AD Scott Woodward sees bright days ahead for Texas A&M athletics

Key notes from interview with Scott Woodward

• The SEC came to us because there are so many early games to get on the broadcast network, and they said it would be awesome to kick off the SEC Network with Coach Fisher on a Thursday night. For that they told us that the ULM game would be a night game and then Clemson would likely be a night game. We took it to campus and wanted to make sure that everything worked for Aggieland. Of course there are some hardships and inconveniences, but overall it is a great opportunity to showcase Texas A&M and for our fans to get to enjoy the night games even though here in Texas it will still be hot in the evening. We are making special accommodations and we think this will work out really well.

• Football is football and it’s good to do it with someone of Jimbo’s talent and ability, not in a negative way to the past coaching staff but rather a positive way towards the future. It’s exciting to see these guys jacked up and ready to go. These kids are tired of hitting each other and they are ready to play someone. The best I can tell the guys are really into it. I think they enjoy being coached like this and they sense the excitement.They are working hard and they play with grit. That’s what he drives home: play with grit and play every down, and you can see them buying in. It’s encouraging when you walk out there and see a little pep in their step and a little smile, you know that good things are in store.

• I knew (Jimbo’s) pedigree. He was one of the youngest QB coaches in the history of power five college football when Terry Bowden threw him the keys to be the QB coach at a tough place and do it in a very special way. And then for a guy like Nick to totally trust him with the offense. LSU was a run-first type of school, but Saban was willing to turn the keys over to Jimbo and let him sling it all over the yard. Getting to watch him be a young father, too. Trey was a toddler then, so watching him and watching what his priorities were was incredible.

• You can’t stress that enough, you have to have alignment. There are no finer individuals who love Texas A&M more and have done great things than President Young and Chancellor Sharp. I accepted this job because of that. I came here to be great because we are great. Texas A&M is something that sells itself. To use a metaphor, “We have steak to sell and we aren’t just selling sizzle.” It’s legitimate and easy and when it becomes fun, it becomes very special.

• I can’t say that one was easier than the other, they were just so different. The Petersen hiring went down so quickly that it was just timing and one of those love at first sight things. For Jimbo is was hard because he had a great situation. No one was going to argue that the Petersen move was a step down or a step sideways, whereas with Coach Fisher it was really about showing him how great Aggieland was plus more. It’s a matter of building this thing up, solidly, from the ground up.

• I thought we would be top five (in recruiting), hoping we would be top five…going in here at one or two is incredible. Jimbo’s staff is relentless and grinding. I didn’t realize how much Jimbo was involved in that process at LSU and I had forgotten how key he was in getting guys to Baton Rouge. He was such a grinder getting big time guys because he’s relentless.

• It’s a no brainer, I came here because this place is so darn special. Huge academic institution where there is an incredible heritage and a vibrant state…there’s no better state. And to get a chance to be back in the SEC makes it so easy to sell and so easy to be here.

• First of all, you think of simple things. The first thing I remember is Bubba Bean stomping a mud hole in us at LSU. For the most part it’s the tradition and the Corps and what it was. I’ve gotten to watch the University transform from an all-male military institution to a co-ed academic powerhouse. To watch its trajectory has been incredible.

• When you are talking about real estate, it’s not like your house where you can live with things for a while. It’s more like chemical plants or refineries where you are constantly changing and upgrading. Bright is excellent and we are looking at doing some things at the Davis Center which hosts our weight and strength program. Even though it is a beautiful facility, you are constantly upgrading. We are going to be prudent and do it because it has a positive impact on our athletes.  

• Coach Kuhn doesn’t get the applause that she deserves. It’s one of these situations where we hired the best assistant in the country in my opinion. When we hired her she had a Big 10 offer, a Big 12 offer, and our offer. For her it was a no brainer to come to Texas and the SEC. And women’s golf, Andrea Gaston, I was going for the best. I was going for the best in these three coaching hires. And the reason I can brag about it is because I didn’t have anything to do with it. When you are the salesman for this place it is so easy.

• We want to play this game (Texas). The thing it has to work for both sides and it has to work for Texas A&M and our schedule. We’re not going to jump for anyone when they ask. We have these incredible SEC opponents come in and we have some very good home and home power five opponents. We have to do what is best for our program, and I will do it in consultation with Coach Fisher. I do think that game (Texas) will happen but again, it will have work for us.

• The NCAA is the thing that everyone loves to bash. They make mistakes like everyone. In the end, we are the NCAA, we being the conference, because we come up with these silly rules that we deal with. Am I so frustrated that I want to yank my hair out sometimes? Yes. But it’s not this monolith…membership is responsible for the rules that we manage and enforce, and we are going to abide by them and live by them and always do the right thing.

• Two things, one is that there is no doubt in my mind that the SEC West is the most brutal division in college football. My second point is that I don’t get too excited about it (other conferences minimizing the quality of the SEC) because the CFP has come to that conclusion too with clear objective data. It’s good that our fans are fired up about it, but I am nonplussed by it because I think we are winning that argument on the field.

• We are worried about Thursday night first before we get to Clemson. It’s going to be a hard opening game because it is a novelty game being on a Thursday night. I want to give a shoutout to all the Aggies working hard to make it possible for us to get to do what we love!