The University of Mississippi Athletics
Q&A With Head Coach Ernest Ross
1/17/2005 | Men's Golf
Jan. 17, 2005
Q: This past fall ended up being one of the biggest turnarounds in school history. Have you put a finger on why the team was able to enjoy so much success?
A: We came into the season with a series of short-term goals and realistic expectations. The biggest problem I saw was that the young men in this program didn't have any confidence in their own abilities. I wanted us to enjoy as much early-season success as possible. We won our very first tournament by 16 shots and everything seemed to fall into place after that.
At that point, our guys started buying into the system. They gained a tremendous amount of confidence in themselves and that showed over the course of the fall season. I feel like we played above expectations at all five tournaments in the fall. The young men in this program are hungry and want to achieve a higher level of success in the spring. These guys have worked hard in the off-season to prepare themselves for the second half of the 2004-05 season.
I am very optimistic about the spring. We have one of the biggest rosters in college golf, so some of these guys are still waiting for a chance to prove themselves. I think these guys will be ready when called upon. There are several guys -- even some who didn't travel with us this fall -- who have tremendous potential and the ability to help us as a team.
Q: You said at the beginning of the fall that "you were going to be very careful in the type of instruction you gave these players." Can you talk about that theory?
A: As a teacher, instructor and coach, you have to understand what kinds of changes can be made `on the fly' and what type of changes need to be classified as long-term improvements. You have to be very careful that you don't give the individual too much at one time and you need to make sure that you don't get that person out of his comfort zone.
In our situation, most of the changes that needed to be made were of the long-term variety. It wouldn't have been fair for me to come in and make major changes in their games just a few weeks before the beginning of the season. Some things we were able to change quickly, but other things were left until the off-season.
We have video equipment at the golf house and that's something the guys have been working with during the winter months.
Q: Jordan Dempsey has established himself as one of the top collegiate golfers in the country. How good do you think he can be?
A: Jordan is a tremendous golfer and a fantastic leader. He finished at par-or-better in all five tournaments this fall. I had heard a lot about Jordan (before getting here) and he's lived up to that great reputation. He is truly everything you dream of in a college golfer. He has great skills, a great personality and a terrific attitude. Jordan is the type of golfer who stays very loose, upbeat and positive before and during a tournament. His exceptional demeanor has really rubbed off on all of his teammates.
Jordan is one of the leading candidates for Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and has enough talent to play on the PGA Tour.
Q: Jarrod Gardner and Ryan Michals are both seniors who have traveled and played. What can we expect to see from those two in the spring?
A: Jarrod got off to a slow start in the fall, but played great in the last three tournaments. I believe that his best golf is still in front of him. He played between the No. 3 and No. 5 positions (in the fall), but I think he has the potential to play higher than that. Ryan has been a pleasant surprise. He has a lot of desire to do well and help this team. He works hard on a daily basis to improve his game. I never have any reason to question his attitude on the golf course.
Q: I know you've been happy with the team's attitude and mental approach on the course. Can you comment on that?
A: Our best players have all had great attitudes this fall. If they had a tough score on the last hole, they are always talking about what they can do on the next one. They don't hang their heads and worry about what has already happened. I've always said that, `bad players always look backwards and good players always look forward.' It's a very mental game and successful golfers know that the only place to look is forward.
I'm a big believer in positive mental attitude because this game is all about confidence. Several of the young men in this program are learning about the mental edge it takes to be successful. They don't hang their heads and dwell on the past. I've always said that, `bad golfers tend to look backwards, while good players always look forward.' We say, `attitudes are contagious' and ask, `is yours worth catching?'
Q: Chris Rogers, Callum Macaulay and Kyle Ellis are all sophomores who have contributed. Can you talk about their play?
A: Over the course of the fall, Chris and Callum made the biggest strides of anyone on the roster. Chris played in every fall tournament and set a career low (66) in Baton Rouge. Callum set his career best (68) at the Mason Rudolph Championships and also posted a top-five finish. Kyle played extremely well in the first tournament, where he shot a 70-65-71. I think the biggest thing with these guys is that they are having fun. I have always believed that, `people perform their best when they feel good about themselves.' These guys like who they are now and they like what they are doing.
Q: Can you preview the upcoming spring schedule?
A: We have a very competitive spring schedule with regular-season tournaments at New Orleans, Florida State, Alabama and Auburn. We will be playing against some great competition, which will certainly test the character of this team. Everyone has fun when you are playing well, but a little adversity can test the true mettle of a team. We will really see what we're made of this spring.
We try to establish a good mix with the types of tournaments we play in because confidence can be very fragile in this sport. We were thrilled with our fall results. We were able to finish ahead of several SEC teams and other schools in our district. Those are the two biggest factors when it comes time for NCAA selections.
Q: What types of goals and expectations do you have for the spring?
A: Our team goal will be to make the NCAA Tournament. The selection committee looks at your year-long performance, which is the best indication of how you played from September until April. Teams that make NCAA Regionals are graded on their performance over the course of 10 or 11 tournaments. If you have one bad tournament, you still have time to make it up.
The thing I dislike about our schedule is that too much emphasis is put on the SEC Championships. I think a lot of players get too uptight over those three days and can't perform at the same level they've been at during the regular season. Don't get me wrong, I want to do well against teams from our own conference, but I would hope people remember what we've done over the course of the season and not just one weekend.
The Southeastern Conference is about as strong as it's ever been. What many people don't understand is that you can finish fifth or sixth in our league and still be in the Top 25. There are nine SEC schools in the Top 45 right now and that's just mind boggling.
