Heading into one of the most highly-anticipated football games in recent school history, Duke is looking for its second win on the season against Notre Dame Saturday. For offensive coordinator Peter Vaas, the game will serve as a bit of a homecoming, as he had two previous coaching stints with the Fighting Irish. Aside from concentrating on his professional duties, he looks forward to spending some time with his two daughters who attend college in South Bend. Head football beat writer Matthew Iles caught up with Vaas to ask him about this weekend's big game.
Matthew Iles: Are you excited to get the family together this weekend?
Peter Vaas: That's going to be an exciting part. There's no doubt about that. When you spend so many years of your life with your kids, and then you don't see them for an extended period of time, any time you get to see them it's exciting, even if it's only for a brief few moments.
MI: Some offensive coordinators prefer to coach up in the booth, but you coach on the sidelines. Why do you prefer that?
PV: There are a couple things that make it easier. This is going to sound weird, but, generally, if you do your preparation, you see the game in your mind more than you see it upstairs. All I need to know from upstairs is 'Are we getting what we expect?' Then the other part of it is when you're down on the field, you get a feel for the emotions that are involved in the game, from the highs to the lows. You're in a much better position to attempt to control those emotions, and not necessarily bring people down from high but to recover people from a low. I like the idea of being on the sidelines so you can look the young man in the eye and talk to him rather than picking up a sideline phone and talking to him, especially when you're involved with young quarterbacks.
MI: You've said that one of the greatest pleasures you get from coaching is teaching the players. What is it that you love about that mentor role?
PV: I think that's one of the greatest things about being a coach. You coach all phases of people. You educate them in some mental things; in other words, they have to understand some conceptual things about the game of football. You educate them how to handle emotions, how to control their body in a physical endeavor. So there's an awful lot of different kinds of teaching that takes place. That's what I've always wanted to do is to teach. When you're involved in athletics, instead of calling it teaching they call it coaching, but those two words are virtually synonymous.
MI: How would you qualify these seniors, not necessarily by their record but by their overall accomplishments for the program?
PV: One thing that's absolutely amazing is when you look at the senior class and the team morale we have, and the determination that still exists on this football team. Our leaders and our seniors have never allowed frustration to set in and take place.... That's the one thing I'll say 'Thank you' to the seniors for.
MI: What is the scouting report on Notre Dame's defense?
PV: Notre Dame's defense is a solid group of people. They're a good defense, a defense that's been held together during a season where their offense has struggled a little bit. We're going to have to play well to move the football against them, and we're going to have to play a diversified offense.
MI: Is it fair to say you know more about the Fighting Irish because of your recent coaching stint there?
PV: In a certain context, yes. Obviously, I have an intimate knowledge of the abilities or lack of abilities of some of the players because of my involvement over the last couple years. But at the same time, I don't have any intimate involvement with the schemes and concepts they're trying to accomplish because that all changed after I left.
MI: I know it's a little taboo among football coaches and players, but it seemed like a lot of Duke's close games this year came down to one crucial play. Do you feel that sometimes you reach this breaking point, and sometimes you get past it like against Northwestern and sometimes you don't?
PV: Football is a game of mistakes. And generally, it's the team that makes the least amount of mistakes that wins. You never know when that turning point is until you look back at it, though.... If you could control it you would. But we just can't. You just keep on going, and you can't let that last play bother you. You just go back and you get the next one. You just have to keep plugging away, and pounding away and pounding away.
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