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 Tuesday, August 7, 2001
Q&A with Randy Walker
By Terry Bowden
Special to ABC Sports Online
Bowden's Weekly Chat Show
ABC college football analyst Terry Bowden chatted with Northwestern football coach Randy Walker about the Wildcats' upcoming season, his coaching future and who is the team's most important player -- Damien Anderson or Zak Kustok.
Terry Bowden:
Northwestern is picked by many to win the Big Ten this season. Did you ever foresee that when you went to Northwestern?
Randy Walker:
|  | | Randy Walker has had just two losing seasons in his 11-year head coaching career at Miami (Ohio) and Northwestern. |
That's why I went. A lot of things have changed. Things have changed a great deal in college football. This will be my 26th year coaching college football. The balance of power, Proposition 48, scholarship reduction, all the legislation that has happened has made the playing field a lot more even.
You see the Big Ten, and you see that really personified in our league. There are really at least eight teams that can win it. And I told someone the other day I don't even know who you can count out. I see everyone having a great chance to win this conference. Hopefully, you bring you're A game every week, and that's what we need to do.
Terry Bowden:
Continued success at Northwestern brings numerous offers. After Gary Barnett had success there, he headed to Colorado. Can Northwestern hold you if you continue to succeed?
Randy Walker:
I was at a great place at Miami of Ohio. It was my alma mater, that's where I played and coached there as a head coach for nine years. I really looked at any opportunity that might have come my way would be the last opportunity. I am closing in on 50 years old, and I really wanted to make one more move and make it the last stop. After looking at all the things here and the commitment they have made here at Northwestern to being a great football and athletic department, with no reservations I see this as my last stop. And this is where I want to coach football.
Terry Bowden:
Northwestern is one of the great academic institutions in the country and has one of the most difficult entrance requirements in the Big Ten. How has that been? Is it difficult to recruit in the Big Ten when your requirements are more stringent than the rest of the conference?
Randy Walker:
I don't see that as a negative. Having demanding academics and being highly regarded, that's an asset. We can go into any young man's home or school in the country, and talk about our institution and the opportunities it can provide for young people. Golly, I choose not to use it as a negative, and say, "Woe is me, we have tough standards and it's a demanding place." That's a great thing. We're going to use it as an asset. It's an advantage for us. Certainly, there are some kids we can't recruit, but I think that's true at every school. What we try to do is zero on the kids who are looking for the situation (Northwestern can provide).
We're also in a unique situation in the Big Ten. We're the only private school. We have 7,000 students. We're really a unique choice. I'm looking for kids who are looking for that unique experience in college football.
Terry Bowden:
You have made dramatic changes in your offense with the no-huddle spread. What made you make that change in the Big Ten, which was traditionally focused on the power run game?
Randy Walker:
We took a little trip up to Clemson. (laughs)
We had been a no-huddle team at Miami of Ohio and got away from it in the mid-'90s. We've always done things trying to find a way to fit our personnel. We were sitting at a high school coaches clinic and listening to speakers when the Clemson offense came up. And a lightbulb went over all of our heads -- this could be something that really could fit us. Kevin Wilson, our offensive coordinator, has done a great job embracing some of the things.
Football is still blocking and tackling. You still throw the slant, you still throw the deep ball and you still have to stay on blocks and run hard. We haven't changed our philosophy; we've changed how we've done some things and implemented some things. Not only from Clemson, but also from some friends in the National Football League. You try to stay ahead of the game a little bit. We're always working at that. We did make some changes because we thought it fit. How long are we going to stay with it? We try to look at what kind of hand we are dealt with, and do the best that we can.
Terry Bowden:
In the Midwest, you are raised to believe that toward the end of the year, you should run the ball because you are not sure what conditions you will have. Of course, Oklahoma was supposed to be an option team all their life, and look what they did. How hard is it to break a traditional conference?
Randy Walker:
|  | | Sam Simmons and Northwestern scored at least 35 points in eight games last season. |
We still embrace some of the values. I grew up in the Midwest watching Bo Schembechler, Woody Hayes and Ara Parseghian. That's what you did. Third-and-2 is blasphemy to throw the ball. But the game has changed dramatically. The Big Ten and the Midwest has changed. That doesn't mean we don't want to run the football. We were among the national leaders in running the football (eighth, 257.3 yards per game). We are still running the ball. I have always believed in balance. I always thought it was important to have the complete package -- throw the ball as well as run it.
We finally hit on things that our kids could execute and do well. Right now, we have a nice little niche. It's a lot different game that I am coaching today than what it was in 1976.
Terry Bowden:
When a coach makes a big impact on a program, it's usually on offense. Why is it so much more difficult to turn a defense around than an offense?
Randy Walker:
I'm not sure I can answer that. The nature of the game has changed. Offenses -- let's be honest -- 25-30 years ago allowed themselves to be defensed. I used to say, we are playing in the phone booth now. We need to get out of the phone booth and play some ball and spread the field and make those guys play honest. That's what a lot of the offenses are going to. They are making defenses line up and play the field. It has put defenses at a disadvantage.
Now, there is an ebb and flow in the game. As soon as I say this, they are going to stuff us in the box again and figure out a way to do some things. Right now, kids are throwing the ball a ton and catching and just the skill level that the kids have developed on offense is really going to be difficult to defend. People are going to score some points. I think that's where I have come as far as a football coach. When I started doing this, I thought 10-7 was a heck of a game. Now, you just hold on to your hat. You have to score some points and hope your defense can mix.
I'd be less than honest to say if we had a great defense, but we did make some big defensive plays. We led our conference in takeaways. We came up with some big plays at critical times. You still have to play big-time defense when it counts.
Terry Bowden:
If you are to win the conference championship, the defense has to improve. You have three pretty good linebackers in Napoleon Harris, Kevin Bentley and Billy Silva. Is that the strength and key to your defense?
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I'll say this about Zak Kustok: I've seen guys and I've coached guys who throw it better, I've seen guys who run it better, haven't seen many smarter, but I know this -- I've never coached or been around a quarterback who, just by walking on the field, makes 10 guys better.
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— Randy Walker |
Randy Walker:
It needs to. I am really impressed with what they have displayed since January. Every guy that plays this game has a little pride. Deep down, it got into their saddle that the offense was getting so much credit and that everyone was talking about our offense. All the reporters and interviewers were walking by them to talk to Damien (Anderson) and Zak (Kustok). That's good. It ought to bother you. It ought to upset you a little.
They have renewed their efforts and their commitment. They've had a great offseason and great preseason. That's a good bunch of kids, and I think they will all be playing on Sundays. I really believe they will lead our defense.
Terry Bowden:
What are some of the newer names we can expect on the defense this fall?
Randy Walker:
Salem Simon is a good defensive lineman, who has been plagued with injury. I'm looking forward to him having an injury-free year and playing well up front. (Defensive linemen) Coby Clark and Pete Chapman are going to be steady for us.
I'm excited about our defensive backfield. I'm excited because I'm not sure who is going to play. There are eight or nine guys for four positions. That's something has been lacking here as well -- quality depth and real good competition at each position. Right now, we have good battles taking place. People have expressed concerned about how your secondary is going to be, but I'm kind of excited about it. I think the best thing in life is competition. I think it is going to bring the best out of the kids. I think we'll have a real good battle in the back half over preseason to see who is going to line up.
Terry Bowden:
In your style of offense who is the key -- the tailback (Damien Anderson) or the quarterback (Zak Kustok)?
Randy Walker:
At our banquet last year, we gave our Most Valuable Player Award to Damien Anderson. But we talked about it a long time in staff meetings. Damein's a great back and deserves to be an All-American candidate, but I don't think we're where we are without Zak Kustok. I don't think we're even close. He just makes such good decisions.
I'll say this about Zak Kustok: I've seen guys and I've coached guys who throw it better, I've seen guys who run it better, haven't seen many smarter, but I know this -- I've never coached or been around a quarterback who, just by walking on the field, makes 10 guys better.
Click here for the second half of Terry Bowden's Q&A with Randy Walker when they talk about running the no-huddle offense, Heisman candidate Damien Anderson and opening up against UNLV.
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