When David Cutcliffe was hired as Duke's head football coach nearly a month ago, people started talking about the Blue Devils and the gridiron with an intensity and an optimism that hasn't been heard in nearly two decades. The buzz was over Cutcliffe's resume: his prolific passing offense, his NFL Pro Bowl players, and his SEC conference championships.
But all of that pales in comparison to the first thing you notice about Cutcliffe when you shake his hand-his national championship ring.
Earned in 1998 as Tennessee's offensive coordinator, it gleams with numerous orange gems around a white "T" of diamonds. Even more impressive than his sparkling ring, though, is his steadfast attitude that it won't be his last.
"I've never gone into a season not trying to win them all," Cutcliffe said. "One of the things we are going to focus on is being bowl eligible or better. And you don't do that unless you expect to win."
He spoke with no hesitation despite sitting in his corner office at Yoh Football Center with a view of Wallace Wade Stadium, which has only seen 12 wins in the last 10 years. Reminiscing about his first head coaching job at Mississippi, Cutcliffe even said that Duke's football program is further along than Ole Miss' was in regards to facilities, staff and administrative commitment.
"I want everyone to understand that Joe Alleva and Dr. Brodhead-make no mistake about it-they are totally committed to having a really, really outstanding football program," Cutcliffe said. "There's no reason we can't."
Cutcliffe has almost filled out his coaching staff, which consists mostly of people who worked under him at Mississippi, and said he had no trouble convincing his assistants to leave jobs with teams such as Alabama, the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Jets to come to Durham. Since they have prior experience together, they are ready to hit the ground running, he said.
"I'll tell you how you win in college football," Cutcliffe said. "My simple, solid philosophy is you win with great assistant coaches and great organization. And we've got both."
The players are just getting their first hints of the kind of man Cutcliffe is and the change he is trying to instill. The Blue Devils met their coaches for the first time Wednesday in a team meeting, and quarterback Thaddeus Lewis needed only one word to describe his first impression of his new head coach.
"Intense," he said. "Like a disciplinarian. He wants you to be accountable and say what you mean and mean what you say.... He was telling us what we're going to do-not what he wants to do, but what we're going to do."
The coach shared life stories, enumerated some of his pet peeves and just tried to convey who he was and what he planned to do here, Lewis said. Cutcliffe admitted he had not learned any names yet, so he will make the players wear tape on their helmets with their names during spring practice. All he really knows about this group of Blue Devils, Cutcliffe said, is what he's read in the news.
When asked if he was happy to have a quarterback like Lewis and a wide receiver like Second Team All-ACC selection Eron Riley to lead his no huddle, pro-style offense, Cutcliffe said he was more than pleased. But while Riley caught 40 passes for 830 yards this season, Cutcliffe said his offense will call on Riley to haul in as many as 70 or 80 balls next year.
"It's going to be a lot of fun," Cutcliffe said. "The fans and the students are really going to enjoy it. There's a lot of tempo to it. We can slow it down, we can speed it up.... I think you'll see a lot of creative game plans from week to week."
He's been doing a lot of thinking about the students during his time at Duke so far, he said. Grabbing some of his meals in the Great Hall, which he said makes him feel as if he's in a Harry Potter movie, he's been mingling with students and looking forward to next fall. He plans on playing louder and better music before and during the games. He wants to have more pre-game festivities. He even has a few traditions he hopes to start, which he won't share until the season, that will make the football-watching experience at Duke something entirely new: enjoyable.
He's already made himself right at home and has voiced emphatically his ambitious expectations for the program. With plans already approved to renovate Wallace Wade Stadium, Cutcliffe's office view might look vastly improved in the coming years in more ways than one.
Of course, another ring would suit him well, too. This one white and blue.
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