Post by DOOMS on Jul 23, 2006 19:29:29 GMT -5
Thrilla got off his behind long enough to e-mail this interview from forever and a day ago when Fobbs was first hired. Enjoy reading the ancient scrolls:
Bluedeathvalley.com: First of all Coach, it’s a pleasure to finally get the chance to speak with you. Now that you’ve had a few months to get settled in, can you please share with our readers your first impressions of your new job?
Fobbs: “It’s great. I’m coaching football, which I enjoy doing. There’s always a challenge in this profession - whether you’re trying to head up a ship or whether you’re an assistant coach, there’s always a challenge. The biggest thing is seeing your product- what you put into it- develop; whether it’s in practice or on the field. And we all know that the number one thing in this profession nowadays is the recruiting. That’s a big part of it. Just because you’re a (good) position coach or a head coach or whatever, that’s not the whole ball of wax. You’ve got to have great players. We all would like to have magic wands and wave our hands and think we’ve got the best plays, but we’d better have some good players too. That’s the bottom line.
What were some of the things that you were pleasantly surprised about when you first got here?
Fobbs: “Oh, this place is just unbelievable. I had no idea of the magnitude of A&T. I guess a lot of people credit James Renick for that and listening to James Renick talk, it was always here; it just needed some cultivating. He was the guy who came in and cultivated it and I think it’s off and running right now. Now here’s the big question: who’s going to come in and continue it? That’s going to be a big pair of shoes to fill and, you know, I’m concerned (laughs). But I have all the faith in the world in our people up front. I’m sure that they like the ways things are going and the direction that it’s going in and they’re going to get the right person to continue what Chancellor Renick has started.”
But as far as the facilities that were already in place, would you say that you were impressed by them?
Fobbs: “Oh yes, there’s no question. Let me tell you something: I was impressed … and really, I’m so impressed that I want to take it even further. You know, I want to go even further with it. And how do we do that? We win football games. We get people in the stands. That’s the beginning of it. Will we do that this fall? I really don’t know. I can’t say. But I know our kids right now are working hard, they’re working to try to improve and to get better. I do know that we’ve got to have more than what we have. There are a lot of good teams in this league that have really improved over the years. And they’ve done that by recruiting, and maybe some other things. I don’t know specifically what everyone has done, but we’ve just got to continue to move forward. We can’t just say ‘Ok, we got this, we’ve got that… we’re satisfied.’ No, we’ve got to keep pressing.”
So you fully expect a continued commitment to athletics from this university.
Fobbs: “Oh, no question. I don’t see a reason why it should stop. I think now everyone is kind of expecting it, so let’s move forward. Let’s go.”
On the flipside, what was some of the things they maybe gave you pause or reservations about coming into this situation?
Fobbs: “Well … if I’m reading you correctly … when Mrs. Todd first called me about the opportunity to come here, I didn’t exactly get very excited. I’ve never lived on the East Coast - it’s always been in the Southeast, Southwest - but everything that everybody told me (about this area) has been great. The city is fine. The fan base is right there, waiting for someone, somebody, some thing to pull (this program) together and help it become much, much stronger than what it has been. And I think all that’s in motion right now. Just the attitude of D. Todd and Chancellor Renick, and their vision for this university and this athletic department as whole, has been great. You know, I started as a student athlete myself at an HBCU. I’m a graduate of Grambling, just like my wife, so it’s not anything strange to me. And good fortune has taken me to other places during my career, but that’s what Coach (Eddie Robinson) really wanted for us. He wanted us to get out. He encouraged us to go out in the world and experience other things and take advantage of opportunities when they presented themselves, wherever it may be. You have to always be ready to go out and do the things you need to do, whether you’re a head coach or an assistant coach.”
Well, naturally, when someone looks at your resume, one of the first things that will stand out is all of your 1-A coaching experience at some really big-time programs. Do you think that experience will translate into an advantage for you now that you’re coaching at the 1-AA level?
Fobbs: “We could say that … but football is football. You’ve gotta block, you’ve gotta tackle, you’ve gotta run. And then again it goes back to, you know, having (players). All the time I spent in those places was very, very good and there were a lot of things learned. And then there were some things that you learned not to do too. So, as a whole, (my experience at 1-A programs) will be advantageous to myself and to the staff. I think the most important thing will be the staff I have assembled here, with the diverse thinking that they’re going to bring in also. That’s what I was looking for. I was looking for guys – not to rekindle, not to recycle- but I was looking for something different as far as in ideas and methods and things of that sort. And I was lucky enough and blessed enough to find guys who could put those things together.”
It’s been reported that, in addition to your role as head coach, you’re also going to be taking over offensive coordinator duties here at A&T.
Fobbs: “Yes, you can say that, but my hands are going to be in everything. I mean it’s even in study hall. There’s nothing going on around here that you’re going to be able to talk about or ask me about that I won’t be knowledgeable of. You have people that you assign to oversee and facilitate and those kinds of things, but my hands are going to be in everything.”
So you’re going to be handling all the play calling as well?
Fobbs: “Yes I will.”
I sounds like you’re made in the ‘Bill Parcells’ mode, in that you want to have direct involvement in all aspects of the team.
Fobbs: “Yeah, you can put it that way. I respect a lot of things that Bill and all those guys have done and they’ve been very, very successful, but I think at some point in time you have to have your own niche of what you do. If you try to emulate those guys then you’re actually doing something that’s not really natural for you.”
Have you unveiled your offensive philosophy yet? And if so, what can fans expect this year from the offensive side of the ball?
Fobbs: “Points on the board (laughing). That’s what I would like to sit here and say to you. But that’s all predicated on the 11 we have on the field. If we’re able to throw the ball, run the ball – we’re going to do what our talent level allows us to do. Now, are we going to be predictable and things like that? Are we going to be a wide-open offense? I’m not going to sit here and say that. I mean, I’m not going to sit here and say anything because that’s for everyone else to figure out. You’ll just have to buy a ticket and see.”
I know last year at Texas A&M, your offense featured a myriad of different formations and schemes. You were fortunate enough to have a guy like Reggie McNeil at quarterback, so I guess he gave your offense the ability to have those different looks…
Fobbs: “That’s the key. A donkey hasn’t won the Kentucky Derby yet, has it? (laughing) When you’ve got a Reggie McNeil, you can do a lot of different things. Sure, we’ll work and we’ll put our kids in position (to be successful) and we’ll do what I think our kids can handle, but the biggest thing for us right now is to not beat ourselves. Don’t turn the football over, don’t do the things that puts us behind the chains. Every snap is vital towards getting the first down, keeping the ball and keeping our defense on the sideline. And when our defense is out there, the challenge for them is to get off the field.”
When you got here what were some areas that you knew needed to be corrected immediately?
Fobbs: “I looked at our numbers as far as scholarships .We were supposed to have 63 but it wasn’t even close. You mean to tell me that we were going to go out with whatever our numbers were – and I’m not going to reveal what they were at the time – and we’re going to play against someone who has the full allotment of 63 (scholarships) and we don’t? That ain’t gone work. We can act like it’s going to work, but it ain’t gone work. Yes, we want to be able to play some of the 1-As, and we’re going to be selective about the people that we play. Yes, I want to do that … but only when the time is right. If they’ve got 85 and we don’t even have 63 … that’s a big difference. Your first 11 might be alright but after that, you know … it’s four quarters. There are just so many intangibles. We’ve got to go out and work. We’ve got to go out and recruit the kids that are going to come here and, first of all, be good students, and then also be able to do the things we want them to do out on the field.”
It’s no secret that, with this team finishing 3-8 each of the last two seasons, a lot of Aggie fans were disappointed with the way they felt the program was progressing ...
Fobbs: “It wasn’t going in the right direction, I can promise you that. You know, I’ve been in this profession for a long time and one thing you’ll never hear me say is anything derogatory or negative about any other coach, because at any point in time the same thing can happen to you. The only thing that I am concentrating on, and this staff is concentrating on, is moving forward. We are just focusing on doing whatever we need to do in order to get where we need to get.”
As far as what you found here talent-wise, do you feel the cupboard was left completely bare for you?
Fobbs: (laughing) “You’re close.”
Well then, just how important was this first recruiting class for you?
Fobbs: “Real important. We were able to attract some junior college kids with this class – but that’s not really what I want to do. We had some tough (holes) we had to fill, but we’re definitely going to recruit (more) high school kids. I want a true class; I want a recruiting class. I want kids that graduate. And nothing against junior college recruiting, but that’s not the way I envisioned getting things going here. However, we had to filter in some (JUCO kids) simply because of our needs. And really, in a lot of cases, those were dire needs.”
Last season, this team suffered heavy personnel losses on both the offensive and defensive lines. Can you sum up the state of where this team is right now as far as its line play?
Fobbs: “Not where we want to be. With a total number of 63 (scholarships), I envision us having a total of 18 to 19 offensive linemen with 13 of those guys being scholarships guys and that goes for defensive linemen as well. We’re out there now, with five healthy (offensive linemen). We started spring with nine kids and, due to injuries and things of that sort, we’re down to five. But that’s what we have and that’s how we’re going to work. That’s just where we are right now. Are we going to sit around and cry about it? No. We’re going to continue to work and we’re going to do the right things by our kids. That’s the reason I chose to do what I (did in the spring game). I wanted to give them enough work but I’m not just going to drive them into the ground. No, we’re nowhere near where we need to be up front on either side of the ball … that’s in none of our positions. I just envision us having 63 scholarships. I can’t walk into your home and talk to you and your wife, sit down with your son, and say ‘hey, we’d love to have you at A&T … but I just have half of a scholarship here for you.’ Shoot, you’d tell me to get out of your house. And then here’s Hampton and everyone else coming in and offering you full rides and things that like. I’m not prepared to (recruit like that), I don’t want to do that, and I’m not going to do that. If we want the young man enough we need to offer ( a full scholarship) to him and do everything the way we should do it.”
With the current scholarship issues, are you now limited to just being able to recruit players in the immediate region?
Fobbs: “Yes, we’ll do a lot of in-state (recruiting), but we’ll also have to go outside of the state too.
I know you predecessor, George Small, had a lot of recruiting connections outside the state of North Carolina, primarily in the Midwest area. I’m sure that with you being in Texas these past few years, as well as the other places you’ve worked at throughout your career, you’ve probably amassed quite of few out-of-town recruiting connections also.”
Fobbs: “Yes, and a lot our out-of-state recruiting is handled by our assistant coaches and is based on what (areas of the country) they are personally familiar with. It’s not like we’re asking them to go out and recruit places they’re not familiar with. It’s areas that they have history in, areas that they’ve been in before and places they’ve been able to build connections.”
Coaching at Texas A&M the last couple of years, you’ve had the privilege of being around some of the most passionate fans in all of sports. Do you envision that type of fan culture developing here to Greensboro?
Fobbs: “I certainly hope so. The symbol of the 12th Man at College Station is huge. The kids in the student body feel just as much a part of the football team as the players on the team. As coaches, we wanted the students to feel as if they were apart of the team and close to it. We have an award called the M.T.X.E, which stands for mental toughness, extra effort. Any time our players went out and exemplified that, we would reward them with the M.T.X.E. And there were many times when we would reward our home fans with the M.T.X.E – we would put it up on the scoreboard. That’s because they were great when our opponents had the ball. We played Clemson for the first time ever in College Station two years ago they couldn’t even hear. They used up all their timeouts in the first half because our fans were so loud every time they had the ball. That’s why our fans were known as the 12th Man.”
Is that type of passion something you can put in a bottle and ship to Greensboro or is that something fans are just born with? Do you think it will be possible to someday make the atmosphere here at Aggie Stadium similar to what you witnessed at Kyle Field?
Fobbs: “You’d probably have to identify it a different way because of the stamp that (Texas A&M) has already placed on it. Everybody has tried to (copy) it but A&M is known for being the home of the 12th Man. You know, they have pep rallies before the games on Friday night and there are 40,000 people in the stands. I’m not saying here in Greensboro or North Carolina it’s not like that, but in Texas it’s a way of life. If you don’t play football, there’s something wrong with you. That’s just the culture of that place. But at A&M it was a little something special and the students took pride in it because they felt like they were doing their part to help the team win. When the team won, the town won.”
By now, I’m sure you’re well aware of how desperate A&T fans are to see the football program get back on solid footing. However, let me ask you this: what do you need from this fan base and this community to help you rebuild the program?
Fobbs: “Butts on the numbers (laughing). Just come out, be there and support our guys. And really, that’s been tremendous so far. There’s been tons of calls and people coming by saying ‘Coach, what do you need?’, ‘what can we do?’, and things of that sort. My focus right now is just wrapping up spring ball and all those other things will come about in time. But this season, what we need is for all the fans to come out and support this team, not only when they’re up but also when they’re down.”
To be frank, there were times last season when it seemed that fans grew so frustrated with the team’s record that a lot of them stopped supporting the team. How concerned are you about being the target of a potential backlash if things get off to a slow start again this year?
Fobbs: “As a coach, I always understood that (the fans) only want the same thing I want. Sometimes they just may have a peculiar way of expressing it, but if I can’t let that affect me. If I let that affect me then it’s going to affect my football team. It’s going to affect me as I prepare them to play. So I always viewed it as the fans only wanted the same thing I wanted, and that’s to win and for us to play well. And that’s a positive outlook and you may say ‘that’s tough to do’ – yeah, it is tough. Every thing is tough. Nothing is going to come easy. But as a leader, I can’t walk around here with my head down or my head tucked between my legs. I’ve got to stand tall when the times are tough. I told my guys all I want for them is just to play hard. That’s all I ask you to do. You’re going to make mistakes because you’re human. That’s going to happen. But just play hard. If you play hard good things will happen. That’s all I asked them to do in the weight room, out on the field, during the entire offseason – just work hard. Be better today than you were yesterday.
With this being your first college head coaching job, do you feel like you’re facing a tremendous learning curve?
Fobbs: “Yeah, there are things as a head coach –responsibilities and duties- that you have to be on top of and everyone looks to you to make the right moves and decisions. Yes, that’s all part of it ... but I welcome it. In this profession it’s said all the time: ‘you want to be head coach, well here it is. Let’s go.’ Being a head coach is just a matter of being prepared, and I think over the years being around some of the guys I’ve been around and watching some of the things that’s happened, it’s prepared me. Now, did I think it was ever going to happen? I didn’t know. It was something I wanted to do, but I knew there was a chance that it might not happen. I just wanted to have fun doing what I was doing, and I did –because I loved the game when I played it. And all us as coaches- the thrill we got as players, we get the same thrill as coaches; just watching out kid go out there and play.
So this has to be even that much more special for you now that you’re the head man.
Fobbs: “Oh yeah. I pray to the Good Lord everyday and thank him for putting me where he’s put me. He put me here for a reason. I know why I’m here and I’m going to do the best job I can. You know, the kids say “Coach, we know one thing about you: you don’t sleep much.’ I say, ‘well, that’s motto of mine – when everyone else is sleeping, I like to be working.’”
I understand that you also have two grown sons who have followed in your footsteps and become college football coaches themselves. Where are they now?
Fobbs: “My oldest son (Broderick Fobbs) is at Northwestern State in Natchitoches, Louisiana. He’s a receiver coach there and does a great job in recruiting. My youngest son, Jamal, is at LSU with Les Miles. He played at Oklahoma State when Les was the offensive line coach there and they became real good friends. When J’ was in Tyler at Texas College as the offensive coordinator, Les went to Baton Rouge and called him up. So now he’s at LSU.
Did you make any attempts to lure them to A&T when you got this job?
Fobbs: “Everyone expected that they were coming here with me to A&T, but it was never anything set in stone. Of course, Broderick –he’s been at Northwestern and he likes it. Coach Stoker, the head coach at Northwestern, is a helluva coach. As a matter of fact, his dad and I are really good friends. Broderick actually started off working in (physical) therapy, but after a year he said he started to miss football so now he’s in coaching. J’ played with the Colts and he played over in Europe, and then once his playing days were over he starting coaching also.”
You must be tremendously proud of your boys for what they have accomplished.
Fobbs: “Yes I am. With us, the father-son deal is pretty much gone; now they’re my best friends. I talk to them all the time to see how things are going and yes, I’m very proud of them.”
Well, I’m sure a lot of people are proud of you now also and excited about your start here at A&T.
Fobbs: “Then only thing I say is let’s just stay together and get the job done. We’re not going to walk around here and cry about anything. I believe in just working. And I tell you, the potential here is great to get this program back to where it was. I’m not going to put a timetable (on the rebuilding process), but if it happens tomorrow I’ll be happy (laughs).”
Bluedeathvalley.com: First of all Coach, it’s a pleasure to finally get the chance to speak with you. Now that you’ve had a few months to get settled in, can you please share with our readers your first impressions of your new job?
Fobbs: “It’s great. I’m coaching football, which I enjoy doing. There’s always a challenge in this profession - whether you’re trying to head up a ship or whether you’re an assistant coach, there’s always a challenge. The biggest thing is seeing your product- what you put into it- develop; whether it’s in practice or on the field. And we all know that the number one thing in this profession nowadays is the recruiting. That’s a big part of it. Just because you’re a (good) position coach or a head coach or whatever, that’s not the whole ball of wax. You’ve got to have great players. We all would like to have magic wands and wave our hands and think we’ve got the best plays, but we’d better have some good players too. That’s the bottom line.
What were some of the things that you were pleasantly surprised about when you first got here?
Fobbs: “Oh, this place is just unbelievable. I had no idea of the magnitude of A&T. I guess a lot of people credit James Renick for that and listening to James Renick talk, it was always here; it just needed some cultivating. He was the guy who came in and cultivated it and I think it’s off and running right now. Now here’s the big question: who’s going to come in and continue it? That’s going to be a big pair of shoes to fill and, you know, I’m concerned (laughs). But I have all the faith in the world in our people up front. I’m sure that they like the ways things are going and the direction that it’s going in and they’re going to get the right person to continue what Chancellor Renick has started.”
But as far as the facilities that were already in place, would you say that you were impressed by them?
Fobbs: “Oh yes, there’s no question. Let me tell you something: I was impressed … and really, I’m so impressed that I want to take it even further. You know, I want to go even further with it. And how do we do that? We win football games. We get people in the stands. That’s the beginning of it. Will we do that this fall? I really don’t know. I can’t say. But I know our kids right now are working hard, they’re working to try to improve and to get better. I do know that we’ve got to have more than what we have. There are a lot of good teams in this league that have really improved over the years. And they’ve done that by recruiting, and maybe some other things. I don’t know specifically what everyone has done, but we’ve just got to continue to move forward. We can’t just say ‘Ok, we got this, we’ve got that… we’re satisfied.’ No, we’ve got to keep pressing.”
So you fully expect a continued commitment to athletics from this university.
Fobbs: “Oh, no question. I don’t see a reason why it should stop. I think now everyone is kind of expecting it, so let’s move forward. Let’s go.”
On the flipside, what was some of the things they maybe gave you pause or reservations about coming into this situation?
Fobbs: “Well … if I’m reading you correctly … when Mrs. Todd first called me about the opportunity to come here, I didn’t exactly get very excited. I’ve never lived on the East Coast - it’s always been in the Southeast, Southwest - but everything that everybody told me (about this area) has been great. The city is fine. The fan base is right there, waiting for someone, somebody, some thing to pull (this program) together and help it become much, much stronger than what it has been. And I think all that’s in motion right now. Just the attitude of D. Todd and Chancellor Renick, and their vision for this university and this athletic department as whole, has been great. You know, I started as a student athlete myself at an HBCU. I’m a graduate of Grambling, just like my wife, so it’s not anything strange to me. And good fortune has taken me to other places during my career, but that’s what Coach (Eddie Robinson) really wanted for us. He wanted us to get out. He encouraged us to go out in the world and experience other things and take advantage of opportunities when they presented themselves, wherever it may be. You have to always be ready to go out and do the things you need to do, whether you’re a head coach or an assistant coach.”
Well, naturally, when someone looks at your resume, one of the first things that will stand out is all of your 1-A coaching experience at some really big-time programs. Do you think that experience will translate into an advantage for you now that you’re coaching at the 1-AA level?
Fobbs: “We could say that … but football is football. You’ve gotta block, you’ve gotta tackle, you’ve gotta run. And then again it goes back to, you know, having (players). All the time I spent in those places was very, very good and there were a lot of things learned. And then there were some things that you learned not to do too. So, as a whole, (my experience at 1-A programs) will be advantageous to myself and to the staff. I think the most important thing will be the staff I have assembled here, with the diverse thinking that they’re going to bring in also. That’s what I was looking for. I was looking for guys – not to rekindle, not to recycle- but I was looking for something different as far as in ideas and methods and things of that sort. And I was lucky enough and blessed enough to find guys who could put those things together.”
It’s been reported that, in addition to your role as head coach, you’re also going to be taking over offensive coordinator duties here at A&T.
Fobbs: “Yes, you can say that, but my hands are going to be in everything. I mean it’s even in study hall. There’s nothing going on around here that you’re going to be able to talk about or ask me about that I won’t be knowledgeable of. You have people that you assign to oversee and facilitate and those kinds of things, but my hands are going to be in everything.”
So you’re going to be handling all the play calling as well?
Fobbs: “Yes I will.”
I sounds like you’re made in the ‘Bill Parcells’ mode, in that you want to have direct involvement in all aspects of the team.
Fobbs: “Yeah, you can put it that way. I respect a lot of things that Bill and all those guys have done and they’ve been very, very successful, but I think at some point in time you have to have your own niche of what you do. If you try to emulate those guys then you’re actually doing something that’s not really natural for you.”
Have you unveiled your offensive philosophy yet? And if so, what can fans expect this year from the offensive side of the ball?
Fobbs: “Points on the board (laughing). That’s what I would like to sit here and say to you. But that’s all predicated on the 11 we have on the field. If we’re able to throw the ball, run the ball – we’re going to do what our talent level allows us to do. Now, are we going to be predictable and things like that? Are we going to be a wide-open offense? I’m not going to sit here and say that. I mean, I’m not going to sit here and say anything because that’s for everyone else to figure out. You’ll just have to buy a ticket and see.”
I know last year at Texas A&M, your offense featured a myriad of different formations and schemes. You were fortunate enough to have a guy like Reggie McNeil at quarterback, so I guess he gave your offense the ability to have those different looks…
Fobbs: “That’s the key. A donkey hasn’t won the Kentucky Derby yet, has it? (laughing) When you’ve got a Reggie McNeil, you can do a lot of different things. Sure, we’ll work and we’ll put our kids in position (to be successful) and we’ll do what I think our kids can handle, but the biggest thing for us right now is to not beat ourselves. Don’t turn the football over, don’t do the things that puts us behind the chains. Every snap is vital towards getting the first down, keeping the ball and keeping our defense on the sideline. And when our defense is out there, the challenge for them is to get off the field.”
When you got here what were some areas that you knew needed to be corrected immediately?
Fobbs: “I looked at our numbers as far as scholarships .We were supposed to have 63 but it wasn’t even close. You mean to tell me that we were going to go out with whatever our numbers were – and I’m not going to reveal what they were at the time – and we’re going to play against someone who has the full allotment of 63 (scholarships) and we don’t? That ain’t gone work. We can act like it’s going to work, but it ain’t gone work. Yes, we want to be able to play some of the 1-As, and we’re going to be selective about the people that we play. Yes, I want to do that … but only when the time is right. If they’ve got 85 and we don’t even have 63 … that’s a big difference. Your first 11 might be alright but after that, you know … it’s four quarters. There are just so many intangibles. We’ve got to go out and work. We’ve got to go out and recruit the kids that are going to come here and, first of all, be good students, and then also be able to do the things we want them to do out on the field.”
It’s no secret that, with this team finishing 3-8 each of the last two seasons, a lot of Aggie fans were disappointed with the way they felt the program was progressing ...
Fobbs: “It wasn’t going in the right direction, I can promise you that. You know, I’ve been in this profession for a long time and one thing you’ll never hear me say is anything derogatory or negative about any other coach, because at any point in time the same thing can happen to you. The only thing that I am concentrating on, and this staff is concentrating on, is moving forward. We are just focusing on doing whatever we need to do in order to get where we need to get.”
As far as what you found here talent-wise, do you feel the cupboard was left completely bare for you?
Fobbs: (laughing) “You’re close.”
Well then, just how important was this first recruiting class for you?
Fobbs: “Real important. We were able to attract some junior college kids with this class – but that’s not really what I want to do. We had some tough (holes) we had to fill, but we’re definitely going to recruit (more) high school kids. I want a true class; I want a recruiting class. I want kids that graduate. And nothing against junior college recruiting, but that’s not the way I envisioned getting things going here. However, we had to filter in some (JUCO kids) simply because of our needs. And really, in a lot of cases, those were dire needs.”
Last season, this team suffered heavy personnel losses on both the offensive and defensive lines. Can you sum up the state of where this team is right now as far as its line play?
Fobbs: “Not where we want to be. With a total number of 63 (scholarships), I envision us having a total of 18 to 19 offensive linemen with 13 of those guys being scholarships guys and that goes for defensive linemen as well. We’re out there now, with five healthy (offensive linemen). We started spring with nine kids and, due to injuries and things of that sort, we’re down to five. But that’s what we have and that’s how we’re going to work. That’s just where we are right now. Are we going to sit around and cry about it? No. We’re going to continue to work and we’re going to do the right things by our kids. That’s the reason I chose to do what I (did in the spring game). I wanted to give them enough work but I’m not just going to drive them into the ground. No, we’re nowhere near where we need to be up front on either side of the ball … that’s in none of our positions. I just envision us having 63 scholarships. I can’t walk into your home and talk to you and your wife, sit down with your son, and say ‘hey, we’d love to have you at A&T … but I just have half of a scholarship here for you.’ Shoot, you’d tell me to get out of your house. And then here’s Hampton and everyone else coming in and offering you full rides and things that like. I’m not prepared to (recruit like that), I don’t want to do that, and I’m not going to do that. If we want the young man enough we need to offer ( a full scholarship) to him and do everything the way we should do it.”
With the current scholarship issues, are you now limited to just being able to recruit players in the immediate region?
Fobbs: “Yes, we’ll do a lot of in-state (recruiting), but we’ll also have to go outside of the state too.
I know you predecessor, George Small, had a lot of recruiting connections outside the state of North Carolina, primarily in the Midwest area. I’m sure that with you being in Texas these past few years, as well as the other places you’ve worked at throughout your career, you’ve probably amassed quite of few out-of-town recruiting connections also.”
Fobbs: “Yes, and a lot our out-of-state recruiting is handled by our assistant coaches and is based on what (areas of the country) they are personally familiar with. It’s not like we’re asking them to go out and recruit places they’re not familiar with. It’s areas that they have history in, areas that they’ve been in before and places they’ve been able to build connections.”
Coaching at Texas A&M the last couple of years, you’ve had the privilege of being around some of the most passionate fans in all of sports. Do you envision that type of fan culture developing here to Greensboro?
Fobbs: “I certainly hope so. The symbol of the 12th Man at College Station is huge. The kids in the student body feel just as much a part of the football team as the players on the team. As coaches, we wanted the students to feel as if they were apart of the team and close to it. We have an award called the M.T.X.E, which stands for mental toughness, extra effort. Any time our players went out and exemplified that, we would reward them with the M.T.X.E. And there were many times when we would reward our home fans with the M.T.X.E – we would put it up on the scoreboard. That’s because they were great when our opponents had the ball. We played Clemson for the first time ever in College Station two years ago they couldn’t even hear. They used up all their timeouts in the first half because our fans were so loud every time they had the ball. That’s why our fans were known as the 12th Man.”
Is that type of passion something you can put in a bottle and ship to Greensboro or is that something fans are just born with? Do you think it will be possible to someday make the atmosphere here at Aggie Stadium similar to what you witnessed at Kyle Field?
Fobbs: “You’d probably have to identify it a different way because of the stamp that (Texas A&M) has already placed on it. Everybody has tried to (copy) it but A&M is known for being the home of the 12th Man. You know, they have pep rallies before the games on Friday night and there are 40,000 people in the stands. I’m not saying here in Greensboro or North Carolina it’s not like that, but in Texas it’s a way of life. If you don’t play football, there’s something wrong with you. That’s just the culture of that place. But at A&M it was a little something special and the students took pride in it because they felt like they were doing their part to help the team win. When the team won, the town won.”
By now, I’m sure you’re well aware of how desperate A&T fans are to see the football program get back on solid footing. However, let me ask you this: what do you need from this fan base and this community to help you rebuild the program?
Fobbs: “Butts on the numbers (laughing). Just come out, be there and support our guys. And really, that’s been tremendous so far. There’s been tons of calls and people coming by saying ‘Coach, what do you need?’, ‘what can we do?’, and things of that sort. My focus right now is just wrapping up spring ball and all those other things will come about in time. But this season, what we need is for all the fans to come out and support this team, not only when they’re up but also when they’re down.”
To be frank, there were times last season when it seemed that fans grew so frustrated with the team’s record that a lot of them stopped supporting the team. How concerned are you about being the target of a potential backlash if things get off to a slow start again this year?
Fobbs: “As a coach, I always understood that (the fans) only want the same thing I want. Sometimes they just may have a peculiar way of expressing it, but if I can’t let that affect me. If I let that affect me then it’s going to affect my football team. It’s going to affect me as I prepare them to play. So I always viewed it as the fans only wanted the same thing I wanted, and that’s to win and for us to play well. And that’s a positive outlook and you may say ‘that’s tough to do’ – yeah, it is tough. Every thing is tough. Nothing is going to come easy. But as a leader, I can’t walk around here with my head down or my head tucked between my legs. I’ve got to stand tall when the times are tough. I told my guys all I want for them is just to play hard. That’s all I ask you to do. You’re going to make mistakes because you’re human. That’s going to happen. But just play hard. If you play hard good things will happen. That’s all I asked them to do in the weight room, out on the field, during the entire offseason – just work hard. Be better today than you were yesterday.
With this being your first college head coaching job, do you feel like you’re facing a tremendous learning curve?
Fobbs: “Yeah, there are things as a head coach –responsibilities and duties- that you have to be on top of and everyone looks to you to make the right moves and decisions. Yes, that’s all part of it ... but I welcome it. In this profession it’s said all the time: ‘you want to be head coach, well here it is. Let’s go.’ Being a head coach is just a matter of being prepared, and I think over the years being around some of the guys I’ve been around and watching some of the things that’s happened, it’s prepared me. Now, did I think it was ever going to happen? I didn’t know. It was something I wanted to do, but I knew there was a chance that it might not happen. I just wanted to have fun doing what I was doing, and I did –because I loved the game when I played it. And all us as coaches- the thrill we got as players, we get the same thrill as coaches; just watching out kid go out there and play.
So this has to be even that much more special for you now that you’re the head man.
Fobbs: “Oh yeah. I pray to the Good Lord everyday and thank him for putting me where he’s put me. He put me here for a reason. I know why I’m here and I’m going to do the best job I can. You know, the kids say “Coach, we know one thing about you: you don’t sleep much.’ I say, ‘well, that’s motto of mine – when everyone else is sleeping, I like to be working.’”
I understand that you also have two grown sons who have followed in your footsteps and become college football coaches themselves. Where are they now?
Fobbs: “My oldest son (Broderick Fobbs) is at Northwestern State in Natchitoches, Louisiana. He’s a receiver coach there and does a great job in recruiting. My youngest son, Jamal, is at LSU with Les Miles. He played at Oklahoma State when Les was the offensive line coach there and they became real good friends. When J’ was in Tyler at Texas College as the offensive coordinator, Les went to Baton Rouge and called him up. So now he’s at LSU.
Did you make any attempts to lure them to A&T when you got this job?
Fobbs: “Everyone expected that they were coming here with me to A&T, but it was never anything set in stone. Of course, Broderick –he’s been at Northwestern and he likes it. Coach Stoker, the head coach at Northwestern, is a helluva coach. As a matter of fact, his dad and I are really good friends. Broderick actually started off working in (physical) therapy, but after a year he said he started to miss football so now he’s in coaching. J’ played with the Colts and he played over in Europe, and then once his playing days were over he starting coaching also.”
You must be tremendously proud of your boys for what they have accomplished.
Fobbs: “Yes I am. With us, the father-son deal is pretty much gone; now they’re my best friends. I talk to them all the time to see how things are going and yes, I’m very proud of them.”
Well, I’m sure a lot of people are proud of you now also and excited about your start here at A&T.
Fobbs: “Then only thing I say is let’s just stay together and get the job done. We’re not going to walk around here and cry about anything. I believe in just working. And I tell you, the potential here is great to get this program back to where it was. I’m not going to put a timetable (on the rebuilding process), but if it happens tomorrow I’ll be happy (laughs).”
