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UNIVERSITY OF TULSA FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

December 12, 2016

Philip Montgomery

Tulsa, Oklahoma

COACH MONTGOMERY: -- actually getting where we can get back into shorts and run around and do those things instead of out in the cold.

But our guys have had a good week of work. We have finals going on, a lot of other things that are pulling us in a another directions, but still locked in and focused on trying to get win number 10 and excited about our opportunity of playing Miami.

Q. I know one of the concerns you had early on was how quick the game was coming up. How have you managed to work through all that and get as many practices as possible in a short amount of time?
COACH MONTGOMERY: Yeah, we had to use a couple of those days to get some work in. Obviously gave them that Thursday off because they had finals. Friday, we picked up again a little later practice, got them through with their finals on Friday. Worked all weekend, Saturday and Sunday both. Gave them today because of finals, just couldn't work it in. We'll practice again Tuesday and Wednesday, then we leave on Thursday.

Happens quick. We'll get a couple good workouts in down there in Miami, one walk-through, it will be time to tee it up.

Q. No offense to Shreveport, but the destination of South Beach is more marquee than Louisiana. Have you felt that with your guys as it comes closer?
COACH MONTGOMERY: Yeah, I think so. I mean, Shreveport did a great job of taking care of us. It was a great bowl. The people there are outstanding. Did a tremendous job of just taking care of all of our needs.

With that being said, it is Miami. It's going to be warm, guys are looking forward to that. The beaches there, they're looking forward to that. All of those things are important. Our guys are fired up about that.

But the main thing is, again, we still got to go down there, we're going to play a football game. That's the purpose of us going, to try to get that elusive win number 10. That's what our focus is.

We talked about it. Teams that are excited about bowl season, that are fired up about going to the bowl, those are the ones that usually play well. Our guys, they're excited about this one.

Q. When programs turn things around, us media types usually either say they got more talented players, or the coaches are coaching better. We don't usually focus on character. When I think of Josh Atkinson, Keevan Lucas. It seems to me in this instance the character of some of your key guys has played a really big role.
COACH MONTGOMERY: Yeah, I think that's a big part of it. I don't think you can forget about guys that were last season either, DA, some of those guys were just tremendous for us.

But when I got here, I got a chance to meet some of the older guys. The main words coming out of their mouth was, Coach, we'll do whatever we got to, we just want to win. They really have sacrificed a lot of things to get to the point that we're at.

Again, we talk about it all the time. You've been in a lot of press conferences with me. Our leadership on this football team has been tremendous.

With everything that has happened this year, with the ups and downs that we've had, those guys have really kept our team focused, kept our team punching the clock and getting better every week. I don't see that changing right now. I mean, we still have to have that workman type mentality. I think our leaders are pushing that.

We've set standards here now. We're trying to continue to keep raising that bar. I think those guys have been the reason for that.

Q. I'd call the season an unqualified success regardless of how you do down in Miami. How do you feel about that?
COACH MONTGOMERY: It's been a good season. We've accomplished a lot during the season, but we're not done. We're not going to put all of the weight of this game on what our season's going to be.

With that being said, any time you can finish up a season with a win, what that does and how that carries over in recruiting, how that carries over into your winter workouts, spring ball, all of those things, I think is important.

Last year I thought we played well. We just didn't come out on top. Kind of ran out of time. But I think that really helped us develop into what we are today. I thought our defense in the spring really took some big steps, did the same thing in fall camp, and I think that's carried us through this fall. Defensively I think they've kept us in some ballgames when we've gotten off to slow starts.

Those things are all kind of things you add up. When you can finish off the season with a win, I think it's a huge factor coming into your next season.

Q. Can you quantify whether it's moxy, confidence for the guys themselves, then also in the recruiting world, how big of a deal it can be on the national stage of a bowl game to end the season with a win?
COACH MONTGOMERY: I thought we got a lot of good recruiting buzz on the way we played last season in our bowl game. Even though we didn't come off on top there, we still got some good momentum from it. But you can't put a number on the momentum you get from playing really well in a bowl game, coming out with a victory, and that carrying you through, especially till signing day, then you get through to spring ball. From a recruiting stance, it's huge, not just for this class but for the next class.

We've got to keep pushing our image and taking as much pub as we can get from that and using that right.

Q. How crucial is this time for the non-seniors, the guys coming back, the younger ones?
COACH MONTGOMERY: Again, I don't know that you can put a number on it. If you really paid attention to last year, the reps that McKinley Whitfield got, guys that had to step in, Reggie Robinson, some of the young guys that have really made plays for us this year, these practices are tremendous for them.

When I start thinking about our offensive line, we've got all of those guys coming back next year, but those true freshmen that have been on the scout field that haven't got as much work in our true offense or our true defense, this time right now is a chance for them to take that next step and get a little bit more bump as you get into spring ball.

It's a big deal for your young guys when you get into bowl season.

Q. Do you change anything with how you carry out practices?
COACH MONTGOMERY: Yeah, I mean, for the most part our early practices, we changed up a little bit. Those guys got more reps. We finished off practice yesterday with those guys scrimmaging and getting after each other, which was really good.

As we get into this week, even though the weekend we still focused on Central Michigan, this will be more like what we did in the regular season time. It will be more geared to our normal weekly practices. Those guys do a tremendous job of getting us ready for our opponents. But it will be more focused on game plan now.

Q. When you have extra time to prepare for a team, I don't remember last year if you added too many wrinkles or new things, but when you have time to prepare for a team, they have extra time to prepare for you, how much of it is you're going to roll out what you've been doing all year and make them stop that versus how many wrinkles do you try to put in?
COACH MONTGOMERY: We're going to try to put in a couple of new things, just like I'm sure they will. You do have a little extra time, gives you an opportunity to set some of those things up. You look at the tendencies that you had all year, maybe work some things off of that.

But I think still at this stage, you are who you are. We're still going to do the things that we've been doing on both sides of the football and in special teams. Those are the things that got you here. There's no reason to get way creative, outside the box, get crazy on stuff. Don't let the horse, you know, buck you. That's the one that brought you here, so let's stay in the saddle there and finish this thing up.

Q. A lot of metaphors there.
COACH MONTGOMERY: It's all this medicine from this cold (smiling).

Q. 3,000 yard passer, 2,000 yard rushers and receivers, coaches don't usually get too fired up about discussing that sort of thing. You like this record. Is it because your offense is a pick-your-poison offense? So many guys are involved? What do you like about the idea of being the first to do that?
COACH MONTGOMERY: All of you know, I'm not a big stat guy. This is one that's out there. It's never been done. To have the opportunity to do it, it just doesn't come along very often.

Would I like to achieve that for our football team? I like it for those guys. They've worked tremendously hard. A lot of guys have been involved in it. I think it's more of a team-generated type deal more than it is an individual type deal. That's why I think it's important.

If we can do it, that's great. We're not going in there with the idea that we got to make this happen. Our ultimate goal is to get the win, win number 10. Hopefully along with that this will take care of itself.

It's one of those things we won't pay attention to until you get to the fourth quarter. If luckily you're in a situation where you got an opportunity, if you're close to getting it, maybe you call a play or two to make sure that comes out. Besides that, we'll go into it with the same mindset we have every week.

Q. The fact that you only pretty much have like two weeks to prepare, do you kind of like it more that you're immediately going out and playing before even Christmas or do you still prefer the bowl schedule of three, four weeks, maybe a January 2nd deal?
COACH MONTGOMERY: I think you can find the good and the bad either way you look at that. If you're at a later date, you don't have all the issues of finals. Trying to practice during finals is not easy. I mean, you got to think about the time that they're having to put in on both sides of the deal. But just mentally if you can remember back to finals, how mentally drained you are. You may be pulling an all-nighter to make sure you're getting this project done, this test done, whatever that might be. That makes it very tough on you.

A later date helps you in those stages because you allow them the time to really just focus in on finals, then you get into your prep. Plus you got a chance to get all 15 workouts in.

The earlier part of it, the benefits of that is you don't have the big layoff. Especially if you finished up with some momentum, you're not trying to recapture that as you're trying to get into it. You feel now with an earlier date you have a better opportunity of holding on to some of those things, you're not having to knock as much rust off as you get to the game.

There's good and bad on both sides of that deal.

Q. Around this time of year you hear people saying there may be too many bowl games. When you're in the locker room, you see the reward for the season, how much the kids enjoy it, where do you fall on that topic?
COACH MONTGOMERY: I don't think there's too many bowl games. I think it's great. Any time you get a chance to get guys out on the field and let them enjoy what they're doing, time is short, we only get a small number of games anyways, so I'm for all the bowl games. Let's represent our universities, let's get out and let's play, give guys an extra opportunity to make their mark on this game.

I'm all for it. Let's keep doing it. If you want to add a couple more, let's get after it. I don't care.

Q. What is Coach Briles doing with you right now?
COACH MONTGOMERY: He was here, just came and watched practice. Spent a couple of days. It's great having him around. We have lots of coaches that come to practice. He was just one of those guys.

Obviously he's a friend and a mentor. It was great having him here the last couple of days, getting a chance to see his energy and passion again. For us, it was a much welcomed visit.

Q. You have a relationship with him that other coaches who have invited him to camp don't. Did you have to weigh that against how it might look to those who have been critical with regard to what's happened at Baylor?
COACH MONTGOMERY: I did not weigh it at all. I actually called and invited him. I've been trying to get him here since before two-a-days started. He finally decided to come down and see us.

I didn't weigh it. I didn't ask anybody. He's a friend. He's a great coach. Again, we have coaches come all the time. For us, it was great to have him around, let him kind of look at our football team, give his opinions on stuff, just to be around him again.

Q. I caught the words you didn't ask anybody. Is that something where you wouldn't ever have to ask anybody about a coach coming by?
COACH MONTGOMERY: I didn't mean that in an arrogant manner. It was more, we have coaches come all the time. I didn't think anything about it when I asked him and he decided to come. Hey, you want to come? Great, let's go.

Q. Have you heard anything since, like Dr. Gragg call you and say, Next time Coach Briles wants to come, give me a call, anything like that?
COACH MONTGOMERY: No, sir.

Q. On another popular topic, your name gets kicked around on the job search. There's been a few pretty nice jobs open this year. Can you address that? Your son has been accepted here at TU, he's a senior now, wants to play for you, I presume, right?
COACH MONTGOMERY: I hope so.

Q. Ashli is involved in the community. Hard to move a kid in high school. You're not in a hurry to leave is where I'm going with this.
COACH MONTGOMERY: I'm not. I had opportunities this year, had phone calls all that stuff. Derrick and I, we've been through that carrousel of things. My family's really happy here. This town has been great to us. We've tried to give back to the community. Very connected to our players downstairs. I think a lot of that goes back to the way they work and the way that we've kind of bonded together.

We have great leadership at this university with Dr. Gragg and Dr. Clancy. I'm excited about the opportunities Dr. Clancy is bringing onboard. All of those things, as you factor in things, I'm not looking for the next big paycheck or the next big job or this or that.

What happens happens. For us, just like we've always been, my wife and I, we're going to work hard at where we're at. We're not going to be concerned about what the future is. We're going to work today. Hard work, in my opinion, always pays off.

The university has stepped up. I don't even know if I can talk about this yet or not, but I've got a new five-year deal here, so I've just signed and extension here. We're excited about that as a football staff and as a family and all of those things.

It's good to be able to sit down and visit with Dr. Gragg and Dr. Clancy, helping make those decisions with the Board of Trustees to step up and make it even more difficult for us to leave here.

Q. Since you brought that up, can you give us any more details? You mentioned Dr. Clancy, some of the opportunities. Any details there you can share? New indoor practice facility?
COACH MONTGOMERY: We've talked about a lot of different things. We'll see how all those play out.

As far as the details of my contract, the biggest thing that I'll tell you is it's a new five-year deal and I signed a five-year contract here. As far as the fine little details of the deal, we'll just let those lay where they are.

Q. It is almost Christmas. I'll ask you some of these in Miami, but this is for use later. When did you find out that Santa is not real?
COACH MONTGOMERY: Santa is not? I will not comment on that at this time nor any other. I will plead the Fifth on that. I still believe in Santa.

Q. What is the worst Christmas present you ever received?
COACH MONTGOMERY: The worst Christmas present I ever received? Is there a bad one?

Q. There can be.
COACH MONTGOMERY: I have not had a bad Christmas present.

Q. Grandma makes you a knit sweater.
COACH MONTGOMERY: Every year, you knew socks were coming. I always needed socks, so that's great. I got socks, the $1 and the card.

Q. No pink bunny outfit?
COACH MONTGOMERY: No pink bunny outfit. When you're a Christmas baby, you got birthday and Christmas all wrapped into one. My wife and I got married around Christmastime. This is a pretty good month for us.

Thank you.

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