New Aggie basketball coach Buzz Williams focused on an effective transition

Key notes from Buzz Williams interview

• I never knew if I would have a chance to be a head coach. You see things being thrown out of the tornado and you just hope it's not you and your family. I've never looked at myself as anything other than a manager from Navarro junior college. I am just a kid that tries really hard and am incredibly grateful for the chance. And I want to make sure that others get the same chance. I never looked back and thought that I would be the head coach at A&M 13 years later. 
   
• I love football, even more than basketball. I remember the original Kyle Field and the original Bright complex building. I would go to all of the different football meetings when coach Gillespie was gone. I have tried to stay off social media since I got here, but my son told me that Johnny Manziel "at me" on twitter. I just have a lot of respect for this place.
   
• Anytime I can go into a world where I don't understand what they are talking about, but I can learn how they are leading their organizations, I do. I have shadowed Fortune 500 companies. I want to see how football teams motivate their guys and keep them in line. 
   
• I know this may sound wrong, I wanted to make sure that I did everything right with my exit at Virginia Tech. It was way bigger and way better than any position I had imagined I would ever work. So as much as I wanted to do my entrance right here, I wanted to do my exit right there. Coach [Gillispie] and I didn't talk much leading up to the hiring because we wanted to be respectful. Late Tuesday night, we went and told the team at Virginia Tech. I met individually with some of the staff. Then I went home and packed and went to the airport. It was when I was driving to the airport that I called coach. I got choked up and just said "thanks". He's just said that he is proud of me and proud for me.
   
• We need to get a better feel for the makeup of our current roster. I didn't watch any tape and won't. I want my own opinion of these guys as people and then players. Establishing some level of foundation for the culture and making it sustainable. That's what will help with recruiting, you have to find the right fits. You can't let the timing of all of this force your hand. Everyday will be crucial for a while until we get some stability. Balancing all of these responsibilities can be more delicate. 
   
• I’m making sure my priorities don't change as a coach, husband, father, and leader. When it all goes so fast, you can get drawn in one direction that you lose sight of everything else. Maintaining a healthy balance is incredibly important. Trying to make sure that these priorities stay consistent is the hardest thing. 
   
• Yeah we do boot camps that will start in September. We will for sure do 11 individual workouts. Not the "ball is life" video clip style workouts either. We'll have workouts and boot camps and then do 11 practices before our first scrimmage. What I am trying to do in the right way is watch how you workout and I want to see how shows up first and who shows up last. I want to know if the managers know if the guys are in class. I don't want to sit in the film room and just talk the whole time, or individual workouts the whole time. It's an ongoing evaluation, not just from me to them, but also them to me. 
   
• It's country come to town. This is way bigger than any dream that I've had, but that has been my career. It's not deja vu, this is real life. I think this is really cool for my wife. My oldest son was born right down the road. This is a great experience and an adventure. Whether it's basketball or the convenience store, there is great energy that is needed. I don't know anything else.