Yesterday, Bobby V bridged the past…today, Tom O’ Brien is building bridges to mend some deterioriated relationships between NC State football and local high school football coaches.
Tom O’Brien’s priority this spring is preparing N.C. State for the 2007 season during off-season workouts. But cultivating relationships with the people who’ll be supplying talent to his program is also a major focus for the Wolfpack’s first-year head coach.
O’Brien spent Tuesday evening working on the latter in Fayetteville as the guest speaker at the monthly meeting for the region’s high school football coaches.
“It’s important to get to know these guys,’’ O’Brien said. “We know how strong the high school football in this area is.’’
A crowd of about 35 assistant and head prep coaches gathered at the Haymont Grill and Steak House to learn more about the 58-year-old former Marine who left a highly successful Boston College program in December to take over at N.C. State. He replaced Chuck Amato, whose team was criticized for being undisciplined and for suffering through losing records in two of the last three seasons.
O’Brien has had no issues with discipline or anything else since the Wolfpack hit the field for spring practice on March 14.
“They’re working hard and they want to be good,’’ O’Brien said. “We’ve thrown a lot at them and there’s a lot for them to learn. Right now we’re probably where we should be when you have a coaching change and implementing a new system. I don’t want to comment on anything in the past. But I haven’t seen any real discipline issues since we’ve been here and on the field. I’m happy with these kids. They’re attentive. They’re listening. They want to do the right things and they’re working hard to do the right things.’’
