Brian Gregory talks staff additions, NIL, the new season, culture and more
TAMPA, Fla., (OCT. 20, 2021) --During an appearance on 95.3 WDAE Beckles & Recher Show this week, South Florida men’s basketball head coach Brian Gregory was asked what the biggest challenge for him has been as a new season approaches after a huge roster turnover.
“Guys I think this is going to be the biggest challenge in the coaching college coaching profession,” Gregory said. We're in a new era for the next three years. Everybody got an extra year of eligibility so everybody's going to be able to stay a year longer, and the immediate eligibility of transfers, all those different things I think you're going to see roster turnover and so forth just being part of the normal everyday procedure with running a program.
“The number one most important thing is not the X's and O's it’s the guys getting connected. Guys trusting the system. Guys trusting each other. And we really worked hard on that. During the summer we spent a lot of time where guys just played and we got to watch so I got to get a feel for their, not just their ability during a skill workout, but also their feel for the game and different things like that. We've had multiple team meetings where we're bringing in speakers we're doing different things. We went on a retreat this weekend where we did some great team building stuff. All that is so critical now because guys aren't going to be spending three, four years with each other like it has in the past. And you're going to be bringing in players that have played two years at another program so they're learning your system and different things. So, really connecting and digging in deep with these guys and getting to know them on a personal level, so there's that trust in that relationship. Which is so key in any player coach relationship.”
You will not be charged until 60 days after sign up. Use promo code Bulls60.
In a poll of American Athletic Conference coaches, USF was picked to finish in a tie with Tulane for ninth place in the 11-team league. His team’s youth likely played a role in that prediction.
“We have one senior, and one Junior everybody else is a freshman or sophomore,” Gregory told Ian Beckles. “So we are very young. At the same time because of the rules, we do have experience. We only have one player on our roster who hasn't played a college game. So getting those guys to understand, what we're all about and how we do things and each team building its identity…you know, leadership creates the culture and culture drives the behavior and behavior produces the results. So, along that spectrum, if your culture is strong that's going to drive your daily behavior. We talk every day that your life is determined by the decisions you make on a daily basis and our guys really grasped that and understood that. Now we just need to keep building and keep getting better every day.”
On Caleb Murphy…
“We need him to take a big step. I think, prior to our 35-day. You know, he had won more Freshman of the Week awards in our league than any other freshman. And you’re a freshman point guard and now in the middle of the season you're shut down for over a month. That was hard on him. So, he needs to take a big step this year in terms of creating more scoring opportunities for other guys, His assists total needs to get up there. We need him to score. In this day and age, you still need a point guard that could put the ball in the basket. [His] shooting percentage is going to go up because he's really worked hard on that aspect of the game. But when you look at all the questions that we've talked about tonight. A lot of it is, is the team aspect, and so him taking a greater leadership role probably with Jamir Chaplin who has been in our program for two years, is really critical for Caleb. That’s a challenge for a young sophomore, who has only played in 18-games, to take a bigger leadership role. That’s a lot to ask but that’s why he came here.”
On having two new assistant coaches…
“I think a lot of times it is a challenge but it's also brings some refreshment to it, new ideas, different ways to look at it. Both were highly successful as college coaches and they bring in great experience. Lou Rowe being right from the Tampa area in St. Pete, a former head coach so he brings a different experience to it. Jason Slay is a guy that was the Associate Head Coach at Youngstown State. [He] comes from a basketball family [his] brother played in the NBA, he played college basketball. Both those guys, not only got great basketball IQs and the ability to teach, but they really relate well to the players, and they've done a great job in a short time of developing those deep relationships that I talked about earlier.”
On NIL…
”Well, you know, here's the issue with that with the name image and likeness. Every state is governed by different rules and regulations with it. So, we're not allowed any influence communications. There are some states that the coaches are allowed to go out there and actually solicit and help guys get NIL deals, and different things like that, we are not able to do that. All that is done individually to the student athlete. They can have a family member or an agent handle their name, image and likeness and creating that brand that you talked about all this stuff is run through our compliance to we're made aware of it. So, we talk about it a lot. We talked about your personal brand and doing things to positively grow that personal brand, but, when it comes to the nuts and bolts in the financial pieces we can't have anything to do with it. Which makes it difficult at times, but, you know, we've talked about everything with the open lines of communication and the ability to sit down and talk things out. I think the one thing that I found with it is [that] it is putting guys in a position where they're much more cognizant of the fact that everything they do is important. You know what I mean? Everything they do. I'm proud of our guys with the way they take care of themselves in the classroom and in the community and different things like that. So, I think, as I said earlier, this is the best thing for the student-athletes. No doubt about it. Because it gives them the freedom to either really go all in on it, doing a little bit or not even worried about it at all. And I think every one of our players is somewhere along that spectrum as well.