2024 Southland Media Day: Colby Carthel (Stephen F. Austin Head Coach) | The Bluebloods

[Music] uh stepen n Aon head coach Colby caral live from Southland opening drive coach obviously changes on the offensive side of the football man new offensive coordinator uh he came from uh love joy high school you know he had been a uh longtime Texas High School coach uh 30 something year career as a head coach in Texas he's coached at a bunch of different levels and done some really really big things champion and he's coached at FBS he's up at Boise State for four years so uh known him for for many many years and he just fit the bill of what we were looking for in terms of you know kind of picking up the tempo a little bit and slinging that thing down the field and and so I think uh you're gonna see a different brand of Lumberjack football uh this fall offensively uh for sure and and really like I say uptempo fast-paced uh fan friendly and uh I think we'll put up some points and uh uh get a few more checks on the win column now obviously returning quarterback Brian merer comes back you also added a few other new faces in the room is Brian still the guy at quarterback or is there a quarterback battle going into fall Camp yeah that there's a big question mark there at quarterback Brian sustained a uh a major injury uh there the last practice of Spring ball non- contct and and so uh arm injury so it was uh a very unfortunate event for him and for The Lumberjacks so uh that that job's going to be pretty wide open uh going through fall camp and so we'll have to uh uh settle in on a on a trigger trigger man here before uh August 29th I believe is the first one to kick off with so uh that'll be an interesting battle to keep an eye on here during fall Camp so coach with the move to the Southland Conference from playing the United Athletic Conference what just in terms of conference opponents which ones are you looking forward to more like I don't say more anybody else but you know like which one have you seen on the counter like man I cannot wait to go play them I think uh you know it's it's awesome now that we get get back to the Battle of of Chief and uh you know that there'll be some news on that one coming uh shortly I think on on renewing that rivalry is good to to play them again next year uh be you know going back up to Commerce that's going to be an interesting trip uh for me personally you know first time back there since uh since 2018 but I think just all the Rivalry you know we're a founding member of the Southland Conference and so I think it's going to be really uh EXC fighting for our fans and and to renew some of those old rivalries uh you know niichel State's picked to win it we got to go down there tibo I've never been there before so I mean we're all gonna be whitee you know taking it all in we go down that that should be a battle but I think just week in week out uh going from three flights to zero that helps uh player you know recovery you know in between games helps us in the classroom it helps us old coaches you know recover it's hard for us to stay up all night traveling and so uh I think there's a lot of posit poses that we're really looking forward to this fall you mentioned the poll too just now saying that Nichols has picked to win it SFA is fifth in the poll are you happy with that position I know there were folks who said they don't want to be first in the preseason po oh you know that that's probably pretty generous considering how we you know didn't finish games last year we didn't have a good year last year you know and and uh losing season first real losing season I've had in my career it's only losing season if you don't learn from it Dustin so I think we've learned some lessons and and so it it preseason polls are good for days like today media days and everything else but I've been you know picked fifth before and finished first been picked first and finished second or third you know so uh it it's a matter of teeing the thing up and and making the plays uh and staying healthy you know having having a little bit of luck on your side and and hopefully we're playing for something there uh in November you saw you saw a bunch of young guys step up last year I'm specifically Aaron Spears FCS freshman All American speak a little bit about the just the development and recruiting that you're staff does to have such talented freshman red shirt sophomore stuff like that step up in key roles on your defense and offensive side of the football yeah we're we're excited the way we run this program you know we're still you know built on on high school talent and have had some really uh talented High School classes come in uh Aaron Sears and several other young guys stepped up you know a couple things there you know one thing we went three and eight and and most times you go three and eight you know in college football today your roster blows up in the transfer portal only had one underclassman player leave that was on scholarship and and he didn't play a snap last fall so I think that speaks volumes to the to the culture we have in our in our locker room which I'm gives me great uh you know I don't know hope uh excitement for uh you know trust that we've got the right people in there and and and I was slow to uh really kind of embrace the transfer portal to be honest with you uh and I think that cost us caught up with us last year uh was more reactionary in May instead of aggressive and and this year you know our staff and we we took an aggressive approach and and I think added some key pieces to go with some of those good young players that I think will uh I think you'll see a much uh better football team on the field this fall and I think that'll that'll show in the wind column as well was there a position group on either side of the ball that caught your eye last or or not last year but this spring throughout the summer in terms of development that you expect to have big Seasons I I I think our running back room is really really really solid really deep and and some really talented players there uh receiver was a concern uh but that's where in in may we we I think hit some home runs just based on what we've seen so far in OTAs this summer uh picked up three or four really good talented transfers there to to help that room and then I think defensive line I think his uh those guys coach Warren coach Mackey coach mooch they've really uh bolstered up the dline and I think that will be a strength on defense as as well go ahead Dustin let you wrap it up yes so I had one uh question of different sports so you know with the move to the conference you obviously have to change the schedule right we take you take mon off the schedule off the home and home as you look into future years is there any FCS school that you would love to get a home and home with that that you would like this would be like my favorite home and home to have how about an FBS School Sam Houston get Battle the Piney Woods back I was giving coach keer heck yesterday I like you got to play us and you got to pay us you know but uh you know I think uh I think you know we got to try to continue to schedule uh you know some some big- time opponents outside of our footprint you know with with being able to to play in the Southland and having great footprint that allows us now budget wise to maybe go out and stretch our legs a little bit and so I I think picking up a a a quality FCS opponent to do a home and home wood like we had until everything kind of fell apart with you know the schedu adjustments but I think that's we're going to be aggressive in our recruiting and and not recruiting scheduling and so that's going to be fun to see in the future I will tell you my buddies uh Jack Rabbit Illustrated uh in South Dakota State they won a SFA South Dakota State yeah Jack versus Jacks but that's not FCS versus FBS those guys are at a whole another level I know those guys got it going on now so no that that would be be good and Rob Myers would love that too you his son coaches up there so those guys they're coming down play Southeast Louisiana this year so uh no I think it'll be it'll be neat to see some of the opportunities that that this uh because our schedule really is wide open uh moving forward for the next couple years so Michael McBroom and I are working working hand inand to get together and put together a great schedule moving forward coach I know me and Dustin both appreciate all your time today and uh hopefully we get to talk to you after the season man and you guys compe for a Southland title East Texas tough baby here come the Jacks now get ready thanks for having us coach thank n [Music]