November 26, 2007
A transcript of Monday's press conference introducing Mike Sherman as the new head football coach at Texas A&M (audio file available to the right)...
Mike Sherman Introductory Press Conference
November 26, 2007
Texas A&M University Interim President Dr. Eddie J. Davis:
"It is a special privilege for me to be here this morning to introduce Bill Byrne who will then introduce our new head football coach. I want to tell you that I am very privileged to have known Mike Sherman for a number of years. I met Mike when he was here in his first tour through Aggieland. He was our offensive line coach and he did a spectacular job. In that job he did the things that are important to our university. Not only was he an outstanding football coach, but his value system matches Texas A&M University's value system. He insisted on players doing their job, going to class, performing academically and being good sportsman on the field as well as being great players. I think his return here will symbolize to our institution the same set of values that he had and displayed in the periods that he was here before. He is a family man, he is a community person that enjoys being a part of a community like Bryan/College Station and he will be a great attribute and addition to Texas A&M. Mike I am delighted to have you here."
Texas A&M Director of Athletics Bill Byrne:
"Howdy. It is my pleasure to introduce Mike Sherman as the new head football coach at Texas A&M University. When we go out and look at coaches that we think will fit our culture here we look for people with integrity, we look for people who will value education, we look for people who are great coaches, great tacticians, great teachers but most importantly we look to people that relate to their student athletes. The players that play for them, the people that they work with. The thing that we kept hearing as we were doing our due diligence throughout the year was 'If there is ever going to be a change at Texas A&M, the person that you need to look at is Mike Sherman.' He is the one the former students who play for him all love. He is the one when I talk to members of the Packers all love. He is the person with 16 years of experience in collegiate football, ten years of experience in the National Football League, five years as head coach of the Packers and I'm a Packers fan and except for a man named Lombardi had the best winning percentage in the history of the coaches of the Green Bay Packers. This says a lot to me, but most of all the thing that I like about Mike Sherman is, he's an Aggie. Mike welcome home!"
Texas A&M Head Coach Mike Sherman:
"Howdy. It is an honor and privilege today to be introduced as the 28th head football coach at Texas A&M. There have been a number of great players, great coaches and great teams who have been a part of the history of this great university. Bill (Byrne) and Eddie Davis have entrusted me to help write the next chapter along with the players and coaches that will be working with me. We look forward to doing that and the challenge that brings upon us. I can't wait. I can't wait. When Bill (Byrne) and I discussed this job it was late Friday evening after the Texas game. I told him that I had a great job in Houston. I loved it; I was working for an Aggie in Gary Kubiak. I would only go to a situation where I felt like we had an excellent opportunity to win. As we discussed that Bill demonstrated to me a very supportive athletic staff along with himself. He impressed on me to hire great teachers, which I will do. The thing that impressed me about Bill was it wasn't just about winning football games, he wanted to win championships. I think that is evident by what happened last year at this university with the seven Big 12 championships that were won here. Bill has been very familiar with winning national championships at Nebraska and that excites me as well. Another thing that impressed me about Bill when we talked at length on Friday night late into the evening was the integrity he had and how supportive he would be in that challenge as we move forward with this football program. That was a huge selling point for me. I'm very fortunate; I have coached in some great places. I cut my teeth in coaching here on R.C. Slocum's staff back in the late 1980's. I was fortunate enough that he brought me back after I left, a year later, with my tail tucked between my legs and he allowed me to come back. I'm very fortunate if that wouldn't have happened, I probably wouldn't be sitting here today. R.C. had told me, and I've used this many times in coaching, "It's not the bad things that happen to you, it's how you react to them." That's something that I've told many teams over the years. I've been able to live a dream in many ways. When I was at Texas A&M, I dreamed of being the head football coach of the Texas Aggies when R.C. was done. When I went to Green Bay I dreamed of being the head coach of the Green Bay Packers and those are the only two teams I ever wanted to be the head coach of. I had a tremendous respect for the tradition and the history of the franchise in Green Bay and their fans and the fans here of the Aggies at Texas A&M. I have truly been able to live a dream and I feel blessed to have been able to do that. When you come to work at a place like Texas A&M every day, much like I did at Green Bay, there is a special feeling in your gut that you want to please people. You want to get it done. You want the Aggies to be happy, just like in Green Bay you want the cheese-heads to be happy. That's important to me. I want to wake up in the morning and have that. I have that here and I had that in Green Bay and I have it in Houston working for Gary Kubiak. I believe in this university. I believe in it from Hullabaloo Canek Canek to Muster to Elephant Walk to the Aggie Ring. Everything about this university I believe in. There is so much to this university beyond football. Football is a part of it, it's not "it". This university is bigger than football and there are many facets to it that make it so special. I think my understanding of that will help me be a better head coach. I've come full circle. This has been a tough week for me. I had great emotion winning a game against the New Orleans Saints last weekend, when Bill called me after the Texas game I was thrilled to be recognized as somebody that he would be interested in. We lost a game that we should have won this Sunday and flying back on that plane was not a lot of fun and then Bill called me last night and told me that I had the job so I was able to rebound back and be here with you guys. This is really special for me. Our expectations here will always be high, there is no question about that, the bar is set high. By our former players, by our former coaches, we will always have high expectations. I think it all starts when we talk to recruits and we talk to players and we hire coaches, we have only an expectation of winning national championships, we have expectations of winning the Big 12 South, winning all of our home games. We have to start with that (winning all of our home games) to accomplish that (winning championships). That is what Bill has expressed to me is one of his dreams and that is also one of my dreams. We've got a lot of work to do, there is no question about that. We know what we have to do and when we can get started. It started today having talked to the team. I told the team I was very proud of how they played Friday. I think the coaches, Dennis (Franchione) and his staff did a fantastic job of taking that game away from Texas last Friday. They just played a heck of a football game. I think that game in itself showed the character of the men on that football field. The spirit of Aggieland did prevail against a team (Texas) that really had a lot to play for against a team that had a lot of distractions and a lot of adversity. Those coaches, led by Dennis, and those players found a way to get it done and that is a huge credit to them and certainly a plus to Texas A&M to have one that football game. I take my hat off to them. Our focus now is going to be on academics. I've met with the academic people already making sure our guys are working to get their degrees, not just so that they can be eligible to play football, but so that they can live their lives as future Aggies and be productive members of our society. I want to say that I am very thankful for a guy like Gary Kubiak, who is an Aggie. He has been very supportive of me in this challenge and allowing me the opportunity to talk to him after we just lost a very tough football game and say "Listen, I'm going to accept the job at Texas A&M" and he was all for it. He is a special man in my life and has done a phenomenal job with the Houston Texans. In closing I want to say thank you to a very special person, my wife Karen. She has moved with me to about ten different cities, we've had 14 different houses, we have five kids, but we have always had the same home. I think we can unpack the boxes. I'm happy to be here. Like I said, I had a full cycle of emotions from last week to this week and I feel like I've made a full cycle of my life and my career. I feel like I've come home to a very special place and you have no idea how much I look forward to this challenge."
This is a school that was 32-28 over the last five seasons. Knowing what you know about this program, what in your mind is this program capable of?
COACH SHERMAN: "I've had other opportunities and other jobs that I didn't take after leaving Green Bay. I've been a head coach. I know what it is going to take to be a head coach, the sacrifice and commitment that my family is going to have to make for me to be the head coach so I am not going to delve into something unless I feel like we have a legitimate chance to win championships, not just win games but win championships. I felt this when I was at Texas A&M last time. Being down at Houston and looking from afar I feel that this is a sleeping giant waiting to take its first couple steps. This is a great state of high school football players coached by a great state of high school football coaches. There aren't any better high school coaches in the country than high school coaches in Texas. These kids come in ready to go. I believe there is a talent base here within three hours of campus that we can attract as we did in the past to come to Texas A&M and be Aggies. I will recruit. That is my number one job as a head coach is to recruit. I will hire a great staff of teachers. I will put the plan in, but I am going to recruit. I do believe that Texas A&M recruits itself because of the type of people that are here, that work here on a daily basis and the type of former students that we have out there. I feel very confident that we can attract good, strong student-athletes to come to Texas A&M as we have in the past."
Coach have you talked to people about joining you on your staff and secondly what are your obligations with the Houston Texans for the rest of the season?
COACH SHERMAN: "Obviously I have signed a contract with the Texans and with that being said, it's not about a contract, it's about obligation. It's about honor, it's about integrity. I owe it to Gary Kubiak and Mr. McNair to finish this season. I told Gary last night on the phone that I am going to work even harder so that you don't ever question what I am giving this organization. My obligation is to them to finish the season and hopefully we will get into the playoffs and we will move forward that way. Along the same lines I am still going to uphold my obligation here. I have been hired to be the head football coach and I am going to make phone calls today in regards to recruits and making sure we have people onboard that are still onboard and maybe attract some other ones that aren't so maybe we can get them in the boat as well, so we will continue to do that. It is going to be a busy month to say the least. I do have an obligation to the Texans and I'm sure every Aggie out there understands what honor is all about and how important it is to respect that. As far at the other question about my staff, this thing happened rather quickly and I have not contacted or hired anybody in regard to staff. I have a very good feeling of people that I know both in college and in the NFL that would be very pleased and honored to work at Texas A&M. I don't think that filling staff is going to be a question."
Bill this is for you. Can you take us through the steps of starting your national search for a coach on Friday night and then ending up with Coach Sherman right down the road?
BILL BYRNE: "Let's talk about the way I go about hiring coaches. In my job, the most important thing that I do is to hire head coaches. I do an evaluation of coaches and search nationally 365 days a year. I make sure that I know who the best fits would be at Texas A&M. I go out and evaluate coaches both in person and I've had a satellite dish in our house and I've been watching coaches for a long, long time. I'm familiar with people across the country both in the NFL and in collegiate athletics whose opinions I respect in talking about great coaches and how they would fit at Texas A&M. When there is an occasion where there may be the possibility of making a change, I already have a very good idea of who our choices would be. I make a national search every single day of what we're doing and we did it that way again."
COACH SHERMAN: "I was in Cleveland yesterday if that helps with the national part of it. (Laughs)"
This question is for Coach and Bill both. Could you address the things that are particular about Texas A&M, the culture, that makes Coach Sherman the right guy, right now? Then Coach if you could talk about what makes you think that you are the absolute right guy, right now?"
BILL BYRNE: "I thought that Mike was the perfect fit for us. First of all he understands the Aggies. He understands the code of conduct that we have here. He understands our code of honor. He has experienced Texas A&M not just once but twice. He has recruited the state of Texas. He understands what the War Hymn means. He understands the Spirit of Aggieland. I think that given his background, given the fact that he has been successful both as a collegiate coach and as a head coach in the National Football League, he is the person to take Texas A&M football where we all want it to go and that is to win national championships. I think he is a perfect fit for us."
COACH SHERMAN: "To answer my part of the question, there is no doubt in my mind what can be accomplished at Texas A&M and I know a lot of coaches that say the same thing. I know the landscape here. I know the recruiting base. I know the high school coaches in this state and I have known them. I've had coaches from Texas come up and visit us in Green Bay. I know what needs to be done, I know the talent that is out there. I know what this school is all about. I think the most important thing as a recruiter is can you sit in that living room with that mom and dad and that young man, can you convince them that Texas A&M is the best choice for that boy, and I can do that."
Coach you've got the bowl game coming up and all the bowl practices leading up to it, what is your involvement going to be with the team and how are you going to handle it?
COACH SHERMAN: "Gary Darnell has been entrusted to be the interim head coach for the bowl game and he will do a heck of a job as will the other coaches. As I said earlier, I think the job that they did, with Dennis leading the way, against Texas was phenomenal. I don't want to say it but that was a hell of a football game. They really took charge of that game. You really have to respect and admire the coaches for leading the way through and obviously Dennis is the leader in how they put distractions aside and were able to win that football game when Texas had so much at stake. Gary Darnell will be in charge of that and he will do a great job at the bowl game and the Aggies expect to win it."
What changes have you seen in college football since you left? How is college football different and how is this university different from when you left 10 or 12 years ago?
COACH SHERMAN: "One change that I haven't seen happen that I wish would is those hash marks. I wish they would be more like the NFL but I don't think that is going to happen anytime soon. The spread offense is certainly a big change in football, how people are spreading other people out. In the old days people used to take their best players and put them on defense and now they are putting them on offense. All the skill players want to play offense now. That seems to be the biggest change schematically. For the second part of the question, I have only been back to A&M one time, it was to work out some players when I was working with the Packers. That was a few years ago so the building (Bright Football Complex) is new, everything is new and I haven't even been in any of them yet so I'm anxious to see them. The architecture has advanced here at this great engineering school. Other than that I really can't say from the changes standpoint because I really haven't been here."
Coach you have a couple of players that are on the team right now that have to make decisions about whether they stay or go pro. Did you address that with them at all today and what do you say to them to try and convince them to stay here in Aggieland?
COACH SHERMAN: "I would only convince them to stay if it was in there best interest. I think I owe it to the young man to tell him what is truly in his best interest and his families' and not necessarily what is in my best interest. I would evaluate that and I have access to every coach and every owner in the National Football League, so I could make a phone call and get draft books here from the Texans to advise them what their draft status would be. Then they have to make the right decision. I don't think it's my place to say that they should or should not. I will give them the information where they and their family can make that decision that they need to make for their family."
Coach could you talk briefly about your offensive and defensive philosophies and what you plan to do here at Texas A&M?
COACH SHERMAN: "Well I don't want to void the question but I don't want to back myself into a corner either. I firmly believe that offense and defense is predicated on personnel. I don't want to say that we are going to be this or we are going to be that without studying our personnel and finding out what is going to be best for us right now. I do want to be aggressive on both sides of the ball. Let me just leave it at that for this point in time. We will have an offense and we will have a defense. (Laughs)"
Coach can you talk about what your involvement with the team will be over these next 30 days or so? How much will you be able to recruit and will you be able to come back and forth a little bit?
COACH SHERMAN: "In the meeting as we closed, I gave the young men my business card and I told them to have their parents call me or they could call me at any time. That maybe a daunting task to get back to all of those phone calls but I told them I would do that. I've talked to the academic people and if we have any class absences I want to know about it and they were going to call me on that issue as well our any academic issues that are not being taken care of by our current players. That communication will certainly will exist. As far as my availability, I have a job to do with the Houston Texans right now and I will do everything I can to help us win football games there. Along the same lines, if I have the opportunity to sneak up here and be part of something at some point then I will try to do that but I can't compromise the job that I currently have with the Houston Texans. It's what I owe Gary Kubiak. He has been very understanding of this whole process and I owe that to him."
You mentioned that Coach Sherman knows the Aggie way, he knows this place. Looking around there are a lot of old school Ags in here. When you looked around at coaches, how important was it that you wanted to get back to that, you wanted to get back to the way things were here.
BILL BYRNE: "Well we had a wonderful, rich tradition here and we had some extremely successful programs. I wanted to make sure that whoever we had come in here would be able to bridge the issues that we have had previously and build on the strengths that we had in the past. Mike certainly can do that. The one thing, and again I can't stress this enough, this man knows what we are all about here. He understands our values, he can recruit Texas, he is the right fit for us. It is a bonus that so many former players contacted us and said "If you are ever going to make a change, you need to think a lot about Mike Sherman." That meant a lot to me, I'll guarantee you it did."
Bill can you talk more specifically about those former players that called you and what they had to say?
BILL BYRNE: "I'd just as soon not. Let me just talk about it generically. We had players that he coached directly, we had offensive players that he coached that contacted various staff members and others. We just had a variety of people. It was nothing that was invited. They felt an obligation. They had seen the type of person that Mike Sherman was and stepped forward unasked and they went out of their way to say awfully nice things about this man and I paid attention."
How much input will Coach Sherman have in terms of future scheduling and how you handle the philosophy of your scheduling?
BILL BYRNE: "We haven't even talked about that. We have an opportunity in the future, there has been some speculation about playing a non-conference game in the Fort Worth/Arlington area and we likely will do something like that. I like to play six or seven home games. I like to play at Kyle Field, we have a chance to win here. We will talk about future schedules. I don't ever schedule a football game that the head coach doesn't approve of."
Bill you talked earlier about how you constantly evaluate coaches. How many coaches did you talk to before coming to this conclusion?
BILL BYRNE: "We only interviewed one person and that was Mike Sherman. We had others on our list that we had rated and evaluated and were prepared to step forward in case Mike and I didn't get along, but we only interviewed one person. I know a lot of head coaches in the United States. I know them on a personal basis. I know a lot of coaches in the National Football League on a personal basis. I have a lot of contacts with people like that. When I tell you that I evaluate year around, I do."
At what point, was it Friday that you decided this was the guy I'm going to talk to or how did this work?
BILL BYRNE: "We had a full evaluation of coaches done all the way down the line. Mike was our top choice."
Mike you have obviously built a reputation as an outstanding NFL coach. Did you have any reservations about leaving the NFL loop to go back to college? Did you think at all about staying in the NFL and pursuing other head coaching jobs?
COACH SHERMAN: "I can't say that that hasn't crossed my mind, it has. I have an agent that represents me and has encouraged me to be patient about different things that may become available but this is where I wanted to be. There was an opportunity last year as well but it wasn't a good fit. The most important thing to me is to be with people that, the only battles that you want to have to encounter are on the field. In football if everyone is not pulling in the same direction it gets very difficult. If you can find a fit whether it's college or pros, it's about getting your guys to go beat someone else's guys consistently. I feel like we can do that here. I feel tremendous support from the athletics department and this university. Having been here before with R.C. (Slocum) has certainly helped me to make that decision. I just think this is a place where I can have control over personnel and be able to put the best team on the field. Opposed to the NFL Draft where you are susceptible to your draft status and who is available, it is an even deal out there and I like our chances."
Bill can you talk about the terms (of the contract), this has all seemed to happen very quickly, can you talk about the length of the contract or the amount?
BILL BYRNE: "Yes. We are going to have a seven-year contract. When I talked to Mike about salary, I really like this, Coach Fran was making over 2 million dollars a year, he said 'I don't want that much, I would rather take less and go out and get the best assistants in the country.' His base salary will be 1.8 million so he will be free to go out and get the best assistant coaches we can possibly get, the best coordinators we can possibly get."