- Jun 12, 2014
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DISCLAIMER: Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental or is intended purely as a satire, parody or spoof of such persons and is not intended to communicate any true or factual information about that person.
This interview with Mac was conducted this morning and is due out tomorrow in an unnamed newspaper, but a buddy of mine who works as a stringer there passed it along to me as a preview. Apparently they gave the assignment of Mac's final interview to a newer reporter. Mac apparently still has some ill will toward the old guard there, which I didn't know. The interview is fairly telling, all things considered. Mac obviously felt comfortable being honest, now that he's been let go. Here is the advance transcript of it in raw form:
Question: Coach Mac, thanks for sitting down with us under what I know must be difficult circumstances. Any general thoughts on the way things played out here? What was your impression of the way things were handled?
JM: Thanks. You know, all I can really say is that it is what it is. It's the world we live in today as coaches. We're obviously paid a lot to do a job, and in the end, if we don't get it done, they don't keep you around. And yet, as we leave here I'd say we had some pretty good successes, along with the sub-par season this year, so I'm ok with the effort me and my staff and the players put in along the way. But, at the end of the day, we just didn't get it done.
Q: Some of those successes, the two SEC East titles, and the bowl win against Iowa, some of the exciting victories, will be part of what many thought was a growth in a program that was moving in the right direction. But it seemed to peak this spring and then seemed by many to begin decline. If you were to guess, when would you say you jumped the shark, so to speak?
JM: It was May 2nd of this year. I don't even need to guess on the date. Nuss and I had a fishing trip scheduled, something we do a lot during off season. We got a few in us and he reeled in a pretty big black tip. We always take our clothes off when we get a couple miles out - it's just what we do. I got a little excited and Nuss suggested I jump the dead shark that was lying there on deck. It was still warm, a bit slimy, and yet, I liked the feel of the sharkskin on my -
Q: Wait, what? I...I was referring to -
JM: ...I have no idea why he thought it would be a good idea to bring a camera to that particular party, and yet, at the end of the day it probably saved his job. There's a saying...the guy who knows the name to attach to a photo is the guy who holds a lot of cards. It's the world we live in today with social media and twitter and so on.
Q: Good God...I...ok, let's just move on. You, um, mentioned Coach Nuss. He was a lightning rod here in Gainesville, and you stuck with him despite so much criticism of his offenses, which were consistently ranked very low. A lot of fans couldn't understand why you stuck with him. Can you, perhaps, shed some light on that?
JM: Doug and I have some history, together, so there's that. You'll remember we were in Tuscaloosa together, there's a lot of farming there -
Q: Not sure I follow, are you talking about player development or recruiting?
JM: No, I'm talking about actual farming. You've got to remember both Doug and I grew up on farms. That place was a bonanza for guys like us. We'd sneak out at night to a suitable cow pasture, find a pretty little shorthorn, one of us would steady the animal, while the other would come up from behind it and...
Q: Jesus Christ on the cross...please coach..ugh. Listen, coach, do you mind if we stick to football and your career here at the University of Florida?
JM: I'd kindly ask that you'd watch your language, ok? I think you'll remember you were the one asking the question in the first place. And yet, at the end of the day, I'm just sitting here answering it honestly, that's all.
Q: Ok, getting back on topic, please...your quarterbacks really struggled here, coach. It seems like for some fans the expectations were set high from the beginning. You were thought of as kind of a 'quarterback whisperer,' in fact, you made the comment early on that you could teach your dog Clarabelle to run this offense. Do you think you put yourself in a hole by making those comments.
JM: Look I've taught my dog Clarabelle to do a lot of things, (by the way, peanut butter is great training tool. You can get your dog to do almost anything by putting peanut butter in just the right spot), but I've never actually taught her to play quarterback. I was being facetious with my original comment, and I think most fans recognize that. As far as me being a 'quarterback whisperer' or whatever, I've never called myself that. And yet, I've whispered a thing or two into Clarabelle's ear - a man's love for his dog really knows no bounds - but that's about it. I don't have to defend myself.
Q: Uh huh...oh boy...
JM: But to answer your question, did I put myself into that particular hole? You bet I did. Many times, over and over.
Q: [Groans] I had some questions prepared, I'm just going to go through my notes here....Ugh.
JM: Take your time...
Q: Coach you have an obvious passion for the game. Tell us about the first time you realized you wanted to be a head football coach.
JM: I have a good story about that actually...
Q: Thank God...
JM: I was sixteen or 17 years old at the time. Growing up in Missoula, Montana there wasn't much to do, but my best friend Bobby Joe Tucker and I would often drive out to a field at night, stand there looking up at the stars and just dream about our futures. One night, I'll never forget it, it just came to me. I said "Bobby Joe, I just know I want to be a college football coach one day. I just know it." Bobby turned to me excited as all get out and said. "Hey, I've got an idea! Hurry and finish up with that EWE, Jim! When you get done we'll draw up some plays!" And that's just what we did, we just started drawing up plays in the dirt, one after the next. We did that same routine night after night. We must've drawn up hundreds of plays in that pasture, surrounded by all these beautiful, soft, fluffy, bleating Suffolks. Some of the more creative plays you've seen out of this Gator football team were invented in that very pasture. Like the six-yard soft curl pattern that we tend to run a lot on third and twelve.
Q: Coach I'm going to go ahead and end the interview here. I'm feeling a little queazy.
JM: You bet. Thanks for stopping by.
This interview with Mac was conducted this morning and is due out tomorrow in an unnamed newspaper, but a buddy of mine who works as a stringer there passed it along to me as a preview. Apparently they gave the assignment of Mac's final interview to a newer reporter. Mac apparently still has some ill will toward the old guard there, which I didn't know. The interview is fairly telling, all things considered. Mac obviously felt comfortable being honest, now that he's been let go. Here is the advance transcript of it in raw form:
Question: Coach Mac, thanks for sitting down with us under what I know must be difficult circumstances. Any general thoughts on the way things played out here? What was your impression of the way things were handled?
JM: Thanks. You know, all I can really say is that it is what it is. It's the world we live in today as coaches. We're obviously paid a lot to do a job, and in the end, if we don't get it done, they don't keep you around. And yet, as we leave here I'd say we had some pretty good successes, along with the sub-par season this year, so I'm ok with the effort me and my staff and the players put in along the way. But, at the end of the day, we just didn't get it done.
Q: Some of those successes, the two SEC East titles, and the bowl win against Iowa, some of the exciting victories, will be part of what many thought was a growth in a program that was moving in the right direction. But it seemed to peak this spring and then seemed by many to begin decline. If you were to guess, when would you say you jumped the shark, so to speak?
JM: It was May 2nd of this year. I don't even need to guess on the date. Nuss and I had a fishing trip scheduled, something we do a lot during off season. We got a few in us and he reeled in a pretty big black tip. We always take our clothes off when we get a couple miles out - it's just what we do. I got a little excited and Nuss suggested I jump the dead shark that was lying there on deck. It was still warm, a bit slimy, and yet, I liked the feel of the sharkskin on my -
Q: Wait, what? I...I was referring to -
JM: ...I have no idea why he thought it would be a good idea to bring a camera to that particular party, and yet, at the end of the day it probably saved his job. There's a saying...the guy who knows the name to attach to a photo is the guy who holds a lot of cards. It's the world we live in today with social media and twitter and so on.
Q: Good God...I...ok, let's just move on. You, um, mentioned Coach Nuss. He was a lightning rod here in Gainesville, and you stuck with him despite so much criticism of his offenses, which were consistently ranked very low. A lot of fans couldn't understand why you stuck with him. Can you, perhaps, shed some light on that?
JM: Doug and I have some history, together, so there's that. You'll remember we were in Tuscaloosa together, there's a lot of farming there -
Q: Not sure I follow, are you talking about player development or recruiting?
JM: No, I'm talking about actual farming. You've got to remember both Doug and I grew up on farms. That place was a bonanza for guys like us. We'd sneak out at night to a suitable cow pasture, find a pretty little shorthorn, one of us would steady the animal, while the other would come up from behind it and...
Q: Jesus Christ on the cross...please coach..ugh. Listen, coach, do you mind if we stick to football and your career here at the University of Florida?
JM: I'd kindly ask that you'd watch your language, ok? I think you'll remember you were the one asking the question in the first place. And yet, at the end of the day, I'm just sitting here answering it honestly, that's all.
Q: Ok, getting back on topic, please...your quarterbacks really struggled here, coach. It seems like for some fans the expectations were set high from the beginning. You were thought of as kind of a 'quarterback whisperer,' in fact, you made the comment early on that you could teach your dog Clarabelle to run this offense. Do you think you put yourself in a hole by making those comments.
JM: Look I've taught my dog Clarabelle to do a lot of things, (by the way, peanut butter is great training tool. You can get your dog to do almost anything by putting peanut butter in just the right spot), but I've never actually taught her to play quarterback. I was being facetious with my original comment, and I think most fans recognize that. As far as me being a 'quarterback whisperer' or whatever, I've never called myself that. And yet, I've whispered a thing or two into Clarabelle's ear - a man's love for his dog really knows no bounds - but that's about it. I don't have to defend myself.
Q: Uh huh...oh boy...
JM: But to answer your question, did I put myself into that particular hole? You bet I did. Many times, over and over.
Q: [Groans] I had some questions prepared, I'm just going to go through my notes here....Ugh.
JM: Take your time...
Q: Coach you have an obvious passion for the game. Tell us about the first time you realized you wanted to be a head football coach.
JM: I have a good story about that actually...
Q: Thank God...
JM: I was sixteen or 17 years old at the time. Growing up in Missoula, Montana there wasn't much to do, but my best friend Bobby Joe Tucker and I would often drive out to a field at night, stand there looking up at the stars and just dream about our futures. One night, I'll never forget it, it just came to me. I said "Bobby Joe, I just know I want to be a college football coach one day. I just know it." Bobby turned to me excited as all get out and said. "Hey, I've got an idea! Hurry and finish up with that EWE, Jim! When you get done we'll draw up some plays!" And that's just what we did, we just started drawing up plays in the dirt, one after the next. We did that same routine night after night. We must've drawn up hundreds of plays in that pasture, surrounded by all these beautiful, soft, fluffy, bleating Suffolks. Some of the more creative plays you've seen out of this Gator football team were invented in that very pasture. Like the six-yard soft curl pattern that we tend to run a lot on third and twelve.
Q: Coach I'm going to go ahead and end the interview here. I'm feeling a little queazy.
JM: You bet. Thanks for stopping by.
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