Quote:Roof has laid good foundation for Duke

By Brian Murphy

Telegraph Staff Writer


Duke's football players needed just five games to realize Ted Roof was the man to lead them and their football program.

Athletics director Joe Alleva needed a little more convincing.

Despite the Blue Devils' 2-3 finish and their first conference victories since 1999 under Roof, who was named interim head coach in October, Alleva considered several candidates for the permanent job.

That's when the players took action.

"We all went to the athletic director's office and told him straight up that we wanted coach Roof as our coach," junior tailback Cedric Dargan said. "We decided to do that as a team and it really impressed the AD. We love (Roof). We loved him since he's been here."

The move worked. Roof, who became Duke's defensive coordinator in 2002, was named head coach on Dec. 6.

Now, he faces an even more daunting task in his first head coaching job: parlaying the Blue Devils' late-season success into continued improvement this season.

"There's a lot of momentum. I think we'll be able to build a lot off that," Roof said. "There's a lot of confidence and momentum and belief. They know it can happen. Hope and faith and confidence are powerful things."

Roof, a former Georgia Tech player and assistant coach, carried that momentum into offseason workouts. Passionate in his playing days, Roof has carried that intensity into his coaching style.

"Ted's a natural leader. He's been that way his whole life," said Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen, who coached with Roof at Tech. "What he did at Duke is he motivated them. He actually worked at motivating the kids to play and play harder."

He displayed this offseason that he's more than just a rah-rah guy, assembling an impressive staff, including former N.C. State offensive coordinator Marty Galbraith and former Tech coaches David Kelly and Glenn Spencer. The Blue Devils made gains on the recruiting trail as well.

Still, Roof has his work cut out for him. Duke hasn't won more than four games since 1994. The Blue Devils must replace four starters on the offensive line and its starting running backs. Duke returns just one starter on the defensive line.

The Blue Devils are accustomed to the role of underdogs - not only in the conference, but also on their own campus where they are overshadowed by basketball success. Duke was again picked last in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the pre-season poll.

"You can't worry about what people are going to say about you," defensive end Phillip Alexander said. "You just have to make sure you take care of your part of the deal."

That's the line Roof has been preaching since taking over.

Said Roof, "If we win enough games, then the perception that (the media has) of Duke football will change."