UCF kicked off spring practice Monday. The Knights will return to the fields Wednesday and Friday before taking off next week for spring break and resuming workouts the following week.
Opening statement:
"First of all, it feels great to be out there with our team. Overall, I really liked our energy. I liked our approach. Coaches had great energy, and overall it's a good day. We're rotating everybody, giving everybody a chance. Kind of base offense, base defense, learning to practice, learning be a great teammate, just everything that goes with it.
"But there's a lot of good things. A lot things that to teach off of and get better. But like I said, the number one thing for me is our approach. I really liked how it felt out there."
What was it like working with KJ Jefferson on the field?
"KJ, here's what stands out to me. He's wanting to be good. He's wanting to be coached. That's good. He's a very talented guy. Learning a new offense, new terminology, everything that goes with it. But like I've said, I loved his attitude and his approach today."
What was it like having some of your impact players back like RJ Harvey and Kobe Hudson?
"Yeah, those guys are what I call impact players. They've proven what they can do at a high level. And I'll just say this, both those guys, Xavier Townsend, I put him in with them too. Like, you can just tell they're desperate. They're desperately to win and desperate to be leaders, to help our team and everything that goes with it.
Obviously, you've seen these guys on film, the transfers in the freshmen. What's it like to be able to work with them on the field today?
"It was a great feeling. You can feel the presence of some of these older guys, transfers, especially the defensive guys. You know, I'm an offensive guy and made my living for the most part recognizing his strengths on the defensive side. We got some playmakers. There's no doubt about that. The older guys have been with us a while too, man. It was really fun to watch the defensive side today."
What are you looking for from your coaching staff?
"I think more than anything, it's just the foundation. Who we are, offensively, defensively and special teams, and having the guys put in a position to make plays. Spring is always a little bit of evaluation, you learn the core offense, foundation of offense and defense. But, like I said, overall, it felt good today."
The NCAA recently approved helmet communication. I think it's one player on offense and defense. Is that something you are going to utilize and would you use spring to do so?
"We are. When we get through this week, we are gonna come back and and we'll start to utilize it. Get the kinks out or whatever and get our routine and how we're going to go about it."
Will that fundamentally change how you signal plays and call plays?
"We are still working through all that. I think it's new for everybody, but I think it is a great advantage especially for a team like us. Any time you can talk to the quarterback and give them any kind of information as far as that goes, I think that's a positive, and you've got the guy on defense doing the same thing."
What did you like from the defensive side of the ball today?
"Probably energy. Just our energy, attitude and approach is probably the thing that stood out to me. There's a lot of guys coming back and then we got some transfers that were impact players on their teams that they had last year.
"So it's a matter of just that chemistry, the chemistry coming together. I mean there was a lot of things that we'll look on film and we'll need to correct. A whole lot things, but like I said, the big thing from head coach's standpoint, the first day, two days in pads is your approach and that's the thing that stood out to me."
What have you seen from quarterback Dylan Rizk?
"He's gotten better. There's no doubt. You can also feel his presence. I mean he's desperate to want to be good too and he is a talented young man."
You brought in Anthony Kincy to be your new strength and conditioning coach. What has he been able to kind of install and his message to the players?
"He's a rising star, there's no doubt. Obviously he played for me. And you could see right then, he was different than a lot of the guys. So he was with me at Auburn in an assistant role and really stood out to me in a positive way. Ryan Russell was my strength coach (at Auburn) and (Kincy) was his right-hand man. You could just tell. He understands what I expect. He understands our philosophy. We're all on the same page. He is really, really good. There's no gray area. He has a standard, and he upholds the standard. And players wanna come in there and they want to work, they want to work out. And I think that's a really positive thing as far as that goes."
I know it was just the first day, no pads or anything, but did any particular player, any particular play kind of catch your eye today if you had to name something?
"That's a hard question when you're a head coach and you're looking at everything. After I watch the film... There was a couple really good plays, a couple wow plays, but just to make sure I'm saying who was right and all that because I'm watching a lot of different things."
Last season when you talked about giving up play calling because of all the added responsibilities of managing the portal, the NIL, what has changed that allows you to go back?
"I think it's a learning experience for everybody the last two years. What it entails to be a head coach and a fundraiser. I mean, I was concerned this time last year about raising enough funds in NIL and everything that goes with it. Roster management, what does that look like?
"Each end of the season, end of spring, you kind of take it as separate and you learn each time. And so just being able to understand better and what's best for our team and what I can and can't do. Towards the end of the year last year, I felt like I could do it and do an effective job with it."
Are you doing any of those things less or giving up any of those things?
"No. Tim (Harris) will help me. Tim's really, really good. He understands what we're doing. Been with me for two years, understands me, understands our offense. He's really, really good. So, no, it'll be a little bit of help with him."
Is it a goal in spring as far as that center position to have some clarity of who the guy will be there going forward?
"You're exactly right. We'd like some clarity in a lot of positions. Center would be a big one. There's no doubt about that. Once we get in pads, once we have a scrimmage... You learn more in scrimmages. You put the ball down, it's real football. You're not quick whistling and everything that goes with it. So I'm excited. Our scrimmage won't happen until we get back to Saturday after the week of spring break. Until then, we'll have good competition and all that and hopefully we'll have some kind of separation after that first scrimmage."
Are new leaders emerging on the team?
"Our guys that have been leaders with us before, I really felt them out there. Some of the new guys, you can feel their presence also too. So that's what I told them afterwards. That's what it's about. Player-led teams win championships, not coach-led teams. We're all learning together. Like I said, the chemistry is really, really important through this spring."
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