TU's Philip Montgomery Talks Football

Philip Montgomery is now nine days into his career as Tulsa's head football coach. He said it was a surreal moment when his new job title was confirmed.

"It's one of those things that my wife, and my family and I, we've dreamed about, we've prepared for, we've been looking forward to, and then when it finally happens, you're like 'is it really real?' I got a chance to call my wife, and she was elated. She was kind of jumping up and down and screaming, and from that point on you're just kind of living on adrenaline,” Montgomery said.

Much of Montgomery's career has been spent with Art Briles, a coaching legend. He said Briles taught him everything from how to treat your players, to making sure there's a point to what you're doing.

"You're not just showing up to work because it's your job, it's something that you've got to be passionate about. You've got to bring energy every day, and you have to treat it like every day is your first day on the job. The way I feel right now, I want to make sure that I feel that way each and every day as we push through this,” Montgomery explained.

Montgomery elaborated on the difference between himself and the Baylor head coach, stating that Briles is wittier, while he is more organized. He said despite the differences, they have multiple similarities.

Montgomery said he didn't know what he'd be doing if he wasn't coaching, “This is all that I've ever really wanted to do. I talked about that from the time I was in junior high all the way through. The only other profession that I thought about was being a pilot, so that's about it.”

TU and Baylor are both private universities, something both schools are proud of, and Montgomery said you have to look for the right type of kid when you recruit.

"You've got to be sure that you're really focused on the right type of kid, that's really serious about getting his degree, but also serious about being a good football player,.” Montgomery said.

He also stated that how the alumni base affects a program, is a similarity amongst all schools.

When Montgomery was first hired he stated, “There is a lot of work to get done and trust me, I'm already on it.” The new head coach meant what he said; he went on the hunt for a new staff, hiring two new assistant offensive coaches this past Monday.

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