Dec. 18, 2009

GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina University Head Football Coach Skip Holtz addressed members of the media Friday afternoon to discuss the upcoming AutoZone Liberty Bowl against Arkansas in Memphis, Tenn. on Saturday, Jan. 2. The following are selected comments:

On The Rumors Surrounding His Job:
"I'm going to start with the entire rumor mill that has been run around the past three weeks. I continue to say that I don't have an agent. I'm not looking for a job. I have not applied for a job. I have not called for a job. I have not had anybody call on my behalf for a job. I am very content with the one I have here in Greenville. I enjoy and like it here. I am not out trying to pedal the streets.

"I think it's an honor when people start throwing your name around for these different jobs. It shows people are taking notice to what we're doing in Greenville.

"I'm very fortunate to work with people like Chancellor Ballard, Terry Holland and the entire administration. I feel very blessed.

"I did have an opportunity to talk to some people who called during the past few weeks. After sitting down, looking at everything and weighing our options, Jennifer and I have decided that Greenville is the best place for us to be. We have made the decision to be here. I'm not looking back. Right now everything we're doing is getting ready for Arkansas and this Liberty Bowl."

On His Assistant Coaches
"Another thing that has come up with this rumor is assistant coaching positions. Once head coaching positions start to get filled, a lot of names get thrown around for who is hiring who.

"We've got a great staff. Almost every one of them has had the opportunity to interview somewhere since I've been here in the past five years. I'm sure we have some coaches who are interested in some of our staff.

"I'll continue to have an open-door policy and give my assistants the opportunity to look at other possibilities if that is what they decide to do. At this time, nobody is leaving. Nobody has come to me and said they have an opportunity to go to another school. Those are issues we'll address as we go through them, but right now, I don't have any news about assistant coaches."

On The Mid-Year Signings:
"Recruiting continues to be a year-round process. We just went through signing day for junior college players and have three additions we're making to our program.

"We had a huge window of opportunity to bring some guys in at mid-year. We had 16 players who went through graduation this December which created some openings. We felt we needed to bolster our upper class a little bit.

"With where we've been and where we're going, I thought it was important to add a few junior college players. I don't want to take 25 freshmen and have them all redshirt. All of a sudden, you're red shirting a third of your team. We signed positions of need, and you also want to balance out your recruiting classes. You can sign 25 kids each year, but you're not going to make it from an APR standpoint because your attrition will be pretty high. You like to balance it out to have 16-18 guys in a class. But now we have a large senior class from when I got here, so we're trying to bolster the junior class and not sign 25 freshmen.

"We did sign the three players at positions of need. We have four seniors leaving on the offensive line so we added Diavalo Simpson. He's not as big, but yet he's quick. He has an awful lot of power. He's a guy we think could help us inside, especially losing Sean Allen, Terence Campbell, Stephen Heis and T.J. Harper. We're losing four interior linemen. We felt strengthening that group with a junior college player was a positive move.

"The second addition is Brandon Jacobs, a safety from Mississippi. We're going to lose both Levin Neal and Van Eskridge. Brining in a junior college player will help us in the secondary.

"The third signee is Dominique Davis, who is originally from Florida and transferred from Boston College to a junior college. He has played some at the ACC level. Losing a guy like Patrick Pinkney, we feel very fortunate to be able to bring in a guy like Davis with his experience. Davis gives us one more guy to put into the quarterback position for a year from now.

"All three come from winning junior college programs, which we felt was very important as we continue to build East Carolina. We wanted to add players who understand what it takes and have been in winning programs. These three young men will be great additions to our program. We're excited to add them to our roster."

On The Competition The Junior College Additions Will Create:
"Brining in a guy like Davis is going to definitely create some competition. The youngest quarterback in the group is Rio Johnson, who may win the job. Whoever is going to win the competition will be done on the field. I'm not going to appoint a guy to the starting spot just because I signed him to a piece of paper.

"A guy like Davis has some experience and things going in his favor. He's more mature and has seen the game more. The starter will still be determined by the guy who goes on the field and wins it.

"It's the same thing with Jacobs and Simpson. They're going to have to earn it."

On The Crowd For The Conference USA Championship Game:
"After having a chance to let it all sink in, I'm really excited for these players, coaches and fans to be able to win our second Conference USA championship. It was a totally different feel than a year ago at Tulsa. Winning the game at Tulsa was great and there was a lot of celebrating with the players. To do this one at home and to see the excitement and energy in the fan base really made this a special feeling. I think that will be a difficult atmosphere to duplicate. It was a special relationship between the fans and the players. The weather certainly didn't cooperate, but that didn't seem to bother too many people who stayed until the end. I thought the crowd was awesome."

On This Year's Seniors:
"I think the championships show volumes for what this football team has accomplished. We brought in this is a group of seniors and I don't think was over a two-star athlete among them. They didn't come with huge accolades from high school. But they came in here, bought into the system and had a great attitude. They have worked extremely hard and built this program the old-fashioned way. They've earned it. It was great to see them have the opportunity to celebrate on the field after the game."

On Beating Houston:
"It was a total team win. The defense played great, to the tune for 557 yards. When playing the No. 1 offense in the country, you knew they were going to get some yards and score some points.

"I also think it was the most productive game our offense had all season. We did not have a turnover on offense and had over 400 yards. We were over 50 percent at 57 percent on third down. Statistically, I thought the offense played one of its better games of the year.

"I thought the special teams were really the difference in the game. I talked about how Houston had scored four touchdowns on kickoff returns, but our kickoff cover team had two tackles inside the 20-yard line, as did our punt cover unit. Our kickoff return team also set up a score for us. I think that was one of the differences in the game.

"I said it was going to take a total team effort and I think this entire team can be proud of the way it played and what it accomplished to win the conference championship against Houston."

On Arkansas:
"That brings us to the Liberty Bowl. We're excited about having the opportunity to repeat as the C-USA champion and go back to Memphis. It poses a great challenge to us. Coach Petrino has done a great job there with this Arkansas team.

"They're a very talented team out of the Southeast Conference. Arkansas went 7-5 and in the seven wins, the average score was 48-19. They don't just win the games they're supposed to win, they win them big.

"You can say they have five losses, but they lost to Florida by three points, to LSU in overtime by three points, to Georgia, to Alabama and to Ole Miss. When you look at how close those games were, it's a very talented football team.

"I think they pose a bigger challenge to us than a year ago against Kentucky. Last year, Kentucky had one of the better front sevens statistically on defense in the Southeastern Conference. Arkansas has a similar front seven to Kentucky, but the difference is Arkansas is much more explosive on offense. Arkansas gives you a million formations on offense. They have an awful lot of talent to run the offense with, too.

"They give you schematic and talent problems. It's a much more explosive team. They're much more capable of putting up a lot of points, but they're still difficult to control the ball against. When you look at Florida and LSU and how good those teams are, Arkansas was a field goal away from beating them both."

On The Arkansas Offense:
"It's a running back by committee. Coach Petrino is giving everybody an opportunity. They have three talented running backs carrying the bulk of the load instead of one 1,000-yard back. The three have different sizes, shapes and talents whether it is physical, hard-nosed, churning legs or athletic getting out into space.

"The offense is run by Ryan Mallett, who I think is as good as anybody we've played. And we've faced some pretty good quarterbacks this year. He has all the tools: height, weight and arm strength. He also adds good athleticism and can move his feet around. He's really special from a mental and decision-making standpoint, which is what makes a quarterback good. He's one of the better quarterbacks not only that we've played, but also in the country. I'm really impressed with him.

"The receiving corps is much like the running backs, by committee. They have a lot of guys who have caught a lot of passes. They don't have one guy with the majority of the catches. They spread it around. When we played Southern Miss, we had to know where DeAndre Brown was. We double-covered him and rolled coverage toward him. You can't do that against Arkansas because Mallett does a really nice job of spreading the wealth around.

"The offensive line is big, athletic and in unison. Offensively, they're extremely explosive."

On The Arkansas Defense:
"Malcolm Sheppard, the defensive tackle, is a difference maker. He consistently shows up on film. He's going to be very difficult for us to handle. We're going to have to know where he is in pass protection and try to do some things against him in the running game. Single-handedly, he can wreak havoc on the defensive front.

"Their defensive ends are tall and rangy at 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-5. They come off the edge of the ball and are explosive. Their linebackers and secondary are solid.

"Looking at this team, I think it's solid all the way around. I don't think they have a lot of weaknesses, which is why they're in pretty much every game they play. I think they've gotten better and better as the year has gone on.

"Coach Petrino has done a great job of going in there and installing his system. You can tell he is doing it from a disciplinary and football-fundamental standpoint. He is getting those guys to buy into his program. He's really doing a nice job."

On East Carolina's Injuries:
"There are three guys who have a chance to play in this bowl game who did not play in the Houston game. Jamar Bryant has been cleared to play. Dustin Lineback should be back from his knee injury and Marke Powell should be back after his foot injury."

On Preparing For The Liberty Bowl :
"It has been a fun couple of weeks. Right now it's hectic dealing with the weather and bowl preparations. But it sure beats not doing these things and sitting at home Christmas shopping. We're excited to have the opportunity to go to the Liberty Bowl."

On Positives Of The Job Rumors:
"It has really done a great thing. It stimulates you mentally with where you're going as a program and what we're trying to do. It has sparked some great conversations with Coach Holland, me, where we're going as a program and what we need to do to get there. It has been a very positive couple of weeks with what we've been through.

"You sit down and decide to say. Greenville is home. Then you roll up your sleeves and get to work. I hope we can keep our staff together and we're getting ready to play Arkansas."

On Terry Holland And The East Carolina Administration:
"I did have the opportunity to have some discussions with people and it was very professional and upfront. I did it with the blessing of the administration here. I'm very grateful that they gave me the opportunity to sit down and talk.

"I tell our staff all the time, we don't have bars on the windows here. We want people who want to be here. Right now, I want to be here.

"I'm grateful the administration has handled it the way it has. That's one of the things that makes Terry Holland special. He's one of the reasons I enjoy being here. There are a lot of other reasons, too.

"Coach Holland is a very unique person in college athletics today. I have great admiration and respect for him. He has been a mentor and father-figure for me. He was a successful coach and I rely on his advice. I go to him with an awful lot of things. I don't think there are a lot of people who have that relationship with their athletic director. I cherish that."

On The Improvements Of East Carolina's Program In His Five Years:
"We have a pretty special situation here. We've won a couple championships and have a very talented team that's getting ready for the bowl game. We have some good young players on this team. We still have a lot of growing to do, but that's one of the positive things of where we are right now.

"I don't think any of us feel we've made it yet and are ready to just sit back and enjoy the ride. You're always pedaling uphill, and if you stop, you're going backwards.

"We've come a long way and grown an awful lot. We're a lot further along than where we were and much more competitive than we were five years ago, but we're not where we want to be yet."

On The City Of Greenville:
"I'm not looking to leave and get out of here. It is going to have to be a special situation for me to leave. I do enjoy it here very much, as does my family.

"When you look at Greenville, it's a great place and city. It's a unique relationship between the athletic department and community. There are special people in place in the leadership positions here. I look at the relationship with the fan base and this place has a lot of positive things going for it. I appreciate what we have going here and want to be part of it."

On Differences Between This Year's Liberty Bowl Focus And Last Year's:
"It's a little bit of a different attitude. All year we talk about going to the Liberty Bowl and the road to Memphis because that's where the conference champion goes. A year ago, I think everybody was excited about going to the Liberty Bowl. This year, I think everybody is excited to go play the game.

"I remember going to our first bowl, the Papajohns.com Bowl, and saying to one of the players, `Let's act like we've been here before.' He said, `Coach we haven't.'

"I think the whole mindset then was that we're going to the bowl game. It was like going to Disney Land. It's not a vacation. It's about the game. You can have a great week, but if you lose the game, it's not a lot of fun.

"Last year I think the players played hard and were into the game. This year, I sense a whole different focus. We lost last year and this team is much more focused into the game. We're excited to go back to Memphis and to the Liberty Bowl, but we want to win this game."

On Preparation From This Year's Liberty Bowl And Last Year's:
"We're doing some different things from a travel standpoint this season. We're going to do our bowl preparation here for the next five days. Last year we brought the team back to do a little bit of work before we left for Memphis. This year we're going to go there a day earlier and get some more work done in Memphis and not bring them back here. We've changed logistics a little bit, but the preparation is much the same this year.

"Last week we practiced Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I excused the seniors. We let them lift and run, but we didn't practice them. We used the underclassmen and treated it like a spring practice.

"These five days are almost a camp mentality. It's all football. This is a five-day cram session to get ready for the game."

On The Current Weather Situation And Practice:
"I just want to make sure we can get the most out of our preparation. I want to take the team outside and practice. It may be raining and cold, but it may be that way in Memphis for the game. I don't want to go outside in rain and 35 degrees for 10 days and get everybody sick, though. We're trying to do the best we can with this weather front moving through.

"We moved practice up today and went at 11:15 so we could get it done. That proved to be a great move because it started raining right when we came off the field. We may have a walk-through tonight, but we may not depending on the weather. We'll just have to see what we need to do tomorrow to adjust for the weather."

On Having The Long Break Between Games:
"I don't think it can hurt you. You have lots of guys, like Nick Johnson and Chris Mattocks who did so well against Houston, playing with confidence. The layoff only helps their confidence and gives them some swagger. I think if you go into the end of the season the other way with losing games it might create a little doubt. I think our break has done a lot of positive things for this team. We're riding that upswing and positive wave."

On Trying To Over Coach Due To The Long Break:
"As coaches, we think we have five weeks and can watch film for five weeks, so we try to put in all kinds of different things. But you have to dance with the date you brought. The things you do on offense, defense and in the kicking game, you can't get too complicated. You have to hone in on the things you do and continue to do them better. You definitely have to guard against over coaching in a bowl game.

"I told the staff this morning, we're playing a one game season. We take as much offense and defense as we need to play one game. We don't need the whole smorgasbord. We have to have enough in what we do on offense, defense and special teams to play one game. We don't need six punt returns. I would rather take two punt returns and be really good at them as opposed to do everything.

"We are full-time coaches with part-time players because we only get 20 hours a week with them. The people who are successful are those who do what their players can execute. It's not the Xs and Os, but the Jimmies and Joes. It's making sure your players know what they're supposed to do."

What It Means Playing Arkansas After Growing Up In Fayetteville:
"It does mean a lot in many respects. I didn't really realize it until we went to Memphis for the press conference and had the East Carolina and Arkansas helmets there. I remember and grew up around that Arkansas helmet.

"I went from seventh grade through high school in Fayetteville. I have some phenomenal relationships and lifelong friends from there. It seems like I've heard from everybody I went to high school with. They're all still going to wear red.

"I do have some great memories of that program and growing up around it. I walked around and had the opportunity to see many of childhood idols and hang out with them, eat with them and go to practice with them. I do have some great memories of running around in Fayetteville."

On Arkansas' Joe Adams, Who Returned After Suffering A Stroke A Year Ago:
"Just that he's been able to come back is impressive in itself. I don't know all the details, but it's probably like when you hear about what Terence Campbell went through with his heart condition. If you know everything about Campbell's story, you just say wow.

"I know what it takes to come back from something like that. You have to have a tremendous positive attitude as well as superior determination, desire and work habits. You don't come back from an injury like that with a lackadaisical attitude. I think it speaks volumes to his mental make-up and what he has been able to overcome. What he's doing on the field is truly special."

On Assistant Coach Thomas "Rock" Roggeman:
"He has gained some weight back. He has gained about 15 pounds in two weeks. He's feeling better and starting to get his legs back under him. He went through the real aggressive treatment the past few weeks and is on a much more manageable treatment system now.

"He still has some things to come through and is a long way away from being out of the woods. His spirit, attitude, energy and weight are all going in the right direction.

"To overcome a stroke, heart condition or anything else, it takes a competitive nature. Rock has attacked this just like he has everything in the field."

On The Stadium Construction:
"I drove by it the other day. The dirt is moving and the scoreboard is coming down. Anytime there is growth and building, it means there is excitement, energy and enthusiasm. I think it just shows the great job the fans, players and assistant coaches have done for this program.

"It's going to be a great atmosphere. I'm looking forward to opening the season there and having it enclosed. It's going to be a great addition for this program. It speaks volumes for our fan base and the support they have given us."

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