>> female announcer: This is a

production of WKNO, Memphis.

Production funding for "Sports

Files" is made possible in part

by..

>> Gaston: My guest today on

"Sports Files" is University of

Memphis Football Coach Justin

Fuente.

>> (instrumental music)

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

>> Gaston: Hi everyone!

Later in the show we'll hear

from one of the top prep

basketball players in the

country, Austin Nichols, and his

coach at Briarcrest Christian,

John Harrington, on Austin's

recent decision to sign with the

University of Memphis.

But first, we look back at the

Memphis "football" season.

Nearly one year ago to the day

the University of Memphis hired

Justin Fuente as the school's

new football coach.

Fuente had no prior head

coaching experience, but came

with some impressive credentials

after helping develop a potent

offensive attack at TCU as the

program's co-offensive

coordinator.

Fuente won over the Memphis

search committee and after only

one year on the job, has won

over quite a few more.

His no non-sense approach and

openness has helped win over the

local media and has endeared him

to the fans.

But more importantly the program

improved.

Yes, there was actual

improvement.

In fact, it was pretty

significant.

With minimal scholarship

players, a lack of depth, and a

new system, Fuente's Tigers

rattled off three straight

impressive wins to end the

season, giving the team four for

the year, their most since 2008.

Their 4-4 record in conference

play was a far cry from their 2

and 22 mark over the past three

years.

And their back to back 40 point

games was a first in eight

years.

In fact, The Tigers outscored

their last three opponents by a

combined 125 to 56 score.

Today, Justin Fuente on his

first season as Head Coach of

the Tigers, the recruiting wars,

and the move to the Big East.

Next on "Sports Files."

>> (instrumental music)

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

>> Gaston: Justin, thank you so

much for joining us.

I know it's been non-stop for

you since the season ended.

>> Fuente: Yeah, as soon as we

finished on Saturday, most of us

were on planes the next day,

Sunday night, to go get to our

respective areas and hit the

road running recruiting-wise.

Most of our guys were back in

this past Sunday for a brief

staff meeting and then back out

again.

>> Gaston: I know you can't talk

specifically about the specific

players but in general, what's

it been like for you on the

recruiting trails the way the

season ended, knowing that this

program is moving in to the Big

East?

>> Fuente: Well, it's been great

for us.

We've gotten great reception

from both places that our

current coaches have connections

and then new areas that may be

the University of Memphis hasn't

been in before.

When you talk the things that we

have to sell, you start to look

at what were doing facility-

wise.

You talk about Tom Bowen and his

plan for the Memphis Athletic

Department as a whole and

specifically, football.

And you talk about moving to the

Big East and the things they're

doing to the Liberty Bowl.

We've got a lot of great things

to sell from an athletic

prospective and an academic

perspective.

So we've been received very

well.

>> Gaston: As busy as you've

been I don't if you've allowed

yourself to look back on what

this team was able to do to wrap

up the season winning three

straight games.

They were 2 and 22 in conference

play over the previous three

years.

And you guys went four and four,

a 500 conference record.

If I asked you in one word or a

sentence to describe the season,

what would you say?

>> Fuente: Well, I'd say it's

perseverance was the biggest

thing that our kids continued to

come to work everyday.

We knew that it wasn't going to

be easy.

I asked them to try and be a

better football team at the end

of the year than when we started

and I think we accomplished that

goal that we've set forth.

You know, obviously we have a

long way to go as a program to

make those things almost

automatic but I was proud of the

way that they started to

understand and buy in to our

philosophy as a way of doing

things.

It wasn't about scheme and how

to run cover 2 or double-post or

any of that stuff.

It was more about how do we

prepare, how do we play the

game.

Do we play the game hard, smart

and tough?

Do we display great emotion?

Do we play with a physical

nature and always put the team

first?

And I feel like the guys really

started to get that towards the

end of the year and I think it

showed great perseverance.

>> Gaston: It also said a lot

about you and the coaching staff

because you were weeding through

these players.

You didn't know a lot about

them.

You had spring football and then

camp and that was it.

You were thinning numbers, did

not have a lot of depth.

So you had to find out what

worked and again, it seemed at

the end you found the right

guys, the right fit and they all

played their hearts out.

>> Fuente: Well, it sort-of

gelled together there towards

the end.

We got better play from almost

every position.

You start to look at the

running-back position with

Brandon Hayes.

You look at what Jacob did the

last couple of weeks playing

quarterback.

And defensively, we really found

our own.

We really found out niche in

what we were going to do and

really held up against the run

game and were able to defeat the

perimeter screens that teams

were doing to us early in the

year.

And the guys just kept working

at it.

And it was great for us as

coaches to see it pay off for

the kids, to see the look on

their faces, to see them get to

celebrate, get to feel good

about themselves and have a

little bit of fulfillment for

some of the hard work that

they've put in.

>> Gaston: Top 50 defensive unit

in the country.

Top 50!

This is a defense that had been

at the bottom for a number of

years.

That says an awful lot what

Coach Odom and the rest of the

coaches did and these players

did defensely, as you said, the

last few games really coming in

to their own.

>> Fuente: Yeah, I was really

proud of the way they continued

to get better.

You know, we had some things

early in the year that we really

made an emphasis on that we were

not handling.

And the kids embraced it and did

a really good job.

And you know, there's a million

different ways to look at

improvement but there's some

stats out there.

I'm not a big stat guy but we're

one of the four or five most

improved defenses in the entire

country.

We ended up in conference games

being the number one defense in

the country in conference USA.

I mean, number one defense in

the league in Conference USA

games which I think speaks to

the staff and the kids.

You know, they kept just

pressing.

They kept working on playing the

next play and getting better and

playing physical football.

And it paid off for them.

>> Gaston: Offensely, you just

mentioned moments ago, Brandon

Hayes.

He came from fifth string on the

depth chart walk-on.

Jacob Karam got a lot better,

the Texas Tech transfer.

Now you go in to the off season

where you will have Paxton

Lynch, one year under his belt

as a red shirt.

You will be getting-Brayden

Scott will be coming here.

Matthews is still there.

You have a lot of options with

the quarterback position but

Karam's progress certainly

opened some eyes.

>> Fuente: Well, I think Jake

obviously played better as the

season went along.

And I think everybody played

better around Jake which helped

him out.

We were able to run the ball

better.

We were able to throw the ball,

you know, a little bit easier

fashion when you can run it.

And Jake was there to make those

plays and continue to improve.

And you know, we'll go in to the

spring the same at every

position.

We'll open it up and let guys go

compete for jobs and continue to

rotate reps and continue to

facilitate a competitive

environment.

I think that's the key when

you're trying to climb the

mountain, as they say.

Let's continue to make it a

competitive environment.

Let's continue to push people to

see how good they can be because

ultimately, that's the only way

you can really accomplish

something special is if you're

pushed everyday to be better

than you thought you could be.

And that's kind of what will be

our mind frame as we move on.

>> Gaston: From the outside

looking in watching you coach

from the sidelines, early on in

the season it seemed like you

were getting a feel for

everything.

Your first head coaching job.

A little bit conservative.

Then as the season progressed,

you were taking shots, going for

it on fourth down, fake punts,

this and that.

Is that more your style?

Do you believe that's going to

be your style from here on out?

>> Fuente: Well, I think so.

You know, I don't want to take

and un do risks.

I want to try and give our team

the best chance to win.

But I think, you know, we kind

of came and we reached some

conclusions as a team with the

field goal situation that if it

was close, we're going to go

ahead and go for it which really

helped us achieve our identity.

But yeah, I don't mind those

things.

We've got a great special teams

coordinator named James Shibest

that does a great job every week

scheming up fakes and ways to

attack other people's special

teams.

So I don't have really any

problem with pulling a trigger

on going for it or trick plays.

I think the kids, too, quite

honestly, you know, kind of

earned our trust a little more.

As the season went on, we felt

more comfortable doing those

things with those guys.

And you know, it kept us in some

ball games late.

>> Gaston: This is a tough

question.

Next year, as you know, Big

East.

Are you guys ready for the Big

East?

Not like you have a choice but

are you ready for the Big East?

And also, your thoughts on this

ever-changing conference.

We've had movement just in the

past seven to ten days.

Teams coming in, teams leaving

and I don't know if that's going

to slow down.

It seems like there's going to

be some more movement.

So your thoughts on the Big East

and this team being ready to go.

>> Fuente: Well no, we're not

ready.

But we just finished this past

season and we've got a long way

to go to be competitive in that

league.

We will get there and we will be

ready.

But you know, that's the

challenge ahead for the team

right now.

And look how hard we had to work

to accomplish just this which is

something to be proud of and has

come a long way from where we

were.

We have to ratchet it up even

further in order to competitive

in our new league.

And that comes through the

summertime.

That comes through off-season.

That comes through spring ball

and winter work-outs.

And I look forward to our guys

meeting that challenge.

As far as the Big East and kind

of ever-changing face of college

football, you know, I don't

think it's finished.

And I don't think there's

anything any of us can do about

it.

You know, I think we're in a

great position.

We're in a position of power.

We're in a quote-unquote BCS

league that maybe is changing

and there's no telling exactly

how it's going to end up.

But as far as University of

Memphis and its athletic

department, we're in a great

position to kind of launch of

spring board off in to the next

15, 20 years.

>> Gaston: Recently, the school

announced a home and home with

UCLA.

You'll be heading out to the

Rose Bowl in 2014 which I would

imagine has to excite recruits

and current players.

We already know that Tennessees

back on the schedule down the

line.

Ole Miss, Missouri -

What do you think about the

future direction of scheduling

the non-conference portion of

that schedule?

>> Fuente: Well, I'm all for

playing those type of people.

I think we have to also

understand where we're at as a

program and make sure that we're

not over scheduling our guys.

We're taking a step up in to

another league.

We're going in to the Big East

conference.

You know, and I'm all for

playing the UCLAs of the world

and driving across state and

playing Tennessee.

But I think we need to make sure

we mix and match those things

with other proper scheduling

philosophies which is what were

doing.

Which Tom and I have met

extensively about it and will

continue to meet about it.

But I'm excited to go take a

shot at those type of people and

play those type of schedules.

>> Gaston: Give me one thing

that you have learned about this

program that you had no idea

going in to it.

>> Fuente: Well as far as the

program, you know, I learned

from a good perspective really

the deep down character and love

for the game these kids have.

They just hadn't brought it out

before.

You know, kids that hasn't had

much success.

They had never really been fully

invested in something bigger

than themselves.

And they're almost there.

They're not fully there.

But to see those guys really,

their true character revealed

out there through a tough season

and to see them play like they

played at the end of the year, I

think speaks volume about them

and the type of people they are.

And their parents, the people

that raised them.

And I'm awfully proud of that.

I didn't know that beforehand.

I was uncertain exactly what

they had deep down inside and I

was pleased at what we found.

>> Gaston: Most important thing

that has to be accomplished in

the off-season besides

recruiting?

>> Fuente: Well, it's strength.

We have got to get stronger in

order to play at this next

level.

We've got to get stronger in the

offensive-defensive lining and

every single skill position.

And we've hired the right man

for that job.

Rohrk Cutchlow is an outstanding

strength coach, as good as

anybody in the country.

And our kids enjoy working for

him.

He sets a great example for

them.

He has a great atmosphere in the

weight room.

And in off-season, the guys are

there and they're working hard

and they're working together.

And along the line of kind of

know, the line is very clear

with him.

And they know exactly where they

stand every single day.

But to me, that's our biggest

challenge right now.

We've got to improve our overall

strength and become a more

developed football team.

We're going to be a young

football team for the next

couple of years.

The young people that come in to

this program are going to play.

And that's going to be like that

for the next couple of years.

Our challenge is to get them up

physically with the people that

we're going to play.

>> Gaston: Justin, we end all

our interviews with something we

call "five for the road."

So five questions, five quick

answers from you.

Okay, they're not hard.

Favorite professional sports

team?

>> Fuente: My favorite

professional sports team?

Well, that's easy.

That's the Grizzlies.

>> Gaston: Well, there ya go!

That's the PR answer, as well.

Favorite athlete of all time?

>> Fuente: As a child, I was a

huge Don Mattingly fan, the

first baseman for the New York

Yankees.

And obviously, now people know

him as a manager.

But yeah, that was my favorite

one growing up.

>> Gaston: Not sure if you're in

to music but if you are, a

favorite group, singer, genre?

>> Fuente: Dave Matthews Band,

for me, has been-every year in

college, I went and saw them

play at a different venue.

That was my kind of one or two

day break from football.

And that's a pretty cool band.

>> Gaston: Any guys in the

locker room listening to Dave

Matthews Band?

>> Fuente: Probably not.

Probably not too many of them.

>> Gaston: Favorite TV show of

all time?

>> Fuente: Well, I was a huge

Seinfeld fan.

For me, just the wit with which

that was written, I just

remember always looking forward

to watching Seinfeld.

And I wish there were more

programs like that now still on.

>> Gastin: We'll end it with

this.

Favorite movie of all time?

Would it be a sports movie?

>> Fuente: No, Star Wars for me.

Grew up with the old Star Wars

and, you know, kind of still a

kid at heart.

Bt really enjoyed those three

movies.

And the new ones, not so much.

But the old ones, that's kind of

my favorite.

>> Gaston: I got you.

Justin, thank you for spending

some time with us.

We appreciate it.

Best of luck on the road

recruiting and we'll talk to you

soon.

Happy holidays.

>> Fuente: Thank you!

I look forward to it.

>> Gaston: Alright, we'll take a

break.

Come back with "Overtime" right

after this.

>> (instrumental music)

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

>> Gaston: Depending on the

service you look at, the 2013

recruiting class put together by

Josh Pastner and his staff at

the University of Memphis is

ranked 2nd or 3rd in the nation.

Three of the five signees hail

from Memphis and include East

High School's Nick King, Markel

Crawford out of Melrose High and

Briarcrest Christian's Austin

Nichols.

Nichols, a 6'8" Forward,

received offers by a number of

schools including Duke, but

decided on the hometown team.

Recently I spent some time with

Austin and his coach at

Briarcrest Christian, John

Harrington, and we talked about

his big decision and what he has

to offer the Tigers on the

court.

Well John, tell me a little

about Austin.

What is this player like?

What is this young man like?

>> Harrington: Well, the first

thing that makes coaching him so

enjoyable, he is a fun loving,

high-energy kid that does not

practice, does not make the

locker room a boring place to

be.

He's a highly skilled basketball

player.

He's very coachable.

He's becoming a great leader

this year which is probably the

most important thing to our team

is having a kid that's very

successful on the floor but also

being a great leader for the

young kids.

>> Gaston: And as a player, what

type of skills does he possess?

>> Harrington: You know, people

have asked me that question

trying to compare him to some

people.

You know, and Andrei Kirilenko,

Kevin McHale, Cody Zeller for

Indiana.

You know, I even maybe made the

mistake by saying a more

athletic Keith Lee.

>> Gaston: You did say that.

>> Harrington: But you know,

Austin is Austin.

He's unique.

He's very highly skilled with

his left hand, his right hand.

He runs the floor great.

He's got great hands.

I think in college he'll be the

kind of kid that can step out,

you know, and pick and pop and

play that game a little bit.

So he's got some great skills

that I think are going to help

the Tigers.

>> Gaston: Austin, not bad to be

compared to Keith Lee, a former

Tiger great.

You've really worked hard on

your game.

Tell everybody just how hard you

have worked over the years to

become the player you are.

>> Nichols: Well, early in my

career as a freshman I wasn't

ranked very high.

And I just worked really hard in

the off-season, got stronger in

the weight room and worked on

being a better leader this year

as coach said.

I think that's really important.

It's just, I guess, worth work

ethic.

I just got in the gym and

worked.

>> Gaston: When was the time

that you thought to yourself-I

could be a pretty good

basketball player.

>> Nichols: Well, probably

middle sophomore and starting of

junior year.

That's when I felt like I was

doing a pretty good job on the

varsity level.

I was starting to get more

looks, you know, the bigger

colleges-North Carolina, Duke

were coming after me.

And then I was-I realized I

think I can go somewhere with

basketball.

>> Gaston: Just a few weeks ago

you made the biggest decision so

far in your young life deciding

to pick Memphis over a number of

schools that would have loved

for you to take your skills

there.

Why Memphis?

Tell everybody about the

decision again to pick the

University of Memphis Tigers.

>> Nichols: I wanted to be a

part of something a lot bigger

than myself which, you know, the

players there I think I can play

well with.

The recruiting class that's

coming in, I think I can jump in

there and do pretty good moving

to the Big East.

Some people say I might be a

hometown hero.

I didn't really book myself

under that name but if it works

out to be that, that's

wonderful.

But I wanted to stay close to

home and, you know, make my city

proud.

>> Gaston: John, how much did

Austin confide in you?

Obviously, he leans on his

parents to help him make a very

tough decision.

I would assume he was leaning on

his coach as well.

>> Harrington: You know, Austin

and his family did a lot of

homework, you know, when they

had to eliminate some high

profiled schools.

And I think, you know, he then

came to me and we started

talking about style of play of

maybe the coach that's at the

University, what that school,

that team, how they play, what

type of offense, you know, maybe

what's been their past history

of maybe players going on to the

next level, how they developed.

So those are some things as a

basketball coach maybe had a

little bit of an insight in to.

And I sort of helped him with

that.

>> Gaston: How do you see him

fitting in?

You know the style Memphis runs.

You've watched this team.

It's a little different with

Josh than it was with John.

But how do you see Austin

fitting in with that Tigers

team?

>> Harrington: Austin has a

unique ability to score the

basketball around the basket.

You know, he's been a career 70

percent shooter.

Right now after three games,

he's shooting 75 percent from

the field.

I think if you get the ball to

him in the paint a lot or around

the basket, he's going to be

highly productive.

Like we talked about, he's got

the ability to maybe go outside

and pick and roll.

He can post up.

I think if you were to ask me

last year could he post up in

college, I would have said no.

He was only 190 pounds.

He's put on 20 pounds.

So I think, you know, he'll have

a chance if he's playing a four

man, maybe against the

oppositions four man, to go

inside and score.

He can also go outside if they

guard him with a five man.

He's going to create some unique

match ups, maybe not next year,

but I know down the road he

will.

>> Gaston: You know how much

this community loves the Memphis

Tigers.

So there's always that added

pressure when the hometown kid

stays home.

Some have flown the coup and had

success outside of Memphis.

And some have stayed.

Many have succeeded.

Some have not succeeded.

Do you mind the pressure?

Do you like-Do you embrace the

pressure that will be coming

with your entrance in to the

University of Memphis?

>> Nichols: I don't really mind

it.

I just take it day-by-day.

I've noticed a lot of people

know me around the city now, of

course.

Like the other day I went to a

Grizzlies game.

It wasn't even a Tigers game and

people were saying "Go Tigers"

to me and everything.

I think I'm just going to take

it day-by-day.

You know, stay humble and just

go with it.

>> Gaston: John, do you think

it's tougher for a local to stay

and play at Memphis?

>> Harrington: I think it is.

And please take this the right

way.

I think the media is going to

cause a lot of the pressure on

him.

If he plays at Duke, if he plays

at even at a Vandy away from

home, Tennessee, there's going

to be critics that if he doesn't

listen to the radio shows, if he

doesn't open up the paper, he's

going to be sort of, you know,

he's not going to know about

that.

But at home, you know, they're

going to know him by his first

name.

They're going to know where he

lives.

They're going to he went to high

school.

You know, there's going to be an

added pressure staying home just

as there would be playing a

major University, a major

basketball program.

>> Gaston: You were involved in

a lot of big tournaments this

year.

Briarcrest Christian School is.

Expectations certainly are to

win a state championship but

other than that, individually,

Austin, what are your goals for

your senior year?

>> Nichols: I mean, as you

mentioned, the state

championship.

I wanted to be a better leader

this year since I'm a senior.

I got to look at many players

coming through here being

leaders and I've definitely

picked up on that and learned

from that.

I'd love to be, have the

opportunity to be a nominee for

Mr. Basketball.

That'd be great.

And help the younger kids out

because I was once a younger

kid.

I didn't know what I was doing

out there.

And if they have somebody to

guide them to, you know, what to

do and everything, I think it's

better for them and ultimately,

state championship.

>> Gaston: John, it'd be great

to have an Austin Nichols every

year on your team.

Unfortunately, you got one more

year with this young man.

Your expectations?

>> Harrington: Of course every

coach is going to say you want

to try to, you know, achieve a

state championship.

I think Austin said it right.

You know, the by-product of

winning the state championship

is his leadership and maybe next

year, leaving me a group of

young men that he's maybe

affected in a positive way.

Maybe these young boys that

they're coming up through

Briarcrest can see how he

handled this whole adventure and

how he's been so humble in it

but yet, worked hard to achieve

all the accolades he received.

>> Gaston: I'll leave you with

this question for both of you.

One word to describe yourself,

the basketball player.

And then John, you've got to

come back with one word but it's

going to be a different word.

Austin, one word to describe

yourself.

>> Nichols: Only one word?

Oh, man!

I probably have to say-probably

goofy.

>> Gaston: Goofy?

>> Nichols: Yeah, I mean, if we

could use one word on the court

and one word off.

>> Gaston: Sure, goofy's off the

court.

Better not be goofy on the

court.

You've got your coach sitting

next to you here.

What's on the court?

>> Nichols: On the court-

>> Gaston: Some would say

relentless, or warrior, or

winner, or champion.

>> Nichols: Probably focused or

a winner.

>> Gaston: Yeah, focused is an

excellent word.

John?

>> Harrington: Describing him on

the basketball court?-skilled.

>> Gaston: Hey, that's a pretty

good word to be described,

right?

Austin, thank you so much.

Congratulations on your decision

and best of luck the rest of the

season.

John, as always, a pleasure.

Best of luck to Briarcrest.

Thanks, guys.

>> Nichols: Thank you.

I appreciate it.

>> Gaston: Before we put a wrap

on this week's show we want to

send out our congratulations to

the Whitehaven High School

Football team, who last weekend

completed a perfect 15-0 season

by winning their first ever

state championship.

The Tigers won the class 6-A

title in dramatic fashion,

defeating Maryville 36-35 in

overtime as star tailback Mark

Dodson ran in a two point

conversion.

Dodson capped off an amazing

career with a 318 yard, 5 TD

rushing performance.

Also hats off to MUS, ECS in

Covington for getting to their

respective title games, only to

come up a bit short.

And that will do it for this

week.

Remember, you can view any

previous Sports Files show at

any time by going to WKNO-dot-

org and clicking on KNO Tonite.

And we'll see you next time.

>> (instrumental music)

♪♪♪

♪♪♪