Instant Interview Replay: John Thompson (Sept. 16)

Instant Interview Replay: John Thompson (Sept. 16)

09/16/2003

GREENVILLE, N.C. -- East Carolina University head football coach John Thompson joined ECUpirates.com for a live Instant Interview on Tuesday, Sept. 16. Following is the complete transcript of the chat session:

ECUpirates.com : Welcome to Instant Interview, an exclusive feature of ECUpirates.com! Joining us now is head football coach John Thompson. Welcome, Coach!
John Thompson : Thanks, good to be here. Our football team has been through an awful lot in the 12 days that included Cincinnati and Miami. We're still working and continue to work. Looking forward to going to Wake.

Justin Pirates : Just want to know why we dont ever pass down the field and why we didn't try to score with one minute left in the second half of the Miami game.
John Thompson : We are trying to throw the ball down the field. We've got to do a better job of that. We need to have more people that can stretch the field. We've got to do a better job of getting the ball down there. We did try to score at the end of the second half with one minute left. We felt like those were the plays that we could get the most yardage from.

TOMMYDCHI : What things have you used successfuly at ECU from working under other successful head coaches. Are you pushing for the team to come together instead of breaking apart and pointing the finger during tough circumstances? Lou Holtz emphasizes trust and teamwork, what do you put an emphasis on?
John Thompson : Our first priority is integrity and that includes doing everything the right way and staying together as a team and taking full responsibility for your own actions. I've been proud of this team for sticking together and we will continue to make sure that that happens.

Mark : First I would like to say that I liked the effort Saturday night. I was wondering, without telling us their names, if you could tell us how many recruiting commitments we have as of today? What positions do they project for in college? Go Pirates Beat the Deacs
John Thompson : We have multiple commitments at this time. By that, I hate to put a firm number on it, but five to six that we feel very confident in right now. There are skill positions and lineman positions. You have to be careful with so much of that as common knowledge because other schools use that information against you in recruiting. We'll be guarded with a lot of that information until the proper time.

George : Coach, congratulations on the improvement of the defense during the Miami game over the first two games. The players were moving to the ball in mass, which really looked good and broken tackles were few and far between. It appears that the work on tackling really paid off last week. Hope it continues. Now for the question; the new road uniforms really looks great with the purple pants and the do-over on the white jerseys. Is there any chance that we will see gold pants with the purple jerseys at home instead of the white pants? Good luck and go Pirates. I certainly feel that you and your staff are on the right track.
John Thompson : Thank you for your comments. I'd like to mix the uniforms up a little more. But probably not much different as of this year. We'll see what the future holds.

Denny Dukay : I watched ECU play Miami. Your linebackers are light and Miami like Cincinnati, and West Virginia went east, west and north at will. Your backers are making a lot of tackles downfield. Any plans to change this pattern of play?
John Thompson : We just have to keep working and attacking. Our linebackers are doing a better job of attacking the line of scrimmage. We still just have to keep getting better.

Pillager : Coach T, the field is likely to be thoroughly saturated come game day. Are you going to consider more carries for our heavier backs and maybe using Myrick? Also are you going to consider defensive adjustments to handle the Wake misdirection since it will be hard to stop on a dime and cut?
John Thompson : The weather is definitely a factor in our preparation right now. The forecast looks like it's going to rain on both sides of the field.

cbspirate : Even though we are winless, is the team progressing at the rate you anticipated and are you discouraged by anything other than the record at this point?
John Thompson : That's a good question. No, I'm not discouraged. I am not happy, I am not satisfied. We are making progress. We have a long way to go. But I am proud of our staff and players in that we're moving in the right direction. We need to win.

Mike : Do you think kyle Chase would get a chance to touch this field this week?
John Thompson : Kyle actually played at the end of the game last week. More than likely, he'll see the field this week. He is in our plans and doing very well.

Blue Chip : What's up coach, first of all I would like to thank you for all the hard work you have put into the program so far. I also have a question about our running game. In years past the option was a integral part of our offense, do you think we will see any of it this year in an effort to get our running game established?
John Thompson : We have got to find a way to get the ball in the end zone. If that means option, if that means no backs, whatever it takes, we're going to find a way.

Grant Stussie : Hey Coach, I'm a huge ECU fan and I was just wondering, do you think we showed a lot of potential against Miami, the number 2 team in the nation? Thanks and good luck against Wake Forest, I will be there cheering you on!
John Thompson : I think we showed progress and I think we earned respect to a degree. But the bottom line is to win. That's what we'll keep working toward.

Will : How will the hurricane that is coming effect your practice? Do you plan to leave before the storm comes, or on Friday after the storm. Also, how do you make up for the day that will be missed with the hurricane coming through?
John Thompson : We're in the process right now of making those decisions. Some of it depends on if school is cancelled on Thursday. If that happens, we plan on getting out of here Thursday morning. We will be safe, our families and players will be safe. And we'll practice somewhere on the road and not miss any preparation.

Kevin : Coach, first of all thank you for the enthusiasm and optimism you bring to the program. I have two questions, how involved are you in the offense? Secondly, when are we going to see the following from our offense (deep throws, rollout run pass option for QB, and less predictability on offense (i.e. run on first and second and throw on third down). Good luck this week.
John Thompson : I'm responsible for the entire football program. I'm involved in all phases of the program. We have to execute better and hopefully you'll see all of those things. The bottom line is that we need to see the ball in the end zone.

94 Piratefan : Coach, congratulations on the much improved defensive performance Saturday against Miami. My question is concerning the offense. Our gameplan on offense seems extremely vanilla and very conservative. While things were a little better on the O-line, why aren't we mixing it up more on offense, given the talent deficit we seem to face with our opponents? Best of Luck and Beat WFU!!!
John Thompson : We're doing what we should do to progress on offense. It takes more time on offense and we need your support. Hang in there, good things are coming.

Scott : Coach, do you anticipate any true freshmen playing on the defensive front this year or are you planning to redshirt them?
John Thompson : At this time, we'll probably redshirt them. When we get Shauntae Hunt and Lorenza Pickett back to full speed, then we have enough guys up front. At this point, it doesn't look like we'll play them.

John (Garner N.C.) : Is recruiting a continual process, and can you get us out of this eastern N.C. mess we're in?
John Thompson : Recruiting is a 365-day-a-year job. Everything that we do has a factor of recruiting involved in it. We just have to find the best players here and anywhere else.

mike : Please, tell the players how proud we were of them Saturday. I went to Miami and I loved their pre-game music and their opening it really pumped the crowd up. I think we need a little more get up and go for our pre-game and entrance of the players. I loved the Pirate Walk but I think we need a lot of excitement when our players enter the field, what do you think?
John Thompson : I noticed their pregame music, also. I'm for doing whatever it takes to create as much excitement as possible.

Seth : Coach, Now without a permanent AD and now chancellor, how will this affect our possibilities of future conference expansion?
John Thompson : It's not about the individual people, it's about this university. We have good leadership and we will move forward. We all have to stick together and do a little bit better.

Don McCoy : Do you think it is fair to Mickey McCoy to be a starter on the defense and NEVER get credit for it? Don't you think he DESERVES it or earned it? Thank you Don
John Thompson : That is a great point. Mickey is a starter and we need to list him as a starter. That's a point well taken. He will be listed on the depth chart this week.

J.P. : Coach T, I beleive going into this season special teams were a question. Besides the missed FG attempt at Miami, How do you feel about the progress and the great job Coach MacManus and Coach Campbell have done with the group.(kick,punt,snaps and overall coverage).
John Thompson : We're very, very pleased with the work that Coach McManus and Coach Campbell have done. Our players have really taken the extra time and work it takes to be on special teams. That will win some games for us this year.

Adam : Hey coach, I noticed a change for the West Virigina game that the team was on the other side. I was wondering the reasoning for the change and if there was anyway we could get the team back to the student side.
John Thompson : We will stay on the side that we're on. The first reason is that I think it gives us a better chance to win because the down markers are on the other side of the field and the sun is not in our eyes in day games.

Edward Lawrence : How much of our performance this year to date is attributable to talent versus learning a new system? Thanks.
John Thompson : One, we have played three very good football teams. Two, we can be a better football team through getting better at blocking and tackling, and recruiting. And three, it takes awhile for philosophies and execution and transition to work. We've just got to get the process going full speed.

Skoal : Is it fair to say that it is pointless to run an offense out of the "gun", when the center cannot execute an even decent snap?
John Thompson : That is an area that will be corrected by Saturday night.

Brian : Coach Thompson, I have noticed for serveral years that Damane Duckett does not seem to drop his center of gravity/hind end enough when lined up. I realize he is very tall compared to others on the line but it looks like he is not getting the drive and surge he should be getting. Have you noticed or pointed that out trying to change that?
John Thompson : Damane is getting better. He had one of his best games at Miami. You're right, he still has to play lower and continue to attack. I'm proud of his effort and leadership. He will be one of our captains this week.

Matt from Raleigh : Will Chris Moore be ready to go verses Wake Forest?
John Thompson : That's doubtful. By law, that's pretty much all we can say. Chris is working hard, though.

ECUpirates.com : That's all the time we have for today. Coach, thanks for joining us and good luck against the Deacs. Any closing comments?
John Thompson : I'm proud of our team's progress, but we have not lost sight of where we need to be. We're playing a good Wake Forest team and we need to be a better team. Thank you for your support and sticking with us. We need you!

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