Q: Now that you’re Clarkdale’s head coach, what steps can you take to recruit more of the school’s students to play football?

A: “Hopefully they respond to me. You just go be very personable, try to make people realize the importance of teaching kids toughness and grit in today’s world. … For other kids, it’s the only place they get a sense of team. All of these things are extremely important for kids today that are bombarded from social media. There’s a slice of the real world in sports.”

Q: Beyond recruiting students, what can you do to help take this Clarkdale program to the next level?

A: “Everywhere I’ve ever been, even as an assistant coach, if we weren’t winning, we started winning. That has a lot to do with that I’m a tenacious worker. I’m going to work more hours and watch more film than anybody, and that’s the same thing in the classroom. Kids will fuel off your excitement for being there. … The kids can trust that I know what I’m doing. I’m not winging anything, I’m not just throwing things out to the wind and hoping it works, everything will be meticulously planned so that when they show up there’s a plan that they can feel confident in.”

Q: What do you want to accomplish in your first season as head football coach?

A: “I would like to see these kids reach their full potential. What exactly that is, I don’t know. But, if I walked away from this and knew that I got everything out of every single kid, every single kid enjoyed playing football next year, it’ll result in wins. That’s the kind of thing that goes along with it. You will win if you simply do your job and everyone buys in.”