Brian Newberry was in Jacksonville on Friday to talk at a local alumni association event. It was mostly Q&A. He didn't say much that the savvy, well-informed sophisticates on this board don't already know, but there were a few things.
Anyway, that's all the notes I took. If I recall anything else I'll post it.
- Talked a lot about how college football has become "transactional," and compared that to the culture-driven, developmental program at Navy. He said that the reasons why coaches get into coaching don't really exist at most programs anymore, and that they'll have to drag him out of Annapolis to get him to ever leave. He said Drew Cronic had the opportunity to leave for three FBS head coaching jobs, and PJ Volker had more NFL opportunities offered to him. On top of the culture and quality of life at Navy, he also credited Chet (and donors) with paying them well enough to keep them.
- Said he feels better about the team now than he did at this point last year, not just because of returning stars, but because of the leadership and daily approach. Reiterated the idea of stacking days and getting 1% better every day, and that winning would be a byproduct if they did that. Referenced John Wooden's approach.
- Reiterated that the portal is helping them since there are fewer opportunities for high schoolers. Said that guys who would've had 15 offers in the world of 5 years ago are only getting 4-5 offers today. What that has meant is that the coaches can be more selective. They don't have to go outside of the physical profile they're looking for when they recruit. Mentioned Mikey McMorris as one of the best cornerbacks they've had, but he was 5-9. Contrasted that with Justin Ross and Ira Oniha, who fit an NFL profile at the position. Said they can be more selective when it comes to intangibles, too. Said that the last two recruiting classes were particularly good. Emphasized the importance of getting players to visit. Said it was a challenge with guys on the west coast who sometimes can't afford to make unofficial visits on their own dime.
- I asked him about NAPS and how the pump vs. sieve pendulum is swinging right now. He said NAPS has gotten a lot better over the last two years. He's hired new staff, added strength coaches. Stressed on how beneficial NAPS has been for preparing guys for academy life. He said he'd send everyone there if he could. He said that retention is in the high 80% range from NAPS now, which is a lot higher than it used to be, and higher than the other SAs with on-campus prep schools.
- He was asked about turnbacks at the other SAs... Said that he'd like to be able to do the same in those instances where a guy was hurt, since those guys would usually just be sticking around as GAs the fall after graduation anyway. Mentioned Jacob Busic, who still had eligibility when he left. He stressed that he wouldn’t want 10 or 15 guys back every year, but said the academy should consider letting certain guys stick around for an extra fall semester in rare situations.
- He was asked about the Army-Navy game and how Navy seemed more prepared. He said that Army builds its whole program around beating Navy, but Navy wants to focus on themselves. He told a story about showing the team a picture of Michael Phelps staring straight ahead while his rival looks sideways at him... that’s how he wants his team to approach it. He said he's not afraid to call trick plays or take risks in that game, because he doesn’t want his players playing with fear.
- He was asked about the other SAs losing players in the portal. He said he couldn't speak to that, but that for him, it's important to "do things the right way." (I found that interesting... Danny Payne said the same thing in an interview this week. I'm sure there's something there). He said for Navy, it's about treating players well, having a strong staff, and recruiting the kind of guys who fit Navy's values and are less likely to want to leave.
- Went into detail on Rayaun Lane's portal experience. He said Notre Dame tried to get to him through his mom. Ray's brother (who's now at Penn State) was a big recruit at the time, and schools felt that if they could convince Ray to transfer, the two might be a package deal. But in the end, Rayuan loved Annapolis and wanted to be a Marine.
- Mention that the program has invested heavily in sport science and how to push players the right way given the rigors of the Academy. He said that mids don't recover like other players because of their academic and military load, so they have to be smart with workload during the season.
- He was asked if there's a tough position to recruit, and he said wide receiver, since guys have to understand that they're going to block. But he also said that changing up the offense has helped with that.
- He was asked about playing a 13th game. He said he understands why the ADs want it, but he's not a fan. With 13 games, a bowl game, and a potential conference championship game, that you're looking at an NFL-style season. He understands that it's good for revenue and maybe playoff positioning, but he'd be worried about the physical toll.
Anyway, that's all the notes I took. If I recall anything else I'll post it.
