On Tuesday, September 27, MCS Executive Director Andy Curtin and the following five MCS coaches shared their thoughts on their participation in the survey.

Andy Curtin

"After the last two BSC championship games, I thought change needed to happen. I tried to determine what was wrong with the current system they're using. From my days as a player agent, I knew the coaches who had the expertise didn't have time to vote in an informed manner. The writers didn't have the exerptise and not much more opportunities to see multiple games on Saturday.

"So after thinking about the problem, I came up with a solution. Why not use the most successful retired coaches to actually watch games, then talk among themselves as a group before they vote on team rankings? Ten of our Master Coaches are in the College Football Hall of Fame, and the remaining six are all candidates for eventual admission.

"Our Internet site (which goes live today and will feature the MCS Top 25 each Wednesday afternoon) will be updated with new stories and articles daily and will also include a Q&A session with our Master Coaches. We're also working toward live webcast events called MCS Chalk Talk. The website will be interactive, and fans can deal directly with the coaches to get inside information on a daily basis. It will have chat rooms, a call-in show, message boards and live webcasts. For more information on the website, go to www.mcspoll.com."

Coach R.C. Slocum

“One of the questions we’re repeatedly asked is, ‘As former football coaches, why do you want to do this?’ The answer is we’ve spent our entire lives in football; the game has meant so much to us. Football created an opportunity for me to go to college, and coaches have meant so much to me throughout my life.

“We’ve all lived pretty good lives, and all the good things I’ve experienced ... either directly or indirectly ... have come to me because of college football. Now, it’s our opportunity to give back to the game, and that’s the No. 1 factor that prompted me to be involved.

“We’ve all participated in the coaches’ poll in the past. But when we were coaching, it was always a distant thought in our minds because we were busy getting ready for the next game. We had very little time to concentrate on it.

“Now, we all still have the expertise to make a difference in providing information about the game. I think we demonstrate credibility in this process and with the people we have involved.

“We would hope this could become a part of the BCS voting process, but I don’t think we have any ideas that it will happen. We just have fun doing this regardless of the outcome. But the level of credibility is so strong that BCS officials may say ‘Maybe this group is someone we should look to in this process.’”

Coach Vince Dooley

“This is our opportunity to get back closer to the game. It’s our chance to be associated once again with our fellow coaches. Throughout our careers, we’ve participated in coaching clinics and conventions, and when we got together (in July) in Thomasville, Ga., (to first discuss the poll), it was like an old coaching convention. We were all having fun swapping stories about the game.

“(With the MCS) We all participate in a weekly conference call on Wednesday. It’s our opportunity to express ourselves once again. We’re represented by all six major conferences, and while I know what’s going on in the Southeast, now we’re able to swap ideas and thoughts with the other coaches around the country and make sound judgments based on that. With the tapes, we are able to see teams we don’t normally see, which gives us an even broader perspective.

“For the past three weeks, we’ve all enjoyed participating in the practice sessions and now we’re getting ready for the real kickoff. It’s been a lot of fun, and I think it’s also something people will pay attention to because we do have so much credibility.”

Coach Don James

“If you put our coaches on the map, we’d be spread out across the country. We’re all still going to practices and games. Last week, in fact, I went to a Notre Dame practice and met Charlie Weis for the first time, and I really enjoyed talking with him.

“When I was coaching, I was on the coaches’ poll. But then I would only see the teams we were going to play and maybe three or four more each week.

“Throughout my career, I’ve coached at FSU, Michigan, Colorado, Kansas State and then 18 years on the West Coast (with Washington). Just like all the other coaches, we’ve all had various experiences which could give a lot of credibility to what we’re doing.”

Coach John Robinson

“For me, the thing that made me want to do this is that I could see myself back in the game. When we retired, we all felt remote from college football. This brings me back in the game.

“When you’re coaching, you’re just trying to get ready for your own game. Now we’re all eager to be working in football again. We’re all more capable of knowing what’s going on with the game than anytime in our careers.”

Coach Bo Schembechler

“This gives me an opportunity to have contact with all the coaches I’ve admired throughout the years. They are all outstanding coaches, and I’ve always had a tremendous respect for them. I like to hear their ideas about who’s the best in the country. Just being associated with these coaches is what prompted me to want to participate.

“When I was coaching, I couldn’t be completely fair to the teams I didn’t see. I would usually pass it on (voting in the coaches’ poll) to other people. I just didn’t have time.

“Now, not only do we have the time, but we look at 20 game tapes each week. I know more about college teams throughout the country than I ever did when I was coaching.

“It will be interesting to see how our poll compares to the other polls."

Coaches Q&A Archives