Southalnd Football Coaches Roundtable – SFA, UIW, UTRGV

hello my name is Lauren ersson and I'm here with the Southland Conference opening drive for another round of our head coaches table talk I'm here with a few of our coaches I will have you guys introduce yourselves Colby carth stepen F Austin State University Clint killow University of the Incarnate Word Travis bush utrgv Okay so we are starting here with Stephen F Austin The Lumberjacks coach carthel welcome back to the Southland conference great to be here thank you Lauren yeah so uh stepen up Austin football team begins a new but familiar chapter as they make their return to the Southland Conference this year following a three-year absence from the SLC after spending two years in the whack and one year in the UAC The Lumberjacks returned to the SLC where they spent their previous 34 years winning four Conference titles and appearing in the FCS National Championship once while in the Southland what does it mean to you to be back in the Southland Conference I'll tell you what it means it's great to be back you know it's a it's a great feeling uh there's a lot of uh benefits and positives uh with our with our University with our athletic department and football in particular uh I'm excited we went from having three flights to zero flights so uh it sure makes life a little easier on us as coaches and our student athletes just from a travel standpoint uh it's great in terms of getting back with some Regional rivalries uh that have been you know longstanding that were put on pause for for a few years you know we're a founding member of the South and Conference and so just really excited to be back appreciate commissioner Grant and his work to get us back here and everybody's been very welcoming and and so we're we're excited to get things crank back up this year and this panel is special because we have two of our newcomers uh on this panel and something that we talked about whenever I was in utrgv was just how important it is as a head coach to really take care of your players as uh being in a space that is regional allows you guys like you said to prevent flights and your your travel is a lot better on your team your staff so what does that mean what is the importance of that as a head coach well I think it's it's actually a move that you know one move that or decision that actually makes sense in college athletics right now so much of what we're doing in college athletics doesn't make sense but uh uh what's he old saying common sense ain't all that common anymore but it was it made a lot of sense to get back and it is it's about student athletes student athlete welfare and and uh the travel component alone you know from a physical standpoint and Recovery is there's so many benefits there but it's also the amount of class time missed and and I know our uh administra administrators and and higher-ups research that and just the amount of class time being missed ultimately you're playing college football or college sports to get a degree I know everything else muddies the water right now but that's what college sports is all about and so I think this move for for SFA helps our student athletes be in class and and ultimately attain those degrees which that's what it's all about and you guys will sport a new look this season you've added three new coaches to your offensive staff talk about the moves that you have made coming into this new season you know one thing that's constant in in in college football has changed and and we've I've been tasked with replacing a lot of coaches over the years and and that's uh you know I think a real positive when you see coaches move on and and uh promoting the business but offensively we did have you know past two years there have been a lot of change on defense uh this year it fell on the offensive side but coach Ross has come in he's a legendary head coach Texas High School uh coach for many many years also coached at the FBS level at boy State and he's he's brought in a change I mean that that was good to have have Spring ball because we we kind of erased the Whiteboard and started started over and it's going to be a different style a different look I'm a defensive guy I've always been kind of a slower paced uh offense just that's the defense mentality in me coming out but I think this year uh will be a little different look for the jacks on offense and we're going to pick up the temple a little bit and and spend that thing down the field so I think it'll be really exciting for our fans our players love it it helped in recruiting and so I I expect us to put a few more points on the board and hopefully uh a few more wins in the win colum and what can the softland conference expect from SFA this year you know I think uh just the team's going to come out and and uh you know play hard be exciting to watch hopefully have a little grit to them some East Texas tough uh you know kind of that red dirt mindset uh you know that's people always said how the teams in East Texas always win you know and a legendary coach you know said one time that those little kids in elementary first second grade they go to school and their lunch pill and they go to lunch they eat their sandwich and just Red Dirt that red dirt makes them tough and and we've kind of tried to embrace that we're getting back to who we are in our footprint and and and what what makes SFA great and so hopefully uh there's some there's some East Texas toughness showing uh every Saturday and and we're able to to play an exciting brand of football and win a few ball games and I know we're super excited to have you back in the Southland Conference so welcome back thank you moving on now to University of Incarnate W coach killow this is your second season as head coach you were named uh to DT dctf 2024 40 under 40 list and afca 35 under 30 you have the fifth longest active ranking stake in streak in the nation behind North Dakota State South Dakota Montana and Montana State uh hero Sports ranked the Cardinals number 12 in the FCS pre-season top 25 list what does that mean to you as a head coach coming into year two absolutely nothing um year two has kind of has kind of gotten me accustomed to this a little bit more uh Second Time Around and and these preseason things they're great um and our guys love them um obviously anytime that we get to um Elevate the individual um while bringing the team uh success up as well is a big deal um so they're great for the individual they're great for the team and everything but I think that um you know just to have a grasp of that at the end of the day I mean the end of the season accolades are what are more important than anything you've you and your staff have been to work this off season right picked up 12 FBS and seven FCS student athletes for this upcoming season what has your approach been this offseason to get ready for year two yeah recruiting um I mean it's so unique nowadays and it's it's such a dynamic thing um and I think that every year is pretty subjective um in in the recruiting process in terms of um you know where you attack whether that's high school whether that's you know Junior College the transfer portal is it a transfer portal guy with multiple years is it a graduate graduate transfer that may have six months to a year um but really just finding the fit finding guys that work at UIW that fit our system offensively and defensively um and and guys that love football that's that's hard to find nowadays to be totally honest with you because um there's a lot of other um prerogatives that are being chased to be honest with you right um but I think that if you can put a bunch of guys in a locker room that love football you can still win a lot of football games and what is your goal for the Cardinals this season yeah I think I think it would be the same as as any of these coaches sitting up here and that's to win a championship you know every I think everybody has the same goal in that mindset um we've been accustomed to to being successful um over these past few years um obviously last year didn't end how we wanted it to end right um but I think that the humility that uh not only myself but this program gained was was a blessing um and it's something that we needed um and it's really helped us in this offseason to kind of hunker down um and get back to the roots of being a blue collar program that that elevated as quickly as it did uh because that's the roots of what it did I was I was fortunate to spend a good amount of time uh Eric Morris hired me in 2018 um and he's a guy that's um no job too big no job too small um you know pull your boots up and get to work every single day and and I think that we did a tremendous job this offseason of of getting back to that so what can the Southland Conference expect from you guys this season uh you know we we've created a niche um in in how we do things um we're going to spread it out we're going to be um high octane fast tempo we're going to put the ball outside the hash marks and uh make you tackle tackle our athletes um I think the biggest thing that we were able to do is um you know in the hiring process as a first year head coach is is it's wearing you know because you sit in there when I got the job I was the only one in the office all the lights are out except my office and I'm on the Whiteboard and I'm just going through names and numbers and I'm calling people and I'm asking questions and everything and one of the one of The Hires that I'm I'm extremely fortunate for is a guy named Jim gush who's our defensive coordinator Jim has a plethora of of knowledge and experience in this game and he he kind of Incorporated that physicality on the defensive side of the ball and that presence um that we've kind of we've missed for a few years I know we we played Colby in um 2021 I was a receivers coach back then but they put a bunch of points up they had obviously they had Gibson and they had the quarterback they were really good players but on the defensive side of the ball I think we made tremendous strides so I think the physicality is is something that we're going to add to that high octane offense again all right well we're excited to see you moving on now to utrgv coach Bush welcome back as well back to the Southland Conference yeah yeah we got a second conference we've been and we haven't played a game yet so it's we're EXC yeah we're excited to have you back six of the utrgv coaches have combined 36 years of coaching experience in the Southland Conference um and four utrgv coaches have combined 14 years of playing experience in the Southland Conference so what does it mean to you guys to be back with the sofin it's it's I mean it's it's it's a no-brainer for us and we're excited like I said you know a lot of familiarity with it and great conference and uh you know I I played in the Southland at Southwest Texas you know I my grandfather played at SFA in the 30s and my dad played at Lamar in the 60s so you know familiarity with the teams and uh always loved it you know coached it coached in the conference for six years at Texas State so you know glad to have SFA back and you know the historic programs and and the and all the history that comes with it you know it's it's a great league for us and and definitely uh more local League uh to be in than the than the old one and speaking of local 74 student athletes 100% of the roster is from Texas so what does that mean to you guys at utrgv to just be able to recruit from home from places that they are familiar we've been talking a lot about the culture and uh the religion of football in Texas and Louisiana so what does that mean to you as a head coach to build on that well um you know without a doubt in in this state you know obviously feel like that's the that's the best football in the na especially for for High School uh student athletes and uh you know 70 over 70 of them are coming straight out of high school right and uh and really um pleasantly surprised about the some of the quality of athletes we're able to get especially that we're willing to pay pay their own way and talk about guys that just want to play football uh and with so many high school kids not getting recruited right now because of the portal we're fortunate to to get a bunch and so we're excited to get them on campus still haven't steep foot on campus yet you know we're about about 30 days away from getting them down there and right and uh in going through this fall and seeing what they can do and so you guys won't start until 2025 what is your goal what is your focus as you have new young players playing for you uh yeah that's uh you know and being being a part of it UTSA starting out you know and then one of the things we didn't realize until we got them on campus was when they get there there's nobody to show them how to do anything you know there are no upper classmen there's no seniors there's so we uh we as coaches have to be uh those models starting out but uh but definitely the focus you know now there there's there's no culture to change there's there's there's nothing to uh um you know no bad habits to break so everything uh is going to be taught from from our end so again it's on us to set the foundation set the culture and and one of the the qualities we were looking for uh in this group was those mature leaders you know and the team leaders the guys that that are um coming out of high school but you know being able to come in here and be leaders right off the bat uh to help this group um you know set the foundation what are some values that you want to instill into this group of guys to create the culture that you want uh you know it fits right in our our core values on our team fit right into our letters utrgv and that's Unity trust uh respect growth and vision you know which is which is kind of where we're at I think uh you know the the two most important pieces to any any team any any any culture is is that Union and Trust uh and then uh then obviously that respect and growth and vision is where we're at right now and and you look at you you sitting here talk about uh incarnate worth who just started uh not too long ago and and their top of the nation you know talking about championships and great model for for us and where we're at uh you know how soon can we be sitting in a chair talking about championships and and being a national rankings well we are so excited to have you guys back in the Southland Conference but getting into to growth and vision amongst all of you guys what does it mean to y'all as head coaches to have the growth and the vision from our commissioner Chris Grant to add both of you back into the Southland Conference uh what does that mean to you as head coaches to be a part of that uh you know commission Grant does a great job and and I uh you know really appreciate his leadership and his vision for the for the uh for the conference and that was a big part of Us coming back is to see that you know the South and where they are and you talk about leadership and vision that's I've coached Five Seasons as SFA about two months ago I started working for my sixth president you know and so there's been a lot of turnover and change there and so to to have a new president uh Dr Neil Weaver come in a new athletic director Mike McBroom uh both those guys are proven and have a great vision for what they want with with SFA and that was the their their trademark stamp on the program of Athletics is getting back with the South and Conference and and where we can build and Elevate and grow our our programs across the board in a great conference that's regionally located we're playing home games people can come to we can also go on the road and play games where our future students are you know not just student athletes but students in terms of growing our talk about growth and vision we've got a a great vision for our University and how we want to grow SFA and so being in this Southland Conference footprint I think really Lins with that and and uh heading heading in a great Direction as a university and as a uh as a conference and so uh commissioner Grant has a big big role in us being there with his vision for growth yeah yeah I think you know at UIW one of our big things is is winning with intention because there's so much movement uh nowadays in so many facets of life that you really got to be intentional with what you're doing and I think that growth is great but it doesn't have intention then there's no purpose with it and I think that you know his growth right now in his Direction has a lot of intention with with in terms of geographically bringing us all together um making the ease of of travel and and recruiting and all these types of things so I think the intention that he has is tremendous um and and I have a little bit of a unique perspective I was a player in the conference from 13 to 15 and and you know I remember my first away trip was a 10-hour bus ride to UCA and wow game that fun game didn't go our away so it wasn't fun on the way back um 20 hours on the way home yeah about right felt like about right but you know just from from from my experience and and seeing what the conference was when I came into it as a player and even those first couple years when I worked for Eric in 18 and 19 and just you know the the power of the conference and the notoriety throughout the nation and last year was a little bit different from me just because we got into the you know the end of the season and we're talking about strength of schedule and how the conference compares to the you know the Missouri valleys and the big Skies of the world um you know but I'm a guy I believe in the South and Conference South and Conference has been one of the best conferences in the the country for a long time um and and the steps that we've taken uh this offseason are getting us right back to it yeah yeah I obviously I don't have the experience these guys do of uh coaching in the conference but you know you listen to to to Chris and and you listen to the the plans uh the vision for the conference you can't help but get excited you know and excited about about where it is um what it's going to be and where it's going so you know for us we're just we're fired up and speaking of you know being recognized on a National level as head coaches what is your goal to get into the outside Community to start building the brand recognition and building the hype around the Southland Conference that you guys are a part of starts at home you know um nadas you know UT RGB San Antonio it starts here and and it starts with winning football games um it starts with getting out in the community when you have the opportunity to get your get your players out there get your coaches out there um you know local businesses whatever it may be and I also think that um recruiting is tied into it a little bit you know being able to recruit the state of Texas and really getting those families that get those Deep Roots and get those guys in your program and develop them in to good quality young men um that's where you start this a good start too there's 15,000 coaches right downstairs that are that are seeing the southman conference and and hearing us talk about it today so I mean this this was a good start starting right here too y I think it just uh you know like I said earlier a lot of things don't make sense and and college sports uh right now but but this conference does and and the footprint and where it is and and and I think there's some tremendous head coaches on this stage and then we just had our head coach meeting earlier and you know rooting for each other yes we're we're not going to like each other uh when do we play uh October 28th or something you know I won't like him then but other than that you know we're we're rooting for each other to to help Elevate and there was a time in you know South and had four teams in the in the NCAA playoffs and that's that's what we want to get it back to and so I think uh just coming back in and and seeing it and hearing you know the different ads and head coaches talk everybody's pushing the rock in the same direction now in terms of elevating the South and Conference like coach said having this thing right now with uh I think there's 15 18,000 uh Texas High School coaches here and we'll do the same thing over there in Louisiana and just continue to build and Elevate uh this conference at home and and rooting each other on along the way to do that I think sky's the limit for the South and as we wrap up I want to know what has been your most important accomplishment as a head coach or a coach in general I became a dad yeah I got I got a one-year-old uh daughter named Catherine um her and uh my wife went to my in-laws for the past week so they just got back in town about an hour ago so as soon as we wrap it up here I'm going to I don't know if I'm going to make it any of the socials tonight I'm going to go home and play with my daughter so that's probably the best thing I've done since I've been a coach I love love that congratulations I think just uh the platform that the good Lord blesses you with I think good Lord blesses all with different talents and and uh he didn't bless me to be a Pulpit Minister but he he allowed me to lead lead men through the game of football and I've been very fortunate to do that 12 years now as a head coach and so uh I think that's that's pretty special and uh really enjoy every day that I get to do it and it it's an honor to be called coach I think other than Dad it's the second greatest thing you can be called uh while you're on this Earth this to be called cach cuz you have have great a great impact on people's lives and and this world needs it this world needs you know coaches like coach Killa coach Bush and and the other coaches in this league that that are pouring into kids for the right reason uh to help them because this world ain't getting any easier and they need good football coaches yeah that's that's the the biggest reason you know to have that that opportunity to influence young men and uh I play for my father he's probably the most influential coach in uh in my life and then having the ability to coach coach my sons over in High School the past past few years and you know uh hopefully might have the chance to do it with the young one again but just that time uh to to pour in a young man but especially when it's when it's your own you going you you going to Blink and you're going to be 18 and 22 and not want anything to do with you anymore your son's going to be walking through the office door wearing an SFA football shirt yes how about my son walks in workout in our place this week with an SFA shirt on he was he was just in our too he'll wear your shirt here in a minute too yeah yeah you sent me that I was like that that's a great camp shirt right there now well guys thank you so much for joining us thank you for joining me best of luck this season thanks thank you Lord