On Thursday, Bryan Harsin was introduced to Auburn. Here's everything he had to say in the press conference.

"War Eagle."

"Feels good to say that. First of all, I know that it is Christmas Eve and I want to thank everybody for being here in this room. Those of you that are on Zoom that are also following along and I appreciate the support that you guys are showing today."

"This is certainly an exciting day for me and for my family and President Gogue, Allen, thank you and I’ll get into that a little bit more. It means so much to be standing here as Auburn’s head football coach and to be a part of this University and this program."

"It’s been an incredible journey. A lot of incredible memories to get here and certainly what I found through this process is there are tremendous and special people that are in this program and we plan to do special things along the way."

"My family, Allen mentioned that, and that was the first thing when he asked me, ‘Who is Bryan Harsin?’ The first thing that I’m going to tell you and I’ll say it right now: I am about family and I have two of them with me here today. The other two are at home, but it starts, and I’m not going to look at her right now alright, because if I do, I’ll know what the outcome will be here. So my wife Kes, and Allen mentioned it, I wouldn't be in this position today without her. It started back when I was 14 years old, I knew what a 5-star was then. Alright, and I figured that out. And I've been recruiting her every day since. All right. So I understand the battle it takes to keep somebody like that around here. But Kes and I have been together a long time and anything in our lives of significance that we've ever done, we've done together. We've had some amazing opportunities in our lives with some amazing people. And every single one of those, we've been together and Kes and I've been married 20 years. And this decision was simple. She was excited about it. She felt how this opportunity would fit our family. And as Allen mentioned, because of the Auburn family and because of what Auburn believes in, that is what we are about in the Harsin family. My two daughters that are not here, Devyn at home and Dayn, that are watching online right now, and my son Davis, who you heard he knows the school colors, the helmet style and everything to know about the high school, it's two years old and we'll get into that more a little bit later. But they have to make sacrifices, too. This is something that dad gets to do and I've been fortunate in my career to have opportunities to be in some fantastic positions, no better than the one I'm in right now. And they have to make tremendous sacrifices for me to be able to do that. And so I recognize that they support their dad, they support our family. And the reason why we're here is because they all gave the thumbs up like you did Quentin [Riggins] and they said, ‘We're going to Auburn, dad. This is what we want to be a part of. And this is the opportunity that we as a family want to be a part of.’ So I just want them to know how much I appreciate them."

"My mom, Becky, my dad, Dale, my father in law, Rick, my mother in law, Laurie, all have made sacrifices for Kes and I to be in the position that we're in. I certainly remember living in the basement of my father in law's home while we were trying to make it and them giving us an opportunity to live there and and to be rent-free, I should say and to eat their food and and to try to figure out our lives and we wouldn't be in this position without them as well. So I thank them for their support. "

"Allen mentioned it. And I'm gonna get to this here in just a minute. But he mentioned the story. The pool, I guess, right when and whatever, whatever was said there and I'll tell you this right now and tell you a story when I had a chance to address our football team, I mentioned this story to them and I told them you get one shot to make a first impression. And I really believe that and so whatever that encounter was and Allen and I had Come together and we were talking about who knows what. But I remember when this came up, and this opportunity came up, and I got a chance to, to read Allen's bio, and all of a sudden boom it hit me. Wow, there we are, right five years ago, having a conversation. And lo and behold, look at where we are right now. So just for everybody, and you young guys out there, especially on our team, you get one shot to make a first impression, and it does matter."

"As far as Allen goes, I just appreciate his approach. And I'll talk more about that here in a minute. But I'm looking forward to building this program with Allen, and, and bringing, all right, this identity of what he mentioned, but it is excellence. And it ties into our creed. And it is about the belief that we talked about here so much, which resonates with me, and, and to also do that in a consistent way where we can win championships. And we can have a fourth-and-one mentality every single day because there are no days off when you're trying to operate like that."

"The committee, the search committee, you know, I don't know what, you know, everybody, and how that whole thing worked. But I know this, I know that the NCAA might be changing some of these rules now as far as eligibility and if we can get Quintin and Bo [Jackson] on the field for 2021, alright, especially now that I can see you Quintin, alright, we're gonna be in good shape. So I'm gonna fight hard for that. All right, that might be the first thing."

"To the Board of Trustees, as well. I know how important a decision is to hire a head football coach. And I know that and certainly in a pandemic and with so many things going on, and so many other concerns right now to come together and to be able to make a decision like they made. And I'll say this, what I believe a great decision. And, and I'm a part of that, obviously. But I appreciate their support, and I appreciate the efforts that they put in and that does not go unnoticed."

"That plan for Auburn football. So Allen mentioned that some of the things that we discussed, the plan, we'll get into the X's and O's will get into the weeds a little bit later and we'll have those conversations that will obviously include coaches that we bring in. But it's really simple. We want to win championships. And we want to do it a certain way we want to do it with class, we want to do with integrity and we want to do with academic excellence. Because these guys are student athletes, and through this football program, we will win. But we will do it the right way and we will have guys here that truly enjoy the journey while they're with us and I believe that's extremely important. And I feel like that's a part of their experience that they have here at Auburn University with us. And what I think and believe will help them to be even better football players, which we all want to see but that comes along with them developing themselves as men. And what I told our team the other day, and I believe this football is a developmental game, and so is life. So every single day, that is the mindset as we walk in here, and for our coaches, every player, every member of this football program, people that are going to be surrounding what we do, football is a developmental game, so is life. And I will do the best I can early on to make sure that that idea is cemented with everybody, as they become a part of this program and get to know me better, but we will develop our players. And we will certainly do that every single day, alright, and with that fourth-and-one mindset."

"Alright, Boise State. So you all know I spent a majority of my career at Boise State. I played there, walked on there. I went through four head coaches when I was a player. So I told our team, I understand what that feels like to have coaches and to go through changes like that. But I had a wonderful experience at Boise. And there was no other place other than Auburn University that was going to pull me away from a program like that. spent several years there as the head coach prior to that, as a coordinator, tight ends coach and a player. And when I left, the goal was to come back to Boise. And we were able to do that. Alright, thanks to Chris Petersen and his decision. Alright, that helped. But during that time, we set out to do the same things I'm talking about right now, how do we win championships and do it the right way? How do we bring in the best players and the best people, and surround our team, with coaches and men of integrity and guys that can teach the game and want to develop our players and want to be a part of something great, daily. And I thought we did that. I worked with unbelievable coaches, through my time. And those assistant coaches gave everything they had for Boise State football, those players that came in and wanted to play on that blue field gave everything they had for that program every day. And I think the results speak for themselves. There's been other opportunities, but not like this. And the one thing those guys know, alright, I bleed blue. And always will. So it was unfortunate, you heard the news broke about this opportunity. And one of the things with our players at Boise State that we had always prided ourselves on is we could have some real conversations in team meetings the night before a game, and we didn't always talk about football, we could talk about life. And that was part of that development piece. And I felt part, not part. A major part of my responsibility was to make sure that these guys understood what that Bronco way was because of what it had done for me as a player. And obviously, if my experience hadn't been what it was, I wouldn't have stayed there and tried to start my coaching career in that program. And so, news travels fast, things got out, certainly not the way that I wanted our team to find out. But I got a lot of text messages from guys congratulating me. I think they know how much I love that program. I am an alum. They know that and they know how much that I care for them, I got a chance to address them the next day, and have a Zoom meeting. And let every single one of them know that Boise State will be in good hands, that program will thrive, I will be a part of somehow, some way to support that, and want to see the continuation of that program grow, develop and be will we all know what it's capable of being. And I will support who the next head coach is. But those guys, I thought we left on good terms, because they know that I'm going to be back around at some point. And I will always, they will always have my support. So I'll leave you with this, once a bronco always a bronco."

"The coaches I've worked for that I want to mention this too. I've had some incredible people in my life as a professional. Starting with Dirk Koetter, Dan Hawkins, Chris Petersen, Mack Brown I've had an incredible journey of being able to work with some amazing men that have invested in me. And that is one thing I learned from every single one of them. It wasn't do your job. It was here, let me help you and I will invest in you and if you show the willingness to do the things I asked, then I think you have a chance of getting better. And Dan believed in me and gave me a shot. Chris believed in me and gave me a shot to be a coordinator. Mack believed in me and gave me a shot. And I can't thank them enough and I want to know, I want them to know how much I appreciate all they've done for me and my family. And they're great mentors and friends and great resources."

"Alright, the program. So Auburn. Alright, why Auburn? I think I mentioned that. But there's a few things here. Number one, when I spoke to Allen and I got a chance to speak with Quinton, and General Burgess and President Gogues, it's the people. And to me, that's the most important thing. And when I got a chance to read the creed and do some more research and find out alright, how this program has been built into what it is now and how this university has been built and the importance of Auburn University. You can tell alright, this is all about the people and that resonates with me. And one of the things that I was told through this process that I need to know and I went back and I looked at it, alright, was the creed. And the first thing that I said when I started to read the creed, I was told, ‘Hey, Bryan, you need figure this out, you need to go do a little research and look at what this is and see what it means to you.’ Alright, and I kept seeing, I believe in that, I believe. And it's very unique. The principles that are in it right now I believe in. They fit who I am as a person. They fit who I am as a coach, and what I believe in, and the things that stand out in the creed: Work hard work. Education and knowledge. Honesty and truthfulness. Sound mind and sound body. Mutual helpfulness. Love of country, service and God. Those are things that when I read that, and I read it several times, because I needed to process that and see how that fit, and every single one of them did, because those has been the same things that we've been preaching, alright, that I've been around and I've been preaching as a coach, and with the coaches that I've worked for the programs I've been a part of. And that was very easy to understand. And those values are the values that I feel are important and certainly what we need here in our program at Auburn. There is no bigger platform, alright, from the football standpoint, there is no bigger platform than Auburn University and Auburn football period, in my opinion. And that was one of the key reasons why I made this decision. I'm obviously excited about it. I’ve followed Auburn football. I've seen it, I've seen what it's been able to do. Alright, you go back and you have people in this program."

"One in particular, that I happen to have an encounter with before our 2019 season was Bo Jackson. Bo Jackson happened to be in Boise, Idaho. I don't know, he had something with the company he was working with. Our running back coach at the time had said, ‘Hey, you think we could get, if Bo Jackson would come here and talk to us?’ I said, ‘Hold on. Stop. What are you talking about? Alright, you’re talking aboutBo Jackson, right? The same Bo Jackson that I'm talking about?’ He said ‘yes.’ Alright. So Lee Marks was the running back coach at the time. He said, ‘Hey if Bo Jackson could come in here and talk to our team, you think we should do that?’ I said, ‘If you can do that we'll talk about what's next for you.’ Alright, so, and so there it was, I remember coming into my office my wife Kes was there. My daughters were there. I mean, Bo Jackson was in our facility, I had the picture of him. Alright, in the Raiders uniform on my screen. And I walked in the office. And there he is, there’s Bo Jackson sitting in my office in our football facility in Boise, Idaho, of all places. And we had a, we had a 15-20 minute conversation and we walked down the hallway at 75 yards from my office there down to the football facility and we walked in there and we had this great video that we have put together of Bo Jackson has got him running out of the tunnels garden, climbing up the wall and making the catch the players are watching. And then bang, there he is in front of our team. And if some of those guys didn't know, I shouldn't have recruited them, but they knew exactly who Bo Jackson was and he had their attention. And he starts off with a little bit of small talk and he pulls his wallet out. And he's like, ‘Who's the fastest guy in this room?’ And at that time, John Hightower, who plays wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, he's fast, he raised his hand. And he's fast. Bo Jackson said,’ I can beat you.’ You could have heard a pin drop in there. Because I believed him. And John's up there, like, you might beat me, you know, and, and then he put it back. He put his wallet away there and said he’s just kidding, there's no chance of that right now. And he went on, I thought he stayed for 20 minutes. He stayed there for about an hour and 20 minutes. And it was one of the most incredible experiences that our players have had with a guest speaker coming in there and somebody of his magnitude. But he talked about so many of the same things I'm talking about right now. He shared the message, really that I know now from Auburn University. And he also talked to our guys about being the ultimate competitor. If you don't believe that you are going to outwork everybody, everybody, that you go against, then you shouldn't be in this room. And then when he finished up, he went and wrote on the board and it’s still up there today and it says ‘Do not erase,’ now this is in our team room, where we need the board space, we're trying to do meetings and things but there's an area on there that is completely off limits. And it says, ‘Do not erase and he wrote up there: Do something better today than you did yesterday.’ Simple, simple. I walked by it every day. Our players walk by it every day. That was a 12-1 season for the Broncos and every team meeting I sat in there I usually finished with looking at that quote that he had wrote pointing at it and said, ‘How about that, why don't we go out there and do that today, and then figure out how we're going to be better tomorrow.’ It was very simple. It was very clear, it was concise, it was to the point. And he made it very clear if you're not the ultimate competitor, and this is not what you want to be, probably not the place you need to be. So I didn't know it then. But I know it now. And that's part of with Allen and some of these other encounters that I've had, that have made this thing so special to be here."

"Another encounter, and I, there's two gentlemen in this room right now that have been a part of my team for a long time. And, and I want to make sure that they know how much I appreciate them. Russ Campbell and Patrick Strong are two guys that I've been a part of my team. And much like with Bo Jackson, much like with Allen, there was a time I had a business card and a letter that was sent to me that it sat on my desk when I was the offensive coordinator and Boise State that I looked at for a couple years tucked it away and decided I don't really need this, this is not for me, I don't know what I would do with with somebody representing me or having a team like that. And one day, there was some conversations with Texas, some things happening, I happen to pull the letter out and hit the business card, I set it on my passenger seat, I'm driving home, I'm staring at it, I'm staring at it, I keep staring at it finally I’m like alright, I'll call him alright. Felt like that scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, right, I'll call I'll call I'll call I'll call file call. So I call him. And there's Patrick and Russ and the rest is history. And they've been a part of my team since. And I wouldn't be in the position that I'm in without them, I certainly wouldn't be the head coach I am today without them. And their advice and guidance. And I can tell you this right now, they're the best in the business. And they're the best for the Harsin family and the relationship is cherished. And I appreciate what those guys have done for us. So thank you, very much."

"I understand, back to Auburn, I understand the expectations. I understand that, to win championships and to play consistently, what it will take to do that. And the areas that we need to be better. Alright, we'll discover those as we go. Because we'll have the right people in here to make sure we do that. But we want to play for championships, and we want to play consistently. And again, the challenge in that, that's why I'm here. I've heard that it's gonna be challenging, it's going to be tough. Isn't that what you want as a competitor? Aren't those the things that you tell your players every single day when you go out there and play against that opponent to win your one on one battle to win in this situation here to win in these moments? It's going to be challenging, it's going to be hard. You say it all the time. That's what competitors want. And so I've heard that. And I understand that. And that's part of why this job and this opportunity at Auburn was so attractive, because exactly those things. It's exactly the reason why you want to play for Auburn University and exactly why you want to come to a place like this, because it's going to be challenging it’s going to be hard. It's going to be all those things you talk about you read about you see, that's not going to change. And that will not change week to week to week. So you better be the ultimate competitor. You better have that mindset and you better be a guy that embraces that and loves it. And I'm certainly excited about the challenge."

"I told you I got a chance to reach out to the current team and we did it via Zoom and not ideal, and certainly under the circumstances nothing that we've done for the last several months has been ideal. But nonetheless, I got a chance to see those guys and talk to them and I believe everybody was on there. I didn't do a headcount. But the guys that were on the Zoom call, I got a chance to to get face to face with. I wanted to address them and we did just that. And my message to them. First of all was: Who am I? Alright, I let them know who I am. So I told my story. Briefly let them know about my family. Let them know about why I chose much like them. I didn't recruit them. Alright, but why I chose Auburn University is probably the same reason they did, alright. How could you not? Simple as that. And then I told those guys to enjoy their families and to spend time and have a Merry Christmas and then they'll be back here on the 26th and they're preparing for a game against Northwestern."

"That's their bowl game and to finish strong, and how do you do that? Well give those coaches that are here right now that are working tremendously hard your undivided attention, focus on the task at hand and make sure that when you go out there to practice, you do it the right way. You don't go on that football field to go out there and just go through the motions, you go out there with purpose focus, and you go out there to make sure that you do your 1/11th every single time on that field, so that the guys around you can be successful, that is part of being on a team. And so I challenge those guys to do that. I hope that set in with all those players so that they can prepare themselves, when they come back to go out there and compete. And the whole goal of playing in a bowl game is to win it. Part of winning championships, the addition to that is winning bowl games as well. And certainly playing in the biggest game."

"So I'm looking forward to seeing those guys, I will, I'll get a chance, I'll be there and at some point where I get an opportunity to be face to face with those guys, and maybe be at the bowl game and I believe I will be. So I'm looking forward to seeing those guys go out there and compete and finish the season the right way. And I support them and I support their coaches to go out there and do exactly that. So get into work recruiting. Alright, that's that's obviously a big part of what we do."

"Alright, so the 2021 class, we've had guys that are signed, we have guys that we still need to sign, we have a focus on recruiting, we have to make sure that we are going out there and getting the best of the best. And so where do we do that? Well all over the country. I'm coming from a long ways away, I can tell you that when I flew in today, that's a long flight. Alright, but I'm going to tell you now those guys from the west coast, myself included, they're going to come here, they're gonna want to be a part of this. So we'll be right here in our backyard number one, and making sure that the best players that are right here surrounding us that they want to be at Auburn University, and then the other players in the country that want to come play and play for championships and be a part of the best program in the country, we're gonna go after them as well. But I want them to believe in what they're getting into. And I want them to know what they're getting into. And to know that this is challenging, it's hard. It takes tremendous discipline, takes tremendous toughness, and takes tremendous conviction for you to come in here and be successful like we need you to be. And that is not just our players, that is everybody in this program, understanding that and making that a part of their everyday process. Staff is going to be a big part of recruiting. So right now we got to put together a staff and my dad, my dad is a drag racer. Some of you guys might have heard that a little bit. So I got some drag racing in my background. And when you're gonna go over 200 miles an hour in a car in six seconds, that thing better work right or you're not going to do so well at the end of it. And, you know, he's taught me about process. He's taught me about details. He's taught me about how to do things the right way. And I think the class part, a lot of that comes from my father. But he also would tell me this too, because we work on cars, we build cars, it takes time and people get extremely impatient, alright. Do you want it done right or do you want it right now? That was one of his favorite lines right there. So guys would come in, he'd be working on a car, he's building a motor for a guy who's like I want it. He's like you want it done right or do you want to right now? I can make it run, it's not gonna run like you want to. So it's critically important that we get the right people in here, it's critically important that we get the right coaches in here, it's critically important that we get coaches in here that understand, like I feel right now, of what Auburn really stands for. And that they're gonna be able to go into those rooms with those players, because every one of those coaches will be leading those units. And they have to walk in there with the same type of conviction for our program, and then what it is we do. So we have to find the right people. And we're going to recruit ability in all phases. It's not just coaches. It's everybody. Everybody that's going to be in this program needs to be aligned and understand the importance of what it is we're trying to do. So at the end of the day, we're bringing the best players. And then most importantly, the ones that we know are already here. They get the very best we've got, every single day. I know this about when you have a team, the ones that are right there that will be sitting in this team room, those are the ones you have to focus on. Yes, you bring in the new ones. But the guys right here, they've got to have coaches and staff around them that will develop them daily. They deserve that. That's why they're here. They're committed to you. They're giving you everything they got, then that should be given back from every staff member in this program."

"I'm humbled, I said that, for the opportunity. I respect the league that we play in. I appreciate Auburn University and what it stands for. And I'm excited to be your head coach at Auburn University. And I can't wait to get to work, War Damn Eagle."

Q: Obviously, when you fly into the state of Alabama there’s no secret it’s 365 days of talking about the Iron Bowl. Alabama, one of the top, obviously, the top team in the nation, what have you seen from them? What have you been told so far about the Iron Bowl, one of the biggest rivalries in sports? And what do you think about Nick Saban and the program he’s put together?

“Yeah. Start out with the easy one, right? Let me say this: I'm sure and I understand the question that you're asking me. Let me just tell you how I view (it). Every single game we play is important. Every single practice and day that we spend in here is important. And if it's not, then when you get in moments like that, I think they become too big. If every day is not a day where you're trying to do ... we'll go back to what Bo Jackson said, right? You're not trying to get better every single day and doing something better the next day, then what's the point?"

"Those moments become too big. I understand the rivalry. I understand the Iron Bowl from where I've sat in the past. Obviously, I have not experienced that first-hand. But there are programs in this conference that have done well, obviously."

“Teams here that have been very successful, very competitive. And Auburn is no different, in my opinion. Every day that we put the work in necessary to be able to play in games like that _ and I'm going to tell you right now it's going to be Game 1 we're going to be focused on. It's going to be spring ball. It's going to be our development in the weight room. It's going to be the things that we have to do in our nutrition program and the every day that's going to put us in the position so that we can compete and play successfully in games like that and play at our best in games like that. Because it's important to me that the team, when we go out there, regardless, every time we snap the ball, we're competitive. Every time we get out there on offense, defense or special teams, we're competitive. And that takes tremendous work to do that. I know that the other programs in this league have been successful. I know they've put together good football teams. They've recruited well."

“Well, this is the opportunity for us to do the same. Auburn's won a national championship, played for another, not too distant years. So I think that there's a formula that we can use here. And we can certainly embrace the past. And I've said this before, we will attack the future moving forward and we will focus on what we have to be successful in each one of those games. But for our players and for our staff it will be an everyday focus, just like today. How do we go 1-0? How do we maximize what's right in front of us? How do we focus on the task at hand? How do we stay away from all the things that are going to be so far down the road and just try to be better today and do the things necessary so that when we get into those moments, we'll be competitive every single play, every snap, every guy doing their 1/11th, and hopefully putting ourselves in the position where we can be successful at the end of the game."

“But there's got to be a process first that leads up to that. Those teams have had tremendous success."

“As far as coach Saban, he's done a tremendous job. Much respect from me for what he's been able to do and the type of programs he's put together. I've got nothing other than respect for him and what they've done and I'm certainly looking forward to competing against him and we'll have our opportunity to do that. But we're going to focus on what we need to do at Auburn and how we need to do it so we can put ourselves in position to compete when it's time.”

Q: You had a very impressive resume when it comes to recruiting at Boise State, one of the top recruiting classes in that league, how do you plan to bring that kind of success to Auburn because you’re also competing against other teams in your league that have a lot of potential as well like the Georgia’s and Alabama’s?

“I'll go back to what I said: That's part of the excitement about this opportunity. You've got to compete. You've got to compete in recruiting. You've got to work. You've got to do it every single day. You've got to be committed to it. You've got to be able to have these players see how they fit in your program, why does this player fit at Auburn University? And they've got to be able to see that. I think, part of that, that's a major responsibility that I have, is that vision for who they are and how they fit. And that they want to be here. You want guys that want to be a part of this program. You want the kind of guys that will do the kind of things that you talk about that will be on these walls and this program, and will live that every single day. Guys that do that, you're going to be successful because you surround yourself with 100-plus guys like that, that have that mindset that they want to be great every single day, that are willing to do the work and are excited about where they are.”

“It's a grind. It's hard. And everybody talks about that, but you know what, it's fun when you do it the right way. And we want to have fun, we want to have fun doing it, we want to work hard. There will be no days off, and we can have fun doing that. So at the end of the day, the end of the season, the end of the journey. They understand what it means, they become better people and football players along the way. So we're looking for guys like that.”

“How do you do that? You do it relentlessly, every single day. You're passionate about your program, you're passionate about what you're trying to build. There are the right people out there that are going to come in and do exactly that at Auburn University. You've just got to find t hem. You've got to find them. I think we've been able to do that at Boise; we were able to find our kind of guys. We did that with our eyes, our ears. They fit our program, they fit who we are. And they were guys that when they got there, make no mistake about it, you've got to develop them. Maybe there's a different opinion or not, but these guys, when they come out of high school or junior college or whatever it is, they've still got to be developed. Football is a developmental game, every day. You've got to have coaches, you've got to have a plan, you've got to have things in place in order to help these players develop. The talent part of it? Fantastic. You still have to develop your game. It's still game. It's got to be developed every single day, so you've got to have guys that will be willing to do that.”

“We want guys in this program that are willing to do the work to develop themselves in the game of football and in life. And it is hard to do. But the right guys that want to do that, they're going to be successful. They're going to reap what they sow by the work they do, and we're going to definitely see that result by the guys that we bring in. We'll have a plan, a formula, of how we do it. But the kind of guys that are going to be part of Auburn University and this football program are going to be the guys that fit what we need, what we're looking for, and the guys that are going to believe in what we do.”

Q: If you would, how do you address the concerns that some have about coaching and recruiting in the SEC where you really don’t have any history?

“Well. I don't know exactly what those concerns are or questions. So, but I'll tell you this -- how do you recruit? It's exactly what I just said. Every day. Focused. Driven. Surrounded by guys that are willing to do that. Coaches. Support. Recruiting. Staff members. I don't see it as any different as far as the focus of what it takes to be successful in recruiting now. The areas, getting out there. You've got to build relationships with coaches. You need to know the areas that you're recruiting. You need to know the players that are coming out of those areas. So there's history. There's obviously a lot of things that we have to do to connect with the high school coaches and the people that are important for us to be able to go out and recruit the type of guys that we want to. But I feel like with the staff we put together, that's a part of why you put together a great staff. Because they're going to be able to do those things. Great coaches, they understand this. Great coaches understand that they're going to go out there, and they need to go out there and recruit great players. Because they want to coach them. They want to spend time in those 50 minute meetings with them every single day and then the two hours out on the practice field with great players. They're motivated to do that. So it starts with your staff. It starts with you identifying the things you're looking for in players and guys that are going to be a part of this program. And then you got to go do it every single day and be relentless when you do it.”

“I think that's a, that's a fair question, the challenges and all that. But recruiting, in Boise State it was challenging. The kind of guys that we were trying to go after, it wasn't just you go after a certain type, but you go after the very best. That's how you recruit. You go after the very best, and you do it every single day. And at Auburn, we have the opportunity to go after the very best and to share with them the vision and the direction that we want to go and how they fit into that. And more importantly how Auburn University fits into their life. Because I think this, as a young man, that there's no guarantees beyond this level of playing. So you need to have yourself in a position as an incoming player to say alright, this is my opportunity. This is what I'm going to have a chance to play in these systems, with these coaches, with these guys and in this program. No guarantees. But, you know what, if things go right, and I'm able to develop, and I'm able to do the things necessary so I can be successful, I may have a shot, but even more importantly, I'm going to learn things along the way. I'm going to have a degree from Auburn University that I can go on and use and be successful in whatever it is that I choose to do. Football will end. Football will end. You will be a competitor the rest of your life. So I told our guys all the time at Boise. You might be walking down the hall. You're not going to go walking down the hall, same foot, same shoulder and knock somebody into the wall in how you tackle. But you're going to be competitive the rest of your life. So take what you learn. You take that degree that's powerful from Auburn University and use that to your advantage and go out there and compete. That stuff matters. None of you on there, myself included, we're not playing football anymore. But we have an opportunity to do things because of the place that we've been and the people we've been around. So we will share that vision. We will share that with the guys. I think they'll feel the passion we have in what we're doing in this program. And I think we'll get guys that want to be a part of what we're doing.”

Q: As for this year, what are your year one goals at Auburn?

“Well, number one goal is to win today. That was my goal. Be 1-0 today. So, I'm a pretty task-at-hand type guy. But I want to get back. Like you all, after this is over, I'm going to get back, I'm going to be with family. I'm going to enjoy Christmas. And then get back here and start to put things together. Alright. And that's obviously with the current players right now. That would be the No. 1 focus. I got a chance to Zoom with those current players. They are the No. 1 priority. And I got to continue to stay connected with them. And not, we'll probably have another chance to see everyone face-to-face or via Zoom, however that has to work. But to make sure that our players here, right now, are focused on what they have to do. Are preparing themselves when they come back in January for the second semester. And then we start putting together a staff and doing all the things that you guys have been asking me. Recruiting. Schemes. All the things that have to come along with preparing ourselves for what we're going to be doing in spring and what we're going to be doing in the summer. But besides today? It will be surrounding myself with the best people, to come in here, and to be a part of Auburn University and this program.”

Q: I want to take you back a decade to your last year as offensive coordinator, that was the year Auburn won the National Championship but you guys were ranked ahead of Auburn for most of that season, do you remember pulling against Auburn that year? Was that an underlying frustration that teams like Auburn would pass you guys even though y’all would always schedule as big as you possibly would?

“Uhh, David, I don’t remember if I, well I know my personality. Heck yea, I was pulling against them. So yea, I was all about where I was at, right? I don’t remember all that but knowing me, I’d be certainly pulling against them and if I had any sort of voting power at that time, I would of put us ahead of them. Look, I don’t know all the formulas. I get to see, like many of you every week, how the rankings and things come out. Here’s what I know. Somebody asked me, ‘How do you play in championship games?’ Well, you win every game leading into it. I’ve been asked that many times, ‘You guys plan on playing in a championship game, how do you think you’re going to get there? I said, ‘Simple, win every game.’ You win every game, you’ll be in that championship game. All those come along with the every-week focus of trying to beat the team you’re playing. We’re not going to propel ourselves into a ranking in Week 8 when it’s Week 1. And I think that sometimes where the distractions set in.”

“Guys just have to be focused on what do we have to do now and just playing good football. I hope guys appreciate just going out there and playing, really practicing good football. Let’s start with that. Practice good football, play good football. Let all those other things take care of themselves. There will be things as the season comes to an end where everybody is trying to position. And I’m sure at that time too for Boise, that really wasn’t the focus at that time for Boise. It wasn’t about what number was next to us. It was about who we were playing and how we’re going to go out there and get after them. Can we score 50 points? I’ll just tell you that. I know that at that time, like, how did we score? We scored 43 and then maybe the game before how did we score 50. And the defense would be like, how do we shut them out? The focus was very simple during that time when I was at Boise, was how to we go out there and beat this team and try to dominate. The rankings, that wasn’t necessarily the focus. I know it’s important, those things will matter, but take care of your business every single day, do what you’ve got to do, be better every single day, be disciplined, got to be tough, believe in what you’re doing, and I think those things take care of themselves.”

Q: Have any of the other coaches on Auburn’s campus reached out and congratulated you?

“Yeah so, I had a chance to Zoom with the current staff now. I was able to speak with them. It was brief, but I got a chance to talk to them. I know some of the coaches here just through the coaching fraternity. But I did get a chance to talk to them. It was simple. What I told them is, ‘What can I do to help you? What can I do to support you? What can I do to make sure that you guys have everything you need to get these guys prepared to go play against Northwestern?’ And then that I would have a chance to reach out to them offline — alright — Zoom or in person, at some point, and be able to have some conversations with the coaches here.”

“You know, one thing in this transition, alright, as a head coach, and I’ll share this with you, and this is the real — umm, it becomes kind of individualized, which is not what football is about. Football is a team sport. And there’s a staff back in Boise and there’s a staff here. And that’s important to me. I appreciate the positions that they’re in. I know that they’re all good men. They’ve worked extremely hard. They’re obviously successful. That’s why they’re in the positions that they’re in. As the head coach, changes or other opportunities come up — it’s hard. It’s hard on the family. So what I told the coaches in Boise and what I told the coaches here at Auburn is, over the next couple of days, go enjoy your families. Have a merry Christmas. And be focused on that. And I know I’m asking them to do something very difficult right now. And then, we get on the other side of Christmas, then we’ll have the chance to have more conversations and figure out what we’re going to do here at Auburn and how we start to put together this staff with the same goals, the same focus that I mentioned earlier, and the right type of people to be here at Auburn.”

Q: You kind of hit on this earlier, but what is your timetable as far as once you get settled in some of the key things you want to iron out once you’re on the job.

“Well, the timetable’s now. But as I said, this is the focus. The next thing when this concludes, then it’s on to all the other question you’ve all been asking. Let me say this: There is no shortage of interest from coaches that want to be part of this Auburn program. My phone’s been blowing up. I haven’t had a chance — I mean, I’ve got a lot of text messages. I haven’t had a chance to get back to all of them. I don’t know who every single one of them is. My number’s out there. They’re reaching out. They’re trying to connect. And I can tell you this: You know I’ve been in other positions before when there’s been opportunities — and not like this. There is so much interest, so much excitement, so many people that want to be a part of this program, so what I’m going to do is, when we get back home, I’m going to enjoy my family and get together with them for Christmas tomorrow, and then I’m going to start responding. And getting back to some of these text messages, and make sure that they know that, hey, they know that I hear them, and then start to put together, alright, who are the best fits — just like our players — who are going to be the best fits in this program? Who are going to be the men that are going to come in here and lead these players? And I’m going to work with Allen on that. I’m going to work with folks here that have been at Auburn so I can have a better understanding of things, and we’ll start to put together that staff and make sure that the things that we’re doing along the way — we take care of our players as we put together the staff, we communicate with our players so they know what’s going on, and then we will build from there.”

Q: I was just curious, from your perspective, can you provide some details about what this process was like for you and how the opportunity was kind of presented to you?

“Yeah, a whirlwind. Let me just say that. These things happen fast. So, everything was a whirlwind. Part of the process, there was a—you know, just starting with Allen, No. 1, let me say this—I know there’s been some things about the search and all that, but Allen, the first time I talked to Allen, everything that we talked about, everything that he shared with me and everything in our discussions, whenever those were, were 100 percent on-point. And that was one of the reasons, too, why I was so excited about this is I talked to Allen and I got a chance to hear about this opportunity. Everything he’s told me, everything that we’ve talked about has been 100 percent on-point, and that obviously fires me up. When I got a chance to talk to president Gogue and have a conversation with him, we talked a little bit about his time at Utah State, so he’d seen the blue field there and been over in that area, I got a quick lesson on some of the places he’s been, but I’m also looking forward to spending more time with him and learning under his leadership. He is an Auburn man, and I knew that right when I got off the call. It was brief, but it was powerful.”

“Then as far as, I got a chance to talk with General Burgess and all that, and Quentin, and during that, I think, these guys didn’t know that and we’re having a Zoom there, and mine went blank, and they said ‘we can see you,’ and all I was staring at was a blank screen right there, and I thought this couldn’t go any worse. But I got done, I could feel them. I felt the emotion in there, but I have no idea what Ron was thinking; I could tell you that. But Quentin and I, we got a chance to talk some football, which was good. That was pleasant; I can tell you that, just to get into a little ball and had great questions. You know, Allen did a fantastic job of putting that all together and making sure I knew the folks who were involved.”

“But to answer your question, it’s been a whirlwind. This whole thing has happened quick, and here we are on Christmas Eve. I just want to say this, because I know we’re down to some of the final questions here, I appreciate everybody being here. I appreciate the folks that are here right now, today especially. I know there’s a lot of questions about me. I know many of you don’t know who I am. But I feel like I know who Auburn is. Let me say that. I’m excited to learn more, but as far as what I’ve been able to gather through this and the people that have been involved in it, that’s the reason I’m here, and Auburn is about people. This is what I want to be a part of, and this is what I want my family to be part of. I’m proud to be here, and more importantly, when people and our fans watch this team play, I want them to be proud of the team that’s on that field, and I want them to be proud that I’m the head coach at Auburn University. So, that’s going to take tremendous work to do that. One thing that I believe that ties right into our creed—it is never given, always earned, and that has to be our mindset every single day. So, I hope that answers some of your questions there. I think we’re probably finished at this point right now. Again, Merry Christmas, everyone. Enjoy your family. Stay safe. Stay healthy. We’ll be back, our players are coming back; they’re going to get themselves ready. We’re going to be back here as well preparing and making sure that we get this thing started and that we are ready for this 2021 season. Again, thank you everyone here, President Gogue, Allen, everybody that was part of this process to be here. I couldn’t be more excited, and War Eagle.”

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