Back in March I looked back at some of the finer, funnier moments of the past two seasons of interacting with former UC Defensive Coordinator Joe Tresey. (Read it here: http://adamniemeyer.blogspot.com/2009/03/former-cincinnati-defensive-coordinator.html)
This week Tresey will square off with his former team in what many consider to be the Big East’s biggest game since the Labor Day pounding that UC laid on Rutgers a little over one month ago.
Brett McMurphy of TBO.com wrote a preseason feature story on Tresey and described him as, “a colorful character that prefers to use some, uh, colorful nouns, adjectives and even adverbs.” Definitely not friendly for a family setting such as this. (http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/sports/comments/usfs-colorful-new-dc-tresey-im-a-little-bit-type-a)
But everything else in that article is true. He was intense, he was an excited person, and he got the job done as defensive play caller here at UC in two years. Now comes the hard part for Brian Kelly and his staff; beating their former DC, who led a defensive backfield that was second to none in the Big East, with a Heisman hopeful at quarterback.
Last week Tresey answered questions to Tampa reporters in a press conference. But, he “politely declined” an interview request from Bill Koch of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Here’s what he told the local media last week.
Tresey was asked about his firing from Cincinnati. He said, “I’m really focused on South Florida, our defense and our football team, not what occurred at Cincinnati.” Tresey was fired in early February from UC where head coach Brian Kelly wanted to switch to the 3-4 defense. Tresey was rumored to have interviewed for the Defensive Coordinator spot at Miami (Florida) which I’m sure didn’t help his position at UC.
Most fans and “experts” on college football will find it strange to see Tresey on the field before the game, sporting a green and white shirt with the USF logo on it when two seasons ago he stood on the opposite sidelines at Raymond James Stadium—a game that UC won 38-33. Tresey said it might seem strange, but after the game gets started it will be back to business as usual.
This week Tresey will square off with his former team in what many consider to be the Big East’s biggest game since the Labor Day pounding that UC laid on Rutgers a little over one month ago.
Brett McMurphy of TBO.com wrote a preseason feature story on Tresey and described him as, “a colorful character that prefers to use some, uh, colorful nouns, adjectives and even adverbs.” Definitely not friendly for a family setting such as this. (http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/sports/comments/usfs-colorful-new-dc-tresey-im-a-little-bit-type-a)
But everything else in that article is true. He was intense, he was an excited person, and he got the job done as defensive play caller here at UC in two years. Now comes the hard part for Brian Kelly and his staff; beating their former DC, who led a defensive backfield that was second to none in the Big East, with a Heisman hopeful at quarterback.
Last week Tresey answered questions to Tampa reporters in a press conference. But, he “politely declined” an interview request from Bill Koch of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Here’s what he told the local media last week.
Tresey was asked about his firing from Cincinnati. He said, “I’m really focused on South Florida, our defense and our football team, not what occurred at Cincinnati.” Tresey was fired in early February from UC where head coach Brian Kelly wanted to switch to the 3-4 defense. Tresey was rumored to have interviewed for the Defensive Coordinator spot at Miami (Florida) which I’m sure didn’t help his position at UC.
Most fans and “experts” on college football will find it strange to see Tresey on the field before the game, sporting a green and white shirt with the USF logo on it when two seasons ago he stood on the opposite sidelines at Raymond James Stadium—a game that UC won 38-33. Tresey said it might seem strange, but after the game gets started it will be back to business as usual.
Tresey, now wearing his USF green, will be in a familiar setting on Thursday night—coaching against the team that he coached for the past two years (Photo from The Tampa Tribune)
“Once the first snap happens, you're just coaching against the team you're playing,” he said. “And no matter who it is, you want to win.” Kelly feels no bad blood between himself and Tresey. In fact, he complimented Tresey last week. “Joe does a great job and he'll have his defense ready to go,” Kelly said. “It’s not about Joe Tresey and Brian Kelly. It's about our players and how they play.”Don’t tell the media that. I guarantee it will be the major storyline on ESPN’s gamecast too. They’re always up for a good story.
According to reports, the whole USF coaching staff met with Tresey last weekend to discuss the UC team, player by player. USF Head Coach Jim Leavitt felt that even though it was good to hear Tresey’s side that Kelly’s knowledge of Tresey would make the meeting, “a wash. Our advantage is their advantage also.”
Advantage no one? That means this has all the makings of another classic game between two Big East foes.
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For more on the Joe Tresey vs Cincinnati story where I found some of these comments, visit http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/oct/11/110034/cb-usfs-tresey-used-to-be-one-of-them/
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Tomorrow I’ll be looking back at the 2007 UC/USF game, complete with photos of Raymond James stadium and maybe a little more on the Joe Tresey story. After all, as Tresey told me one November morning, “You know, I’m the only defensive coordinator in America that will do that for you Niedameyer. You remember that.”
I have.
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