference and how well respected he is. I am very fortunate to have a chancellor and an athletic director of that stature to work with. I can't tell you guys thank you enough. That's from the bottom of my heart. That excited me to no end. I knew this is the right thing for me at this time.
What I am going to do is tell you a little about myself at this time, that is the only thing I know to do. I am going to speak from the heart and introduce myself to you. The first thing that David Cutcliffe is about without question is my family. I have got the greatest wife in the world. I love her and she loves me and that makes it work, it is as simple as that. Karen is fantastic. Katie, I call her sweets. She is the best thing there is. There is nothing better. This is the greatest little girl in the world. That's my chief over there. He is in charge. I call my son Chris, Chief. That's my family. I have a sister and brother here today. She lives in Little Rock, and he lives in Birmingham. That's my past and part of my current family. That is what David Cutcliffe has a passion for. I think a lot of things in this country could be solved through our families.
The next thing I am about is players. The reason I do this job, the reason I got into coaching is because I had a chance to work with young people. It is the most important thing I do. I met with the squad this morning at seven a.m., because that is who I am most comfortable with. They were the first people that I wanted to see at Ole Miss. I had that pleasure, I looked them in the eye and I got so wound up this morning. It will take time for them to get to know me. I told them we have a lot of things to get done, one day at a time. I have asked them for their help. They are capable young men and they are going to manage themselves in that way.
The other thing that I am about is that I won't make any apologies for the way I am. I love to compete. I have a fire in my belly every day. I told them I am not going to apologize for being intense. I'm going to get wound up. I am not a guy that is going to look cool to you sometimes and I am not worried about looking cool because I am going to do what I feel. When I feel those feelings, that is how I am going to manage this football team and that is how I am going to manage this program. It will be from the heart.
I feel a passion for the Southeastern Conference, for the tradition that we have, and the institutions that we have. I am going to tell you a story. Growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, I was able to look in all directions and see all these great SEC institutions. I use to, on Saturday night as a very young child, take two chairs and put a blanket over them to make me a little tent. I took a transistor radio in--and guys, we didn't have ESPN at that time--and I would search AM radio stations. Through all the static I could here "the Ole Miss Rebels led by John Vaught...." I would get emotional at this point.... "playing LSU on a Saturday night." That's what Ole Miss is all about to me, and that's what the SEC is about to me. I would lay there and hear those great teams on the radio. I got to see a game that coach Vaught brought to collegiate field and play an Alabama team in one of the most exciting games I have ever seen. Those are the things that mean a lot to me. This institution, I knew was the right fit for me. Everything that Ole Miss did seemed to be done with a touch of class. Even the students dress better than any other school. To come into Oxford last night, drive through the community, this is what a college campus is supposed to look like. Going into Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and feeling the feelings that stirred in me, I know I am home. This is where I plan to retire. This is where I plan to spend a lot of years.
We have got a mission, there is no question. We are going to have the finest student-athletes we can possibly bring in here. We are proud of this institution academically and what it has accomplished. We are proud of this institution athletically, proud of what this institution means to the state of Mississippi and the country. Ole Miss has a great national reputation. All of those things excite me to no end and this mission is going to be something that I think about everyday, every minute, and every opportunity that I have. That is where my energy is going to be spent, I can promise you that. I am looking forward to getting started and obviously I have got a job to go back to that I have to finish, that I am committed to finish. I am looking forward to that opportunity of playing in the SEC championship game on Saturday and then Sunday I plan to return to Oxford. I am really looking forward to going to work. We will see what the near future will bring and we will make plans from that point on. Thank you again for being here and I look forward to getting to know all of you better and this is going to be as a great deal of fun. I appreciate you players being here and I will look forward to spending day after day after day with you guys. There will be a lot of hard work, a lot of good times, a lot of hard times and a lot of tough times. We will all spend those times together, but they'll definitely be together. I thank you very much.
Questions:
Q: David, can you talk about the chances Ole Miss has to go to a bowl game and how quick you're going to put together a staff?
A: Well, I certainly hope we have that opportunity. These players have earned that right. They've had that kind of season, and this team deserves to play in a bowl game, there's no question about that. We should know something this weekend. We'll see how the bowl championship series comes about. That'll answer a lot of questions. Hopefully we have that opportunity. We'll be moving fast. We're going to be exciting. I told the players this morning that if that opportunity presents itself, I feel sorry for the people we're going to play because they'll have no idea what we're going to do. We'll certainly use that to our advantage. This week is obviously a busy week with preparations for the championship game. We're in the process of putting a staff together right now, and we'll be moving quickly next week.
Q: David, could you have a partial staff in place for a bowl game?
A: Sure, you can do that. I'm not going to make a hire just to be hiring to get through that. I can coach the whole offense by myself if I have to. I certainly wouldn't want to have to do that. Those offensive linemen might get tired of the way I'm buzzing around. I'm around those quarterbacks a little bit more. We would be able to do that, whether it would take getting all nine assistants. These guys know how to play the game, and they're ready to play if given that opportunity.
Q: Have you made any definite decisions on any part of your staff?
A: There's been some decisions made, but we're not ready to reveal those names yet. We'll probably be doing that at the first of next week.
Q: Will you be your own coordinator, or will you hire your own coordinator?
A: It looks like right now more than likely I'll be running the offense. That's how things will start. That's what I'm most comfortable doing, and I think that's one of my greatest strengths. I'm going to hire good people around me who are capable people offensively. Initially, that's how things will be started. I'll run the offense.
Q: Talk about what you expect to do with recruiting.
A: We've done an outstanding job keeping the list together and keeping people notified as to what's going on. This has not been in limbo very long, so we'll get a jump start on that. We've already developed some plans from that standpoint as to what we're going to do. We're not going to waste any time from that standpoint. We're going to jump right in the middle of that, and there's a whole lot of people who are going to wish we hadn't jumped right in the middle of it when we do.
Q: What response did you get from Coach Fulmer about the timing of this situation?
A: He understood. It was done in such a professional way, and it was handled the way it should have been handled. He was very appreciative of that. The timing of it all--the speculation's over with, the story's done right now, and now we'll focus the rest of the way on that ball game. He was very comfortable, particularly how the people at Ole Miss handled it on their end. He had no problems whatsoever.
Q: Tell us a little bit about your overall football philosophy.
A: I'll just tell you a little about my overall philosophy without giving away a bunch of secrets. I think the first thing that we have to do is that we have to be a football team that plays the kicking game. That's going to surprise a lot of people about an offensive coach. We're going to play the kicking game better than anybody in America. We're going to win with the kicking game. I have great beliefs about what we have to do to get that done. It's too big a part of the game. Too many people give it lip service. We're going to be an outstanding kicking team. I think from that standpoint on, you don't have to divide offense and defense.
I think the other thing that we're going to do is be the most physical team on the field on Saturday when we play. Again, that comes as a surprise from a guy who likes to throw the ball 40 times a game. I know that from that standpoint I believe in and how we will go about practice and how we'll approach things is that we'll win the physical battles on Saturdays. The most important thing any coach can do, whether you're a head coach or a position coach, is to get your players to play as hard as they can play. If we'll do those things and focus and play intelligent football, win the physical battle and win the kicking game, it's going to give us a chance to win every time we go out. That's the simple grass-roots philosophy without getting into specifics about offense and defense.
Q: Talk about what's here to build on.
A: First of all, a lot of good football players. I have watched numerous tapes through the years and played against a lot of these guys. I see a lot of good football players. I see a bright future. I see a lot of committed football players. I've been really impressed about the maturity this team has shown. I see a stadium that has one of the greatest atmospheres...walking through it empty, it has atmosphere. It has what you want written all over it. I see a commitment from administration to be as good as we can be. That commitment is sincere, it is there and that's what you ought to know, that we'll be working on the same page. We're going to be working on a day-to-day basis to do the things we want to do, and that's to make this the very best place that it can be in all aspects. There's so many positive things, so many things I have to look forward to. I think you could go on and on and on. I walk in and see this weight room, the facility and the things that we have, and there's nothing standing in our way to get the job done. These players know that, and we have to work on a day-to-day basis and keep our eyes on that mission to get that accomplished. I don't think there's anything in our way to hinder us from doing that.
Q: Coach, do you think you can get off on the right foot by beating Mississippi State on Saturday?
A: I'm not going to try to give Mississippi State any bulletin board material here, but I think we all know the answer to that question. They've got a fine football team, and I congratulate them on getting to the championship game. They've done an outstanding job. They will be a challenge for the Tennessee football team. It's certainly one that has a double meaning for me at this time.
Q: We heard that you recruited Romaro Miller and some other players. What are your impressions of Romaro Miller?
A: Romaro and I looked at each other and smiled this morning. That was fun to see him. He's really matured and had an outstanding season. It's not easy to play quarterback in this league, and I thought he did that with great poise. He did it with great athleticism, and he's got an outstanding arm. He's showed great toughness. He has all the things it takes. Watching Rufus play football through the years--nobody does it better at his position. He's a weapon, and that's going to be exciting to have that opportunity to work with him. Deuce McAllister--I've been watching the Mississippi State tape most recently, and we all saw the kind of game that young man played. What a competitor. When he runs the football, he's such a punishing runner. I'm not trying to be unfair to the other players. I want the players to know I'm not going to know everything I need to know but these are the obvious. The offensive line, even when Terrence got hurt, somebody stepped it up and got the job done. That looks like a strength to me. I talked to Matt Luke this morning and congratulated him. This group of seniors has been special. They have left a legacy. Watching Eddie Strong and Syniker and Ronnie Heard and the defense with Armegis flying around, I'm glad I don't have to coach against them except for in spring practice when it doesn't count as a loss. What great fun it is to see those guys play with the spirit and effort they play with, and certainly the ability. There's a lot of other players that return that are going to be as a big factor. I'm excited. The ingredients are there, there's no question about that. The desire is there. I saw that in their eyes this morning. It's up to us to provide the leadership and maximize their abilities and their opportunities to put themselves in the championship picture, and we have to live that mission every day.
Q: Considering the amount of time you spent with Tennessee and coming on board here Sunday, if you're in the championship game or the Fiesta Bowl or anything, will you have any role with them at all, or will Dr. Khayat and John let you go back and watch that game, considering all the time you put in with them?
A: I don't know if I would choose to go watch it or not. If that's during the recruiting time, which I think it is--I'm trying to remember the calendar exactly, if we start back on the second, third or fourth--more than likely I'll be recruiting. Maybe I'll sit in a prospect's home and watch a little of it and say, "Now listen, this is what's going to happen." They'll really think I know what's going on.
Q: What are the things you took from Coach Majors and Coach Fulmer during your career?
A: Well, there's been numerous people I've drawn from. My high school coach, beginning with him, Shorty Wright in Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. Having an opportunity to watch Coach Bryant work, just learning from every coach, from Coach Majors right on through Coach Fulmer. I think you see common threads in all these people in this business who do things well.
Most recently, let me refer to Philip. That's where it gets specific. My challenge is to beat Philip Fulmer, because Philip Fulmer is the best head football coach in Division I-A. He is not the most glamorous, the most talked about, he doesn't create controversy, he just knows how to go to work everyday to make something better. His work ethic, his sincerity, his care for the players, his desire to go recruit and all his energy sets the standard as far as I am concerned. Phillip looks at this thing, and I can promise you he has already looked to see when Tennessee and Ole Miss might have to play again because I am the one guy that is going to put a little fear in him. He knows he will not outwork me, and he knows he will not be able to do those things that he can to bury the other teams. I mean that sincerely. I look forward to doing it as well as he has done it. That's not sugar coating; that's how I truly feel.
