Fuente keeps staff intact

Familiar faces back for Tigers

Although they were hard to recognize Saturday at the Murphy Athletic Complex as they donned winter gear — gloves and ski caps were in vogue — to battle the 30- degree weather and light snow, the University of Memphis football coaching staff had no difficultly recognizing one another.

They were familiar with one another’s voices, one another’s body language and one another’s nuances.

Entering his second season as U of M head coach, Justin Fuente is enjoying a rarity in college football as the Tigers begin spring — spring? — workouts. He has each of his assistants back, a welcome development for Fuente as he attempts to resurrect a Tiger program that has endured five straight losing seasons.

Fuente said several members of his staff — none he would identify publicly — turned down offers from bigger, established programs during the offseason to remain in Memphis.

“We’ll (eventually) have turnover; it’s going to happen,” Fuente said. “But it is important, especially for these kids, (to have stability). They’ve been through so much. We’ve got guys that had five different position coaches in the five years they were here.”

In his f irst season, Fuente and his staff led the Tigers to a 4-8 finish, including three straight wins to close the year. The U of M had won only five games the previous three seasons.

Fuente said the continuity should come into play this fall as the Tigers try to build on the late-season momentum en route to moving from Conference USA into a Bowl Championship Series conference.

“To have familiar faces and people they know genuinely caring about their well-being is important,” Fuente said.

Among the returnees is offensive coordinator Dar-

rell Dickey, a college veteran who spent nine years as head coach at North Texas State. Dickey led the Mean Green to four straight Sun Belt Conference titles from 2001-04 and understands the value of having consistency.

“My experience is the longer a (coaching staff) is together, the better they learn each other,” Dickey said. “The kids also know what to expect. It is critical for a program, even a good program, to have continuity and consistency on a staff.

“It’s rare. You don’t see it as much any more. People don’t understand what it does to a team when it has a new head coach or a new coordinator or a new position coach every year or other year. It’s almost like starting over because you are teaching new techniques, you’re teaching new schemes. We’re in an age where people change coaches at places like some people change underwear.”

In the U of M’s case, the recent multiple shake-ups were the result of a head coaching change in 2009 followed by another two years later when Larry Porter’s brief tenure resulted in a 3-21 record.

Tiger defensive back Bobby McCain, who will be a junior this fall, said having the same position coach (Chris Vaughn) return is an enormous benefit. The Tigers made major strides defensively in 2012 and led C-USA in total defense in league play.

“You know how you’re supposed to play, how you’re supposed to act,” McCain said. “I know what he’s about. I know his attitude and his enthusiasm.”

In Fuente’s first season, the Tigers went 4-4 in CUSA play after a 2-22 record in league play from 2009-11. That turnaround might have been a factor in influencing the staff to remain intact.

“Other schools approached some of our coaches, and the main reason they wanted to stay was because of coach Fuente,” Dickey said. “They understand and enjoy working for him. Everyone, to a man, feels like we have a great leader and that he’s going to be a great leader for a long time.”