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New Head Football Coach Larry Fedora's Press Conference Quotes
Southern Miss hires Larry Fedora as 18th Head Football Coach
Southern Miss President Dr. Martha Saunders

"This is a wonderful crowd and a wonderful day. I don't want to say anything, but, I think there are more cameras here now than there was when you hired me. If you think that football is the ultimate team sport, then you should try searching for a coach. Over the past 16 days, our athletic director, members of the athletic foundation board, a faculty representative and others have logged thousands of miles in search of a new football coach for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. Amid intense public scrutiny, Richard Giannini and his team have been methodical, focused and unflappable. The result of their efforts has been a good one. So, pending IHL board approval, I am happy to announce that our new head coach is Larry Fedora."

Southern Miss Head Coach Richard Giannini

"I want to apologize to all the people out there that have called and have encouraged us throughout this search that I didn't have an opportunity to return those calls. A lot of those people are my best friends, and I apologize to you. But, it has been an incredible 16 days. It has been a real whirlwind.

"First of all, I would like to thank our executive committee of our athletic foundation which included Dr. Saunders and Dr. Dennis Phillips. They were a part of every bit of this search, and Mike Landrum, who is the president of our athletic foundation. I really appreciate them and the rest of the people on the executive committee. I want to especially thank Nick Welch. Without Nick Welch, it would have never happened. He helped us with transportation, and I don't know how many airplane trips we made and how many miles we logged around the country, but he made that possible, and I am appreciative to him. I would like to thank Dr. Saunders, who was with me the whole step of the way. We talked many times, often late at night and early in the morning, and I think we had a tremendous process and we did it exactly how we set out. From day one we set up a profile. Our committee looked at that, and we really felt that it was important that we get someone that had incredible energy, and incredible passion for game of football and tremendous passion to be successful. There is no question that we got the number one guy. From day one, he was on our list. We talked to some great people. I don't think there is a former head football coach in this country, and you can just think about who they are, that didn't make contact with us. Some of them just wore us out. We had an unbelievable list of coordinators. I would say we had 20 coordinators from teams ranked in the top 25 that were all interested in this position. We did do a thorough search, but everything kept coming back to the individual that we are going to announce as our head football coach. We've got the right guy. I think you will love him, and without further ado, we're going to announce Larry Fedora as our number one Golden Eagle.

Southern Miss Head Coach Larry Fedora

"Sometime around 1996, I started saying something everyday. The first thought in mind when I woke up in the morning, whether it was 4:30 in the morning or 5:00 to go to the office was `It's going to be a great day.' I say that every morning. But, it is a great day. It's all about how you set your attitude for the day. It doesn't mean everything good is going to happen, but it's about how you react to what happened. I'd like to start first with thanking Richard Giannini and Dr. Saunders for the opportunity to be the next head coach at the University of Southern Miss. My wife and I; when we sat down and talked about this job and whether it was right for us; we really felt like USM and Hattiesburg were a perfect fit for our family. That's the most important thing for us, making sure our family is happy. I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to be here today. Standing here today, being the next head football coach at the University of Southern Miss, because becoming a head football coach has been a dream of mine for a large part of my life. This is a great university, and athletics are rolling. Coach (Corky) Palmer, Coach (Larry) Eustachy, Coach (Joye) Lee-McNelis have done a tremendous job of keeping Southern Miss in the national spotlight. I'm honored to be following all the great coaches that have led this program. Men like Pie Vann, Bobby Collins, Jim Carmody, Curly Hallman and P.W. Underwood, who I understand resides in this area, and I look forward to getting to know him on a personal basis. And of course, Coach Jeff Bower. You can never replace a Jeff Bower. He is a living legend, who will always be remembered for his contributions to the Southern Miss program and to the university. Coach Bower built a foundation and established a legacy that we will embrace and build upon to bring this program back to a championship level. This is a proud program, and rightfully so. Southern Miss has produced some of the biggest names in pro football, and we plan on using everyone of them we can to help promote this program and university. Names like Brett Favre, Ray Guy, Adalius Thomas, Rod Davis, Reggie Collier, Sammy Winder, Derrick Nix, Richard Byrd, Bud Brown, Louis Lipps, Patrick Surtain, and Todd Pinkston. I can't name them all. Wow, that's awesome. Southern Miss has had a tremendous reputation for graduating its student-athletes. Our staff and I will make sure this continues. We want to make sure that every student-athlete that walks on this campus has all the support they need to be successful academically, because we believe that everyone of them should earn a degree. They said today is a new era in Southern Miss football. I've already started assembling a staff; I'll get that going pretty quick. I plan on being on the phone talking to recruits, because that is what it is all about. It's about the players. We'll hit the ground running this afternoon. I'll call everyone of them that's coming in this week. I plan on getting on the phone with all the junior college coaches and high school coaches in the state. I want them to have a relationship with Larry Fedora.

"I want to have a team on the field each and every week that obviously will play on a championship level. I want a team that everyone associated with Southern Miss will be proud of. To do that, we need the support of everyone who bleeds black and gold. As a family there is nothing we can't accomplish. Each of you has a role in this program. We need you to pack the Rock. The Rock can be our fortress. It'll be our edge. From Friday night at the Fountain, through the Eagle Walk in the District. We need you here early, we need you to be here late, and we need you to be obnoxious and loud.

"Southern Miss football, I believe we should and will compete for conference championships every year. I believe we should go bowling every year. I believe that each and every player should have an opportunity to earn a degree, and we will make that happen. I believe the flagship university in the state of Mississippi resides in Hattiesburg. I believe we can make the nation recognize that there's a force to be reckoned with at Southern Miss.

"General George S. Patton said, `Instead of waiting to see what might develop, attack constantly, vigorously, and viciously. Never let up, never stop, always attack. And that is what our program is going to be built on. We're going to attack all the time, on offense, defense and special teams. Offensively, we'll be a one-back, multi-tempoed, no-huddle offense. We're going to spread the field. We're going to throw it around. We're going to spread it horizontally and create vertical seams in the defense. Now that doesn't mean we're going to throw it every down. I've had a back go over 1,000 yards just about every year and I understand we have a great one here. The thing that we're going to do is we're going to be explosive. We're going to fatigue the defense, and we're going to put the ball in the playmakers hands and put some points on the board. Defensively, we're going to attack all the time. We're going to be fundamentally sound. We're going to be tough and we're going to hit you. We're going to hit you in the mouth where you don't like to be hit. We're going to get after you from the start, and that's the way the players are going to be coached. You'll see it on Saturday, I promise you.

"Southern Miss has a reputation across this country of having strong defenses. I know what the Nasty Bunch is. And we're going to continue and build on that reputation. Special teams-wise, this is a phase that's going to be a major weapon. You know, great, explosive plays can happen in this phase of the game because you're stretched out. Huge chunks of land were exchanged in every phase of special teams. That will be something that our team will be prepared for. That's where big plays are made, and that's what changes momentum in a game. The thing is, that's one unit that can unify a football team because it's one of the few times that you have players from both offense and defense on the playing field at the same time working toward the same goal.

"I learned a tremendous work ethic from my father at a young age. I actually started working when I was 13 for brick mason in the state of Texas. I know that good things happen to people who work hard. There is no substitute for hard work, because it's in our human nature. I do believe, I know, because that's why I'm standing here before you and have the opportunity before me, because of my work ethic. I want you to know, that my staff and I will not be outworked by anyone in the country.

"Once again, I want to thank President Saunders and Richard Giannini for this opportunity, and I want to thank my wife and children for the sacrifices that they have made for my career."