For the third time this spring, Willie Fritz elected to have the team practice at the Saints indoor facility, and for the third time, not a drop of rain fell at Yulman Stadium during the workout. That's OK, though, because the Saints facility provides an excellent practice environment. Unfortunately, those workouts are closed to the media, so there is not report today. I did talk to Fritz and new offensive line coach Eman Naghavi when the team returned to the Wilson Center. Michael Pratt walked by in uniform, so he was back today after missing Saturday due to illness.
FRITZ
On practice:
'It was a good practice. We're still healthy and we're stilling rolling three groups at a lot of different positions. The only group we're not able o roll three groups with is our offensive line, but we're rolling two there. Everybody is able to not get too worn out and get good quality reps. We've amped our quantity of plays up. We were doing 30 reps of seven-on-seven and we're doing 36. We were doing 36 of team (11 on 11) and we're doing 48 now, so it's really basically another rack for everybody. We're doing well. I think we got better."
On Darius Hodges being back:
"All these kids, I get to know pretty well, particularly the ones that have been here two to three years. I always tell them sometimes people think the grass is greener (elsewhere) and really all it is is green. Sometimes they find that out. Absence makes the heart grown fonder."
On if he had any catching up to do:
"He missed one practice. He's a veteran. He's played in this system. Obviously you always want guys there every day because it gives you an opportunity to get better, but he didn't fall too far behind."
On scrimmage impressions:
"We had everybody participate. I always do that. It's important to have everybody get some plays in. The other part with the scrimmage is having the officials out there. Now those penalties are real penalties. They can't say, oh, that wasn't a penalty.' Yeah it was. He threw the flag. Regardless of what you think, it was a penalty. There was a lot of good work on special teams, and then the last two scrimmages we'll really get heavily involved in special teams as well."
On key to Joey Claybrook having better season:
"Well number one he needs to be healthy, and he is healthy. He had a knee (issue last year), just planting on it. He's done everything that he needs to do to get ready to play. He's up here all day, every day. We're excited about him coming back. He's the epitome of a Tulane guy."
On Claybrook having thought last year would be his final season:
"Yeah, we did, too. He enjoys himself. He's going to get another graduate degree. He's taken advantage of his opportunity and getting everything out his college experience he can get."
NAGHAVI
On being sixth OL coach in two years:
"That's definitely something that crosses your mind when you come in. You've got some guys that have been here a long time and they've been through a lot of line coaches and a whole bunch of different schemes. That's always in the back of my head because I want to make sure I keep everything simple. When I came in I didn't change a lot of terminology. I kept the terminology the same so they could continue to build on it and grow, but there's definitely some things that I do different than probably any other line coach here had. That was a big transition for sure for them."
On his own transition to Tulane:
"I was actually in spring practice at my last job (as running backs coach/special teams coordinator at Georgia State). I'd gotten off the practice field and got a call from coach Fritz. He said he was interested, and by that night he offered me the job and I accepted. I was in the car on a Thursday before spring ball and drove down here. We had gone through five practices (at Georgia State), so I restarted."
On why he was running backs coach there after being OL coach last year:
"We ended up shuffling staff. We lost the offensive coordinator, so he (head coach Shawn Elliot) basically started shuffling around the staff. He moved everyone. The running backs coach went to tight ends. The tight ends coach went to quarterbacks and I went to running backs."
On whether it was tough decision to come to Tulane:
"I've always wanted to be down here, so it really wasn't that tough a decision. I've spent most of my career in Texas and Louisiana. The year that I was at Georgia State I grew as a coach and we had a really good year, but being back down in Louisiana is kind of where I belong. I'm close to my family in Houston and I've built a lot of relationships. Heck, I've probably lived most of my life in Louisiana now."
On his coaching philosophy:
"I'm a big technician, so I'm big in drills and basically showing them what we do in drills and translating over to the team stuff. The guys probably get tired of it, but I always try to compare what we do in drills to team and I try to get on film like look, this is what we worked and this is what we're seeing. That would probably be the biggest thing. I'm a big technical guy. I want them to know what they're doing, but then I want to give them the tools where they can play fast and be successful."
On line underachieving last year and wanting to atone for it:
"They definitely do have a chip on their shoulder, and to be honest that's how they need to play. They need to play with a chip on their shoulder. They had a few close games last year. We have to come out with a little confidence and be able to run the football. That's going to be our identity--running the football and being physical, and that's how they've been so far. They've taken me in with open arms."
On Claybrook:
"Joey's definitely the seasoned vet. He kind of makes the room go. I know he was battling some injuries and hasn't really been healthy, and knock on wood he's been really healthy this camp. He's doing some really good things and he's leading the guys. He's being that guy along with Sincere (Haynesworth) that can anchor the O-line. They have experience. They are tough. They are dependable. They are smart, and they are good players."
On Haynesworth:
"Sincere is probably about as good as I've seen, and I've coached in high school, FCS, Power Five (two years as an assistant at Texas). He's about as good as I've seen in terms of playing with power leverage and being the total package because the one thing that a lot of people probably don't see about Sincere is the intangibles. The guy is a pure born leader."
On Josh Remetich and Caleb Thomas:
"Both of them have done a really good job stepping up. We have a lot of guys that are competing for spots, so competition is big in the room. The good thing is there's a lot of guys that have that ability where they can be starters, so right now for me it's trying to evaluate them and see where they would fit in in what we're trying to do offensively, and eventually there are going to be the so-called starters, but we will probably play a lot more than just five guys."
On being willing to play more than five guys:
"I do. I was telling coach the other day I've been places where I played five and I've been places where I've played 10, so if the competitions' close, we are going to play multiple guys and we are going to be fresh and we are going to play hard, and if the competition isn't close, then we are going to play the guys that are the best. That's kind of what we're trying to evaluate right now in spring football."
On Rashad Green:
"It looks to me like he's kind of a swing guy. He can play guard and tackle. Really good body control and has a really good football knowledge of what we're doing, and the good thing about him is he's portable. He can play left, right, tackle, guard, which is an advantage for him."
on Trey Tuggle:
"He's about 100 percent. He's back to what he was. He started nine games I believe in 2020. He had to mature pretty quickly when he got here, and him sitting out last year gave him some motivation and also gave him a chip on his shoulder. He's just now getting back in shape, and heck he hasn't missed anything for us, so I'm looking for big things from Trey."
FRITZ
On practice:
'It was a good practice. We're still healthy and we're stilling rolling three groups at a lot of different positions. The only group we're not able o roll three groups with is our offensive line, but we're rolling two there. Everybody is able to not get too worn out and get good quality reps. We've amped our quantity of plays up. We were doing 30 reps of seven-on-seven and we're doing 36. We were doing 36 of team (11 on 11) and we're doing 48 now, so it's really basically another rack for everybody. We're doing well. I think we got better."
On Darius Hodges being back:
"All these kids, I get to know pretty well, particularly the ones that have been here two to three years. I always tell them sometimes people think the grass is greener (elsewhere) and really all it is is green. Sometimes they find that out. Absence makes the heart grown fonder."
On if he had any catching up to do:
"He missed one practice. He's a veteran. He's played in this system. Obviously you always want guys there every day because it gives you an opportunity to get better, but he didn't fall too far behind."
On scrimmage impressions:
"We had everybody participate. I always do that. It's important to have everybody get some plays in. The other part with the scrimmage is having the officials out there. Now those penalties are real penalties. They can't say, oh, that wasn't a penalty.' Yeah it was. He threw the flag. Regardless of what you think, it was a penalty. There was a lot of good work on special teams, and then the last two scrimmages we'll really get heavily involved in special teams as well."
On key to Joey Claybrook having better season:
"Well number one he needs to be healthy, and he is healthy. He had a knee (issue last year), just planting on it. He's done everything that he needs to do to get ready to play. He's up here all day, every day. We're excited about him coming back. He's the epitome of a Tulane guy."
On Claybrook having thought last year would be his final season:
"Yeah, we did, too. He enjoys himself. He's going to get another graduate degree. He's taken advantage of his opportunity and getting everything out his college experience he can get."
NAGHAVI
On being sixth OL coach in two years:
"That's definitely something that crosses your mind when you come in. You've got some guys that have been here a long time and they've been through a lot of line coaches and a whole bunch of different schemes. That's always in the back of my head because I want to make sure I keep everything simple. When I came in I didn't change a lot of terminology. I kept the terminology the same so they could continue to build on it and grow, but there's definitely some things that I do different than probably any other line coach here had. That was a big transition for sure for them."
On his own transition to Tulane:
"I was actually in spring practice at my last job (as running backs coach/special teams coordinator at Georgia State). I'd gotten off the practice field and got a call from coach Fritz. He said he was interested, and by that night he offered me the job and I accepted. I was in the car on a Thursday before spring ball and drove down here. We had gone through five practices (at Georgia State), so I restarted."
On why he was running backs coach there after being OL coach last year:
"We ended up shuffling staff. We lost the offensive coordinator, so he (head coach Shawn Elliot) basically started shuffling around the staff. He moved everyone. The running backs coach went to tight ends. The tight ends coach went to quarterbacks and I went to running backs."
On whether it was tough decision to come to Tulane:
"I've always wanted to be down here, so it really wasn't that tough a decision. I've spent most of my career in Texas and Louisiana. The year that I was at Georgia State I grew as a coach and we had a really good year, but being back down in Louisiana is kind of where I belong. I'm close to my family in Houston and I've built a lot of relationships. Heck, I've probably lived most of my life in Louisiana now."
On his coaching philosophy:
"I'm a big technician, so I'm big in drills and basically showing them what we do in drills and translating over to the team stuff. The guys probably get tired of it, but I always try to compare what we do in drills to team and I try to get on film like look, this is what we worked and this is what we're seeing. That would probably be the biggest thing. I'm a big technical guy. I want them to know what they're doing, but then I want to give them the tools where they can play fast and be successful."
On line underachieving last year and wanting to atone for it:
"They definitely do have a chip on their shoulder, and to be honest that's how they need to play. They need to play with a chip on their shoulder. They had a few close games last year. We have to come out with a little confidence and be able to run the football. That's going to be our identity--running the football and being physical, and that's how they've been so far. They've taken me in with open arms."
On Claybrook:
"Joey's definitely the seasoned vet. He kind of makes the room go. I know he was battling some injuries and hasn't really been healthy, and knock on wood he's been really healthy this camp. He's doing some really good things and he's leading the guys. He's being that guy along with Sincere (Haynesworth) that can anchor the O-line. They have experience. They are tough. They are dependable. They are smart, and they are good players."
On Haynesworth:
"Sincere is probably about as good as I've seen, and I've coached in high school, FCS, Power Five (two years as an assistant at Texas). He's about as good as I've seen in terms of playing with power leverage and being the total package because the one thing that a lot of people probably don't see about Sincere is the intangibles. The guy is a pure born leader."
On Josh Remetich and Caleb Thomas:
"Both of them have done a really good job stepping up. We have a lot of guys that are competing for spots, so competition is big in the room. The good thing is there's a lot of guys that have that ability where they can be starters, so right now for me it's trying to evaluate them and see where they would fit in in what we're trying to do offensively, and eventually there are going to be the so-called starters, but we will probably play a lot more than just five guys."
On being willing to play more than five guys:
"I do. I was telling coach the other day I've been places where I played five and I've been places where I've played 10, so if the competitions' close, we are going to play multiple guys and we are going to be fresh and we are going to play hard, and if the competition isn't close, then we are going to play the guys that are the best. That's kind of what we're trying to evaluate right now in spring football."
On Rashad Green:
"It looks to me like he's kind of a swing guy. He can play guard and tackle. Really good body control and has a really good football knowledge of what we're doing, and the good thing about him is he's portable. He can play left, right, tackle, guard, which is an advantage for him."
on Trey Tuggle:
"He's about 100 percent. He's back to what he was. He started nine games I believe in 2020. He had to mature pretty quickly when he got here, and him sitting out last year gave him some motivation and also gave him a chip on his shoulder. He's just now getting back in shape, and heck he hasn't missed anything for us, so I'm looking for big things from Trey."