New UCF coach Josh Heupel appeared on Jim Rome's national radio show early Friday afternoon.
The Rome website usually posts the audio fairly quickly, but here's what I was able to recap:
Heupel says the process moved very quickly, from the interview to being named "the guy." Says that's how it works in college football. Last few days he's been trying to juggle recruiting and hire a new staff, plus getting to know players.
Rome talks about how he's walking into a great situation.
"There's no expectations for the following year, right Jim? I'm really excited about it. Obviously if you have a championship team, you have great character and camaraderie inside the locker room. I can sense that the past few days. A lot of excitement from the kids. The Peach Bowl is about finishing 2017 and we'll get started on 2018 after that."
On meeting his new team:
"It is different than with the media. They just went on a great run. They're 12-0. Obviously hurt a little bit because they lose their head coach. Initially there's some uneasiness, but you try to tell them what your program is going to be about. This process of developing trust isn't something that just happens because you're named the head coach. I told them actions speak a lot louder than words and I told them my words will be my actions. The last couple days my door has been open. I'm pretty sure every player came through here and talked to me, got a real sense of who I am and my vision for the program."
Rome asked about how important a "bond" is with a team.
"I've been on good teams and bad teams. The difference isn't the talent level all the time. The difference is how players interact with each other, the ability to hold each other accountable and to push each other on a daily basis. To buy into one vision and being selfless instead of selfish. I'm trying to build that here. It doesn't happen overnight. You hire people with great character who care about kids, so they can sell your vision too."
Heupel talked about Florida being the "greatest state to find talent" and he "wants to build a wall and bring it to UCF."
Heupel's dad was a coach. What are his earliest memories of football?
"I remember riding to the office with him. It was Division II, low budget. Breakfast was a doughnut and a little bit of Tang. I sat in the back of a linebacker or DB meeting room. Paying attention, soaking in some technique and rules for those guys on the back end up. Being at practice as well."
Heupel began his career at FCS Weber State, then transferred to Snow College (JUCO) and then transferred to Oklahoma for his last two years. Rome told a quick story about how at Snow College Heupel shared a four-bedroom apartment with seven players and how they'd take 17-hour bus trips to road games.
"You learn to appreciate the things given to you. I wasn't on scholarship in JUCO. I wasn't living the life of luxury. You find out at its core. It's what draws you to the game. It's the relationship with players and going out and competing."
In 1999, Mike Leach was Oklahoma's offensive coordinator and the one who recruited him to OU.
"He is a character. If you ever talk to Mike, you're not going to get very many words in the conversation. I'll always be indebted to him because he believed in me. (On the visit) I spent two days with him mostly watching film. He thought I'd be a good fit. That was a kick start to flipping the Oklahoma program around. They hadn't been to a bowl game for the five previous seasons."
Rome also talked about his early coaching career. Heupel said he spent a lot of time around the offensive line and learning that aspect.
"The game starts there. You can only do what the guys up front can do."
Lastly, Rome asked about the coaching situation in the Peach Bowl and Heupel said in so many words it would be impossible for him to do that.
"I can't come in in three weeks and have the team perform and beat a really good team in Auburn. Let's finish, play at a high level and show the nation what this program is all about, then we'll flip it and get ready for 2018."
