Mark Dantonio

The Bearcats' new head football coach joined Cincinnati.Com recently to talk about his first impressions of the UC program and his expectations for the upcoming season.

Andy Knight (Jan 22, 2004 12:04:11 PM)
Good afternoon and welcome to today's online chat with UC head football coach Mark Dantonio. Coach Dantonio will begin his first season at the helm after a successful run as defensive coordinator at Ohio State under Jim Tressel. Coach Dantonio will be joining us momentarily, so please feel free to begin posting your questions.

Andy Knight (Jan 22, 2004 12:05:06 PM)
Coach Dantonio has now joined us. Please feel free to continue posting your questions.

Cheeze5 (Jan 22, 2004 12:08:02 PM)
How are you going to improve special teams? In nearly every game last season there was either a punt or place kick blocked.

Mark Dantonio (Jan 22, 2004 12:08:02 PM)
First of all, we will go back to the special teams from last year, make decisions on personnel, look at our specialists in particular, have live scrimmages in the spring and fall. I think it starts with the kickers but there is a lot more to it. We will spend a lot of time in practice because when you do things live it is a better learning environment.

Andy Knight (Jan 22, 2004 12:10:35 PM)
Coach Dantonio is experiencing some problems with his computer. We'll try to get him back quickly. Thanks for your patience.

Andy Knight (Jan 22, 2004 12:13:10 PM)
The coach has rejoined us. Please continue posting your questions. We apologize for the problem...

BucksNC (Jan 22, 2004 12:13:49 PM)
Mark, As a die hard Buckeye Fan, we appreciate all that you did in Columbus for the Buckeyes while you were there and we wish you the best of luck every week, except when you are playing the Bucks! It would be great to meet you in a BCS game someday (Big 10 Champs vs Big East Champs). What is the best thing you learned from being an asst. coach of a National Champ team at OSU?

Mark Dantonio (Jan 22, 2004 12:13:49 PM)
I learned that it was a game of inches and that you can accomplish great things when people believe and have a common goal. I also found out that you need to reach out and get something if you want it. Mike Doss talked about winning a national championship from spring practice throughout his senior year. That was a goal of his and that became a goal of ours.

mt (Jan 22, 2004 12:15:48 PM)
What is your formula for bringing "big time college" football to Cincinnati? Rick Minter went to three straight bowl games and still could not get the fan support that will be needed to compete in the Big East.

Mark Dantonio (Jan 22, 2004 12:15:48 PM)
I think, first of all, people will be able to identify with the Big East Conference teams. That should be exciting for the people of Cincinnati. We will always play a solid non-conference schedule. I think we will always play exciting football and I believe people will respond to that. People really don't know you until they know how much you care. We will make inroads through programs of outreach. We will look to recruit Ohio players .

Andy Knight (Jan 22, 2004 12:15:49 PM)
A reminder: NCAA rules prohibit Coach Dantonio from commenting specifically on recruits prior to national signing day, so please keep that in mind as you ask your questions.

Andy Knight (Jan 22, 2004 12:16:56 PM)
Please remember that this is a moderated chat. Your question will appear only after Coach Dantonio has responded to it. Thank you for joining us today.

bearcat74 (Jan 22, 2004 12:17:54 PM)
Coach- First of all, welcome to Cincinnati! What type of offensive philosophy do you have and how much play-calling freedom will your new offensive co-ordinator have? Despite having some reasonable talent at the skill positions, our offense was horrible the last half of the season, especially in the Red Zone.

Mark Dantonio (Jan 22, 2004 12:17:54 PM)
Our offensive philosophy will be predicated on our personnel. We will like to be balanced. My experience at Ohio State, we lost when we couldn't run so we will work to run the football. Our offensive coordinator will have the responsibility to call the plays but there will be different schemes employed that I have encounted from my last 27 years as a defensive coach.

Mark (Jan 22, 2004 12:19:07 PM)
We have several guys coming back who had significant playing time. Do you forsee any personnel changes on either side of the ball?

Mark Dantonio (Jan 22, 2004 12:19:07 PM)
Too early to tell. We will make those decisions after spring football. We have been busy recruiting. We look forward to getting to know the players and we will make those decisions as time passes.

Andy Knight (Jan 22, 2004 12:19:38 PM)
Coach Dantonio is receiving a lot of questions and is responding to as many as he can, as quickly as he can. Thank you for your patience.

BucksNC (Jan 22, 2004 12:20:23 PM)
Coach Dantonio, Will you recruit kids based on how focused they are academically and on their character, the way Tressel is doing it at OSU (Even if that means you pass on some Blue Chip recruits)?

Mark Dantonio (Jan 22, 2004 12:20:23 PM)
Yes. We will recruit players on intangibles. We will look to see what type of programs they came from...how they handle adversity...their type of character and their athletic ability relative to the competition they are playing against.

CincyBearcat (Jan 22, 2004 12:22:27 PM)
Coach Dantonio, could you please explain your reasoning as to why you revoked all scholarships this year? This can only make people mad, especially area coaches. Thanks for answering.

Mark Dantonio (Jan 22, 2004 12:22:27 PM)
Yes. Revoking a scholarship is an immature way of talking about it. We simply restarted the recruiting process which was the best interest for everyone involved. These relationships need to be based on trust and honesty and that needs to be developed over time. We continued to reevalate the recruits and we continue to evaluate them and make decisions that are the best for everyone involved.

Andy Knight (Jan 22, 2004 12:23:01 PM)
Again, NCAA rules prohibit Coach Dantonio from commenting specifically on recruits prior to national signing day, so please keep that in mind as you ask your questions. Thanks for being with us today.

Bearcat Spud (Jan 22, 2004 12:24:13 PM)
Coach - It's great to have you. How familiar are you with the players on the current roster? Are there any players, underclassmen in particular, that you are especially excited about?

Mark Dantonio (Jan 22, 2004 12:24:13 PM)
Getting to know players as we go from film and meeting them. I am very excited about a number of players...our lLB corps, our DE corps, our QB and our offensive line. I have been very impressed by the players I have met. It is a game of inches, and had things gone a little differently, we would not be having this conversation right now. In the past, when UC won the championships, I am sure they won the close games.

BucksNC (Jan 22, 2004 12:25:22 PM)
Coach Dantonio, Have you found any true leaders (like a Mike Doss or a Craig Krenzel) yet at UC and if so how will you give them some of the responsibility to take UC to the next level (Big East Champs)?

Mark Dantonio (Jan 22, 2004 12:25:22 PM)
We will give our players ownership as we did at Ohio State. The burden of the leadership will fall on our seniors. We've not known them long enough to determin who those individual leaders are but I have been pleased with everyone's attitude.

curiouscat (Jan 22, 2004 12:25:42 PM)
Coach, welcome to town. I'm wondering if you have your staff completed at this point or when you might announce who is joining you. Any holdovers from the last staff? Also, Bearcat fans are quite anxious for any insight you might share about how your offense might be different from what we've seen in recent years, and in particular how you see Gino's strengths fitting in.

Mark Dantonio (Jan 22, 2004 12:25:42 PM)
Yes. We should have an announcement shortly.

Guest (Jan 22, 2004 12:26:01 PM)
Coach, great to have you here at UC. When will you be naming your staff? Thanks.

Mark Dantonio (Jan 22, 2004 12:26:01 PM)
Shortly.

tony (Jan 22, 2004 12:26:21 PM)
Mark, Congratulations on being named head coach at Cincinnati. Although you're not able to comment on any specific recruits, how has the response been from recruits in the local region? Thanks

Mark Dantonio (Jan 22, 2004 12:26:21 PM)
Excellent.

Andy Knight (Jan 22, 2004 12:27:10 PM)
Enquirer reporter Bill Koch provides full coverage of the UC men's basketball and football teams at www.enquirer.com/bearcats

harv (Jan 22, 2004 12:27:36 PM)
Coach, Purdue was one of the biggest crowds. Will you have input into who those non conference games are?

Mark Dantonio (Jan 22, 2004 12:27:36 PM)
Yes. I have input but those decisions are up to Director Goin.

Andy Knight (Jan 22, 2004 12:27:39 PM)
Don't forget to check back at Cincinnati.Com later this afternoon for a full transcript of today's chat.

BucksNC (Jan 22, 2004 12:28:52 PM)
Coach D, I grew up in Cincy and went to OSU (2002 National Champs), I appreciate that you have become a positive link between Cincy and Columbus and I am excited to see you do great things at Cincy. What will the emotions be like for you in Sept at the Shoe, can't we postpone that game a year or two?

Mark Dantonio (Jan 22, 2004 12:28:52 PM)
No, we would not want to do that. Our player at UC will be excited to go up and play. The players at Ohio State will be excited to play. I will be excited to go back there. It will be a great atmosphere. I am looking forward to the challenge.

Guest (Jan 22, 2004 12:30:23 PM)
Collage football is all about recruiting. Do you think you will be able to draw the type of talent to Cincy to compete in the Big East conference.

Mark Dantonio (Jan 22, 2004 12:30:23 PM)
Yes. Coaching is about relationships. Relationships will be built over time with recruits. It is important that our coaches impact young peoples lives. UC has a tremendous reputation throughout the south and east. We will focus our out-of-state recruiting there. The Big East is a great conference and that should create excitement.

bearcat74 (Jan 22, 2004 12:30:45 PM)
Do you see us being more active recruiting the East Coast as we go into the Big East? Where else is your focus for finding BSC-level players?

Mark Dantonio (Jan 22, 2004 12:30:45 PM)
Yes.

rus (Jan 22, 2004 12:31:51 PM)
Best of luck in your new position!!!The biggest turnaround in college football was probably what Bill Snyder did at Kansas State-taking a team that was as bad as any in Division I and turning it into a regular Top 10-Top 25 team. Having just prepared to play Kansas State is there anything that you could learn from the Kansas State program?

Mark Dantonio (Jan 22, 2004 12:31:51 PM)
Very detail-oriented in everything they do. They have a history of selecting specific players and developing them. They have a great system.

Andy Knight (Jan 22, 2004 12:32:47 PM)
Coach Dantonio has time to answer only a few more questions. Thanks for being with us today.

Bearcat Spud (Jan 22, 2004 12:34:00 PM)
This coming season's squad will be very senior dominated, so that should bode well for this season, but I'm a little concerned beyond that. Do you know enough about the current underclassmen we have to comment on them, or do you think this year's recruiting class will have any guys (I know you can't mention names) who may contribute early in their career?

Mark Dantonio (Jan 22, 2004 12:34:00 PM)
We are still getting to know all of our players. We feel we have a fine group of underclassmen from what little we have seen so far. This is something that we will have to evaluate in spring practice.

Hyde Park Rick (Jan 22, 2004 12:34:30 PM)
Coach, first of all, welcome to UC. Can you outline your initial priorities with the program in this first offseason?

Mark Dantonio (Jan 22, 2004 12:34:30 PM)
We need to build a solid foundation for this new coaching staff and get our systems established. We obviously need to get to know the players and build the relationships needed to have a good football family. We will prepare for a championship season in Conference USA with eyes on our entry into the Big East.

Andy Knight (Jan 22, 2004 12:35:05 PM)
Unfortunately, we're out of time. Our thanks to Coach Dantonio for joining us today. Please check back to Cincinnati.Com later this afternoon for a transcript of today's chat as well as continuing coverage of the Bearcats. Thank you for joining us today.