MACON – Georgia State first-year head coach Trent Miles and senior cornerback Brent McClendon joined coaches and players from across Georgia to meet with media as part of the annual Pigskin Preview on Tuesday. Making the rounds at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, Miles spoke with newspaper and television reporters from Atlanta, Savannah, Macon and around the state about his preparations for taking the Panthers into the Sun Belt Conference and their first year in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
A consistent theme for Miles throughout the day was describing how important he feels it is to lay a foundation in place to be competitive at the FBS level. That starts with each individual making the commitment to aim for the goals Miles and the staff have set.
“What I want to see from our team is coming into fall camp in August in great condition, raring to go physically,” Miles said. “If we have to spend the first week or two of camp trying to get in shape, then we're way behind. So I want our guys to be mature enough over the summer to work with (strength coach Ben) Pollard and show up and do the work it takes as a Division I player to come in raring to go, so we don't have to waste any time and can get right into our preparation for the first game.”
Check out other comments from Miles and McClendon, including answers to questions from fans via Facebook and Twitter.
Brent McClendon
What's different about the coaching staff ?
Coach Miles and his staff, they just bring a lot of energy and a lot of knowledge to the game. They really have a passion, one that makes everything better about learning more about the game.
What are your expectations heading into your final season of college football?
I just want the chance to compete, the chance to show everybody what we can do and how hard we have worked to get better.
Through spring, were there any players who took it up a notch in your mind with their play?
Everybody actually. Everybody bought into the scheme and the playbook. The defense, offense, special teams, everywhere we were all making improvements.
Do you have any personal goals heading into the fall?
Just to get my flexibility better. I'm not really that flexible at all, and I just feel that'd help my game out by just being more flexible. It's one of my ultimate goals.
Coach Trent Miles
When are you going to get to Augusta to see the fans?
It's very important to get out and see people. I'm open to going anywhere. We're doing one-day camps around the state in June, but I want to get all around the state to see the fans too. I know there are quite a few things to do with the 100-year anniversary of the university this summer, so we're going to try to get out. We're willing to get people involved and go anywhere it takes to reach our fan base and talk to people who want to support us.
What are your expectations this summer for the program before you get to Aug. 3 when you open fall camp?
As a staff, we're already prepared. We have everything planned through the season, all of every day planned through two-a-days. Just follow the plan. Our group of coaches, we are very organized and detailed down to what we wear each day and where we meet, what times we do things and how we go about doing stuff. There's a lot of planning going into what we're going to do (to get ready for fall camp), and that's been done. What I want to see from our team is come in in great condition, raring to go physically. If we have to spend the first week or two (of camp) trying to get in shape, then we're way behind. So I want our guys to be mature enough over the summer to work with (strength coach Ben) Pollard on their own time and show up and do the work it takes as a Division I player to come in raring to go so we don't have to waste any time and can get right into our preparation for the first game.
What has been a pleasant surprise about Georgia State or Atlanta that you didn't realize before taking the job?
I didn't realize how many people there were who were associated with Georgia State, the amount of alumni there are in the Atlanta area, the amount of connections with major corporations there are in town. Everywhere I've gone – at my daughter's elementary school, or the mall or a restaurant – someone has come up to me and said “Hey I'm a Georgia State grad” or “My kid is a Georgia State grad” or they got their MBA here. So I was surprised about the number of people out there wearing Georgia State gear or coming up to say they have some connection to it. Now if we can find a way to get even just half those people involved and coming back to games and supporting it – even if just wearing a Georgia State hat or shirt out during the season to support us – then we'll be doing pretty good.
What are your selling points about Georgia State on the recruiting trail?
We're a Division I football team. We're located in the greatest state in the nation as far as football goes. We get to play in the Georgia Dome and when they build a new facility we'll get to play in that one. You get a great education as Georgia State has an academic reputation as good as any. And you're going to be around some great people. Georgia State has a great staff, excellent football coaches who are great men, and we have a terrific support staff and administration. We have all the ingredients, all the intangibles to be a solid Division I program. We've just got to go out and keep building it and be patient. Everyone just has to be patient and it will work. The ingredients are there.
What is the biggest area of improvement the team can have heading into the fall?
I think our work ethic, our kids' work ethic. From our Day 1 work ethic to now, our kids' ability and willingness to step up to the level that we want them in terms of work ethic. That's putting the work in daily without someone prodding you to do it, guys doing it on their own. If you are not doing the extra stuff on your own, you don't stand a chance at this level. No one is going to go out and out-talent somebody. We're not going to out-talent them; we're going to have to out-work them and out-tough them and out-execute them. I think that's our biggest area of improvement to this point honestly. I've seen improvement in the run game and pass defense and those kind of things, but when you look at the grand scheme of things, it's been work ethic. We have a long way to go, but we want to teach them the foundation so then you have a chance. Everyone wants to talk Xs and Os and all that other stuff; that's fine and dandy. But there's all that other stuff you have to build to get to that. If you're not doing that, then you have no chance.
