The Tigers held a press conference to introduce their new offensive and defensive coordinators. I was able to ask a few questions– below is the full transcript of all questions and answers.
Defensive Coordinator Jeff Kent
Q: “You have a lot of experience at different schools down south; what is it like coming this far up north?”
A: “At the end of the day football is football and kids are kids; the most exciting thing about coming up north is new opponents, new teams. The schedule is amazing; it was awesome to see once it was finalized. I’ve been fortunate enough to play a lot of out-of-state opponents– those are always hyped games. Some can have a semifinal atmosphere in a Week 2 or Week 3 game. By the time you get to those big games the kids are already battle-tested. They’ve played in front of those big crowds where you can’t hear anything. They’ve also experienced a lot of unknowns because you don’t know what the opponent has been holding or what’s new. I think the early games with those tough opponents set you up for success in third or fourth round playoff games. It’s not a whole lot different going from state-to-state when you’re at the best place and playing at the highest levels.
Q: “What is your outlook on the Massillon defense this year?”
A: “The great thing about coming somewhere like this is that there’s no rebuild, no fixing the culture– you’re stepping into a machine that’s already functioning. There’s just the matter of inputting your system– it’s going to be the same stuff, just new terminology with the kids. Every coordinator has their own personality, it can be a 3-4 or a multiple 3-4, it looks like what they ran, but each coordinator has their own personality where they may pressure more, maybe they are more passive on third and long. It’s a great, almost perfect situation to step into here– the standard’s already set, the culture is phenomenal. You’re just coming and getting plugged in here and putting your thumbprint on it. All you have to do is get the kids in your mindset and get your personality into them– your personality should bleed into the unit you’re in charge of.
Q: “How did you and Coach Moore connect?”
A: “I saw the job post online. I was like. ‘I’ve got to apply for this’. Why would I not? I’d been at Valdosta and seen Massillon right under Valdosta for wins while I was there– I thought ‘this is the #2 program in the country [for wins]’, how could I not? I got asked this earlier– ‘what is your 10-year goal?’ I’ve always wanted to be the best defensive coordinator in Georgia. I’ve been at many of the best programs in Georgia, that’s why we pursued the Tennessee job, for new experiences. When I saw the opportunity to come to Massillon, and be part of this football capital, part of the potential winningest program in the country, I had to apply for the job.”
Q: “What have you seen so far with Coach Studer’s phenomenal strength program which is such a huge part of the program?”
A: “It’s just phenomenal. The facilities are great. When you walk into a place you see if the kids pass the eye test– the number one place I always look is the neck. If the necks and shoulders are big they’re working out! If you’re winning, the weight room is going to have a big emphasis. The weight room is the culture of the program. I look at that and special teams if I want to see a football school. Massillon’s special teams are on point, the weight room’s using modern stuff, everything’s directed at being successful on the field. It’s not just that are we picking up heavy weights, it’s can we do the right movements and doing the right things to help the kids perform a football move better than our opponents. Those things are top-of-the-line here in Massillon.
Offensive Coordinator Evan Berbari
Q: “How does it feel to come back home and head up the offense for the Tigers?”
A: “It’s a great opportunity to be back here thanks to Coach Moore. You don’t leave a college job just to go anywhere besides here. It’s home.”
Q: “As a new coach with a young offense, what is your approach coming in day one?”
A: “The approach is seeing what they can grasp and learn from the coaches. We have a plan going in but we’ll have some ebbs and flows while ironing all the issues out– we’ll have a great plan going in to week one.”
Q: “A lot of good teams on the schedule this year… what is your outlook?”
A: “Our schedule’s phenomenal. Every game is a season by itself– we have to get ready for the Glenville season before the GlenOak season. It’s a great schedule– we have to take it week by week and day by day.”
Q: “The Tigers have a great culture– one that’s unlike any other. Tell me a little bit about the Massillon culture.”
A: “It’s a very unique and special place. I’m from here, so I’ve been around it since I had the football in my cradle. Being here you’ve got a big job to do and big responsibility. The kids know that too– what our goals are here and what we have to do. At the end of the day the goal is to win a state championship, win every game, and beat McKinley. There’s pressure that comes with it, but where else would you rather be than right here?”
Outstanding interviews! Loved the questions you asked and how they were answered. Bravo-AGAIN!
Great interviews. They both want to be in Massillon.