COACH FICKELL: Just being here and coaching the team for the first time, that's the opening comment. That's probably easier that way. It's obviously unique, and it's a different situation right now. But it's been a great three, three and a half weeks. More than anything, I couldn't tell you exactly -- people ask about the starting quarterback and some of the situations aren't going to be my call, really. I am going to sit down and talk about them. Just having this opportunity to be around these guys for the last three, three and a half weeks has really given me an advantage in building relationships.
Q. You just feel like it's appropriate to let the guys that have been a little more familiar with the roster make those sorts of decisions?
COACH FICKELL: It would be pretty arrogant of me to walk in here and think I could make a better decision in three weeks than what they have seen over a long period of time, whether it's Coach [Jim] Leonhard in his long time here or even Coach Bobby [Engram] in his one year here. Those guys have got a great grasp on what we have to do to be successful. We sat down, we talked about it. But you know what? It's going to be a little bit of a different situation. Hey, we got to do what's best for us. I believe they have got the best idea of what that is.
Q. Are those the kind of decisions you guys are going to make public before game time? Or you will have to see it when it happens?
COACH FICKELL: I don't think we will make a whole lot of public statements before game time. That's just kind of the nature of the beast. That's the nature of what I've always done. I would imagine we would be the same way. Obviously, these bowl games today, there's a lot of unknowns, you know? A lot of times, we're seeing teams what they are going to look like in the years ahead as opposed to maybe what you saw during the whole season. I imagine we'll be a little bit that way, obviously, from the quarterback position and some other unique spots as well.
Q. How is your coaching staff coming together?
COACH FICKELL: It's coming together well. I have tried to focus on not talking about anything moving forward just yet. Really, just focusing on finishing this thing out. These guys have put an incredible amount of effort into it. This coaching staff has done an unbelievable job with all the changes and all the different things that are going on. They have been really professional. They have put the kids first, and that's what most important.
Q. Will you be on the sidelines?
COACH FICKELL: I'll be on the sidelines, yeah. I have been at practice, kind of in the middle and everything. It's been a great experience for me, but it's been an even better opportunity for me to get to know these guys.
Q. Transition isn’t always easy for the guys. How are they taking the transition?
COACH FICKELL: It might be the easiest thing on them. They are a very mature group, you can tell. They love to play. They love what they do. They love that locker room. That's what you really see has kept this group together. I don't just mean now; but with all the options out there today, and college football in particular, this group has brought these guys together and have given us a great opportunity, obviously, for this game and moving forward for us.
Q. For a short amount of time, it looks like you have a pretty good recruiting class coming in?
COACH FICKELL: It's a short time; but more than anything, we wanted to focus on what they have had and not making the bigger mistakes of bringing in guys who maybe didn't know as much about -- wouldn't fit the culture and the things you want to do there. In that way, we kind of say let's slow it down and make sure we do the right thing as opposed to jump into a lot of things and try to assign 2022 guys like we would maybe normally be used to.
Q. How will you spend Christmas? Will you do anything fun as a team?
COACH FICKELL: We will have some little events. We have practice as well. We have a dinner tonight. We'll give these guys some opportunities. I'm not sure if a whole bunch of their families will be here just yet. I would imagine the day after Christmas. We'll have some things planned together. Give them some opportunities to be with family, if they're around. But most importantly, be together.
Q. Can we talk about the weather real quick? I see you have a vest on and sweatshirt.
COACH FICKELL: It was a little bit chilly coming out this morning from Madison. It's been that way for probably the last three or four days. But I think it's pretty much everywhere across the Midwest. So you'll see a lot more jackets and things being stripped off here. We're excited not just to be here but also to be in the sun a little bit, too.
Q. As it pertains to your first game, you hear of a like a restaurant having a soft opening. How do you characterize it?
COACH FICKELL: I guess that's a good way of looking at it. I think more than anything, I have walked in the door here and tried to do everything they have done. And tried to keep Jim [Leonhard] in his role as much as possible and follow his lead in a lot of things. Because more than anything, there's been a lot of change. There's been a lot of things that these guys have gone through this entire season. The last thing they need in this three-week period of preparing for a bowl game is to have more change. Me being there enough is probably change for them. So we tried to keep everything intact as much as they have done. So in a lot of ways, I'm learning more than maybe they are over the last three weeks.
Q. What are you expecting in terms of fan support? I imagine you have a pretty good following out here.
COACH FICKELL: I would imagine. That's what I would expect. Maybe they love to follow us and they love the games and they love probably to come out here and escape maybe the weather a little bit as well. I think it's a combination of all those things. And probably, as much as anything, we want to send off these guys the right way and say thank you to this group of guys and seniors and a lot of these guys that are staff members that have put a lot of effort into this, not just this year, but for a long time.
Q. You just feel like it's appropriate to let the guys that have been a little more familiar with the roster make those sorts of decisions?
COACH FICKELL: It would be pretty arrogant of me to walk in here and think I could make a better decision in three weeks than what they have seen over a long period of time, whether it's Coach [Jim] Leonhard in his long time here or even Coach Bobby [Engram] in his one year here. Those guys have got a great grasp on what we have to do to be successful. We sat down, we talked about it. But you know what? It's going to be a little bit of a different situation. Hey, we got to do what's best for us. I believe they have got the best idea of what that is.
Q. Are those the kind of decisions you guys are going to make public before game time? Or you will have to see it when it happens?
COACH FICKELL: I don't think we will make a whole lot of public statements before game time. That's just kind of the nature of the beast. That's the nature of what I've always done. I would imagine we would be the same way. Obviously, these bowl games today, there's a lot of unknowns, you know? A lot of times, we're seeing teams what they are going to look like in the years ahead as opposed to maybe what you saw during the whole season. I imagine we'll be a little bit that way, obviously, from the quarterback position and some other unique spots as well.
Q. How is your coaching staff coming together?
COACH FICKELL: It's coming together well. I have tried to focus on not talking about anything moving forward just yet. Really, just focusing on finishing this thing out. These guys have put an incredible amount of effort into it. This coaching staff has done an unbelievable job with all the changes and all the different things that are going on. They have been really professional. They have put the kids first, and that's what most important.
Q. Will you be on the sidelines?
COACH FICKELL: I'll be on the sidelines, yeah. I have been at practice, kind of in the middle and everything. It's been a great experience for me, but it's been an even better opportunity for me to get to know these guys.
Q. Transition isn’t always easy for the guys. How are they taking the transition?
COACH FICKELL: It might be the easiest thing on them. They are a very mature group, you can tell. They love to play. They love what they do. They love that locker room. That's what you really see has kept this group together. I don't just mean now; but with all the options out there today, and college football in particular, this group has brought these guys together and have given us a great opportunity, obviously, for this game and moving forward for us.
Q. For a short amount of time, it looks like you have a pretty good recruiting class coming in?
COACH FICKELL: It's a short time; but more than anything, we wanted to focus on what they have had and not making the bigger mistakes of bringing in guys who maybe didn't know as much about -- wouldn't fit the culture and the things you want to do there. In that way, we kind of say let's slow it down and make sure we do the right thing as opposed to jump into a lot of things and try to assign 2022 guys like we would maybe normally be used to.
Q. How will you spend Christmas? Will you do anything fun as a team?
COACH FICKELL: We will have some little events. We have practice as well. We have a dinner tonight. We'll give these guys some opportunities. I'm not sure if a whole bunch of their families will be here just yet. I would imagine the day after Christmas. We'll have some things planned together. Give them some opportunities to be with family, if they're around. But most importantly, be together.
Q. Can we talk about the weather real quick? I see you have a vest on and sweatshirt.
COACH FICKELL: It was a little bit chilly coming out this morning from Madison. It's been that way for probably the last three or four days. But I think it's pretty much everywhere across the Midwest. So you'll see a lot more jackets and things being stripped off here. We're excited not just to be here but also to be in the sun a little bit, too.
Q. As it pertains to your first game, you hear of a like a restaurant having a soft opening. How do you characterize it?
COACH FICKELL: I guess that's a good way of looking at it. I think more than anything, I have walked in the door here and tried to do everything they have done. And tried to keep Jim [Leonhard] in his role as much as possible and follow his lead in a lot of things. Because more than anything, there's been a lot of change. There's been a lot of things that these guys have gone through this entire season. The last thing they need in this three-week period of preparing for a bowl game is to have more change. Me being there enough is probably change for them. So we tried to keep everything intact as much as they have done. So in a lot of ways, I'm learning more than maybe they are over the last three weeks.
Q. What are you expecting in terms of fan support? I imagine you have a pretty good following out here.
COACH FICKELL: I would imagine. That's what I would expect. Maybe they love to follow us and they love the games and they love probably to come out here and escape maybe the weather a little bit as well. I think it's a combination of all those things. And probably, as much as anything, we want to send off these guys the right way and say thank you to this group of guys and seniors and a lot of these guys that are staff members that have put a lot of effort into this, not just this year, but for a long time.
