University of Houston Athletics
Coach Dimel's Press Conference Quotes
10/30/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 30, 2001
Houston, Texas -
Coach Dimel on last weeks game: "What I didn't like about the game last weekend was the early turnover on the interception and the two turnovers in the end zone. I thought that those were a big part of our offensive deficiencies last weekend and we will need to work on that because it has not been a glaring problem, to this point, but it was in this game."
Coach Dimel on Whether the defensive problem is a matter of personnel or of schemes?: "That is where most of my thoughts are as to what changes I have to make defensively to make us a better football team. Right now we are just trying to do the things this year that will make us a better team this year, so we can be a better defensive team next year." "As far as the changes that we will make, I have been thinking about that each and every day and I have not come to a solid conclusion yet on what needs to be done. These last four weeks will still be part of my decision making process as we see what happens in the last four games."
Coach Dimel on Recruiting: "That is a big question that remains to be seen. My thoughts are that everybody understood coming in last season that we were trying to build a program and that was part of the process that we are trying to do it a quick as we can do it. My point to the recruits has not changed. We didn't tell the recruits last year that we were going to go out and go to a bowl game this season. They came knowing that we were going to try to recruit local talent and build a program through recruiting local talent. That is why they were excited to come here and be a part of the program."
"The same selling point is there from the recruits and the same support and appreciation is there from the high school coaches if anything they understand and know why we are having the sorts of struggles we are having. Right now I don't see any changes in what our recruiting is going to bring. It is a better year in Houston and the surrounding cities for recruiting. To go wholesale the junior college rout then a year from now or two years from now we will be back in the same situation. As a head coach that would not be building a program. You would have up and down seasons that would tear the program apart. So we have to be patient and stay with what we are doing." "We will probably sign 4 or 5 mid-year junior college scholarships and we will try to stay to about 15% of our scholarships to give to junior college players. That will be the normal plan."
Coach Dimel have you considered any other defensive formations? "We have been doing all kinds of different sort of things defensively, thinking about what combinations would make us better. It is a combination of a lot of things. It is a combination of first year starters, that I see getting better every Saturday. It is a combination of what can we do better schematically? And what can we do to make sure the guys are better prepared to win football games? So it is schemes, personnel and what we can do better to win football games."
Coach Dimel on the conditioning program: "I think that when Lou Hernandez left in the middle of our off season that it was a major blow to our football program. To leave right in the crucial part of the off-season and for us to go about one and a half / two months of the off-season with out a strength coach. As I look back, and everything that I am doing is evaluation, I think that was a major blow. Now, I think that we had a great summer for our conditioning program, but for one and a half month's there we were not staying toe-to-toe with the rest of the programs that we are competing with." "The other thing that I think is happening, is that we are starting to play a lot of younger players that have not been practicing through out the year. What happens is guys that are not practicing with the "ones" don't get into the same shape as the guys that are. When they do start playing they are not in as good of shape. Now we have installed more in-season conditioning to get those guys in the shape they need to be in."
Coach Dimel on the search for the athletic director: " I think we are missing the athletic director in the promotion of events and the structure of the program. That would be the only concern. What will be the most important is hiring the right guy. Basketball and football will continue what they are doing this season. It is so important that we hire the right person, one who understands the city of Houston, The University of Houston and understands what needs to be done here and the continuity that needs to be here within every position in the athletic department. So we can start building stability in the department."
Coach Dimel on South Florida: "South Florida is real similar to Memphis as far a offensively in their attack. They throw the ball quite a bit out of a spread offense, but a lot of the same formations and plays that Memphis runs. Then defensively, they play a bunch of man covers and their schemes are similar to Texas's personnel is not to that level. But they have some good talent there."
