What do you guys make of this interview with Tubs? I just don't care for this guy's lackadaisical style at all, but I wonder if a coach can be successful with his approach or is a more Saban-like approach necessary?

Link

Quote:CINCINNATI -- When Butch Jones was the head football coach at the University of Cincinnati from 2010 through 2012, he was constantly on the move during practice, striding purposefully across the field as he barked instructions through a bullhorn.

At UC practices under current UC coach Tommy Tuberville, you sometimes have to survey the field to see where he is. He moves around as if he's out on a casual stroll in the park.

Tuberville runs the UC program with a calm self-assurance that belies the passion he still has for winning at the age of 60. In 18 years as a head coach, he has posted a 149-85 record, including 18-8 at UC in two seasons with two bowl appearances and a co-championship last year in the American Athletic Conference. He knows what he knows, is confident in his approach, and goes about his business as if he's not looking to impress anyone.

The UC head coach says he has learned to work more productively than he did in his first head coaching job at Mississippi, not wasting time on endeavors that don't directly benefit the program. He hires assistants based on their recruiting ability first, and he delegates authority. He doesn't insist that his coaches work in their office 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but he does insist that they're good at their job

"I've always been pretty laid back because I feel confident that we know what we're doing," Tuberville said, "not just me, but the people that I have put in place. It takes more than one guy to run a football program. I enjoy what I'm doing. I don't have my mind set on other jobs down the road. I never have. I don't think we have to get everything done in the next five minutes. I've worked with different types of coaches as an assistant, some that just felt like if you weren't there 24 hours a day, you're going to lose games, which is totally false."

UC fans have learned in recent years to be wary of the third year of a head coach's tenure at the school. Each of UC's last three head coaches has left after his third year -- Mark Dantonio for Michigan State, Brian Kelly for Notre Dame and Jones for Tennessee.

But none of those coaches had Tuberville's demeanor -- or his coaching profile. He has been to the top of the coaching mountain in the Southeastern Conference and the Big 12 and seems perfectly content at UC as he prepares for his third season, fired up about moving back into a renovated Nippert Stadium after a one-year absence.

"The sky's the limit," Tuberville said. "We've got a lot of room for improvement. Some places, you know what you've got. They're not going to get much better. Here we know what we've got and we know where we can go."

Tuberville is the antithesis of the image of a college football head coach: high-strung, in-your-face, overburdened and compelled to work ungodly hours in the name of winning. He believes in working hard but also believes there are times when even a hard-driving, red-faced football coach needs to get away.

"There's a lot of different coaches, I'm not going to name names, but they think that the only thing in the world is their job," Tuberville said. "I don't believe that. From August 1 until the first of April we work almost every day. And then from April 1, they're out of it. We make sure our kids are in class, we're around them, we recruit, but when we're not recruiting, you go fishing, play golf, spend time with your family.

"A lot of coaches don't do that. If (their assistants) have nothing to do, the head coach wants them looking at the four walls. I don't believe in that because I've done that before as an assistant. A lot of guys are successful doing that, going over the deep end every day, worrying about how many pencils we have in each desk and all the little things, but it's not going to help them win games. You've got to really find time for your family in this job because it can really consume you. You can let it ruin your family life, your personal life. There's got to be a time when you've got to turn it off."

Tuberville can be so self-effacing that at times it's hard to believe he's a football coach. When a reporter told him during spring practice that he wanted to ask him a question about the offensive line, Tuberville joked, "I don't know much about the offensive line."

But he says the fire to succeed burns just as hot at UC as it did at Auburn, Texas Tech or Ole Miss. His goal at UC is to lift the program to a new level of excellence.

"I didn't come here to retire," he said.

Although his initial interest in UC was sparked by a previous working relationship he had with then-athletic director Whit Babcock, it was his conversation with UC president Dr. Santa Ono that sold him on the job and that gives him hope that UC has greater potential than perhaps even its strongest supporters realize.

"He told me his belief in athletics and how it's related to a university," Tuberville said. "He understands. He believes that to make a university be an entire university that helps the student body, athletics is a rallying point. Cincinnati is working up the ladder. We're not near what it need to be or wants to be. There's a lot of schools that are beyond us in athletic programs but he understands it. If you've got somebody that understands it, then you can work with the guy."

Over the weekend, Tuberville moved from Lawrenceburg, Ind., into a new condo in Northern Kentucky, overlooking the Ohio River and the Cincinnati skyline. He seems to truly believe he has landed in a promising situation at UC.

"It's fun to build something," he said. "There's been games that have been won before I got here. Every coach did a good job. Most of them are very different than I am. They liked to control it all. I think if we're going to get to the next level, I'm not smart enough to do it all. I don't want to do it all. I want other people to help."

18-8 at UC in two seasons with two bowl appearances and a co-championship last year in the American Athletic Conference.

Enuf said

(05-08-2015 10:01 AM)BearcatBeta Wrote:  18-8 at UC in two seasons with two bowl appearances and a co-championship last year in the American Athletic Conference.

Enuf said

No, not "enuf said"... We got our asses stomped in both of those bowl games... And our defense has been horrible under a "defensive minded" coach.

(05-08-2015 10:01 AM)BearcatBeta Wrote:  18-8 at UC in two seasons with two bowl appearances and a co-championship last year in the American Athletic Conference.

Enuf said

Cincinnati and national sports fans ---->

All I'm saying is that I can't read this guy. I really can't tell if I like his style or not. Just can't seem to settle on an opinion of him. The team looked like total garbage to start this past season. I can excuse losses if the games are close and we put our best on the field. I don't think you could say that the team was well coached at the beginning of the 2014 campaign.

ok,,lets get an up and comer like ,,Butch Jones, Brian Kelly, Dantonio,,and flip coaches every 2 or 3 years. Is that any good for a program? Defense , in part, is due to the PLAYERS,
which we didn't have when he came in..Give the coach some time to get his roster..

Or how about Rick "this is a disgrace" Minter..anyone like him?

As much as you'd love to have Saban and others of his ilk..its not happening at UC

(05-08-2015 10:21 AM)BearcatBeta Wrote:  ok,,lets get an up and comer like ,,Butch Jones, Brian Kelly, Dantonio,,and flip coaches every 2 or 3 years. Is that any good for a program? Defense , in part, is due to the PLAYERS,
which we didn't have when he came in..Give the coach some time to get his roster..

Or how about Rick "this is a disgrace" Minter..anyone like him?

As much as you'd love to have Saban and others of his ilk..its not happening at UC

So.... we aren't allowed to evaluate Tuberville in any way as fans?

It's nice to have a name building the program and everything, but I'd like to see some good football during the build if possible.

I just think he's in full blown retirement mode. Just taking it easy as his coaching career winds down. Not blaming him or anything for that, but UC had to know what they were getting when they hired him this late in his career.

He certainly doesn't have the same fire he had when he was at Ole Miss and Auburn. He comes across totally different than he did in those days.

(05-08-2015 10:35 AM)Marcus Wrote:  I just think he's in full blown retirement mode. Just taking it easy as his coaching career winds down. Not blaming him or anything for that, but UC had to know what they were getting when they hired him this late in his career.

He certainly doesn't have the same fire he had when he was at Ole Miss and Auburn. He comes across totally different than he did in those days.

Yeah, that's kind of the feeling I get, but maybe a little different. I feel like he's in retirement/program-building mode and doesn't have any fire for the actual games/seasons. He's leaving the games to his subordinates and he's just a face for the program while it tries to get out of G5 purgatory.

The games kind of feel like there is no singular leadership coming from the top. You just kind of have the coaches coaching their respective phase (Off, Def, ST), but there's no real mission or motivation coming from the top.

(05-08-2015 10:45 AM)AeroCat Wrote:  

(05-08-2015 10:35 AM)Marcus Wrote:  I just think he's in full blown retirement mode. Just taking it easy as his coaching career winds down. Not blaming him or anything for that, but UC had to know what they were getting when they hired him this late in his career.

He certainly doesn't have the same fire he had when he was at Ole Miss and Auburn. He comes across totally different than he did in those days.

Yeah, that's kind of the feeling I get, but maybe a little different. I feel like he's in retirement/program-building mode and doesn't have any fire for the actual games/seasons. He's leaving the games to his subordinates and he's just a face for the program while it tries to get out of G5 purgatory.

The games kind of feel like there is no singular leadership coming from the top. You just kind of have the coaches coaching their respective phase (Off, Def, ST), but there's no real mission or motivation coming from the top.

Just curious, but how many of his practices have you actually attended?

(05-08-2015 10:53 AM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  Just curious, but how many of his practices have you actually attended?

Did you read the article I quoted above?

I guess I'll rein this back in...

What is everyone's reaction to the article above?

Sounds to me like he's on autopilot and is just a face to help with program-building and conference realignment... I can count on one hand the times I've seen some fire from Tubs. I don't want to see a Butch Jones running all over the place screaming and jumping in the air doing chest bumps with players, but it does put a smile on my face when Tubs appears to give a sh*t about the games and their outcomes.

I have the same gripes about Marvin. He's just as if not more flat...

Let's see we have had no players drafted in the last 2 years yet somehow we won 9 games. I don't see a heck of a lot different from Brian Kelly except in demeanor. Kelly's a brash Yankee, Tuberville a laid back Southerner. Both delegated and were not 24 hour a day guys. I think it is way too harsh to say he has retired, Remember back to T Yates to see a coach that retired on the job.

(05-08-2015 11:03 AM)pobearman Wrote:  Let's see we have had no players drafted in the last 2 years yet somehow we won 9 games. I don't see a heck of a lot different from Brian Kelly except in demeanor. Kelly's a brash Yankee, Tuberville a laid back Southerner. Both delegated and were not 24 hour a day guys. I think it is way too harsh to say he has retired, Remember back to T Yates to see a coach that retired on the job.

You know, I was just thinking about Tubs vs. Kelly and there are definitely similarities in the way they run the ship. Kelly was definitely a face... a politician and did a hell of a job selling the program.

My view - Butch and Kelly were not exactly players coaches, each had their quirks that players didn't like and couldn't relate too. Butch, IMO, was too hands on - took control of all facets and did not let his coaches "coach". He micromanaged way too much, and then never took blame for his meddling. Kelly, while a great coach at UC, had his issues as well. Honestly, as a player having to schedule an appointment with your head coach isn't awkward enough, the way in which Kelly was disconnected from the players for the most part was odd. While both coaches were successful at UC (Kelly more so than Jones), I contribute their success to other things other than coaching style. Kelly inherited a really good roster from Dantonio, there is no denying that. Butch basically coat-tailed his success from players Kelly brought in, again no denying that.

Now we are with Tubbs. Everyone can agree, Butch dropped the ball regarding the roster when he left. I do agree Tubbs does seem to be more laid back, and appearing to be in retirement mode. But UC has still continued to produce winning seasons the last 2 years, with a new staff and a serious lack of depth/talent that he inherited. Recruiting has seemed to be better under the current regime, so that is a big positive - and unlike other programs with continuing coaching turnover, UC has still maintained a winning program. This upcoming season is a big one - usually year 3 is the telling mark for new coaches and how they are doing. I'm apt to give Tubbs the benefit of the doubt pending how the new season unfolds.

(05-08-2015 11:07 AM)FLIP Wrote:  My view - Butch and Kelly were not exactly players coaches, each had their quirks that players didn't like and couldn't relate too. Butch, IMO, was too hands on - took control of all facets and did not let his coaches "coach". He micromanaged way too much, and then never took blame for his meddling. Kelly, while a great coach at UC, had his issues as well. Honestly, as a player having to schedule an appointment with your head coach isn't awkward enough, the way in which Kelly was disconnected from the players for the most part was odd. While both coaches were successful at UC (Kelly more so than Jones), I contribute their success to other things other than coaching style. Kelly inherited a really good roster from Dantonio, there is no denying that. Butch basically coat-tailed his success from players Kelly brought in, again no denying that.

Now we are with Tubbs. Everyone can agree, Butch dropped the ball regarding the roster when he left. I do agree Tubbs does seem to be more laid back, and appearing to be in retirement mode. But UC has still continued to produce winning seasons the last 2 years, with a new staff and a serious lack of depth/talent that he inherited. Recruiting has seemed to be better under the current regime, so that is a big positive - and unlike other programs with continuing coaching turnover, UC has still maintained a winning program. This upcoming season is a big one - usually year 3 is the telling mark for new coaches and how they are doing. I'm apt to give Tubbs the benefit of the doubt pending how the new season unfolds.

Good post. I wonder how we would've done had the Big East not imploded. Would we have been competitive the last two years with WVU? Louisville? Tubs is 18-8, but it isn't like we're playing the same level of competition that Dantonio, Kelly, and Jones faced... Should that play into the comparisons? Methinks that we'd be a lot closer to .500 over the past two seasons if the Big East were still intact.

Im tired if getting skull-dragged in bowl games and then reading what great time the team had on the trip.


Thats my complaint.

(05-08-2015 11:23 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  Im tired if getting skull-dragged in bowl games and then reading what great time the team had on the trip.

Thats my complaint.

Totally agree. Every interview with Tuberville leading up to the Military bowl was about what site they had been to and how much fun they were having as tourists... Here's a quote from the Enquirer before the bowl... WTF?

Quote:"The football game itself is just a minor part of it," Tuberville said. "There's not a better place to go than Washington D.C., spend four or five days and see some sights and understand our history in the nation's capital. I'm looking forward to going myself, seeing some sights. It should be a lot of fun to see the Naval Academy."

There are different coaching styles. Tubs is more a CEO type that trusts his coaches to convey his message (And I believe he has worked this way most of his time as a head coach). I've heard he spends plenty of time hands on on different aspects. I know there are still plenty of successful coaches that approach it this way. Everyone is different and many approaches work. If he was in retirement mode, he wouldn't be putting in such long hours coaching and recruiting like you hear he does.

(05-08-2015 10:21 AM)BearcatBeta Wrote:  ok,,lets get an up and comer like ,,Butch Jones, Brian Kelly, Dantonio,,and flip coaches every 2 or 3 years. Is that any good for a program? Defense , in part, is due to the PLAYERS,
which we didn't have when he came in..Give the coach some time to get his roster..

Or how about Rick "this is a disgrace" Minter..anyone like him?

As much as you'd love to have Saban and others of his ilk..its not happening at UC

Mark Dantonio brought UC's recruiting to a competitive standard that hadn't been there before him. He brought in the core of talent that later went to two BCS bowls.

Brian Kelly ..... well you gotta be living under a rock to not realize what he did for UC. His years were the best years in UC's entire 100 year football history.

Butch Jones for all his faults won two conference titles and two bowl games.

I personally don't like Tubberville's laid back demeanor at all. He delegates too much for my taste. UC's last three head coaches had fire and the ability to coach up the talent. I haven't seen that yet with Tubberville. I agree whole-heartedly with Marcus that he looks like a coach going into retirement. He took the UC job knowing the pressure would be less than at a P5 school and knowing a 9-3 season would be acceptable and would keep his job.

(05-08-2015 10:01 AM)BearcatBeta Wrote:  18-8 at UC in two seasons with two bowl appearances and a co-championship last year in the American Athletic Conference.

Enuf said

That's the exact mentality that needs bred out of UC football fans. 18-8 with two ugly bowl losses and no wins or any significant opponents should never ever be acceptable. This is the same mentality the fans have about Cronin who is also looks like he has peaked.