That was the passion you wanted to see.
“I'm talking to our recruits out there, I'm talking to our players' parents out there. I've had multiple meetings already with the players, going out recruiting tonight, and the message to all of you is listen, when I arrived here Dec. 1, 1998, there was something to be concerned about, a lot to be concerned about — four straight years without a winning record, no bowl games, da-da-da-da-da, two years later, we were 13-0 and won the national championship. This place is in a hell of a lot better shape than it was Dec. 1, 1998.
“We're a perennial, top 5, 10, 15 team every single year, we're playing that kind of football. This job is going to attract the very best in the coaching world, and they're already lined up and calling, calling Joe, hitting people the way they do. This is a real job, this is a great job, a great university with great leadership.
“All you fans, and again, player parents, everyone, just understand, give it a little bit of time and you're going to see, this is just a little bump in the road. There's not one guy, one person in the history of this program that's bigger than the program, coach Switzer, myself, or Lincoln Riley. And what I told the players is, they are the program, players throughout these decades, they are OU football, not us as a coach.
“They'll stick together, they stick together, they'll continue to be OU football, championship football the way we're used to playing it. And I look forward to doing everything that I can here in these next few weeks to help it continue to succeed the way it has.”
“I'm talking to our recruits out there, I'm talking to our players' parents out there. I've had multiple meetings already with the players, going out recruiting tonight, and the message to all of you is listen, when I arrived here Dec. 1, 1998, there was something to be concerned about, a lot to be concerned about — four straight years without a winning record, no bowl games, da-da-da-da-da, two years later, we were 13-0 and won the national championship. This place is in a hell of a lot better shape than it was Dec. 1, 1998.
“We're a perennial, top 5, 10, 15 team every single year, we're playing that kind of football. This job is going to attract the very best in the coaching world, and they're already lined up and calling, calling Joe, hitting people the way they do. This is a real job, this is a great job, a great university with great leadership.
“All you fans, and again, player parents, everyone, just understand, give it a little bit of time and you're going to see, this is just a little bump in the road. There's not one guy, one person in the history of this program that's bigger than the program, coach Switzer, myself, or Lincoln Riley. And what I told the players is, they are the program, players throughout these decades, they are OU football, not us as a coach.
“They'll stick together, they stick together, they'll continue to be OU football, championship football the way we're used to playing it. And I look forward to doing everything that I can here in these next few weeks to help it continue to succeed the way it has.”
