Tulane allowed media access to its Monday practice with a post-practice Zoom call because they knew the Tuesday schedule would be messed up by Hurricane Sally. Today's practice did not have media access, but here is Monday's report.
The notable returning player was defensive tackle Adonis Friloux. Tulane has limited depth on the defensive front, and although the problem is bigger at end than inside, every available body is important with Navy coming to Yulman Stadium. The Wave needs to be able to rotate guys to keep them fresh against the triple option. Darius Hodges, who traveled to Mobile but did not play, also practiced Monday as Tulane went with a backup defensive line that did not include former walk-on Noah Seiden, It was Hodges and Carlos Hatcher outside, and Eric Hicks and Friloux inside. Davon Wright did not practice, and I did not see Alfred Thomas, either. Wright played against South Alabama, but Thomas did not. Someone in the press box a row in front of me kept wondering aloud why Tulane was not substituting defensively to match South Alabama's offensive substitutions while the referee held up play. The official game book indicates Tulane played eight linemen, four linebackers and nine defensive backs, which is not a lot considering the depth Tulane talked about at the beginning of preseason camp but probably a reality of the COVID-affected year. The four linebackers rotated quite a bit, and the Wave is fine there. Nick Anderson and Dorian Williams, both of whom had excellent preseason camps, led the team in tackles with eight and seven respectively, considerably more than starters Marvin Moody (4) and Kevin Henry (2). But the drop-off from the first unit on the defensive line to the second unit appears substantial. Patrick Johnson, De'Ande Williams, Jeffery Johnson and Cam Sample, who played like a beast on Saturday, earning AAC Defensive Player of the Week honors, are going to have to play a lot of downs Saturday. The secondary depth will get better with the return of Cornelius Dyson, who was listed on the travel roster but missed every practice last week. Macon Clark and Shi'Keem Laister were the only backup safeties who played against South Alabama, and Laister may have been limited to special teams. Clark's tackle was the only one by a defensive back not among the top six (the five starters plus Kyle Meyers, who came off the bench for Willie Langham).
Tulane's starting unit appears well equipped to face Navy. The issues will come when the backups are on the field in the secondary and up front.
Willie Fritz, Sample and Tyjae Spears talked during the Zoom call.
"Cam Sample was very deserving of (AAC Defensive Player of the Week). He had an outstanding game. Tyjae Spears was on the honor roll. He also had a great game, so that's neat those guys got some recognition. Last evening we watched the tape of the game and were able to go over a lot of situations that come up in a real game. It was a good lesson and we are going to clean a lot from this game both physically and mentally for future games."
On Navy, which was humiliated 55-3 by BYU in its opener two weeks ago:
"We know we're going to find a different Navy team. I've listened to coach Ken (Niamatolulu) talk about how he wished he would have scrimmaged more, and I was singing the blues on that after the game on Saturday night as well. I've heard he's been scrimmaging quite a bit recently, so we're going to see that tough, hardnose Navy team. They are very disciplined, very physical and we have to match all those things Saturday morning."
On Sample having an NFL future:
"I really do. He's got tremendous movement. He's a pro measure--6-3, a little over 280 and really has got great change of direction. He's smart. He uses his hands well. He can play inside and play a Four I for us and can also play outside edge of the tackles. He does a good job of getting off blocks. He's really a smart, intelligent young man both in the classroom and playing football. I have no doubt about it. He's playing great for us. He's done a fabulous job. I've never coached in the NFL, but I've had a lot of guys that have gone on and played, and I certainly think he's one of those guys that's going to be able to do it."
On contract extension:
‘I’m fired up. My wife and I are excited about it. We love New Orleans. We love Tulane. It’s a great school. We have a great group of young men playing for us. I think the future is extremely bright. We signed a great class last year and feel like we’ve got a great group committed. This program has had great teams in the past and great coaches. We just want to do it consistently. We want to build upon what we've done the last two years. I really think the sky's the limit for Tulane. The academics, the great league we play in, our location, all those things are pluses. There's no reason why we can't have high-end academics and be a football powerhouse. That's what our goal is."
How it happened:
"They approached me on it. To be honest with you, I think it's been done for quite a long time, so we just released it today. We were kind of waiting until all this got sorted out, but who knows when all this is going to get sorted out. I'm excited about it. My wife and I love living here. This is a great city to live in. I've always lived in college towns. Here in uptown, you get part of that college town experience, which I think is important. If you're on campus, everybody knows each other. We're not a large university. We've only got about 8,000 full-time students, but you also get the feel of a big city. New Orleans is so unique. It's a little bit different than Statesboro and Huntsville and Warrensburg, Missouri and Brennan, Texas. There's a little bit more to do, so we really enjoy it here. Love it."
Winning bigger and more often is realistic:
"I really do. As I've said many times before, they've had great teams here. It just hasn't happened consistently. Obviously we made the big move up conference wise to the AAC. People are starting to understand what a great conference the AAC is, but there's no reason we can't get it done. We've had really great continuity with staff. I've got great assistant coaches, great coordinators. I've got to do a super job of trying to keep those guys, but this is a great place to live and a great place to coach and a great university to work for. I enjoy working for Troy Dannen. He tries to help us every step along the way, and he and I have a good relationship. I see the big picture athletically as well and try to do what I can to help the athletic department as well. Dr. Fitts, our president, is aces. A bunch of our guys are going to stay in a hotel the next couple of days just to make sure that everything goes well the next few days. There's no reason we can't do it big here at Tulane."
On continuity for recruiting that he can say there's no doubt he will be the coach:
"That's what I tell them. I've told them my contract runs through 2027. I've already been telling some recruits this--I'm going to be your head coach the whole time you're going to be here. I've got a lot of coaches on my staff that I really think are going to be here for a long time. They love New Orleans. It's a unique experience for them. I've had a couple of my coaches tell me it's the first place they've ever been where they have friends outside the coaching staff. Most of the time coaches are just hanging out with each other all the time. They don't really know a lot of other people, so that's neat for my coaches. I do think that's a big deal in recruiting to be able to tell kids I'm going to be your head coach. That shouldn't be the only reason a kid picks a university, but it's a very important one. I tell them all the time it better be academics. That's the number one thing we tell them."
On Spears:
"He has an unbelievable work ethic. This guy comes to work every single day. He's one of our hardest workers, and generally speaking your best players are also your hardest workers. I've had very few times where it hasn't worked that way, but he's tough. He'll block you. Sometimes you get guys who are receiving passes and carrying the ball and sometimes they don't want to do those extra things, but he's a tough hardnose competitor. He's as good a blocker as we've got. There were three or four times during camp where we had some big linebackers blitzing in the A gap or in the B gap, and he met them at the line of scrimmage and put them on their backs, which is unusual for a running back to do. I love everything about him. He can catch the ball. He's assignment sound. He's good inside and outside. He's only going to get better."
On keeping Will Hall:
"I just go every day and just treat these assistants as good as I can. I think we've got a great work environment. I've been an assistant coach before. I've been a coordinator before, and I've been a head coach a long time. I was really blessed when I came up through the ranks to work for great head coaches. At work, the style of hours you keep, these guys are all family men, too. I try to give them an opportunity to be around their families as much as they can. I have families up here at the offices as much as they want to be. It's different now with the pandemic, but all those guys, I'm very fortunate, I've got a great group of coaches. I'd love to have them here as long as they want to be here. I don't get in anybody's way. If someone feels there is a better opportunity out there for them, I'm here to help them. I lost a couple of great coaches last year in Kevin Peoples and Chris Hampton. They had some great opportunities, and I wanted to help those guys and I did with the coaches when they called me. We feel like we replaced them with great coaches as well. When you have a lot of success, that's what happens."
The notable returning player was defensive tackle Adonis Friloux. Tulane has limited depth on the defensive front, and although the problem is bigger at end than inside, every available body is important with Navy coming to Yulman Stadium. The Wave needs to be able to rotate guys to keep them fresh against the triple option. Darius Hodges, who traveled to Mobile but did not play, also practiced Monday as Tulane went with a backup defensive line that did not include former walk-on Noah Seiden, It was Hodges and Carlos Hatcher outside, and Eric Hicks and Friloux inside. Davon Wright did not practice, and I did not see Alfred Thomas, either. Wright played against South Alabama, but Thomas did not. Someone in the press box a row in front of me kept wondering aloud why Tulane was not substituting defensively to match South Alabama's offensive substitutions while the referee held up play. The official game book indicates Tulane played eight linemen, four linebackers and nine defensive backs, which is not a lot considering the depth Tulane talked about at the beginning of preseason camp but probably a reality of the COVID-affected year. The four linebackers rotated quite a bit, and the Wave is fine there. Nick Anderson and Dorian Williams, both of whom had excellent preseason camps, led the team in tackles with eight and seven respectively, considerably more than starters Marvin Moody (4) and Kevin Henry (2). But the drop-off from the first unit on the defensive line to the second unit appears substantial. Patrick Johnson, De'Ande Williams, Jeffery Johnson and Cam Sample, who played like a beast on Saturday, earning AAC Defensive Player of the Week honors, are going to have to play a lot of downs Saturday. The secondary depth will get better with the return of Cornelius Dyson, who was listed on the travel roster but missed every practice last week. Macon Clark and Shi'Keem Laister were the only backup safeties who played against South Alabama, and Laister may have been limited to special teams. Clark's tackle was the only one by a defensive back not among the top six (the five starters plus Kyle Meyers, who came off the bench for Willie Langham).
Tulane's starting unit appears well equipped to face Navy. The issues will come when the backups are on the field in the secondary and up front.
Willie Fritz, Sample and Tyjae Spears talked during the Zoom call.
"Cam Sample was very deserving of (AAC Defensive Player of the Week). He had an outstanding game. Tyjae Spears was on the honor roll. He also had a great game, so that's neat those guys got some recognition. Last evening we watched the tape of the game and were able to go over a lot of situations that come up in a real game. It was a good lesson and we are going to clean a lot from this game both physically and mentally for future games."
On Navy, which was humiliated 55-3 by BYU in its opener two weeks ago:
"We know we're going to find a different Navy team. I've listened to coach Ken (Niamatolulu) talk about how he wished he would have scrimmaged more, and I was singing the blues on that after the game on Saturday night as well. I've heard he's been scrimmaging quite a bit recently, so we're going to see that tough, hardnose Navy team. They are very disciplined, very physical and we have to match all those things Saturday morning."
On Sample having an NFL future:
"I really do. He's got tremendous movement. He's a pro measure--6-3, a little over 280 and really has got great change of direction. He's smart. He uses his hands well. He can play inside and play a Four I for us and can also play outside edge of the tackles. He does a good job of getting off blocks. He's really a smart, intelligent young man both in the classroom and playing football. I have no doubt about it. He's playing great for us. He's done a fabulous job. I've never coached in the NFL, but I've had a lot of guys that have gone on and played, and I certainly think he's one of those guys that's going to be able to do it."
On contract extension:
‘I’m fired up. My wife and I are excited about it. We love New Orleans. We love Tulane. It’s a great school. We have a great group of young men playing for us. I think the future is extremely bright. We signed a great class last year and feel like we’ve got a great group committed. This program has had great teams in the past and great coaches. We just want to do it consistently. We want to build upon what we've done the last two years. I really think the sky's the limit for Tulane. The academics, the great league we play in, our location, all those things are pluses. There's no reason why we can't have high-end academics and be a football powerhouse. That's what our goal is."
How it happened:
"They approached me on it. To be honest with you, I think it's been done for quite a long time, so we just released it today. We were kind of waiting until all this got sorted out, but who knows when all this is going to get sorted out. I'm excited about it. My wife and I love living here. This is a great city to live in. I've always lived in college towns. Here in uptown, you get part of that college town experience, which I think is important. If you're on campus, everybody knows each other. We're not a large university. We've only got about 8,000 full-time students, but you also get the feel of a big city. New Orleans is so unique. It's a little bit different than Statesboro and Huntsville and Warrensburg, Missouri and Brennan, Texas. There's a little bit more to do, so we really enjoy it here. Love it."
Winning bigger and more often is realistic:
"I really do. As I've said many times before, they've had great teams here. It just hasn't happened consistently. Obviously we made the big move up conference wise to the AAC. People are starting to understand what a great conference the AAC is, but there's no reason we can't get it done. We've had really great continuity with staff. I've got great assistant coaches, great coordinators. I've got to do a super job of trying to keep those guys, but this is a great place to live and a great place to coach and a great university to work for. I enjoy working for Troy Dannen. He tries to help us every step along the way, and he and I have a good relationship. I see the big picture athletically as well and try to do what I can to help the athletic department as well. Dr. Fitts, our president, is aces. A bunch of our guys are going to stay in a hotel the next couple of days just to make sure that everything goes well the next few days. There's no reason we can't do it big here at Tulane."
On continuity for recruiting that he can say there's no doubt he will be the coach:
"That's what I tell them. I've told them my contract runs through 2027. I've already been telling some recruits this--I'm going to be your head coach the whole time you're going to be here. I've got a lot of coaches on my staff that I really think are going to be here for a long time. They love New Orleans. It's a unique experience for them. I've had a couple of my coaches tell me it's the first place they've ever been where they have friends outside the coaching staff. Most of the time coaches are just hanging out with each other all the time. They don't really know a lot of other people, so that's neat for my coaches. I do think that's a big deal in recruiting to be able to tell kids I'm going to be your head coach. That shouldn't be the only reason a kid picks a university, but it's a very important one. I tell them all the time it better be academics. That's the number one thing we tell them."
On Spears:
"He has an unbelievable work ethic. This guy comes to work every single day. He's one of our hardest workers, and generally speaking your best players are also your hardest workers. I've had very few times where it hasn't worked that way, but he's tough. He'll block you. Sometimes you get guys who are receiving passes and carrying the ball and sometimes they don't want to do those extra things, but he's a tough hardnose competitor. He's as good a blocker as we've got. There were three or four times during camp where we had some big linebackers blitzing in the A gap or in the B gap, and he met them at the line of scrimmage and put them on their backs, which is unusual for a running back to do. I love everything about him. He can catch the ball. He's assignment sound. He's good inside and outside. He's only going to get better."
On keeping Will Hall:
"I just go every day and just treat these assistants as good as I can. I think we've got a great work environment. I've been an assistant coach before. I've been a coordinator before, and I've been a head coach a long time. I was really blessed when I came up through the ranks to work for great head coaches. At work, the style of hours you keep, these guys are all family men, too. I try to give them an opportunity to be around their families as much as they can. I have families up here at the offices as much as they want to be. It's different now with the pandemic, but all those guys, I'm very fortunate, I've got a great group of coaches. I'd love to have them here as long as they want to be here. I don't get in anybody's way. If someone feels there is a better opportunity out there for them, I'm here to help them. I lost a couple of great coaches last year in Kevin Peoples and Chris Hampton. They had some great opportunities, and I wanted to help those guys and I did with the coaches when they called me. We feel like we replaced them with great coaches as well. When you have a lot of success, that's what happens."
