Steve Addazio Interview On The Tim Brando Show

Boston College coach Steve Addazio joined the Tim Brando Show to talk Eagles football and his vision and goals for the program.

Brando asked Addazio about his experiences as a high school coach, coming up through the ranks of college coaching.

I'm very proud of the fact that I'm a teacher. That's what I am first and foremost. In high school, I truly taught class and taught study hall and really made a difference in the community and those kids' lives. That experience was invaluable. You get into major college football sometimes that guys just jump in at that level; I think they really missed something extremely important. I'm grateful for those beginnings because I really felt that it was the right way and the right foundation.

Brando then asked Addazio about the opportunity that Boston College represents.

Obviously I'm very grateful to Temple and I loved being there. It gave me a chance to be a head coach beyond one of my experiences at Florida. And I'm grateful. But this gives me an opportunity to come back to New England, where I'm from, and to be a part of the BC family. The mission here, this is all about it's an outstanding school. It's an elite school academically. The components of faith and education are attractive to student-athletes that really respect their degree.

What I want to bring here is this: I want a great family environment because that's where it starts for me. Back at Cheshire High, it was real simple deal. Coach 'em hard, love 'em hard. I think you can coach hard when your players feel that you love 'em and you're invested in their life. And every piece of it -- their personal life, their academic life, their football life. That was really important and I want to have that here.

I want to bring a real sense of toughness and passion for the game. I want a team that when they look at that field you know that they love ball, they go hard, they care about each other and they respect it. It's really a privilege and not a right. And I want that here. That's going to be the foundation and the building blocks of what I want to get accomplished here.

There are so many great players that have come through here and I want them to respect and feel great about their program.

On having to market the program in a town where the Pats, Celtics and Red Sox get all the headlines.

You've got to put a good product on the field and you've got to put a product that people like watching and respect watching. And we've got to do a great job of making our great alumni, our faculty, our fans. They need to feel a part of Boston College football. And that's important. I enjoy that piece of it. I want people to feel great and feel a part of it and come to practice, watch practice and watch their team. Those are things that are real important here and I think as we build this thing and have a chance to win and bring an excitement ... it'll be a great environment.

Open practices? I'm down.

Finally, Brando mentioned that it's been done before. A lot of great coaches and players have come through Chestnut Hill and it can be done again.

Unbelievable coaches. Great administrators. Great players.

Heck, when I was at Central Connecticut as a player, we used to drive up at the end of every year and we'd come up and watch Boston College play Holy Cross. I've watched the great teams and the great coaches and I've got a tremendous respect for that. Of course, you can come on campus today and get around guys like Jerry York and watch just one of the great, great programs in America right here and watch a truly great coach. Great tradition here and I just can't wait to be a part of it.

Cite history and tradition? Check. Compliment former coaches, admins and players? Double check. Requisite stick tap to Jerry York? Obviously. Saying all the right things. While I was originally disappointed with the hire, the more I hear from Addazio, the more I like him. He's saying all the right things and has me optimistic for the future of Boston College football.