Instant Interview Replay: John Thompson

Instant Interview Replay: John Thompson

01/15/2004

GREENVILLE, N.C. -- East Carolina University head football coach John Thompson participated in a live, online Instant Interview on Thursday, Jan. 15, on ECUpirates.com, the Official Web Site of Pirate Athletics. Following is the complete transcript from the moderated chat session:

Jon Felton : Hey Coach, Just wanted to say congratulations on your staff additions. I was happy to see that Coach McFarland worked for Danny Ford. That means he understands how to run the football. Plus Noah knows how to throw it. Should be a deadly combination. Is it August yet!
John Thompson : We are excited, also. I believe the blend of these two new coaches will add an awful lot to our football team. Both Noah and "Mac" have an extensive background both in running and throwing the football. I'm excited also.

Keng : What's up with all the JUCO signings? And how's the HS recruiting going
John Thompson : With the JuCo signings, we just feel like we need some immediate help in some critical areas, such as offensive line and tight end. We just don't have enough depth at those positions. But we also feel very good about the quality of our high school commitments and we feel good about these last couple of weeks coming down the stretch.

piratehopeful : Hey coach. How do you compare our recruiting capabilities to other schools in Conference USA, as well as nationally ranked schools? Best of luck to you on the upcoming season!
John Thompson : I guess we'll find that out in the next two or three years on the football field! I feel very strongly about the quality of the players that we're bringing in this year. We have a lot of numbers at each position. If we don't get our top guy and have to go to our second or third, we're still going to get a good player. To me, that's how you judge recruiting. I'm very excited about the possibilities of this class right now. We'll see what happens on the field. We don't get caught up in recruiting off lists or services, and we're not going to recruit a guy just because someone else is recruiting him. Someone told me the other day that some of our commitments were ranked very high in some recruiting lists, and I had no idea about that because we don't recruit off lists, we recruit players.

gabe : Coach, I keep up on recruiting and I have noticed that we do not have any running back comittments yet. Have many do you plan to sign this year and how is that going?
John Thompson : We do have a running back committed and he might end up playing another position. We feel like we need to sign a running back. We lose two seniors next year. We're still in the hunt for some real good players that are on our lists.

Baltimore_pirate : Hi Coach, What do you say to the critics who claim that we are going after all of the second rate Florida players and insist that we recruit locally?
John Thompson : First of all, we go after the guys that we think can help our program, both in Florida and locally. We feel very good about our instate and local commitments, as well as our out-of-state commitments. We have four North Carolina/local commitments.

baltimore_pirate : What does our non-conference schedule look like for the upcoming season?
John Thompson : West Virginia, Wake Forest, and NC State. WVU is on the road to open the season. Wake Forest will be in Greenville. NC State will be two days after Thanksgiving in Charlotte. It will be very challenging and exciting.

Brian K : Hey coach, How do you think the players will adjust to a new offensive scheme, and what kind of offense will Noah bring to the table? Good luck, we are all behind you! Go pirates.
John Thompson : Thanks for your support. I have been very impressed with Noah's teaching and system. I don't see there being a problem with us learning a new system. We can help Noah so much because we know our players so much better. Last year, there were so many things that were new, on and off the field. Now our focus turns to getting it right on the field.

Ed Lang : Coach, Will you be having another "Signing Day Party" at the Murphy Center? It was a great time had by all last year. Good luck.
John Thompson : Yes, we will. February 4th. It will probably be around 5 p.m. or so; we haven't set the time yet. We plan on having a big party and hope everybody will come and check out these new Pirates -- recruits and staff!

PIRATE c/o 99 : I heard that the team is looking for a new strength coach. What happened to the old coach and who are you guys looking at?
John Thompson : We have created a new position in our strength and conditioning program. We will hire a new strength coach that will be dedicated primarily to football. This will add a lot to our program and we possibly could have a new guy on board as early as next week.

Mark Cook : How good do you think the secondary will be next year. Who do you think needs to step up.
John Thompson : We will and we must be better next year. Anytime you play true freshmen, you expect that growth curve to be accelerated in their second year. We need to have another corner to step up and be a lock-down guy. We've got to get consistency from our safeties, whoever that may be.

Greg : Coach, has a date been set in stone yet for the Spring Game? Assuming we're having it again this year...
John Thompson : Yes, we will have a Spring Game on March 27 in conjunction with the Pigskin Pig-Out. We will also still have a few days of spring practice left after that date. We moved spring practice back to give us more time with a couple of new staff members.

Jimmy : How do you feel about the realignment of Conference USA as it pertains to Football?
John Thompson : I think it's good. I think the addition of Marshall adds a quality program of national recognition. Tulsa, SMU and Rice have all been good schools. Tulsa went to a bowl this year. I think it will expand our recruiting in both directions. We can do better in West Virginia and in Texas and that area. My feeling is that I hope that, if we go to a playoff game, that they divide it North and South, not East and West.

JLilley : How is Art Brown doing and do you expect him to be at 100% for the start of the season?
John Thompson : I am very proud of Art, in his rehab, in his academics, in his leadership. Yes, we fully expect him to be 100% by August. We might have to be a little cautious with what we do with him this spring. I'm looking forward to having him back on the field.

ToadPirate : Can you comment on the recruits from last year that did not qualify and if they are enrolled now and on board for next year. Manny and the DE (Jones) come to mind. Thanks and I look forward to a better 2004.
John Thompson : We are still actively recruiting them. They are not enrolled. Like everyone else, we are hopeful that they do qualify and become Pirates next year.

Hal : Will ECU use all 25 available scholarships this year and with some recent people leaving does that give any additional scholarships to use?
John Thompson : 25 is the maximum that the NCAA allows. We do not have 25 available at this time, but you never know about recruiting down the stretch.

Cool Hand Luke : Do you think Bridise's age won't affect the way he coaches?
John Thompson : Noah is very experienced for such a young age. His background with Steve Spurrier in college and in the NFL puts him possibly in "dog years" in experience. Noah reminds me of Tyrone Nix. When Tyrone was named the defensive coordinator at Southern Miss, he was 28 and was just recognized as one of the top assistants in the country.

Frank : Coach T, Saw you and your family at Minges for a game few weeks ago, just wondering are you into Pirate basketball much since it's offseason in football and I understand there are still a lot to do as a head coach (recruiting, winter workout etc.)
John Thompson : Yes, my family and I enjoy basketball and enjoy all Pirate athletics. I will be at the ball game tonight! I go whenever I'm in town, but just haven't been in town much lately.

Greg : Coach, can you give us any insight as to why it took so long to make the official announcements on the two new hires?
John Thompson : It was really a matter of contractual obligations they had with their former employers. We just had to go through procedures that took awhile.

Frank from Knightdale : With Patrick Dosh Available, James Pinkey showing some good signs towards the end of the season and the potential addition of the incoming freshman QB, will it be wide open again for the QB or do you have a favorite? And I know its early coach.
John Thompson : My favorite will be the guy that produces the most. Everybody will have an opportunity. Spring practice is always a time to prove yourself. We're looking forward to seeing what happens.

ECUpirates.com : That's all the time we have for today. Any closing comments, Coach?
John Thompson : Thanks for all the questions. I'm looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the signing day party on Feb. 4. We're coming down the home stretch in recruiting. There are a few deals left out there to be closed. Our team is getting better everyday. Thanks for your interest and support and go Pirates! I'm going recruiting...

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