Press Conference | Major Applewhite
12/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Major Applewhite
INTRODUCTORY PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES (PDF)
UH SYSTEM BOARD OF REGENTS CHAIRMAN TILMAN FERTITTA
Opening Statement
"Seems like we have just been here. The players look a lot happier this time, though. We're thrilled everybody is out here. Great process. We feel that we got the right man. When we started this process, the committee decided we were going to all be in 100% consensus, and it wasn't that way. We looked at a lot of good people, but it was clear-cut at the end that there was only one guy for this job, and that was Major Applewhite.
I want to thank Jack Moore, Dona Cornell, and of course our Athletics Director Hunter Yurachek for really lining everything up. But more than anybody else, there was a guy that was on this committee and the committee two years ago, fellow Regent Spencer Armour. I can tell you, you need to walk up and shake his hand, because he kept us on the straight line two years ago and kept us on the straight line today. You can thank a lot of those victories over the last two years and the next two years because of him. And of course, our wonderful chancellor, who demands that we win 12 games every year, and who wants us to be a very competitive program in all sports and also one of the top universities academically.
There's nothing like wanting to be good, and just remember that the rest of your life. It's always simple, especially young guys out here; it's always simple to separate yourself from everybody else. That's with having high expectations. You don't always hit them. I have had lots of failures, but I have always had high expectations. Major, I am just so happy you're here. Hunter, great job running this: unbelievable support for our chancellor, and Jack and Don, and of course (Spencer) Armour again. Thank you all very much. I just can't wait until this Saturday, and I really can't wait until next September. It's going to be a great time. Thank you to all of you Cougars for coming out. "
On new coach and new era
"What's amazing is that even after the Navy loss, we were ranked #11 in the country, and every team in front of us lost but Alabama. We would right now maybe still be in that final four playoff. It's different with football than basketball, or baseball. This whole Power 5 or Group of 5 is nothing but words by the NCAA, and it has nothing to do with who you recruit and how you play on the field. Anybody who gets a little bit more money for TV being in a Power Five Conference, it's not a little. It's a lot, but it has nothing to do with players when you are in the city of Houston and get to play out on this field, and after their days, don't have to go anywhere. They get to stay right here in the city of Houston, where people can get recognized and get good jobs. That's what it's all about.
So do I think that one day they are going to realign everything, and Houston is going to be a part of it? Probably so. I hope that they just get rid of the whole term `Power 5' and `Group of 5,' because it really makes no sense to me whatsoever, because of a break here and there, we don't play all those games in a 28-day period. We can be sitting there right now playing one of those other three teams, and in basketball, it makes no difference whatsoever. (In NCAA basketball) The number one team in this country is Villanova. I don't even know if they have a football program anymore. It just doesn't make any difference. It's just an excuse at best. We'd like to be in a better conference just for the fans. It would be fun to play Oklahoma, Texas, and Oklahoma State and Tech and TCU, more because of rivalries. That is what was hard for our fans when all of a sudden we got left out because the Speaker of the House and the Lieutenant Governor both went to Baylor. Everybody can't forget that. That's what happened, and we had to go play, and nothing against either one of these schools, East Carolina and Southern Mississippi. Still it's hard, going from Texas A&M and Texas to East Carolina and Southern Miss. We've been playing good teams, and the American Athletic Conference is probably just as good as the Big 12. Don't worry about it. We'll be fine. In the meantime, it's just `win, baby.'
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON PRESIDENT RENU KHATOR
On opening statement
"Good afternoon, everyone. Go Coogs. This is an exciting day. When I came nine years ago, we had the exact same goal for what we have today, and that is we don't settle with mediocrity. We are building a nationally competitive, nationally relevant program. Whether that is academically or athletically. With that in mind, we have done a lot in football of course. We have built a beautiful, gorgeous stadium. We are about to build the practice facility. We have hired the best and have, in return, recruited the best student-athletes, and the results are clear. We are a winning program. We are a nationally relevant program, and we are a nationally, competitive program.
Now, when we started searching for the new coach, I had three expectorations. I wanted a coach who would give absolute priority to the educational experience of our student athletes, because at the end of the day these are student-athletes. They are students first and they should have the best educational experience here. Second, I wanted to make sure that we a have clean and compliant program with compliance to all the rules and policies. Everything is so critical, so important. We cannot have a bad staff. Thirdly, of course, I want a winning program, because when the students graduate, I want to make sure you leave from here with the thrill of having been part of a winning program. But, it's also important for all the students to see the engagement in TDECU [Stadium] when we have a great, winning program. It's important for our boosters. It's important for our city and absolutely important for our donors and for our entire Coog Nation.
When we saw Major Applewhite, I did not know him actually, not very well. I knew him as our offensive coordinator, but didn't have chance at all too socialize. But now that I've met with him, I could see what integrity, enormous sincerity, passion and, of course, expectations that go way beyond even mine. So, it doesn't matter what I say, what I want you to do or him to do. I know what he's going to do and those are the kind of people I like, people who are doing things because they have to prove it to themselves, not because they have to prove it to me or to anybody else, which is so exciting. I'm so excited to see all of that with Applewhite, because without [him], we would not be where we are today.
Every single step in this football program over [the last] nine years, we have gone a step further and have become a better program. We are continuing on that trajectory and it would not be possible without you all, it would not be possible without our wonderful students, because they are the ones responsible for building this beautiful stadium. And, I am definitely very grateful to the coaching staff, to everybody in athletics and I'm very proud of our student-athletes. I know that several of you are here and I see you across campus. I'm so proud of you for what you have done this year, what you're going to continue to do, because you're the reason why we're here.
I also wanted to make sure that I acknowledge the presence of our Mayor Sylvester Turner. Councilman David Robinson is here, thank you for everything you do. The City Council people are here, Councilman Dwight Boykins. I know that there are others that are here. Our Board of Regents is here. Let me introduce the Vice Chairman of the Board of Regents Welcome Wilson Jr., Secretary of the Board of Regents, Spencer Armour III, and also gathered here, Regent Gerald McElvy and Regent Paula Mendoza.
Now, for the two people responsible nine years ago for bringing me here. Every single opportunity, I thank them for that fortunate day in my life that they hired me and that is former regent Welcome Wilson Sr., and former regent Leroy Hermes.
Now, I turn to Coach Applewhite. Coach, we are so happy that you are here. Honestly, you do have that fire in your belly, and I hope, as I tweeted also, that you have that dream in your eyes and that is the dream of champions. So, that's what I like to see. So, just know that I'm here with you. All of Coog Nation is here with you. We are going to do everything possible to make sure that you have the tools to be successful and the tools to be able to take these young men here and make them into successful leaders on the field and in the classroom. Congratulations. We are grateful, we are proud. Go Coogs."
VP FOR ATHLETICS HUNTER YURACHEK
Opening statement
"It's another great day to be a Houston Cougar, is it not? Band, cheerleaders, dance team, thank you. You guys make the atmosphere at TDECU Stadium unbelievable any time you're in it. Thank you for taking the time in the middle of exams to be here today to help us celebrate. Thanks to each of you for being here today as we officially introduce and launch the Major Applewhite era here at the University of Houston.
As I look back at the past two weeks and how we have arrived here today, there are a number of people I owe a sincere thanks to for their assistance, their support and their council. First and foremost, the two unbelievable people sitting to my right, Chairman of our Board of Regents Tillman Fertitta, and our University President and System Chancellor, Renu Khator. I can't thank you guys enough for your support throughout this process. The perception outside of this university is that there's a lot more than support that goes on there, but I can tell you that they supported and guided me through this hiring process. I can't thank them enough for always being there for me in the two years I've been Athletic Director and for giving me this opportunity.
Thank you to my Deputy Athletic Director and my right-hand man Jeramiah Dickey. If they still charged for the phone minutes between (Regent Spencer Armour) and I, we would both have an expensive phone bill. I'd like to thank the President of the Board of Visitors, Mr. Jack Moore. Thank you to our Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel Dona Cornell. Thank you to Associate Athletic Director for Strategic Communications David Bassity. Usually during one of these searches I cut the media off, and I don't want to know what you're talking about, but (Bassity) is really good at informing me of what I need to know during this process. (Bassity), thank you for your experience through this, and your relationships with the media are invaluable. To my right hand in the office, Allie Bernal, thank you.
As we went through this two-week search process, I spent very little time at home, and even if I was at home I was on the phone or severely distracted. So to my lovely wife Jennifer, the only request she had when I started this search was please go out and get us a Christmas tree, so I did that. It was the first thing I did.
I have to say a big thank you to our Defensive Coordinator Todd Orlando. He served as our interim coach during this process and has done an unbelievable job during his two years here as our defensive coordinator and as his two weeks as interim head coach. He made a very challenging, tough meeting for an athletic director unbelievably easy because of his professionalism and his commitment to our young men.
The final group I want to thank are the student-athletes of our football program. You guys have no idea what they've been through this year. They've had so many highs and so many lows, but they continued to pick themselves up. I can't wait to see these guys take the field on Saturday.
As this process began, we defined that we wanted a coach with great integrity who believes in our mission and truly believed in the student-athlete experience. We set our sights on a focused competitor who has demonstrated success and possessed a deep connection to college and high school football in the great state of Texas. They also needed to have a true passion for, and an understanding of, the rich history of football success here at the University of Houston.
As our one and only final choice, Major Applewhite far exceeded our criteria. Our football program over the past two seasons has gone 22-4. We've won an American Athletic Conference Championship, we've won a Peach Bowl Championship, and we've had convincing wins over national powers Florida State, Oklahoma and Louisville. We indeed have a great culture in place that Major Applewhite played a significant role in developing and fostering. Now, he has the opportunity to further enhance this winning culture with his own style of leadership and commitment to our student-athletes. I am so excited to have the chance to work alongside Major Applewhite and assist him and his staff in continuing to push our nationally relevant football program to the next level. To his beautiful family, his wife, Julie, his daughter, Lila, and his son, Nash, who I am sure will remember this day, I promise you this is going to be an exciting and fulfilling journey for your family. I look forward to sharing it with each of you.
One of the things that Major Applewhite talked about during this process that completely resonated with me as a director of athletics was his commitment to our student-athletes. He told me how he had enjoyed his moment in the sun and his time in the spotlight as a student-athlete, and how that was now behind him. As a head coach, he understood that he is here for our players, to make each of them better students, better athletes and better men. These men are not here to make him better or put him in the spotlight. It is easy for us involved in college athletics to lose sight of the primary reason for our involvement, and that is to develop and enhance the experience for our student-athletes. As a former student-athlete, Major Applewhite has not lost sight of his mission. With this in mind, today it is not appropriate for me to introduce Coach Applewhite, it is appropriate to have a student-athlete to do that. There is no better person to do is than one of our four senior captains and the quarterback of our football program, Greg Ward Jr."
On Texas high school football coaches reaching out to him about Major Applewhite
"High school football players are our lifeline. As coach (Applewhite) said, there are no coaches that make tackles or score touchdowns, those are done by players. The relationships that Coach Applewhite had, not just here in Houston, but across the state of Texas, was quite evident in the number of high school coaches who reached out to me during this process. It plays a big part, there is no doubt about it."
HEAD COACH Major Applewhite
Opening Statement
"You got me with that one Hunter [Yurachek]. That means a lot. As Hunter mentioned, before I get into the thank yous, I have had my moment in the sun. Everything the last two years has been about that quarterback room, offense, and our players in general. As a coach on Coach [Tom] Herman's staff, there was sometimes an exhausting amount of time spent with those players. But again, it's about those young men. It's about what we do in terms of trying to win championships, trying to be great on the field, in the classroom and creating professional opportunities in the real world. For you to spring that on me, that is pretty solid and I appreciate that.
Thank you to Dr. [Renu] Khator, Chairman [Tilman] Fertitta, Board of Regents and Athletics Director Hunter Yurachek. It's your leadership, commitment and vision that allow us to continue to elevate this University and city on a daily basis. I'm extremely proud to be a part of that. I can't go any further unless I acknowledge my family. My wife, Julie - the backbone of our family. We've had our highs and lows, and we're an unbeatable team. I love you and appreciate you. Lila, little Nash, you have no clue what I'm saying right now. It's every morning when I walk down the hallway, walk past their bedrooms and back out that driveway that gives me a sense of purpose every day. You'll know what that means in a few years. It's that purpose and same drive that I feel for these young men here. It's about them. College football in a lot of ways has lost its mind, but we have to understand that it is about these young student-athletes and their opportunities.
Also, a special thank you to the coaches and players who have come before me. I've had the opportunity to meet several in the last two years. Guys like Andre Ware, Case Keenum and Simon Fletcher, who came to speak with the team before the Tulane game. I understand how rich this program is in tradition and the winning tradition we have. We truly are standing on the shoulders of giants and these guys are giants themselves. They have elevated our program to a nationally-relevant program, and we're going to continue to do that and go further.
To my mentors, guys like Greg Robinson, Todd Graham, Nick Saban, Mack Brown and especially Tom Herman for bringing me here two years ago. Their leadership, lessons, sacrifices and everything they have taught me has allowed me to stand here today, and I am extremely grateful for them and that opportunity the same way I am for today.
Lastly and certainly not least, the relationships I have been able to build these 13 years with high school coaches in the state of Texas. When this job came open, there was an immediate willingness to help and that meant a lot to me. There are a lot of sacrifices that come into play when you're on the road recruiting; you're walking into 6 a.m. offseason drills, athletic periods in the middle of the day and you're in-and-out of hotels in the months of December, January, April and May. You don't realize, until an instance like that two weeks ago, the impact of those relationships and the overwhelming support. There were some emotional moments I had getting off the phone with some of those coaches and you realize it's more than just recruiting players, it's an actual relationship that you develop with someone.
I am extremely excited; my face doesn't always say it. Those guys out there know what the real face looks like.
I am honored to be a part of this program, to be able to lead this program and to be your new head football coach. It has always been a goal of mine to be a head football coach, and to be able to do that at the University of Houston is the ultimate goal. This is one of the premier jobs in the country, and to be able to start here is special to me.
Growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and spending my professional career coaching in Texas, I've always looked at this program from afar. I've been able to witness the success regardless of who the head coach is. That's one thing I can always tell student-athletes; regardless of who the head coach is, Houston is a winning program, university and city. When I see the resources, commitment to excellence on the football field and in the classroom, the city and the career opportunities we have for our athletes. That is what makes this an attractive job. Obviously when you combine that with the great pool of talent that we have in this city, the high school coaches that pour their hearts out to their players and develop talent, it truly is a goldmine. Everything is right our backyard and here for these young men to be successful.
This job is extremely attractive to my wife, our family and me. This is somewhere we would want to stay, build continuity, continue to win at a championship level and go beyond. 9-3 is not good enough for us; we know that as players and coaches. Nobody in this room will set a higher expectation for this football team than me. Those are the facts. I have always been a winner, will always be a winner and will always set those expectations for our football team.
Now about our program. My staff, will it differ? Yes, I'm a different person. But at the same time, we're going to continue to rely upon the same principles and values that have withstood the test of time and improve the testimony in terms of success.
The first thing we're going to do as a football program is establish relationships that are built on trust. Not only in the coaching community for recruits, but specifically with our student-athletes. I want each one of our recruits to understand from the infancy stages of recruiting to that professional career opportunity, we present after you graduate is all based on trust. You have to trust us and we have to trust you. That is what we're going to start our program with, trust. We can't get enough out of your guys if you don't believe in us as coaches and vice-versa.
The second thing we're going to instill in our football program is toughness. You can't put a price tag on how important that is as a football player. You have to be tough not only on the football field, but to be a student-athlete. For the lack of a better term, it's a very demanding profession. The word amateur doesn't do it justice. The toughness you're going to have physically on the football field, but the mental toughness we're going to have as a football program is going to be unmatched.
Competitive, that's something that we will be each and every day. We have a competitive spirit in everything that we do. We will understand that championship habits are what we're working towards. I'm a firm believer that once you create your habits, your habits will create you. We will create championship habits in everything we do in the classroom, on the football field and we will set that standard high while being relentless in our pursuit for it as a football program. On a daily basis, it will be no different for our guys in terms of understanding that you are here as a football player and a student. We will strive and work towards that goal. We will obviously have the trust factor involved in our program hopefully reach that goal.
Lastly, you're going to have an entertaining brand of football. We've done a great job the last two years in fan support. TDECU Stadium has been a live environment. It's important for our football players and staff to create that environment. We're going to continue to create that on all three phases of the football. We're going to be relentless and aggressive in what we do. We're also going to be innovative and a little unique. We're going to bring an entertaining brand of football, something you want to sit in the stands, get there early, stay late for and support our student-athletes.
It's with that being said that I'm extremely honored and humbled by this opportunity. I look forward to pouring my heart out, I know my wife and family does, for these student-athletes. We're going to provide a product and program that everybody in this room can be proud of. Thank you very much, and Go Coogs!"
On the biggest challenge of being head coach?
"In recruiting right now, a lot of young prospects are kind of caught up in the cult of personality. You get involved with a particular coach and you get involved with his personality, but what we have to understand is college football's changing. As the money has changed, so has the time of employment. As recruiters we have to start talking to these young men about the benefits of the University, the academic environment, what we can do for you after your career, after you've won championships, and after you've graduated. To answer your question specifically, it's the recruiting class. We have a very talented recruiting class, and I've spoken with all of them already. Many of them are staying and are 100 percent committed, and obviously I appreciate that, but as I mentioned just a few minutes ago, we've always won here. This is a great place to get an education, this is a great place to play football and this is a great place to continue your story so you can continue on as a successful professional."
On what it felt like walking out on the field with the team as their head coach
"It really hasn't sunk in. It's very similar to whenever I was playing and I was in a backup role and you get put in the game. It's just go do your job. To go do my job is to get great players. As much as I love the coaching staff that I worked with last year, not a single one made a tackle; not a single one of them made a football play. They're great men. They're great leaders, and they're great coaches, but I understand how this game is won. It's won by players. It's won by players who are playing for the guy on the left and right of them. It's won by players who trust their coaches. We're going to try to recruit that same student-athlete, and that's where my focus is."
On if former Cougars will have a chance to be on his staff
"Yes, but right now I'm not going to get into names. There are names that are pinned at certain spots and that we are going to talk to and interview after the bowl game, but right now our emphasis and priority needs to be on the game Saturday and these seniors. I don't think we need to be talking about the future quite yet. I'll get to that as soon as we're done with the bowl game, and we'll get this tenth win and move on."
On his thoughts and emotions when Hunter Yurachek told him he was the guy
"Obviously excitement. Anytime that you're in the running for a job there is a sense of self-worth that you feel when you get it or disappointment when you don't. That's just human nature. I don't like to call it a job, but just the responsibility. It's a responsibility to the student-athletes. From Coach (Bill) Yeoman to Coach (Art) Briles to Coach (Kevin) Sumlin to Coach [Tom] Herman, this has been a winning tradition here, so it's a responsibility of mine to build a program where we continue to win championships and play for championships year in and year out."
On if he has heard from past mentors since he accepted the job
"Obviously, Coach Herman since we worked together lately. I received congratulations from Coach Herman minutes after it was released. Coach (Mack) Brown reached out and said congratulations. I got a text message from Todd Graham and Penni Graham saying congratulations, so that makes me feel good. Not just from a standpoint of `congratulations, you got the job," but that they appreciated the job that I did for them. It means a lot. When you've been all over the country in terms of coaching, and people reach out to you years later, it does mean a lot."
On what mentors had the most influence on him and his style
"Probably working a year with Nick Saban. He's in the major leagues, and a lot of people are playing Farm A-Ball. He's ahead of the game from that standpoint. Just from his organization, and the hand that he has in everything, and the way he distributes roles and gives everybody a sense of motivation, a sense of purpose when they walk into the office. He does a phenomenal job recruiting, a phenomenal job with his defensive staff, his offensive staff. He really gets the big pictures. Despite what you may see, he's someone who does genuinely care about his players. He cares about them from a professional standpoint, not just the professional football league, but he cares about them, and I really learned a lot in that one year.
Also, Coach (Mack) Brown. I worked with him for seven years and I played for him for four. Just a tremendous human being. When you get into those pressure filled jobs it's very easy to turn your focus on you and your career and your salary, and he always kept it about his players. He continues to be that way about his former players, his former coaches. He's been a tremendous resource throughout this process, but even through the hard years, even when I was out of football for a year, he was a tremendous resource, and very supportive, and a very kind heart and a hall of famer."
On who will handle offensive play calls
"We will have a quarterback coach and an offensive coordinator that can run that room on game day. It will be a very similar set up to what Tom [Herman] and I had in terms of bouncing ideas off of each other between drives and series, in terms of what's working and what's not working. We will continue to have a symbiotic relationship in that respect."
On his coaching style
"You're going to have to change each year. Year-in and year-out you have a different set of pieces; that's the fun part about offensive and defensive coordinating, and the special teams. When different pieces come up you're still trying to reach the end zone or hold someone out of the end zone, so it's about being innovative and creative with what talents you have on hand; what ingredients you have; to be able to work around those things or work with those things.
Not much different. I felt that we were very aggressive on the defensive side of the football; multiple looks to confuse the quarterback. We were very multiple as an offense formationally; in the running game and in the passing game. Then special teams wise you saw several breaks this year in some critical ballgames where you have to take some risks. Those risks are obviously going to have high rewards, so very similar in that style, but a little different in how we're going to have to go about it with different personnel."
On when he said to himself that he was prepared to take over a program
"Absolutely, I've been chomping at the bit. From the standpoint of being around great mentors, I'm no different than any other football coach out there who sits in that staff room, and you hear certain things that you are going to do, and you hear certain things that you aren't going to do, so you're always formulating your philosophy, your way of doing things, and you have to continue to evolve as a coach. You have to continue to grow and professionally develop, and work around your team and the different types of identities that your team has. But no, there was not a specific point. I've always been chomping at the bit, and I still am."
On what it meant to have Greg Ward Jr., officially introduce him
"The best part of my day. Again, I go back to players. Are coaches important? Are schemes important? Absolutely. I'm not dismissing that. I'm not saying we can just recruit a bunch of players, and throw them out there and win games. You can't do that, but when you see someone that has the humility that Greg has, that has the competitiveness that Greg has, the heart that he has, the family that he's raised from, you get to meet them, spend time with them, it's really special. He means a lot to me and my family. Again, we as coaches sometimes it becomes about us, it comes about our contracts, it becomes about our tenure, our program, and our attention, and I've had enough attention in my life. I'm good with it. I want the spotlight to be on our program and our championships."
Senior captains Greg Ward Jr., Tyler McCloskey and Cameron Malveaux spoke to media about the hiring of Major Applewhite.
SENIOR QUARTERBACK Greg Ward Jr.
Introducing Coach Major Applewhite
"It's an honor and privilege to represent my teammates today. I know I speak for the team when I say we are very excited and blessed to have Coach [Major] Applewhite representing us and leading this team. He's a great leader that we all believe and trust in. We believe he is going to do great things here. With that being said, I would like to officially introduce our 14th head coach, Major Applewhite."
On what it means to have Coach Major Applewhite praise him
"It means a lot. Coach Applewhite and I have been through a lot. Just putting in all of that hard work and building relationships off the field, being with each others families, it means a lot, and I know he really meant it."
On Coach Applewhite's ability to relate to future recruits and players
"He'll do a great job. The athletes are going to love him. He's always going to be honest with them. He's not going to sugar-coat anything."
On winning the Las Vegas Bowl for Coach Applewhite
"It's just about all of us. It's about the team. It's about the players, coaches and what we've all been through the past few weeks. It'll just be a great win for all of us."
On why it's so great to play for Coach Applewhite
"He's always going to be honest with you. He's very competitive. He might be more competitive than you. He's going to get the best out of you regardless of anything every single day."
On his response when he found out Applewhite was the new head coach
"I was very excited. After all of the hard work we've put in, all of the conversations we've had from being around each others families, how humble he is and how great of a husband and a father he is to his kids, I know that he'll be a great head coach."
On where Applewhite can take the program
"He can take the program anywhere he wants to. He is very competitive, and he's a hard worker. He is going to have a great season."
On his first impressions of Applewhite
"He was a very competitive guy, and he wanted me to be great. He has stayed on me about film studies and about getting better in the weight room and classroom. He's not just a football guy. He's about making a man out of you too, making you become a great husband one day and making you a leader in life."
On introducing Coach Applewhite at the press conference
"That was a very big deal for me. To have my position coach my first year as a starting quarterback become head coach, and for me to introduce him as head coach, meant a lot. Coming from how hard we worked and the blood, sweat and tears we put into this program, it really means a lot to me."
SENIOR DEFENSIVE END Cameron Malveaux
On why think the program is going to be in good hands
"Even before Coach Applewhite got the job, he was always someone guys could look up to. He was someone guys can trust and just talk to. He always talked about competitive focus. He always had the characteristics of a great head coach. His hire is great for the whole team."
On how exciting it is to be able to get a first win under Coach Applewhite
"Yes, just an exciting time. We have been through a lot of changes these last couple of weeks, but this is a time when guys rally together and get behind the new leader. Sometimes change can be a bad thing, but in this case it's for the better and the program is going to keep on rolling."
On what would you say to recruits wondering what it would be like to play for Coach Applewhite
"I would just say be ready to play under a competitive dude. He's always going to bring the best out of you. He genuinely cares about every player he coaches and you're in great hands."
On the hardest part of this type of change
"The hardest part would just be learning new schemes and getting to know the way the coach wants you to be. All coaches have different methods of bringing greatness out of you. Those chains on the door kind of caught us off guard."
On what the first offseason was like (under Herman)
"It was like a big punch in the mouth. We were not used to that culture - that hard-nosed tough culture. From what the players know, Coach Applewhite is going to bring that over here - from a standpoint of toughness and being hard-nosed players. That aspect of the game will not change at all."
On if he thought when he first committed he would go through this many coaching changes
"Not at all. Two months before I got here I did think [Kevin] Sumlin was going to be my head coach. Just a change I had to go through. We are here now and have gone through three different coaching staffs. My experience here has nothing to do with the coaching staffs. It's more how I interacted on campus and with the great people here."
On change with Coach Orlando going from interim head coach back to defense coordinator
"It's not going to be that big of a change in that three-week span. We're still going to be doing the same things we did before."
On importance of honesty
"You always need to have honesty with players and coaches. Trust wins you football games. You're going to block somebody a lot harder if you have somebody that you trust behind you. That person trusts you to make that block, it's going to bring the best out of you."
On where Coach Applewhite can take the team
"To win championships. Coach [Tom] Herman, [Kevin] Sumlin, and [Tony] Levine did a great job with getting it started. He's going to keep the tradition moving forward."
On reaction to head coach decision
"I was happy for him. He's just a competitive dude. I know Coach [Tom] Herman established something here and brought something to the University of Houston that was special. Him being a part of that, he's definitely going to know what it takes to win."
SENIOR TIGHT END Tyler McCloskey
On if Major Applewhite is ready for the head coaching job
"Absolutely. He's been nothing but excellence since he's been here, and he's definitely ready."
On being prepared for the bowl game on Saturday
"We are professionals at distractions around here. In the past four years we've had numerous coaches and different position coaches, but as Coach Applewhite was saying, our focus is on this season and getting 10 wins. When it comes down to it in college football, it doesn't matter what's going on outside of our program, we know what's going on internally."
On the whirlwind around the process of picking a new head coach
"It was definitely distracting, but at the same time its football and it doesn't matter who our head coach is. With the leaders and coaches we have on this team, it's all about winning football games, and we've got a great head coach to do that."
On how he would pitch playing for Coach Applewhite to a recruit
"You have the best man who could be in that position. He's going to get every possible ounce of athletic ability out of you that he can. He's going to put you in the right position to have success, and at the same time he's not going to always tell you what you want to hear. He's going to tell you what you need to hear to the point and be very honest. That's what you need as a football player to maximize your potential."
On what makes Major Applewhite a great person
"He's just so honest. That's the biggest thing with him. He's never said anything untrue to me. He's always supportive."
On his reaction to the announcement of the coaching hire
"I was actually asleep, and when I woke up and saw it, I was very excited. I didn't really know what was going to happen because we saw all of the Lane Kiffin stuff going on. We're really excited though. I wish I had another year left so I could play for him. I respect him so much and am excited to see where he's going to take us."
On where he thinks Applewhite can take the program
"The sky is the limit. He can go win championships every year; it's a real possibility. Good people and men come out of our program: great fathers, husbands and employees. It's just a competitive program."
On how it is beneficial to hire an in-house coach
"You don't have to learn anything. I remember when Coach (Tom) Herman first got here in the spring semester we were up here until 9 p.m. trying to learn the offense and defense. More importantly, keeping the same culture, but I'm sure he'll do some of his own things. Also, having a relationship with the coaches and knowing what they expect from us day-to-day throughout the season."
