SAME AS IT WAS WHEN WE LEFT YOU YESTERDAY. AUBURN HIRES THE BEST FIT, SKRON COM JOHN COMPHEN SAYING THAT AND WELCOMING THE NEW AUBURN FOOTBALL COACH. THERE HAVE BEEN QUESTIONS ABOUT EXACTLY WHETHER HE WOULD RELINQUISH CONTROL OF SOCIAL MEDIA. THAT WAS ACCORDING TO MEDIA REPORTS. HE ADDRESSED THAT TODAY. AND THE NEWS THAT GOT ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHEERS ON THE PLANES, ELEVATION OF CADILLAC WILLIAMS TO THE ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH BY THE NEW HEAD OF COACH HUGH F FRESE. AND WE SAY HELLO TO COACH FRESE. YOU LOOK VERY FAMILIAR. SITTING BEHIND AN S.E.C. BANNER. CONGRATULATIONS AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. >> PAUL, IT IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO JOIN YOU. YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN VERY KIND TO ME. IT IS ALWAYS NICE TO SEE THAT S.E.C. BANNER. >> UNDERSTANDING YOUR ODYSSEY FROM OLE MISS TO HERE, DESCRIBE WHAT TODAY FELT LIKE AND MEANT TO YOU AND ESPECIALLY YOUR FAMILY. >> YEAH, JILL AND I WERE TALKING LAST NIGHT AT THE CONDO THAT THEY ARE PUTTING US IN. AND IT WAS KIND OF A CELE CELEBRATION, A FEW TEARS AND THINKING OF WHAT THE LAST SEVEN YEARS HAVE BEEN LIKE. THERE HAVE BEEN VALLEYS AND A LOT OF MOUNTAINTOPS ALSO. BUT YOU WONDER DURINGÑi THAT TI, YOU KNOW, WILL YOU EVER HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT YOU LOVE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL AGAIN. AND THERE HAS BEEN DAYS WHERE YOU WONDERED FOR SURE. AND I MADE A COMMITMENT SIX YEARS AGO TO GET UP EVERY MORNING AND LEAD A DISCIPLINED LIFE THAT IS A GRIND TO TRY TO BE THE BEST I CAN IN EVERY AREA. AND IT WAS WORK AND FIGHT TO COMPETE AT PLACES LIKE LIBERTY. I OWE THEM A LOT OF THANKS. IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY THERE. BUT TO CELEBRATE TODAY WITH MY WIFE AND MY DAUGHTERS, MY MOM AND DAD WERE HERE, SOME UNCLES WERE HERE ALSO. IT WAS JUST AN INCREDIBLE FEELING OF JUST THANKFULNESS. AND HUMILITY, GRATEFULNESS. JUST WE'RE VERY TRHANKFUL. >> THERE WERE SO MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER THIS DAY WOULD COME. THERE HAVE BEEN OBSTACLES. HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO CONVINCE THE AUBURN OFFICIALS THAT WHATEVER HAPPENED IN THE PAST IS IN THE PAST? >> I THINK I REALLY WANTED JOHN COHEN AND THE COMMITTEE THAT I THINK THAT THEY JUST TOOK THE TIME TO REALLY GET TO KNOW ME AND JILL AND OUR STORY. QUESTI WE HAD A GREAT TIME, A LOT OF OUR GREAT TIMES THERE. OBVIOUSLY THE ENDING IS NOT ONE THAT I'M PROUD OF. EVER SINCE THAT DAY, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO ESHARN THE TRUST OF THOSE THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO ME BACK. THAT INCLUDES OBVIOUSLY MY FAMILY FIRST AND THEN MY FOOTBALL FAMILY LIKE LIBERTY AND THAT ADMINISTRATION, WHICH I THINK I SERVED THEM VERY WELL AND I THINK I PUT IN A REALLY GOOD PLAN TO SHOW PEOPLE THIS IS WHO I REALLY AM AND WHO I WANT TO BE AND HOW I'LL BE ACCOUNTABLE TO SERVE YOU WELL ALSO. JUST GOT TO SAY TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES HERE AND TO JOHN AND OUR PRESIDENT, THEY JUST -- THEY HEARD OUR WHOLE STORY AND CHOSE TO TRUST IN US. >> COACH FREEZE, IN TERMS OF MOVING FORWARD, THE FOOTBALL PART OF IT IS WHAT FANS ARE MOST INTERESTED THOUGH. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS BEYOND PUTTING CADILLAC WILLIAMSS IN A FEW POSITION? >> I'M SO THANKFUL TO CADILLAC. THE JOB HE DID TO GET THESE GUYS TO PLAY EXTREMELY HARD WITH PASSION AND ENERGY, LOOKED LIKE THEY WERE HAVING FUN. I THOUGHT THAT WAS SO ADMIRABLE. AND I JUST MADE UP MY MIND IF I GOT THE JOB, I NEED HIM BY MY SIDE TO HELP ME GET THIS SHIP TURNED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. SO THANKFUL THAT HE WILL STAY ON WITH US. I'VE HAD SO MANY TEXTS FROM DIFFERENT STAFF MEMBERS AND I'VE GOT MY OWN GUYS OUT THERE TOO. AND I WAS SO HESITANT. YOU AND I HAVE TALKED MANY TIMES THROUGH THE LAST FEW YEARS AND OBVIOUSLY I'VE GOTTEN ANXIOUS. I WAS TOTALLY AT PEACE IF THE DOOR CLOSED AT LIBERTY, BUT AUBURN IS A PLACE WHERE OUR WHOLE FAMILY WILL BE TOGETHER. I HAVE A DAUGHTER THAT LIVES HERE WITH HER HUSBAND. BUT, MAN, I GOT SO ANXIOUS ABOUT, MAN, I WANT TO HANDLE IT THE RIGHT WAY THAT I WAS HESITANT TO TALK TO ANY STAFF PEOPLE AT ALL. AND THEN I GET HERE AND, MAN, IT HAS BEEN ONE MEDIA EVENT AFTER THE OTHER. AND I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL I GET OFF -- I THINK YOU MAY BE MY LAST MEDIA FOR THE DAY AND I'LL GET ON THE PHONE AND START TRYING TO FORMULATE THE STAFF. >> MEDIA SPECULATES,çó YOU UNDERSTAND THAT, AND IT IS ALWAYS A PART OF THE EQUATION HERE. BUT WHAT WAS THE MOMENT WHEN JOHN CALLED YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE DID AND SAID, OKAY, COACH, THIS IS IT, THE WAITING IS OVER. YOU WILL BE THE NEXT AUBURN COACH. >> IT IS VERY SURREAL. I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH HOW RICH IN TRADITION AND HOW PROUD THIS PROGRAM IS. AND TO GO FROM UTTER DESPAIR AND DISAPPOINTMENT WHEN YOU LAST COACHED IN THE S.E.C. TO BEING NAMED THE 31st HEAD FOOTBALL COACH FOR AUBURN UNIVERSITY, WHEN I GOT THAT NEWS, IT WAS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS WHERE YOU REALLY JUST WANT TO GET ON YOUR KNEES AND SAY THANK YOU. >> A VERY GOOD FRIEND OF YOUR GUS HAS COACHED AT AUBURN. AND I KNOW YOU ARE TIGHT. AND THERE IS THAT PERCEPTION THAT AUBURN, AND YOU'VE LETTERED IT, YOU WERE ON THE OTHER SIDE, IS A DYSFUNCTIONAL PLACE AND ALL THEY DO IS CHEW UPLETTERED IT, YOU WERE ON THE OTHER SIDE, IS A DYSFUNCTIONAL PLACE AND ALL THEY DO IS CHEW UPçó AND SPIT O FOOTBALL COACHES. I'M CURIOUS WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED TO PUT YOU AT PEACE WITH THAT PART OF THE EQUATION. >> WELL, I THINK ALL OF US ARE MADE TO WHAT DO THIS JOB AT THIS LEVEL IN THIS CONFERENCE. WE'RE PROBABLY A LITTLE OFF UPSTAIRS AND WE ALL THINK THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO FIX WHATEVER THE ISSUES ARE AT ANY GIVEN PLACE. I THINK I DO HAVE A GIFT TO BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND MAKING THEM FEEL VALUED AND THEIR OPINION VALUED. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I HAVE TO THINK IS BEST FOR AUBURN FOO FOOTBALL. I'M QUITE CERTAIN OTHERS HAVE FELT THAT WAY TOO. TIME WILL TELL IF MY GIFT OF DOING THAT REALLY WORKS FOR THIS PLACE. BUT I AM CONFIDENT THAT WE ALL ARE DESIRING EVERYONE THAT I VISITED WITH, I HAVE TALKED TO A TON OF BOOSTERS ALREADY% NIGHT ON THE PHONE AND TODA!DñrD I'M CONVINCED EVERYONE WANTS TO BE PULLING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. >> THERE ARE A LOT OF NARRATIVES ABOUT YOUR COACHING CAREER AND OF COURSE YOU WERE UPSET OVER BYU AND LATER ARKANSAS HELPED CEMENT SOME OF THAT.Ñi BUT NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO, YOU TALK ABOUT HUGH FREEZE RKZ AND THE SAME THING COMES UP, HE IS A GREAT COACH AND HE BEAT NICK SABAN TWO STRAIGHT TIMES. I KNOW THAT IS A PART OF YOUR REG ELECTR LEGACY. HOW IMPORTANT HAS THAT BEEN TO YOUR CAREER? >> THERE IS NO QUESTION TO LAND THIS JOB,i]&k%OSE TWO VICTORIES I'M SURE THEY WERE IMPORTANT TO THESE FAN BASES. IT HAS FOLLOWED ME EVERYWHERE I'VE BEEN AND I HOPE IT NEVER STOPS FOLLOWING ME BECAUSE IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT YOU SHOULD BE EXCITED AND PROUD ABOUT BECAUSEçó AT THAT TIME,Ñi KNOW I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR NICK AND MISS TERRY, THEY ARE GREó4$TQ KINDAazÑ JILL AN"zÑiI. BUT NOW IT IS WE HAVE TO WIN THAT GAME. >> NOT TO GIVE YOU ADVICE, BUT IF THAT NUMBER STAYS AT TWO, YOUR CAREER AT AUBURN WON'T LAST VERY LONG. >> IT WON'T LAST ÑjJj >> YOU MENTIONED YOUR WIFE JILL AND WE ALL HEARD YOU TALK ABOUT HER. AND I'M A SOFTY FOR THESE STORIES. BUT CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HER AS WE LET YOU GET TO WORK, WHAT SHE HAS MEANT TO YOU IS THIS BECAUSó W ? BECAUSE WHEN YOU LEFT OLE MISS, A LOT OF PEOPLE WONDERING WONDERED WOULD THIS FAMILY STAY TOGETHER. >> OUR FAMILY IS STRONGER THAN EVER AND IT IS BECAUSE OF HER. SHE IS THE BACKBONE AND THE ROCK AND SHE HAS SUCH GREAT AND TOUGHNESS. ANDxD WHAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T KN, SHE AND I HAD ALREADY GUN THE JOURNEY OF WALKING THROUGHIOEAT TOUGHNESS. AND WHAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW, SHE AND I HAD ALREADY GUN THE JOURNEY OF WALKING THROUGHEAT A TOUGHNESS. AND WHAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW, SHE AND I HAD ALREADY GUN THE JOURNEY OF WALKING THROUGHAT AN TOUGHNESS. AND WHAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW, SHE AND I HAD ALREADY GUN THE JOURNEY OF WALKING THROUGHT AND TOUGHNESS. AND WHAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW, SHE AND I HAD ALREADY GUN THE JOURNEY OF WALKING THROUGH WHAT WE WERE GOING THROUGH LONG BEFORE MY DISMISSAL OR MY RESIGNATION FROM OLE MISS. AND I THINK THAT WAS --xD IT WA VERY DIFFICULT, BUT I THINK SHE KNOWS WHO I AM AND WV!u I DID IS NOTñr EXACTLY WHO I AM. AND SHE SHOWED ME GRACE AND FORGIVENESS. AND IT WAS NOT ALWAYS AN EASY ROAD AND I HADó[■Ñi TO EARN THA TRUST BACK. BUT I STAND HERE TODAY AND SHE WOULD ACTUALLY SAY THIS IFr WERE ON IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR EVERYTHING WE HAD GONE THROUGH, WE HAD A GOOD MARRIAGE THEN AND WE HAVE A GREAT MARRIAGE NOW AND SHE BELIEVES IT IS BECAUSE OF WHAT WE WENT THROUGH. AND SHE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT OUR MOUNTAINTOPS HAVE BEEN AWESOME. THE VIEW IS GREAT BUT THE VALLEYS
